Woods in spring

Bluebells and Lady's-smock in Wateredge Copse

Wateredge copse is one of my favourite woods at this time of year.  A stream that arises at the foot of

Blackdown runs through the southern edge of it right by the path.  It is mostly old coppiced hazel and oak standards with a rich ground flora of snowdrops (now long over of course), bluebells, celandines, wood anemones, and lady's smock.  Surprisingly, as it is rather damp there is a lot of dog's mercury in places, mingling with the bluebells; usually, they partition the wood between the drier and damper parts.  This year all of the spring flowers are blooming vigorously, but here in Waterdge Copse it seems to be the lesser celandines that are outstripping everything else.

Lesser Celandines

Not only were the woods full of flowers, they were also full of birdsong: blackbird, songthrush, chiffchaff, blackcap, chaffinch, and nuthatch.  Treecreeper was seen but not heard and we have yet to hear a willow warbler.