WALKING IN THE WOODS

I decided to take my camera with Beth and I on our afternoon walk in the woods.

We have a choice right is pretty but a shorter walk.

So left it is in amongst the Cow Parsley which is still very beautiful and ethereal.

The three trees are still all there although one is dead and marked for the chop sadly.

Every direction you look is lovely.

Even the views through the leaf canopy to the sky are a delight.

Then into the field with a view back towards the way we came and the great Old Oak looking majestic.

Recently the idea is that this bit of common land is managed by only mowing a pathway through to walk, so that it encourages wildflowers. Great in principle but in reality as it is surrounded by houses, the children often play here.

With the deer and the pheasants in abundance this is such prime tick habitat and children are easy prey for ticks. Pheasants are competent hosts for Borrelia, Lyme disease and as the Clandon Park Estate which borders the woods breeds Pheasant. We are over run by them not just in the woods but in our gardens too. Who knows what percentage of the ticks will have Lyme Disease but I am not the only person diagnosed with Lyme Disease in this area.

The Hawthorn blossom is lovely it has not yet got it's pink blush so clearly not all pollinated yet. The pile of logs is to encourage stag beetles. I haven't ever seen any out here but each year we get them in our garden, they probably like the old logs left under the shrubs.

The lovely Oak tree beautiful whatever the weather, I bet it has some stories to tell.

Back up the track home.