It's raining again! And its Friday 13th! And its snowing on Asta in Denmark. So to cheer us all up, I've chosen a sunny picture today...I really enjoy walking in the local woods near Saltaire. It's a very pleasant route, along the canal for about half a mile, then a meandering wander through the woods to the point where the canal and river intersect (see my post of 6 July) and then back a slightly different way, through the centre of the village. You can take as long as you want about it; there are lots of little paths to explore. It's a favourite with people walking their dogs, and joggers too.
Hirst Woods, as it's called, is a patch of ancient woodland and therefore home to many different varieties of tree, with their associated wildlife. In the spring it is carpeted with bluebells, but I love it in the autumn too - on a sunny day, the woodland floor seems to glow because of the bright beech leaves. There are lots of birds (which can be seen more easily if you avoid the paths of the dogs and joggers!) I've seen woodpeckers and nuthatches, as well as the more common woodland birds, like tits, chaffinches and robins. There are the usual water birds on the canal - mostly mallard ducks, a family of resident mute swans and sometimes geese (of indeterminate origin). But I have seen goosander, even a kingfisher - and there is currently a very showy mandarin duck that seems to believe he's a mallard.
Lovely photo. You are very lucky to have such a wonderful environment right on your doorstep. Woods are a special place. You cannot beat a walk in the woods, especially at this time of year with all those glorious colours. Sadly it seems to me that we treat trees with the same disdain and disrespect that we seem to treat our social, cultural and historic heritage.
ReplyDelete