A Spring Wood, Derbyshire
For a few days now the sun has been rather elusive. Yesterday start very grey and unpromising, so it was a surprise that we actually enjoyed some breaks in the cloud allowing a few glimpses of a hazy sun.
It was enough to cast some shadows over the woodland path, it will not be long before all that new growth on the tops of the trees starts to exclude the light. At the moment the new leaf growth is sparse and a yellowish green. There are also Bluebells hiding within the green carpet below the trees, it is a race to produce there flowers before the leaf canopy casts it dark shadow.
Away from the woods we were surprised to see small groups of Red Deer on the move. Going nowhere in particular, just unsettled, grabbing a quick graze then off again.
Something was in the air creating this nervous, watchful, movement. It is some time till the Rutting season so it shouldn’t be unwelcome attention from the Stags. It is also a little early for the Deer in calf to be giving birth…. so who knows.
Out on the meadows many of the fields are turning yellow. Oilseed Rape is the crop. I always find it rather incongruous that we have all this fresh over blown yellow seeds set against a stark background of bare skeletons of trees yet to leaf..
The hazy sun kept on coming and going throughout the day…… But it did end on a high with a rich after glow lighting the evenings clouds and a clearing sky.
16th April
(C) David Oakes 2019
