Cyn's Nature Notes: Spring Trip from Hertfordshire to Oxfordshire

Saturday, 29 March 2014

Spring Trip from Hertfordshire to Oxfordshire

It is a bright and beautiful morning, the temperature is eighteen degrees celsius and a pair of pheasants are settled on the lawn, they make a pretty pair especially the male with the sun reflecting his bright coppery chest feathers.

We are on our way from Hertfordshire to Oxfordshire, the hedges, edges and verges are so much more verdant than a few weeks ago when we travelled this way.

The catkins which brought me so much pleasure have long since forsaken the hazel bushes, in their place are fresh green leaves. The verges are adorned with spring flowers, daffodils; primroses; celandines; huge dark leaved bushes of bright yellow broom and oil seed rape.

There is a stretch of the M25 five miles before the St. Albans turning, where whichever side of the car your eyes gaze from, the view is stunning. Gently undulating fields with their freshly green hedged boundaries stretch away for mile upon mile, and just for a few moments you could be forgiven for thinking it is Devon or Yorkshire that the road is cutting through.

The trees many of which are still undressed and in their skeletal state are impressive and make wonderful statements as they stand tall on the verges and in the fields either side of the motorway. Those showing new growth now are looking very pretty in their fresh greenery, other trees are still bereft of leaves but covered in blossom. Their finery reminds me of spring brides on their way to church.

The M40 verges are quite spectacular at this time of year, there are seemingly endless miles of bushes and trees in white blossom, interspersed with bright yellow broom. Between the carriageways on the central reservation, underneath the barrier, is a ground covering plant it stretches for a long distance and lifts what is otherwise a drab area. Unfortunately try as I might, I am unable to identify it, as I cannot see individual plants well enough to do so.

Nearing our destination we pass a rookery, the nests are high in the topmost branches of very tall trees, with more rooks in attendance than I have ever seen before. We pass fields of sheep and their fresh young lambs one of spring times delights. They remind me of Wimpole Hall in Cambridgeshire, where it is possible not only to see fields of sheep with their young, but also to walk amongst them and to watch the lambs playing chase and frisking and frollicking all around as you walk through them.

The beautiful yellow Brimstone butterflies are out in force now that the warmer weather is here, we have even seen them fluttering across the motorway today.

We are driving through red kite territory, five are circling overhead and the village we are driving through has many honey coloured stone buildings, which are very pleasing to the eye. Their gardens are full of flowers in bloom making the whole scene magically picturesque.

Previously flooded roads are now dry and their verges adorned with daffodils. All in all a very enjoyable ride through the pretty English countryside in spring.

While in Oxfordshire we spent time in the peaceful grounds of a retreat, which were open to the public.

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About this Blog

When we moved to our present home in December 1987, I was very ill and bedridden. My garden was a life-saver, although it was very different then. The first thing I did was to put up bird-feeders, and long hours were spent lying indoors in a recliner. This was when I discovered many things. Do you know the underside of every blue tit’s tail is differently marked? Gradually, over the years, the garden changed. We put in shrubs and plants that would not only enhance the garden, but would also be good for wildlife. The first rabbit we saw was so joyful for us. The deer eat the flowers, prune the apple trees, eat the marrow, and are wonderful to watch. Foxes have been a major part of our wildlife. We have fed them each night for more than 20 years. They are such a delight, especially in late summer and early autumn when there are youngsters. They behave like puppies and are great fun to watch.

I love all wildlife: the mason bees that nest in the brickwork of the bungalow, the hornets that last year made their home in the roof above our bedroom, the bees currently nesting in the roof above the bathroom. On a hot evening, if you stand quietly in the bathroom, you can hear this amazing sound: it is very rhythmic and reminds me of the waves at the seaside. It is made by the beating of the bees’ wings as they fan their nest to keep the temperature at the right level -- how many people have heard that sound? I feel so privileged.

Obviously, I feed the birds. When I open the window in the morning I call “Come on Bobby and Blackie”, and one followed swiftly by the other they fly immediately to the bird table. Each morning, on rising, I make my way to the kitchen and find the squirrels already sitting on the window ledge waiting to be fed. Winter brings the moorhens and spring time the mallards. Our pond is a poor effort from a human point of view, but wild creatures see it differently. On summer days, the grass snakes spend long hours in the pond: eating the fish, froglets, toadlings, newts, and any other living creature they can swallow. Although I hate to see the pond emptied this way, I do enjoy the snakes and feel they are an important part of the balance of nature in the garden. Watching a dragonfly nymph climbing out of the pond, up a plant stalk, and then over the next few hours gradually transforming into a beautiful dragonfly -- these are contented hours well spent.

It has been my pleasure to write and publish a nature column each month. I am always delighted to hear how much pleasure this brings to my readers. I have often been asked if I have written a book, so I am making more of my writings and photography available through this web site and blog.