Woodland Wonders

Much cooler this morning and quite breezy too, but it was still sunny and dry, so we set out to walk around Mapperley Reservoir. On our way, we walked along Slack Lane and stopped to admire the glorious Gorse which is in full flower at the moment.

This rather prickly member of the Pea family provides some wonderful colour at almost all times of the year, but in early spring, it is at its best. The slight scent of coconut from these brilliant flowers only adds to the attraction. The bees were enjoying it this morning too.

Onward we walked and we thought we would see if it was dry enough through Mapperley Wood. The path here can be very wet and muddy, but thankfully, not this morning. Crossing the brook we stopped to enjoy the sight and sound of running water.

A few Bluebells have started to bloom under the trees, promising much greater things to come. But for now, we were happy just listening to the birds singing and the water bubbling along.

We made it round the reservoir and in a few spots, clumps of Wood Anemones caught our attention.

Belonging to the Buttercup family, this pretty little plant is sometimes known as Windflower or even 'Smell Fox' because of the musky odour of the crushed leaves. Undoubtedly another great woodland favourite.