Last week D and I went on one of our favourite walks to see Wild Garlic in flower at Brueton Park LNR. We try and visit every May but last year the walk was so muddy we had to abandon it after a few hundred yards and the year before we were in lockdown. So it is several years since we saw it in all its glory.
The River Blythe which runs through the park is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
Brueton Park can get busy but not many people seem to follow the public footpath into the woodland. Wild Garlic was flowering profusely everywhere you looked.
Holly Blue
We also saw several Orange Tips.
No sign of Purple Toothwort this year even though I checked where it normally grows.
After the first patch of woodland the path crosses a meadow with the M42 rumbling away in the distance. I have seen this meadow full of buttercups but this year it had flowering dandelions.
The next patch of woodland is full of Bluebells.
You can carry on across another meadow and on towards Widney but at this point we turned round and retraced our route.
Horse Chestnut candles are starting to flower.
Bracket fungi - don't ask me the species as I am really hopeless at identifying them!
As well as Wild Garlic and Bluebells many other Spring flowers were seen - Cow Parsley, Buttercups, Daisies, Marsh Marigold, Dandelions, Yellow Archangel (indicator of Ancient Woodland), Red Campion, Garlic Mustard and Herb Robert.
It was a lovely walk and interesting to note a Ring-necked Parakeet flying over.
In the garden the nestbox camera is being watched as we had 9 Blue Tit eggs all of which have hatched. The good news is that this year both parents seem to be feeding the chicks and at the moment the youngsters are all of a similar size. In the past we have noticed a few chicks get the majority of the food and the remainder have ended up dying presumably from lack of caterpillar food. Hopefully, the warm sunny weather will help the adults find plenty of food.
I hope everyone is staying safe and well.
All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (For some reason I can't seem to upload D's photos from the camera card).
12 comments:
Lovely flowers. Do you think wild garlic walks are becoming a popular thing to do? I've seen a few people saying they went to a specific area to see the wild garlic, and no wonder, it's so pretty.
Rustic Pumpkin - Thanks so much. It is a very lovely flower and en masse hard to beat. I started to return every May some years ago just to see its beauty but it could well be coming very popular walk wise like going on a bluebell walk.
Wild Garlic is not something I ever come across though I think my wife would like to grow some in our garden. I don't think she will be impressed with the horse-chestnuts in flower she had a bit of an allergy to them
Billy Blue Eyes - Thank you - it is a pretty plant and smell of garlic can be overpowering when they grow en masse :) I would like to grow some here too in the garden. Leaves and flowers are I believe edible and you can make pesto etc.
that looks a glorious walk. nice to be back eh!
and good luck with the Blue Tits. I had a baby Robin in the garden :) Did you see I saw another PL today :)
The Quacks of Life - Thanks Pete its lovely there and only a mile from Solihull Town Centre not far from St Alpheges which I am sure you have visited.
I missed your further PL sighting. Why am I not surprised as I haven't see one - lol! :)
The woodland walk looks wonderful :-)
CherryPie - Thank you :)
What a glorious walk! I have only seen wild garlic once, somewhere in Somerset! It didn't seem to like where we lived in Brittany, guess it was the wrong kind of soil or something. You can't beat wild bluebells either! I'm so glad the baby tits are doing well this year - cross fingers for them! :-)
millymollymandy - Thanks so much. Yes we do enjoy that walk especially in May. I have never seen so many in one place before.
Sad news about the baby Blue Tits when we got back from Herefordshire and checked the camera they had all died :( Very distressing again as both parents seemed to be feeding them well.
Oh that’s so sad :-(
I know it is. It worries me although last year I think a lot of blue tit nests failed and only the female seemed to be feeding them. Box is in the correct position and faces North so can't see it was the sun and heat. Strange thing is female removed every single one. I have seen them do that when there are still live chicks in there but not when all are dead. As we were not here not sure if they all died at same time or over several days. But all 9 were thrivng when we left on the Tuesday and we came back Saturday. In view of her removing chicks I did wonder if she might lay more eggs although I know that is very unusual I must check the camera to see.
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