What a beautiful day to be out in nature!
The sky was blue, and the landscape was responding to the longer days. Newly unfurled leaves on the trees were bright and fresh, and wildflowers were peppering the verges. Heading up onto Ibsley common, it was a joy to see rabbits bouncing the landscape once more and seeing 'bobtails' disappear under the aromatic gorse as I crossed their path.
Ponies graze and warm their backs where I passed the small pond with a singular swift skimming the surface in search of a meal.
While I took in the 360° views of the undulating landscape it was hard to imagine that this was a wartime aerodrome less than a century ago, but knowing where to look, you will find the history from another lifetime as it is being consumed by nature.
After my mind switched between the beauty of this day and imagining of planes thundering over and evoking fear, I took a seat at Whitefield plantation and listened to the skylarks sing from such a great height, they were no longer visible, along with the distant call of a cuckoo.
Beyond the nearby trigpoint I could see mares getting frisky and grumpy with one another with the imminent arrival of stallions, and if I squinted against the sun I could make out a very large herd of fallows quietly grazing amongst the playful yearlings and frisky mares as rutting season is a thing of the past and stallion turn out is almost upon us. Spring has definitely sprung!
If you would like to join me for the Ibsley walk next month and find out more about the wartime activity on this now beautiful landscape you will find more details at newforestnatureandnurture.com/events