What a beautiful morning! The sun was warm on my face and the gentle breeze carried the scent of the flourishing forest and almost handed it to me to inhale! The heather is alive with butterflies and stonechats distinctively called from the gorse standing strong amongst the sea of purple.
Some of the bracken is already starting to go over adding another depth and dimension to the delicious landscape palette.
I love this walk at Withybed bottom it offers so many habitats and two of my favourite ancient beech trees standing together, observing and absorbing centuries of change, but the heathland is at it's best, and looking across the expanse view of Murrays passage I spotted 2 herds of fallows, foraging ponies and cattle and a bouncing roe deer making it's way through the landscape.
Dogs were cooling off in the ponds hurtling through the water after sticks before returning to their owners and shaking off all over them! It made me smile as I remember when I never walked alone 🐾🐾 but nothing was going to shake my mood when Mother nature presented me with all her beauty.
Heading back up the hill a female kestrel quietly flew over the heather and landed in a tree nearby. This gave me a good excuse to stand and watch while catching my breath. Just before the end of my walk I stopped at my favourite "secret" woodland pond. The lillypads were a hub of life with dragonflies and damselflies dancing on the sunlight and swifts took advantage of the insects attracted to the glistening water.
Fancy joining me for Withybed walk? 👇
https://www.newforestnatureandnurture.com/events
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