Forest Centre Walk from Top End

 

Another Walk; Another Day. However, the destination is simply to visit the top end of the woods that bound the Millennium Park, and to do that I drive further north along the A421, and at the turning towards the station and College, I take the first turning on the right, and park up just before the turnstile to the north end of the park. Since the weather is settled, I remove the camera cover, and simply pocket the two closeup lenses, lock the car and head for the entrance.

Decisions, decisions: which way to go? — Left, or Right? The latter. Sadly, I walked a fair distance, looking right and left, up the bank, and down towards the brook that babbles gently from the recent rains an finally I find reason to switch the camera on, and remove the tethered lens cap, and take my opening shots of the vibrant green coat the tree is sporting, attracted by the curved e-shaped tree trunk that sports an interesting fungus, with a horizontal, similarly coated horizontal bough that forms the Euro symbol. Having never spotted this rich dark maroon and black fungus before, I move closer for a more detailed image before continuing to find similarly moss-clad branches.

One of the most attractive features of Autumn in the woods is that despite the general perception that this season is dominated by browns, albeit with numerous shades, the reality is that the palette is far more diverse, and never more so than when the sun is out. The next leaves I spotted and captured, makes this vividly apparent — in one image, the hero leaves are rich in both green and red, yet beyond are golden yellows, and intensely blue-biased greens. The Autumn spectrum of colours is far from monochromatic shades of brown, and as if to add further emphasis to the colour palette of Autumn, I find a lone, young white flower alongside deep maroon and thorn clad branches and dead and dying fruits.

After passing steep, muddy banks with obvious slithery attempts to climb for better views or to reach good areas from which to fish, I finally find some wooden steps that are safe for me to consider safely to reach the shoreline and get glimpses of the lake beyond. I find a lone gull perched on a small buoy, and beyond, three chimneys of this area’s past history in the Brick industry. This lake and numerous others in Bedfordshire are the reminders of the era when clay was dug to support the brick industry around this area. The county’s lakes now support wildlife, and the leisure activities from boating, sailing, water-skiing and angling to water sports like windsurfing.

Swirling, bubbling water always is attractive in photographs, and the little weir with its trapped bottle, held by the current definitely appealed, as well as affirm the quality of the lens on this camera, my handy LUMIX fz10002.

Naturally I am attracted to the colour I capture, but on walks like this it is the variety of subject matter, and often some of the details, and textures attract my attention, as do patterns that can have been formed by recognised actions, and others that surprise by the sheer oddity or happenstance — for instance the calm water at the boundary to the rippled surface which held the reflection of the chimneys on the water’s surface, and then the lack of fear exhibited by the gull when passed closely by the Grebe. Also, the textures when one part of a branch is covered in its death by new life in the form of coloured fungal growth, or the vibrant reds of berries that appear when the leaves have had their time.

The sunset that closed the day I spent out with the camera was definitely a fitting end to my walk, and to end the day, when I captured the final curtain from outside my house with the silhouette of leafless, tall willows, against the rich colours of the fading sunset.

Rushmere Woods First Visit

On this Sunday afternoon, daughter Lizzy and I met up at a new location for a welcome and relaxing afternoon in the fresh air. Due to the current restrictions, her two children are unable to join us, which is particularly sad, as it means I am missing their growth and general character development at this crucial time in their young lives.

However, there is compensation — both of us relish the uninterrupted and relaxed time we are able to spend in the open air, to exercise, bring us both up-to-date, chat, joke and observe the unfolding new scene around us. Lizzy had taken a look at a map that covered a halfway point between our homes that promised an interesting woodland area we could both exercise and unwind, and on this occasion our meeting was at Rushmere, and Lizzy was definitely one up on me as she was able to view my location on her phone, then to guide me to where she had already succeeded in parking in a long lay-by close to one of the entrances to the woods.

We locked up both cars, and crossed over the main road after a short break in the traffic stream allowed us to reach the other side safely. Recent rains had meant the sawn tree-branched edging defined the limits of the path, which was for the most part a quagmire was also, uphill! As we started the climb, we both spotted a couple of items that acted as a date stamp for our day — a couple of carefully placed and beautifully carved pumpkins!

We both spent some time just wandering around this spot looking, and both of us capturing shots on her iPhone in Lizzy’s case and the LUMIX in mine. As we continued our walk deeper, we did pass small groups, and engage in conversation. We both spent some amusing time capturing broken branches that simulated Alphabet characters, interesting fungi clusters, wispy layers of leaves on small trees. We met up briefly with a couple who had come across a lone cricket high on a tree trunk.

During our circular walk we both stopped every so often to capture shots of some of the avenues we took whilst walking through this wood, interesting leaf clusters and colours, and with a bit of imagination a pair of furry booted legs!

Lizzy had two children and a husband to consider, and return to cook them supper, so all too soon we found ourselves returning to our cars and our respective trips home. It was very sad to part — all too soon! Initially I set off in the wrong direction, but soon turned round and within two minutes of my arrival back home, my phone rang with a message that Lizzy had too. I thanked her, then poured some squash and opened a packet of crisps which had been taken to drink and eat whilst out!

Later I would offload the images to form a record of our all too brief, time together on Sunday afternoon.

Misty Morning at Marsworth

I did not set a particularly early alarm call, because there was no real guarantee of a bright start, but as it turned out it was indeed bright and in many a field hung a blanket of mist, just a few feet above ground.

Arriving at the Tring reservoirs the mist still lay lightly across the reed beds between Startops End and Marsworth reservoirs, and the reeds hardly looked their best, but the light allowed me to capture some of the atmosphere nevertheless, and as I walked the path between the two lakes a robin kept flying a few feet ahead of me as I went along.

When I reached my goal, the lateness took its toll; I realised this by the muddy sliding marks in the steep bank leading to the water’s edge, and there was already another photographer ensconced with similar intentions. Justifiably he had the prime position, but though he had seen a kingfisher do a flypast it had not settled to fish. I set up my tripod alongside, and it was probably a further twenty minutes before we had a chance to get some photographs, and at that first visit, I did not even see it! To add to my chagrin, I then tried to look around for a better, less obstructed view and the kingfisher paid us another visit, so I missed that opportunity, but not so my colleague as I could hear from the rapid shutter firing! I certainly brought him luck.

I resettled and improved the position of the tripod, and managed to be in better luck a few minutes later, and it was around this time that yet another photographer arrived, and not long after, yet another – the lure of capturing the beauty of the kingfisher is obviously strong! Whilst waiting I took some other shots of the local fungi, a pigeon, and a chaffinch.

I later visited Tringford for a chat with the Water Bailiff and some of the anglers, before returning home for lunch.

Late Autumn at Stockwood

Most trees have now shed their leaves for another year, but if you look carefully there is still colour aplenty, as I discovered yet again on a visit to the gardens at the Stockwood Discovery Centre.
The mild nights of late and the heavy dews have brought out fungi, the added shelter of the walls and trees have kept a few more leaves than elsewhere and this year's weather has resulted in some added richness to the leaves' autumn hues.

There were still a few lone roses to be seen, and the weak sun had not burnt off the dew on many of the blooms. I was fortunate once again to be allowed to visit the greenhouse, so the gallery of pictures was augmented by some shots not available to all visitors, though nevertheless I still feel that even this late in the season, a stroll around this venue is extremely rewarding.

Maydencroft May Bank Holiday

May Bank Holiday Monday was a day of April showers, and I found myself caught in three of them. I took a leisurely drive towards Maydencroft Manor, home of the Williams family, to try to capture some more of what goes on across their land. Having gained their permission once again, I wandered around capturing the colour and the wildlife to be found there.

Tom, their son was readying his offices for a new man joining Maydencroft Rural in a new venture, Jack the dog was his normal welcoming self, the peacocks were doing their barking for him, the peahen was quite unheeding nesting atop a table, Franey was gardening and Bob was on his favourite charger  striping the green sward for the first Cricket match on the 23rd.

The magnolia was in full bloom, ducks and geese were in flight, a bold blackbird was bright enough to know that if she kept close to Franey there might well be worms on offer, the young black lambs were occasionally gambolling in the front field, and a lone robin was keeping an eye on me whilst I took pictures of one of the peacocks.

There was a massive pizza-shaped pair of fungi close by the statue of a maiden, and the bluebells were out in the woods. the very first shot in the gallery was taken in a gorgeous valley just beyond Luton Airport taken on my journey over, because there was such wonderful lighting dappling the valley wherein lies Offley Chase. Spring and early summer in England is  a beautiful place, and should never be under-estimated. It is certainly a green and pleasant land.