Easter visit
A few times recently I have had a solitary leisurely stroll around Lattersey Nature Reserve, not that my strolls are ever much more than leisurely. I suppose leisurely with a bit of purpose is as fast it gets.
Cattle grazing
There are cattle grazing the field, they will probably soon be moved to pastures new, the grass is getting very short and they are being fed hay.
A lot of water around still
The water levels around both sides of the reserve are fairly high still, with places normally dry by now well inundated, in the North side of the reserve the level in the pit is high enough to cover the paving slabs of the fishing places. It was fantastic to see a large brood of young ducklings with their mum, she was doing her best to shepherd them around.
Mum watching her ducklings. I counted at least eleven.
I am always fascinated by the way fallen trees often resurrect themselves. Branches which had been horizontal on the growing tree now reaching upward from the fallen trunk. The branches themselves becoming eventually trunks in their own right.
Partly resurrected, partly recycled
Resurrected, this is a big tree
Other fallen trees, beyond resurrection, are recycled by nature. The insects making homes by boring tunnels into the fallen carcass, fungus, moss and other plants taking the opportunity to root on the remains. Eventually what remains of the dead tree rots away and enriches the soil.
A patch of Dog Violets
An early Dog Violet?
There are few patches of blue Dog Violets appearing here and there, the clumps of daffodils that brightened everywhere have now died back. Much of the blossom has now fallen from the trees, soon other flowers will appear as spring moves forward and summer approaches.
Not much blossom remaining
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