February started as it usually does with grey skies, rain and lots of mud. But despite that the paths were in quite good condition and it was nice to be out wandering around.
But as always the robin wasn't afraid to show himself.
And there were lots of visitors to the feeders.
The last few berries were clinging to the Cottoneasters
Despite the cold and the mud there were a few glimpses of blue sky.
And it was nice to see more buds appearing on the trees.
And lots of lichen and moss hanging off the branches.
I hadn't walked the circular path around the woods for a few months, so I decided it was time to have a wander around it again.
You can follow my route
A few days later the weather turned much colder and once again we woke to a scattering of snow.
And for the first time in ages I took my crystal ball out for a photoshoot. It really was beautiful in the woods in the snow.
The camp site was looking really peaceful
And though the edges of the stream were frozen there was plenty of running water.
It's always something special to see a robin in the snow.
And this one was quite happy posing for me.
I even managed to get a short video of him hunting for grubs
The snow didn't last long, and a few days later it had vanished completely
But the lichen and moss were as prolific as ever and looked even better after a spell of rain, the branches looked like something out of a rain forest, and despite the cold weather I don't think the screech of a parrot would have sounded out of place!
Lots of ivy now too climbing up the tree trunks.
And while it;s definitely on it's way out there's still a few patches of dog Lichen around.
I spent an afternoon wandering around the woods making a nature trail video , and though it's not the best time of year to be doing that, there wasn't as much about as I'd have liked, the video is ready to watch if you have a spare 50 minutes or so 😀
The end of the month brought some glorious sunshine and unseasonably warm weather.
This tree looked glorious catching the afternoon light, and with all the growth on it it looked like it had created it's own little world. The ground around it was too wet to get very close but I could see lots of moss, lichens and fungus as well as lots of ferns beginning to grow from it's branches.
Slightly further up the path and in the shade there was quite a bit of frost still lingering
But the sunshine coming through the trees was beautiful.
These pine cones on a fallen branch caught my eye, and on closer inspection there was a small patch of dog lichen still clinging on.,
It was hard to believe in the sunshine that just a few metres away there was thick frost.
This blue tit was singing his heart out in the branches above me.
Back down by the Welcome To Our Woods camp site and the Pixie bridge there was a definite feeling of spring in the air.
And the Yew tree is looking at it's magnificent best now.
The Rhondda Skyline have been working hard with lots of Zoom meetings and engaging with the community over the last month, and have now started up their own blog to introduce the members and to give a bit of information on what is, and will be, happening in Cwmsaerbren woods and the Treherbert area.
It's a great read with some interesting articles and worth checking out, and is definitely an on going process, so follow their blog to get updates
The days are definitely getting longer now, the mornings and evenings are getting lighter, so over the next couple of weeks I'm planning on visiting the woods for sunrise to see if I can capture some more amazing birdsong. And hopefully I'll see the Greater Spotted Woodpecker too.
Finger's crossed!
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