Ever changing woodland

At last a few rainy days! 

My camera is not waterproof so this means that after work I won't be able to go out and 'play'. It is time to catch up with a huge backlog of photos and handwritten notes that are spread all over the room, memorising recent discoveries / events.

Sleepy 'Wood Sorrel' after a nights rain

This set of photographs was taken on an overcast weekend day. I like to add that I do not call myself a photographer. I am probably more like a 'reporter' of nature. My photography is merely an attempt to share with you readers the beauty and wonders all around us. You don't have to travel far, you just have to be aware / present.

But back to the photographs: landscape photographs are taken with my mobile phone, hence the poor quality. Macro photographs are taken with the camera - and not all are perfectly sharp.

On this particular  they sky was overcast and it was quite breezy. Going into the open fields wasn't going to be much good; although the light would be better yet the wind would be making it very difficult for  to get the right focus through the lens while insects on resting on grasses are swaying in the breeze. I decided to return to a favourite piece of woodland only 5 minutes from home.

The woodland isn't very big but it is surprisingly changeable with many 'micro climates'. Add to that plants keen to burst back into life and one is greeted by a different scene each time one enters said woodland. 

I wasn't expecting to take many decent photographs due to quite poor light conditions. 

However, by the time I have reached the woodland, the odd sunbeam burnt its way through the clouds and was spotlighting some of the big stones covered in velvety, spongy moss.

Big stones covered in moss are strewn all over the ground, turning it into a magical place.
My mobile phone camera however isn't doing it any justice so you'll have to add the magic with your imagination.

I can easily spend ages just sitting next to these stones; the longer I look at them the more I discover. Tiny insects, strangely shaped moss and lichen; the delicate nature of these plants highlighted when the sunbeam shines through the tiny leaves.

As mentioned in a previous post, various streams are gurgling their way through the woodland, like veins, supplying the plants with life juice.

Stones in and next to these streams are especially interesting as they are covered with various types of moss, such as this most delicate variant shown below. If hit by sunlight, it's almost impossible to see the foliage; it seems to be made up of a watery glass type substance ...

The above may be called 'Syd's Tread' but I am yet to find out if that is correct.
If hit by sunlight, it's leaves almost dissapear and it is tricky to focus on it through the lense as all turns into a glassy, watery, shimmery mass of green.

The rather low temperature (around 10 degrees C) appear to be a good reason for the majority of insects to stay 'indoors' - apart from the ever present flies and spiders not much was life was to be seen. A few reluctant wood ants (you will see plenty of photographs of ants in other reports) where out but moving as though in slow motion due to the chill.

As I made may way through the woodland another sunbeam made its way through and I noticed dozens of tiny flying 'things' in the air, only visible because of their golden metallic bodies reflecting the sunlight. I realised that as I walked I seem to scare them off. As I stood still for a while it became apparent that these tiny 'things' were in fact small moths - Dyseriocrania subpurpurella moths - and dozens where gathering on Holly bush and Rhododendron leaves. It was their mating season!

Dyseriocrania subpurpurella - a mating pair.

Very shy beings, it took me a long time of just sitting still until they deemed me part of the environment. Once I was 'ignored' I had the luck of slowly closing in on some of these beautiful beings. Just look at their little 'heads' and their funky hairstyle. Such charming little creatures. 

Dyseriocrania subpurpurella - This one was playing coy ... its safer behind that spike!
(Holly Bush leaf)

There were a few of these moths that seemed a little more inquisitive and faced up to the lens rather than away from as many insects then to do. Just look at those big, googly eyes and the fuzzy hair style! Cuteness overload. And all that beauty on a being about the size of two pin heads ...

Dyseriocrania subpurpurella - this little one was more inquisitive ... 

Dyseriocrania subpurpurella

I took a route through the woodland that I hadn't walked on before and around every corner there was something new to discover. At some point I felt as though I was in a set of 'Lord of The Rings' ... entrance to 'Mordor' ....

I was walking through the woodland, listening to the ever present birdsong and the rustling of the dry, decaying leaves under my feet when suddenly something caught my eye just before putting my foot down: a beautifully detailed decaying leaf - it was placed so perfectly; nature's art installation.

Nature's art installation - beautiful leaf skeleton

Nature never stops astounding me ... and there is a myriad of things and if you ever lack inspiration, just take yourself outside, pick a quiet spot and just sit there, thinking of nothing but just taking in information with your senses. Time no longer exists ... bliss!

The texture on this 'dead' piece of wood is very 'alien' like - it is almost as though it is manufactured and a device capable of something unbeknown to simple humans.  I am not entirely sure what caused those textures - I hope you see them detailed enough if you zoom in.

Nature's harp stings.
Spider silk strands, securing a large spider's web.

Writing blog entries always takes much longer than anticipated ... and this one too I have to cut short as other matters require my attention now. 

But stay tuned ... more to come soon as the rainy weather continues!

Thank you for reading and I hope you will go on your own adventures. Feel free to add a comment. :)