This week has been quite a lot of fun. I arrived home from work to find the Royal Mail had an envelope for me which needed a signature. Wearily I went off to the depot to collect it. Inside was a guide to managing woodland for Wildlife, a car sticker and the key to the gates to access the woods with a vehicle, all from the company I bought the wood from.
That same evening the agent from the company rang to check that I’d received everything safely and to run through a purchaser’s questionnaire with me. He also assured me that even though the deal is completed, he will always be available if I encounter any problems. Very reassuring.
I also received a large envelope the next day from the Small Woods Association containing more goodies, and lots of practical advice on insurance and on drawing up a management plan for the wood.
The next day it was such a beautiful evening that forsaking Wimbledon on the television, I went for a walk round the wood with my daughter. Only a few yards inside the entrance we saw our first common spotted orchids, our second species of the 4 recorded growing in the woods. There were plenty of midges out biting, and I was glad Iwas wearing long sleeves. Insect repellent has now gone on my shopping list. The ramsons leaves are all yellowing now, but the smell of garlic remains strong.
We heard all the normal songsters, mistle thrush, song thrush, blackbird and robin, but the piece de resistance was a nightingale – my daughter’s first ever, and it wasn’t just in the wood, it was in my bit of the wood! This makes me ridiculously happy.
A Woodland Adventure 