10th: Clay Vallet Woods – Herefordshire

Ancient Sessile Oak trees were what brought us to Clay Vallet Woods and there was a bit of a walk before we got to the reserve, which again had a grandly unique atmosphere.

Large ancient oaks towered over us, with a surprisingly open atmosphere. It always surprises me that the ancient woodlands are the ones that often feel the most open and airy. Although they also create their own space underneath their canopy, that make for a feeling similar to being in some grand building. I said earlier (when talking about the ancient beech trees of Cooper’s Hill) that it reminded me of a cathedral, and this was similar, yet the oaks created their own unique atmosphere, the same yet different. Nothing like a good contradiction! As you can tell, I’m not the best with words, that must be why I’m an artist! Whilst the trees were absolutely magnificent, it was the lives they support that made this visit. We had 2 thrilling encounters. The first was with a family of black caps. I think we saw at least 3 youngsters being repeatedly fed by their parents. I have to say they were extremely helpful. The young stayed in roughly the same place, which gave me time to get in the right position for both photos and videos, whilst the parents then came to the fledglings giving them food. It was an absolute joy to watch.

The second was again with a young family. This time of grey squirrels. There is no doubt that I have very mixed feelings about grey squirrels. On the one hand they’re responsible for the retreat of our native red squirrels, they take eggs and baby birds (but then, so do reds, I believe) and are seen by some as a pest, yet it’s not their fault they were introduced to our country and they are also very characterful and entertaining to watch in many ways.