Flyladyphotography By Wendy Cooper

  Well recently I decided to forgo a Company trip into town and take the time instead to visit, to me at least, a far more appealing environment;  for some time I've had the Fens in Cambridgeshire on my wishlist of places to explore, so I decided to start with Wood Walton Fen.     Wood Walton Fen is one of a few remaining areas of the ancient fen which covered the area and is a haven for many wildlife species.  Charles Rothschild had already purchased part of Wicken Fen, whch he had gifted to the National Trust and had intended to do the same with Wood Walton.  The National Trust were unable to take the site on so he maintained it as a private reserve for some time before donating it to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts.  Today, Wood Walton is maintained by Natural England and is classed as a National Nature Reserve, a RAMSAR site and a Special Area of Conservation.     After an interesting drive (navigation is not one of my strong...

  At the end of April we had a few days away in the Forest of Dean .   It was our fourth visit and, as always, there was plenty to see.  Whilst there is much of the forest that we have not yet explored, we have a few favoured locations, around Cannop, Woorgreens, Wenchford and RSPB Nagshead.     The landscape is a complete contrast to the gentle fields and curves of East Angia, extremely hilly and very rugged. Much of the Forest is Forestry Commision land and is given over to pine plantations, however there are many areas of beautiful old deciduous woodland as well.  There are areas of clearfell, full of brackens, gorse and saplings which provide a  rich heath type habitat and there are also disused quarries, which nature has gradually reclaimed and that are full of vegetation.  From the days when there were mining works, there are quite a few water habitats, from lakes created to power watermills to various natural ponds and streams throug...