There was consistent rainfall here throughout April and early May, so it has taken me a little while to go to my favourite woods near my rented cottage in Churcham. But the better weather has finally arrived. The local children are also back in school, so the only noise in RSPB Highnam Woods comes from songbirds and the machinery in the neighbouring agricultural fields.
Spring has sprung late here this year, but the reserve seems to be making up for lost time, with cuckooflowers and wood anemones in abundance, and the ancient woodland in full leaf. A wren flies past and lands near the base of a bramble branch, allowing me to notice something else – the tyre marks left by the RSPB’s work vehicles, which have collected rainwater, providing homes for countless tadpoles.
There are clear signs of badger activity, and robins, song thrushes and blue tits are making their presence known. The air is alive with pollinators. I see a greater spotted woodpecker overhead, and also manage to spot a nightingale, perching momentarily on an oak tree branch. Unfortunately, there was no sign of its incredible song on this occasion (nor did I catch sight of a lesser spotted woodpecker, which can also be found here).
The reserve is about 300 acres, and most people come here to see its ancient woodland – which is coppiced by the RSPB – and the iconic bluebells. They are a classic spring sight, and after the wait for drier conditions they do not disappoint, seemingly leaving hardly any green on the ground. Up close, too, you can appreciate their beauty, with their six indigo petals and the bell-shaped flowers of their name. Because they flower earlier than other plants, they are highly important to insects, although we are now towards the end of their flowering season, so this patch is at its peak and won’t be here for much longer.
After examining several bluebell locations in the reserve, I am welcomed by a bolting spaniel dog that covers me in mud. All smiles and laughter between the dog’s owner and me, but it made me realise how close to the ground I was to appreciate the bluebells.
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