A walk in the Ercall Forest

[cmcmck]

Pussy willow:



Lichen and mosses on rock. The local rock is white sandstone:



There's a face in there somewhere!



This is the Ercall unconformity. It was the bed of a prehistoric sea and is of world importance. It's so old there are no fossils. 540 million years. We live on some of the oldest geology on the planet!



Fungus and lichen.



And another fungus with a different lichen:



Nature creates its own art:



The hill in haze there is Wenlock Edge of which those of you who have ever read any A E Housman will be aware:



Perfect shape in perfect light. I like! :o)



Reflections in a pool:



This is wood anemone. I'm informed by annofowlshire  that this is one of the indicators of ancient woodland which the Ercall Forest certainly is.



Wild daffs finding a sunny spot on  wooded bank not far from home:



And the blossom on our very own cherry tree as we arrived home. The insects love it!



And that was our walk!


 

Comments

[annofowlshire]

Lovely!

See, you call it pussy willow, too! I was recently corrected that it’s “goats willow” but I suspect they’re the same thing.

[cmcmck]

I grew up knowing it as pussy willow so I'll stick with that! :o)

[annofowlshire]

Any bluebells yet?

[cmcmck]

Too early for the flowers. The shoots are coming through, but it'll be a little bit yet.

[annofowlshire]

We’ve got some blooms in the woodland now, it was much earlier than I expected!

[cmcmck]

We were out again today and in a couple of days, both the bluebells and wild garlic flowers are beginning to appear! :o)

[yourlibrarian]

I don't know that I've ever seen Pussy Willow before! (Or if I did, knew what it was). I always associate it with the cat in 101 Dalmatians.

[cmcmck]

Of course! I'd forgotten that connection! :o)