Woodland whispers

So, I went back to Hardcastle Crags on the camera club outing I was planning in March when I last posted photos from there. It was a delightful spring day, sunny and warm and everything looked very different from when I was there before. Gibson Mill hardly changes, of course. It's been like that since 1800, when it was built as a textile mill and then became an 'entertainment emporium' in the 1900s. Now it, and the surrounding area, is in the care of the National Trust. 

What has changed is the lushness of the woodland, with bright new leaves on the trees and a multitude of woodland plants and flowers in bloom. Bluebells and wild garlic predominate but there were others - tiny, pink, five-petalled stars that I have failed to identify; red campion; bistort; stitchwort; buttercups; dandelions and huge patches of something with grass / lily-like strap leaves that had already flowered and had delicate seedheads (near the top of the photo below). There were butterflies, among them sweet little orange-tips... though never as many as I recall from my younger days.   

My companions reported birdsong. Being deaf, I no longer hear the birds unfortunately but I did spot a grey heron on the hunt for a juicy frog or two. 

The ferns are unfurling. I love the fiddle-head appearance as they roll themselves outwards. I remember being fascinated by the complex life cycle of ferns when I studied them in biology at school. 

It's a pity blogs can't transmit scents as the woodland fragrances are rich and varied, and at this time of year the pungent scent of the wild garlic is memorable. 

It's a lovely walk down the streamside to Gibson Mill, where the café offers drinks and snacks and we (seven of us) were able to sit and chat. Beautiful place, good friends - what a blessing.