Photos from walk on Thursday 2nd May from Stoke Row to Rotherfield Peppard

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A dreek day, with ominous low cloud lurking after the thunderstorms of the night before.  A walk almost entirely under the canopy of beech trees, with young, luminescent leaves brightening up the day.

 

Still lots of leaves yet to emerge, remaining tightly curled

 

Others are more adventurous

 

Full sized leaves were still covered with rain drops. Here, looking on the underside, with the drops behind the leaf

 

And here from the topside, the water droplets more obvious.

 

In the main the trees were tall and mature

 

But there were the occasional knarled specimens

 

I’ve been away and thought I had missed the bluebells, but they were still out.

 

(more in the gallery)

 

Only one bug today, tentatively identified as a St. Mark’s Fly (Bibio marci). One of the commonest insects in Britain from late April to early May, named because the adults usually emerge around St Mark’s Day, 25 April. aka the Hawthorn Fly.

 

I thought the plant was a white nettle, but it’s more likely to be Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

 

Also some Greater stitchwort (was Stellaria holostea, reclassified in 2019 as Rabelera holostea)

 

A splendid oak tree on the edge of Littlebottom Wood

 

In the gallery you can find two photos with fencing. These have been erected by Satwell Properties, which owns the Satwell Estate, consisting of Satwell House, Cherry Tree Cottage and Stonehouse Farm. Much fuss last year about plans to rip out a 100m long ancient hedge. In the newspaper report of the hedge plans, a neighbour said locals were already upset about the installation of “landing strip” lighting on the estate which was on at all hours.

 

He said: “Local walkers may also be familiar with the 2m high close mesh security fencing surrounding much of the Satwell Estate and bright security lighting, which are totally inappropriate in this beautiful AONB and seriously impede the passage and wellbeing of much of the wildlife that graces this area.”

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