Woorgreens Nature Reserve – adjacent to Speech House Woodlands in the Forest of Dean.
Great to see nature slowly reclaiming a former, open-cast coal mine. A deceptively quiet site that I suspect would be better appreciated with more regular visits and on-site interpretation. Containing a small lake, marsh and an area of heath the range of habitats within such a relatively small area was quite impressive.
Plenty of Broad-bodied Chasers emerging from the wetter areas of the heath.
With Exmoor Ponies being used to control the vegetation also plenty of the more unpleasant species of insects. Definitely a site where you don’t want to be standing still for too long.
An Exmoor Pony being used to control the more invasive grasses.
Surprisingly inquisitive however with young Meghan’s parents being bred to continue the family tradition of herding ponies up on Cannock Chase we tried to give them a wide berth.
Ragged Robin.
Years ago I remember Ragged Robin being relatively common however as per most species typically found in damp meadows it appears to be in a steep decline.
Greater Stitchwort growing in a woodland clearing.
Part of the sculpture trail in the adjacent Speech House woodland.
Hmmm………I wasn’t too sure about this one however Meghan, our 11 month old Border Collie certainly found the exploration of the historical use of the woodland and the second law of thermodynamics (or the fact that entropy always increases with time) quite interesting.
An arch or is it a gateway?
We chose the latter and walked on through and into the woodland beyond.