Spring Blues in Epping Forest

Native Bluebells (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) in Epping Forest

We're starting to see that beautiful sign of Spring: bluebells are popping up in old woodlands, hedges, and other spots in the countryside. With the lush greenery clothing the trees and flowers lighting up the countryside, it's easy to get enthusiastic about the change in season. Spring is the thing! These photos were taken while walking from the southern-most end of Epping Forest (near Snaresbrook), through Walthamstow Forest and Highams Park, on 11th May (after attending the BNA Conference - read more about it here). UK woodlands have half of the world's bluebells, so ancient woodlands like Epping Forest and Hainault Forest are really crucial to their persistence. We're lucky in South-West Essex to have so many valuable habitats on our doorstep!

Ancient woodlands such as Epping Forest are a common
haunt for bluebells, which do well in shady places

But the peak of bluebell flowering is late this year - The Guardian were certainly worried back in April when they hadn't appeared! The late arrival of bluebells is attributed to the weather we had in March, the coldest March since 1962! According to a recent Guardian article, the bluebells have flowered four to five weeks later than last year. There may be a silver lining to the poor March weather, however. "There is a really good link between late springs and very good summers" says Matthew Oates, nature expert at the National Trust (read the full article here).

There is an imposter in the countryside however, a blue alien. The imported Spanish bluebells have been very successful, hybridising with the native flowers and spreading to many of our gardens and other green spaces. It's even invading the woodland strongholds of the native bluebells, and I found some suspicious bluebells on my walk! How do we tell the two types of bluebell apart? The Guardian offer a few tips, and there is a very useful page on the Natural History Museum website which explains how to identify your bluebells, but some of the basic differences to look for are: Spanish bluebells have paler flowers, no scent, and an upright stalk; native bluebells are scented, they arch or droop over, and their leaves are rolled up.
  

 

Spanish bluebells are paler and more upright, and these specimens on the edge of Epping Forest seem to fit the bill

Native bluebells have a stem that
arches over at the end

The bluebells may have arrived late this year, but they are here now - so why not go explore your local countryside to see them! Talk about your own sightings and favourite bluebell spots, or discuss other signs of Spring! Post on our Facebook page or  tweet to #SpringIsTheThing!

Update to the Gallery pages

The Gallery page of the website has been organised into separate pages, of varying themes. So far, there are pages for Winter, Tree, Macro and Monochrome photos.

Please take a look at the new layout, and also spot the photos that have been added to the gallery!

Ferns & Forest Encounter

This branch of bracken shows some lovely autumnal colours. I remember taking this quite vividly; a damp morning last October, very quiet, in Epping Forest. As I was focussing on the ferns below me and getting some photos of their colours, a sound caught my attention. A fallow deer had trotted along the path, then skidded to a stop as it must have caught my scent - yet surprised and unsure of exactly where I was standing because I was wearing greens and browns as is often my wont! I was just as surprised, and with my camera focussed on the ferns below me, unprepared to take a shot of the deer before it dashed off again. So, I was left with just a shot of the bracken to remind me of the encounter!

Exhibition Officially Launched

Exhibition Launch: Tom Heenan and Cllr Gavin Chambers

The exhibition in Buckhurst Hill was officially launched last night with an evening event at Buckhurst Hill Parish Council's Information Centre, which went very well indeed. In addition to the photos of Epping Forest featured in the exhibition, there were some additional photos and a slideshow for the event, and flyers with more information about Heenan Photography.

Council chairman Gavin Chambers welcomed the guests and introduced the art project, and then I spoke a little about my photography. It was excellent to see so many people at the event in support of the exhibition, with perhaps 35 to 40 guests in attendance. Many thanks to everyone that came along, and also thanks goes to Everything Epping Forest who covered the event - their article about the launch event is featured at www,everythingeppingforest.co.uk/news.htm. For the evening event, and for the exhibition itself, the final thanks of course go to Buckhurst Hill Parish Council for making it all happen.

The photos will be on display at the Information Centre in Queens Road until June. This won't be the end of the story though; the Council are hoping to build upon the project and give other local artists the chance to exhibit their work. This will make a real difference for artists, encourage more art in the area, and make good use of existing wall space. This could be the start of something beautiful.

Guests at the Exhibition Launch Night

A slideshow of photos plays in the background

Woodland Miscellany

 

Just some assorted woodland pictures from the far corners of my hard drive, while I plan the updates to the Gallery section of the website. The woods are all bursting into life at the moment, with Bluebells springing up beneath the trees, and lush herbage such as Garlic Mustard and Cow Parsley crowding the edges and roadsides. Ah, woodlands are fantastic! The following photos are a bit of a mixture, but are all from the woodlands - certainly one of my favourite places to be on a sunny day like today.

 

These two images above were both taken near Zell am See in Austria, on a misty morning climbing the mountain Schmittenhöhe. If a ten-hour hike to the top of the local mountain and back doesn't sound like fun, then perhaps it's best to avoid holidaying with an ardent walker and photographer like myself! The morning started off with a thick mist floating through the evergreens, creating an ethereal atmosphere and interesting lighting for these two photos when the sun blazed through. The mist thinned and finally burnt off around noon, leaving some stunning views over Zell am See and the adjacent lake, and surround countryside too. Myself and Natasha attained the lofty heights of Schmittenhöhe at 1,965m above sea level - around 1,200m above the town where we began, with temperatures reaching 23 degrees Celsius. Strange to think that the mountaintop was covered with a heavy snowfall just two days later.

 

This image was taken on the shores of Loch Lomond in Scotland, while walking the 96-mile long distance footpath "The West Highland Way" from Glasgow to Fort William. The lacustrine woodland petered out here, with one lone outlier tree standing in the very waters of the lake and taking pride of place in this shot. The lighting was very soft for the time of day (midday) giving this picture a very calm aspect. Wood and Water here both contribute to my favourite image from this eight-day hike.