Bluebell 2023

I’m a bit late here, I took these photos on the 9th of April, and forgot to start a thread:

First I've seen this year.
A couple of days ago.
Scottish Borders.
https://flic.kr/p/2ow1TF1

They always look so amazing and are extremely camera shy.

Ours have been out for a few weeks around Stroud, Gloucestershire.

It's currently that perfect timing of bluebells and wild garlic flowering together 💚

I took my elderly mother to see the display in Styal woods (near NT property Quarry Bank Mill, Cheshire). The light was perfect on this slightly dull day, making the purple/blue colour really stand out. These grow on a bank, so easy to see for an older person.

The bluebells have been out for a while in South Shropshire, but they are not quite at their fully bloomed best just yet. Stunning already, but great to know there is even better to come.

Just back from a longish walk which started in Witchcot wood, a hop over our back fence.  Excuse the rubbish pics! I saw roe deer, kites, curlew, a fox, rabbits and squirrels on my walk. I also heard a woodpecker and the birdsong in the woods was everywhere.

I called in at the community market in our village hall on the way round and blagged some homemade sausages from a neighbouring farm. I'm now sat outside in the sun, enjoying a humongous sausage and egg sarnie and watching the lambs playing in the next field. Also fending off one of our chooks who fancies a bit of the sarnie! Where did it all start to go wrong blokeuptheroad?😄

All hail the spring! I'm in such a good mood, I might even jump on a mountain bike this afternoon! 😲 😂</div>

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Stunning Full carpet in Kent this afternoon around Shoreham, phone snaps don't do them justice...

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I’ll be off to West Woods near Marlborough tomorrow, weather looks pretty good, about 18°, the trees are showing good leaf now, and my favourite area should be getting a decent display of flowers, fingers crossed.
Got the makings of a bit of a picnic as well; should be a decent day, after the wet and cold recently.

Local woods in full bloom at the moment, lovely!

@halifaxpete - where is that? Elland woods?

We're in Stainland and not much blue up here yet

@Elshalimo Yeah bottom end of Elland woods. Same in Cromwell woods, Lots of Wild Garlic too.

My usual spots for a riot of the things haven't delivered yet, a few flowers but nothing like they usually are. Plenty of wild garlic about though so I hope the bluebells have survived and are just late.

@halifaxpete - thanks. We'll pop over there soon

Sunday's jaunt on the gravel bike.

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Turned out ok at West Woods yesterday, a bit dull and cloudy when I first got there, but it got gradually better and brighter as the day went on. Lots of bluebells out, and seems like lots still to appear.

Here’s a few more:

A further bit of information, the last two photos with the stones, those are Sarsen stones, and that spot is the source of the Trilithons, the outer ring of Sarcen stones that make up Stonehenge as it was finally finished.

I’m wondering if the cracked stone was abandoned after it cracked while being shaped before being transported to Stonehenge.

Grovely Woods, near Salisbury

Anyone else's mood lift massively once spring finally arrives?! The trails dry up, the long days, the air currently filled with the sweetish smell of oil seed rape.

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Farley Mount(ish), nr Winchester. By FrauPants

https://flic.kr/p/2oxN3Rc

Leigh Woods, Bristol

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Local woods this evening.

Local ride last night

Lots of you getting ahead of yourselves for the next weekly photo challenge i see.

No bike in Stanmer woods this morning while walking the dogs.

A veritable campanalogical carpet (need a real camera instead of a phone tho)

Piles Coppice
Binley Woods

Starting to show in the last few days at the side of the local trails

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Prime perfection this evening up the bottom end of Woodchester Lakes, bluebells in full vivid blue scented swing surrounded by pungent flowering garlic. It doesn't get any better that this 💚 (and light gone 9pm at the pub!)

Went out for a bit of a walk from the village where I took my first photos and there are more bluebells out along the verges of the lane.

It was also a beautiful warm sunny day, a complete contrast to yesterday.

The patch of yellow just beyond the bluebells is a big patch of cowslips, they’ve been spreading along the verges over the last two or three years, which is nice to see. The hill on the horizon is just above Bath, and from the other side of the lane you can see the Mendip transmitter mast just above Wells.

This was on Friday:

Up and out early this morning for a lovely sunny ride over the moors, finishing off with a run down through Redisher Woods, covered in bluebells. Not a bad way to start the day

https://flic.kr/p/2oAoVK2

One from this afternoon
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Climbing Jack meadows in Mortimer Forest near Ludlow on Friday:

They've been out here for about a month. I think the lack of hot days and the rain has helped them last a lot longer than usual. Photo from today's ride.