An Enchanted Place

fragile petals sway

fresh shoots amidst winter chill

new hopes unfurling

On day 234 of 365 Days Wild I was determined to get out early in order to photograph the first of this year’s Nature Project snowdrops lit by the dawn light.

In order to reach the snowdrops, I walked along the lanes as the rising sun coloured the sky. Dawn wasn’t until 8:02am so there were a few dog walkers out, too.

I stopped for a little while to photograph the hedgerow ivy, which is still.covered in clumps of black berries. These aren’t edible for humans as they contain saponin, a toxin that causes nausea, vomiting and stomach cramps, but they’re a great source of food for overwintering birds – such as thrushes, blackcaps, and blackbirds – due to their high fat content. They looked lovely in the dawn light.

The snowdrops are scattered all along the Millenium Walk, but they weren’t the only sights that caught my eye. The path itself is particularly lovely at dawn, and there was also the view through the trees to the frosty meadow. The Millenium Walk runs in between the meadow and the field of agricultural land next door. It’s just a thin strip of woodland growth with a narrow track of footpath, but it’s both a rich resource for the local wildlife and a beautiful place for us villagers to walk.

Have you been out for any dawn walks recently? Let me know in the comments below.