Early Spring in West Somerset - Nature Photography

Here are a few frames from a recent explore in the woods where I used to live on Exmoor.

Almost nobody except the Red and Roe deer, the fox and the pheasants walk here, so it is a place I find myself creeping around like a weirdo, hoping not to disturb the wildlife, getting to glimpse it as it would be if I was not there as much as possible.

It was surprisingly emotional going back, the air smells so specific in the Spring as willow trees blossom and wild garlic thrives, and I found myself remembering imagining this very moment - a time when I could be here but not enter our old house - a time when I would be able to visit but not stay - a time when I could get cold and wet but not be able to enter the lodge, start a fire, put the kettle on.

It made me feel kind of sad, but also extremely grateful that we had our Exmoor chapter at all, for our huge privilege of choice and freedom to move around, to live in safety, and for the enrichment and magic of those years. (You can see my many previous posts of images from our years there here.)

These photos are from late March, so I was very excited to see the weird and wonderful Scarlet Elf Cups so late in the season, especially looking so fresh and intact!! This time I spotted them protruding from old branches in a boggy sort of pond in the woods decorated with deep hoof prints on all edges. I picked my way carefully on fallen sticks and grassy mounds to get close enough to capture them and not stuck in the mud! These fungi are apparently edible but I never harvest what I find, I just like to photograph them.

I also loved hanging out with a favourite old tree, some of whose enormous boughs have broken off the trunk in storms and they make a lovely place to lie down, cushioned by centuries of thick mossiness. It’s a place that makes you wonder how many others have lied down here (lain!?) - in the last 50, 100, 300 years. What did they think about as they looked up into these branches and watched the birds above? (I really was feeling nostalgic!!!)

I also discovered an amazing coral slime mould growing in the remains of a dead tree stump, it was really hard to photograph as it’s so tiny, but I am enjoying getting to grips with my new(ish!) macro lens, and experimented a bit with focus stacking in Photoshop afterwards (pictured at the end!). I am learning a lot and look forward to being able to try again next time!!

I hope you enjoy these quiet moments captured in the woods.