Wood anemone at Park Copse

We visited the lovely River Chew at Compton Dando for a Mother's Day picnic.  The location is a favourite destination for many people, blessed as it is with tranquility, wildlife and scenery.  The river has trout, grayling, roach, dace, chub and millions of minnows.  They all feed on the mayfly that hatch later in spring.  In turn, the fish are eaten by otters that visit the valley.   The lush green pastures are home to plants like cuckoo flower (or lady's smock) and the diggingd of rabbit and badger are easy to spot in the banks.  We often see deer along the edge of the field and yesterday we followed two that fled across the river.   The children were excited to find fresh hoof prints in the river gravel.  They then spotted and collected many dark bones from drowned sheep and cattle, washed down into the river gravel.  The prize find was a cattle horn.

Above the river there is an ancient woodland called Park Copse and Peppershells Wood. It is filled with wildflowers and the first flower to show in spring is the delicate wood anemone, closely followed by wild garlic and bluebell. Whilst we lingered over our picnic, the children explored the wood and came back stinking of garlic.  In May, the valley is filled with the scent of the bluebells that carpet the woodland. Well worth a visit.