Daffodils at Coed y Bwl

Ink Caps at Coed y Bwl

Like the proverbial lamb, March came in with a warm south westerly wind blessing the woodland with early signs of Spring and the reserve’s celebrated wild daffodils responded with a prolific display of blooms “fluttering and dancing in the breeze”. A far cry from last years icy grip by the Beast from the East.

But true to form the March lion roared back turning the seasons around again to winter with lashing rain and stormy north west winds – keeping visitors away while the daffodils brave the elements.

Despite the fickle weather Coed y Bwl volunteers recorded one of the best years for these delicate denizens of the Alun valley. Flowers appeared in areas of the wood where bulbs had apparently been lying dormant for a number of years.

On the southern slope of the 6 acre reserve, blooms carpeted a glade created by last years coppicing and brush cutting – part of an ongoing programme of conservation management by a regular team of volunteers whose Sunday morning meetings spa n almost 50 years.

By mid March the reserve was showing more green shoots with the early promise of a splendid show of Bluebells in late April and May.

Nut hatches and great spotted woodpeckers were back in residence and a pair of tawny owls had set up home in an elderly ash tree. Chiff chaffs were recorded on March 14 eclipsing the northern bound red wings as they rested in tree tops on their migration across the UK. A highlight was the presence of the green woodpecker, now a rarity in the valley. Other signs of a changing season: wrens calling from mossy log piles left by the volunteers for the promotion of fungi were a fine display of glistening ink caps.

Why not visit Coed y Bwl to experience the beauty it has to offer?

Author: Richard Marks