Bluebell woods

We have explored the woods around Staveley today. The woods are now carpeted with bluebells, wood anemones and wild garlic, and are absolutely wonderful. The birdsong just adds to the magic.

The common bluebell is pretty, but on its own unremarkable. It is the carpets of bluebells, taking advantage of the light before leaf cover shades the ground out, that are really special. Photographs cannot do justice to it at all, but its April so I have to have a bluebell blip.

Two extras. 

Coming back from our walk, we passed a tall telecoms mast at Staveley Mill. It is built to look like a tall chimney, fitting the commercial buildings it sits alongside. I noticed a couple of jackdaws at the top. One of them turned around and entered the hole from which the cables emerge. A while later it came out. So that seems to be their rather unusual choice of nest site. You can see them perched just to the left of it in the extra.

The other is one of the arms of the chap who served us tea and teacakes at Wilf's Cafe. I asked him who the young lady is in his tattoo. It is Edie Sedgewick. He is a big Andy Warhol fan. Both arms are devoted to Andy Warhol and his oeuvre. It took 14 years of serious tattoo work, and if you like this kind of thing is rather impressive.