Trip reports

July Walk at Highnam Woods

Sunday, 18 July 2010

Highnam Woods is well named for it is an area of mixed woodland with a network of paths between many tall trees. This is good for birds but not particularly conducive to birdwatching, especially on a grey morning that continually threatened rain. However some areas have recently been coppiced and these areas allowed some glimpses of the generally evasive birds that, true to midsummer form, quickly flew from one sheltered area of foliage to another. Birds seen or heard on the morning at the reserve were wood pigeon, great tit, blue tit, kestrel, swift, jackdaw, blackcap, treecreeper, spotted flycatcher,
nuthatch, buzzard, chiffchaff, long-tailed tit, blackbird, wren and herring gull,.
As a departure from normal practice the group then continued on to a 'Nature in Art' exhibition at Wallsworth Hall, Twigworth, Gloucester (nature-in-art.org.uk). Nature in Art is the world's first museum dedicated exclusively to fine, decorative and applied art inspired by nature. The group saw many impressive drawings, paintings, carvings and sculptures inspired by animals, birds and plants both indoors and outdoors where the 'sheepscape' attracted plenty of attention.
To sum up, it was a very pleasant day.