After continuous heavy rain yesterday and overnight, this morning was largely overcast but dry when Jackie and I took an early forest drive.
While we queued at the Brockenhurst level crossing we were able to
see to our left evidence of a recently felled wide arboreal casualty.
Having driven under the A31 to Newbridge Jackie was forced to pull over to the verge as we came face to face with a hay bale carried by a
tractor on the narrow lane ahead.
There was already a stream flowing under a road bridge alongside Furzley Common, but today it was overflowing and bubbling as it splashed over a mossy bank that revealed exposed tree roots having received water’s erosive force for many years. The fifth, portrait, image in the gallery demonstrates a broken tree’s determination to regenerate. New ferns find themselves growing in water.
Marsh marigolds, otherwise known as kingcups, blended with yellow flag irises.
I was surprised that sheep grazing on the common, normally such inquisitive creatures, did a runner when I squelched across the soggy sward past long term decaying stumps in order to make their portraits.
Soon afterwards we encountered a foal attached to assorted shapes and sizes of ponies. It enjoyed licking the tarmac and scratching an itch, although hadn’t yet learned the technique of using a hoof for such relief.
Jackie photographed me in action, the various ponies, including the foal who wanted to enter the Modus, and another with its Dam further along the road.
Frisky lambs nipped across the road at Bramshaw to join an adult on the other side who
soon crossed back to where they had come from;
naturally they followed suit.
Here are Jackie’s three pictures of the sheep.
This evening we all dined on Jackie’s spicy penne pasta arrabbiata with parmesan cheese and tender green beans, with which she drank Hoegaarden and I drank more of the Bardolino.
So, someone was counting sheeps and #8 got away ????????
Well spotted, Bridget. Thank you very much
Beautiful pictures.
Thank you very much, Andy
You’re welcome.
Lovely pictures. Love the colt and the lambs.
Thank you very much, Pat
A lovely gallery, Derrick.
Thank you very much, Dale
From the looks of the forest, it appears you have been getting far more rain than us.
It certainly has been very wet, GP. Thanks very much
I love all the cute pony and sheep photos, so cute! All of that rain is actually a good thing, Derrick, I wish we would get much more rain. Those hay bails weigh around 1200 pounds, be careful.
Thanks very much, John
So much rain … I love the way you catalogue the sogginess, the ancient roots and the behaviour of the animals.
Thank you so much, Anne
Your photos are simply wonderful????????????
The question marks were three sheep
Thanks for that, emojis don’t work from some sights.
You’re most welcome
Thank you very much, Luisa.
My pleasure! (●’◡’●)
So many excellent photos, I couldn’t pick one favorite.
The trees could be folklore creatures, and the animals are delightful. The shetland pony has quite a hairdo. The Shetland Upsweep? 🙂
Possibly a blow-dry, Merril. Thank you very much
You’re welcome. 🙂
So they didn’t cross the road just to get to the other side, eh? 🙂
Absolutely, M.B. Thanks very much
Gorgeously GREAT photos by Jackie and Derrick!!!
Such beauty in nature captured!
Oh, my goodness! Frisky foals! Lovely lambs! Oh, those baby-faces!
(((HUGS))) 🙂
Q: Why did the lambs cross the road?
A: To get to the baaaaarber shop!
Thank you so much from us both, Carolyn. Good joke. X
If those lambs are going to insist on crossing and re-crossing the road, I hope they don’t get ‘chopped.’
🙂 Nice one, Linda. Thank you very much
Lambs are cute, but I also like the pony photos, especially the one of the wind-blown hair grey.
Thank you very much, Dolly
My pleasure, Derrick.
Those lambs sure are cute, but the foal is the star of today’s post.
Thank you very much, Laurie
A little flock of Lambikins!
Thanks very much, Liz
You’re welcome, Derrick.
I love all your captures from the drive … and the yellow iris photo is a wonderful artistic composition ????
Thank you so much, Val
“Did a runner” made me laugh. I had never heard that phrase. That long legged foal is precious! I’m glad to see he finally found his mum. Love the lambs!
Happy spring! Wow, this is such a celebration of spring and green and life, wonderful photos, and I agree with Val re the iris
Thank you so much, Rose
I love this post and the photos so rich in life – the mossy bank, bubbling stream, yellow flowers, sweet foal, shaggy pony, lively lambs, a broken tree’s determination to regenerate all sing a beautiful song of life. Thank you for using the words “arboreal casualty” to honor the tree cut down. Your appreciation for nature is always appreciated.
Much appreciated, Joanna. I am pleased you liked it.
Those are beautiful scenes from the forest, and I agree with Joanna, these scenes are rich in life of all kinds, and stages. It is hard to note the passing of an old venerable tree without a moment of silence. I especially love the combination of marsh marigolds and yellow flag iris, as it reminds me of the area in Connecticut where I grew up.
Thank you very much, Lavinia. I am pleased to have prompted the memories
I saved 3 fabulous photos of the woodlands stream Derrick … visually I thought of some poetic lines …
I look forward to them, Ivor. Thank you very much
I think something unique ????
Beautiful foals and lambs frolicking without a care under the overcast sky. The lamb crossed the road because not crossing it didn’t make a sense!
Thanks very much Uma
Aw, so sweet. I love how the one with black legs is kicking up his feet! Wonderful shots of the foal as well… and the horse with the wild hairdo. All-in-all a profitable shoot! And what a beautiful after-rain environmennt.
Thank you very much, Judy
I think I might be starting to recognise some of your favourite trees. It’s a bit like meeting an old friend in the street.
So true, John. I often recognise where we are by looking at the trees. Thanks very much
I’m fascinated by what appears to be free range farm animals in your photos. Are there any fences or walls holding them on their farmer’s properties? There must be very slow speed limits on your rural roads!
In the USA, driving across the state of Wyoming, you occasionally cross cattle gates (designed to allow vehicle traffic to cross but having spaces metal poles that thwart cattle hooves from crossing) across highways so barbed wire fencing can keep cattle in immense pastures but highway traffic can zoom across this broad state unimpeded. Even I find it odd and I’ve lived in this area most of my life!
We are in a National Park – The New Forest – where the animals have the right of way on the roads. Cattle Grids keep them within that area. The top speed limit is 40 m.p.h., but animals are killed every year to a total sometimes reaching 3 figures. Ponies and donkeys are owned by commoners with ancient rights of pasturage and roam free throughout the year. The lambs will belong in a farm and have been let out for the day. Thanks very much, Doug
Interesting! Here, cattle and horses sometimes get out of their pastures to munch on yummy grass growing in the ditches along roads – yes, the grass is greener! Unfortunately, the speed limit is either 65 or 70, depending on the road, making loose livestock a true threat to life.
Living in the park is an interesting variation, too, as here that might be grandfathered for those living where a new one was created after they established residency, or they are able to establish a home there but are allowed to live there only certain months of the year, say half the year centered on summer.
Fascinating differences
Wonderful photos of the lambs and the foal. Such an enjoyable natural environment to view through your eyes.
Thank you so much, Eugi
You’re welcome, Derrick.
My dearest friend grew up on a huge sheep ranch in Idaho. It is possible still to see the sheep on-line being moved to the hills for their summer grazing range. It is quite a sight.
Thanks very much, Elizabeth. I bet that is a lot of sheep
As usual, lovely photos.
Thank you very much, Byung
You are welcome.
So beautiful. Those foals have extremely long legs.
Thank you very much, Chrissy
Good to see the assistant photographer adding to the richness of the post.
Thank you very much from us both, Tootlepedal
Sounds like you’ve had the same wet weather as us.
Lovely to see the lambs. Later born than ours by the looks of them.
Yes they were late this year, Sue. Thanks very much
I’m so glad that when you encountered the foal, you & Jackie both stopped to capture its image more than once. It was delightful!
Thank you so much from us both, Jan
Lovely batch of babies. 🙂
Thank you very much, Sherry
I loved seeing the old oak and the ponies and foals. I recently met a man who had been to your part of the world and complained that he never saw any animals. I have no idea how he managed that (unless you know where they all hide).
The foal is adorable. I have never seen marsh marigolds before. I’d not heard of them either.
Thank you very much, Robbie
It does look very wet but it didn’t discourage your new friends
Thank you so much, Sheree
Beautiful photos from both of you 🙂 That foal who wanted to enter the Modus is way too cute 🙂
Thank you very much, Ribana