Many of you will recall Simon Lea’s stunning pictures of Bearwood in the snow (see here and here). Well now Simon is putting together a collection around Warley Woods: Sunrise to Sunset in Spring, and they are equally stunning! Here are some of them, (click on the picture to see in full size) with Simon’s comments:

‘Warley Woods Sunrise’ was taken whilst walking around the golf course, looking down towards Warley Woods.

Head left and pause when you get just outside the Wilderness area and that’s where ‘Sunrise over the Wilderness’ was taken.

Head down through the park and up the other side to the woods entrance at the top of Upper St. Mary’s Rd and you can watch the sun come up over the City Centre 

Pause in the woods during the day and look up. At this time of year there are two common sounds. The birds are singing loudly. One of the loudest (for its size) is the Nuthatch

The other common sound is that of woodpeckers ‘drilling’ into the trees. Most of the people I speak to in the woods (old and young alike) have never seen a woodpecker but have heard them often. These are very shy birds and very difficult to spot but Warley Woods is a great home for them and it’s quite special when you catch sight of them. The Green Woodpecker is here in the woods and is best seen now before all the tree leaves come out and it all but vanishes among them

The Greater Spotted Woodpecker is a little easier to catch sight of but not many people will have seen one preparing a hole to live in. This photo of a Greater Spotted Woodpecker shows a male throwing out the wood shavings from a hole as he gets it ready for habitation

Hang around the woods until the evening for some spectacular sunsets. Stand (or sit!) with your back to the woods and look out over the park..

Hang around the woods until the evening for some spectacular sunsets. Stand (or sit!) with your back to the woods and look out over the park