Finding Calm In Nature
Discovering sanctuary and peace in Nature, our landscape’s changing character, a fungi foray and a surprising local first
Hello, and welcome to ‘The Wild Path’. Here you’ll discover a collection of wild musings inspired by a deep appreciation for all the beautiful little moments Nature gifts us every day. I hope to make my posts as accessible as possible for all Nature lovers, no matter your experience, so I’ve included links to informative pages wherever I mention specific species or points of interest - simply click on any highlighted, underlined words in this post to discover more ❤️ I hope you’ll enjoy joining along with me on this wild journey 🌿
I can hardly believe we’ve already reached October. September passed by so quickly this year, and I feel I’ve barely had a moment to notice how suddenly autumn is transforming the natural world around us 🍂 Life's been such a whirlwind these past couple of weeks, with a cascade of commitments and organisation for impromptu birthday and anniversary celebrations for my elderly grandparents, all causing rather a lot challenges and pressure for my neurodivergent family. But, amidst the chaos, we were thankful to still get out and about a couple of times last week to immerse ourselves in Nature, where we always find such sanctuary and comfort whenever things feel a little stressful or overwhelming ❤️
There's nothing quite like the restorative powers of Nature to sooth and gently calm anxiety or stress, and Wrest Park and RSPB The Lodge nature reserve are amongst my most cherished places to find just such a positive, reinvigorating energy. Our overstretched minds were wonderfully re-centred, and slowed to the natural rhythms of Nature, as we wandered through transforming gardens, and peaceful woodlands and heathlands touched by welcome sunlight breaking through the clouds. There's always such bountiful magic to discover at this time of year, with every inch of our landscapes beginning to take on such a different character, as Nature drops its summer hues, to make way for autumn’s vastly contrasting appearance.
We were treated to a bounty of wonderfully seasonal sightings and natural stirrings as we ambled along. Every tree and shrub was beginning to display a cascading fade of turning leaves, with some of the more ornamental examples already boasting full canopies of bright, rich autumnal leaves.
The heathland at The Lodge looked particularly beautiful, with such a gorgeous blend of softly mellowing colours. Browning, furling Bracken, bright masses of the remaining flowering Heather and a mix of small statured Birches, Pines and Oaks melded together in a spectrum of purples, russets, greens and yellows, each providing a little splash of texture, colour and form to create the most soul stirring, perfect early autumn scene 🧡
As the days grow ever damper and cooler, my focus always turns to fungi, and The Lodge is our best local hotspot for fungi spotting. I’ve been tantalised by many beautiful images of fungi spotted around the reserve these past few weeks and have been eagerly anticipating our next visit. We always discover such a diversity of fruiting fungi on our frequent autumn walks around its precious heathland habitat, and our search last week certainly didn't disappoint. Instantly greeted by tall, wide Parasol fungi in the shaded area as we neared the visitor entrance, we continued searching as we wandered, with particular focus on finding Fly Agarics, which always thrive amongst this sandy, Birch abundant landscape.
A mushroom straight out of a fairytale, these beautifully bright red fungi are iconic, with their spots of purest white making them instantly recognisable. They have an incredible symbiotic relationship with trees, particularly Birches, and use their vast root-like system of mycelium to wrap around and connect to the roots of the tree, exchanging nutrients from the soil in return for the sugars the tree produces during photosynthesis.
The Lodge is the perfect spot for these enchanting mushrooms, and out on the heath, near a little gathering of Silver Birches, we spotted our very first of the year - a slightly battered example, with its tightly packed gills exposed at one edge, but no less beautiful.
Once we’d discovered one, we were quick to spot many others, all nestled in protective nooks amongst the Heather and overhanging Bracken, and looking so magical in their little clusters 🍄 It's always a real prize to spot these beauties during fungi season 🥰
Despite the increasingly evident signs of the rapidly changing seasons and the cooling temperatures we’ve been experiencing most mornings, I was overjoyed and uplifted by the wonderful abundance of wildflowers still in bloom, particularly along the banks of Wrest Park’s ornamental canal. The last of the lilac Creeping Thistle still bloomed alongside White Dead-nettle and low growing, magenta Herb Robert, with frothy masses of pale purple Hemp-agrimony and clouds of creamy white Meadowsweet still putting on quite the floral show ❤️ Some still possessed pearly buds just beginning to open - a last little hurrah before this year’s wildflower season comes to its end.
The most exquisitely tiny orbed web was strung between the small, twisted seedheads of one Meadowsweet plant - a miniature masterpiece which complimented the intricate, decorative beauty of the seedheads themselves. Isn't it just lovely 😍
We enjoyed a couple of cherished moments with the smaller inhabitants of The Lodge too, happening upon this stunning, grounded Hornet, giving a rare opportunity to observe one of these impressively striking insects up close. A male Common Darter dragonfly rested on a bench by a pond for a while too, unperturbed as I gently edged nearer to take a closer look. Both seemed to perfectly match the colours of the autumnal landscape they call home, in their shades of pale red, ochre yellow and burgundy ❤️
My love for Nature is always felt at its deepest whenever I gaze a little closer, and discover all the miniature wonders there are to be found all around us ❤️ It brings such a wonderful sense of intense focus and connection, and an admiration for these tiniest of lives, which play out in just as spectacular a manner as any larger beings, and gift just as much beauty and fascination to our world ❤️
The real highlight of our week, however, couldn't have contrasted more strikingly in size to the tiny wonders which so often grab my attention. It's always so thrilling to spot something unexpected in your local area, and we were stunned by an entirely unanticipated encounter at Wrest Park. Sighted just as we were reaching the very end of our stroll around its gentle grounds, we were overcome with surprise to see the huge form of a Great White Egret as we emerged from an obscured corner of the garden bordered by Yew hedges, and out to join the edge of the open Long Water, which stretches a considerable length through the heart of the garden. Perched atop the heights of a grand old Cedar tree, it seemed to tower so tremendously in size, and was so large in comparison to the smaller birds we’re so used to spotting at Wrest Park. We stood in awe, admiring its beautiful pale form through our binoculars, until it eventually launched itself from its lookout, with its heavy wingbeats carrying it slowly out of sight towards the canal beyond. It's the very first Great White Egret we’ve spotted in the Bedfordshire area, so it's such an exciting local first, and evidence of the increasing range of these impressive birds (you can read more about the colonisation of Egrets in the UK in my post here). I wonder if they’ll become a more common sight in this area over the coming months?
Doesn't Nature always succeed in gifting the most precious surprises and much welcome simple joys to lift the spirits when it's needed most of all ❤️
A lovely uplifting read - thank you 💚 That Egret is absolutely stunning! And I'm happy to learn that those iconic mushrooms occur near birches - as I've been planting a few of those in my garden.
This was a really grounding read. I admire your reverence for nature, and it's definitely something I think everyone should strive toward. Your writing reminds me how healing it is to slow down and really see the world around us, but more importantly, being in the present moment in nature.