Nature Watch, with Ron Freethy

'When I see birches bend to left and right

Across the lines of straighter darker trees,

I like to think some boy's been swinging them,

But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay

As ice storms do. Often you must have seen them

Loaded with ice on a sunny winter morning

After a rain . . .'

ROBERT FROST (1874-1963)

THE American poet Robert Frost certainly captured the atmosphere of an English woodland, as we can see in East Lancashire as winter gives way to spring.

I enjoyed the chance to explore an area of birch woodland which is so typical of our are

There is an old saying that mosses and green algae will only grow on the northern side of a tree trunk.

As a youngster called Rachael pointed out to me, some trees in the woodland have growth all around the trunks.

Primroses had already started to appear in numbers, along with celandines and dog's mercury, while the leaves of bluebells were already breaking ground. Over the winter some trees, mainly of them birches, were felled in order to allow more light on to the woodland floor. The benefits of this are already apparent and flowers, their seeds lying dormant for years, have begun to germinate.

The birdlife was also aware that winter was merging into spring.

Great tits, blue tits and mistle thrushes were in full song and even the bell-like notes of the nuthatch were echoing through the birches. Very few people realise that the starling was originally a woodland bird.

It nested in the holes of mature trees. Only later did this intelligent bird realise that ideal breeding sites could be found in the cavities of town buildings.

When I report on this woodland in April I hope to see birds prospecting around the nest boxes which have now been positioned and that a recently excavated pond will hold water.

But, above all, April means flowers and showers.

There is, therefore, a great deal to look forward to.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.