A guide to our guided walk

On the first Sunday of 2013, we took visitors on a guided walk around Coombes Valley. This walk gave those lucky visitors a sneak preview of our extended trail paths that aren't yet open to the public.

Two of our visitors were Jayne and her son, David. While we walked, David asked lots of really interesting questions and was taking photographs as he walked. It's great to see young people with such enthusiasm and I thought it'd be nice to get him to write a blog about the walk.

I'm glad to be able to tell you that I've just received his report, and here it is. The words and pictures are entirely David's work. Please let us know what you think.

This guided walk was to show a few lucky people round a new path in Coombes Valley.  This new path extends the Woodcock Trail over to the public footpath and back to join the Woodland Trail and back to the visitor centre.

The walk round the new trail was run by a few of the Coombes Valley Volunteers and  took about 3 hours. The weather was foggy at the start, but the mist was blown away and it brightened up a bit later.

We started walking down the main track and we saw the willow Badger, along with the weevil.   At the bridge we talked about the woodpecker hole that was occupied last season.  On to Clough meadow we talked about the spotted flycatchers that could be seen there last summer. Then a tawny owl started calling.  This was weird because owls rarely call in the day.  After that we went to the fallen tree that had been left there as an insect house and made pools that will make lots of habitats for invertebrates and amphibians.

Next we went to the Woodcock Trail had a little chat about the woodcocks that had been seen on the trail.  We talked about how the foam in the river could mean a not very good wildlife habitat, so some volunteers came in  to check the river's water quality.  They found that the river was high quality water.

Caption:  Foamy River, but water quality is still good.

On the route we found a clump of candle snuff (fungi) in a pile of moss.

Caption: Candle Snuff

The next fungus that we found was some Curtain Crust on a log pile.

Caption: Curtain Crust

When we got deeper into the wood we found lots of greater and common feather moss.

Caption:  Common Feather Moss

After about another 400m of walking we go to the Woodcock Bench and admired the “lovely view” (actually too foggy to see very far).

We went round the barrier to start the new trail.  After a bit of walking we got to a badger's sett, a little bit further on we found a badger latrine (lavatory).

Caption: Badger poo (fresh!)

We walked a bit further on and  came across some oysterling (fungus)

Caption: Oysterling on stick in some bracken.

After a bit more walking we got to the Woodland Trail and had a little conversation about natural forest and plantation and which was better for wildlife.

Then a mixed of tits flew overhead and we stopped to have a look at them.  In one of the wildflower meadows a Great Spotted Woodpecker flew overhead and started pecking on a branch.

Caption: Great Spotted Woodpecker

When we got back to the visitor centre,  there was a willow tit on one of the feeders.

Caption: Willow Tit on one of the feeders at the visitor centre.

Inside the visitor centre we sat down to a nice cup of hot chocolate and a biscuit.  We walked about 6km so the drink was well earnt.

Thanks David, that's a great report. Both the words and pictures describe the great diversity of life we have here at Coombes Valley. See you again soon.