Bare bones

We're not out of spring and already the streams of the forest are showing their  bare gravelly bottoms. I know this is the way of many of the forest streams, but it seems to come earlier and earlier each year, it used to be I'd be making these observations in June/July.

Camel Green

 

Camel Green looking verdant.

Skanky waters

 

With only a few exceptions the forest streams are running low, and in most cases they're running dry, or at least their flow runs beneath the gravel beds. With an occasional hop, skip and and a jump I could walk extended sections of the gravelly bed of Highland Water this morning, and seeing no running water on my travels. All that remains of the stream are ever decreasing and increasingly murky looking pools of motionless dark cloudy water, surfaces coated in dust, pollen and detritus. Skanky as.

Great Huntley Bank

In the last week we've walked the best part of Highland Water. Todays' section from the New Forest Gate House through Great Huntley Bank to Bolderford Bridge was lovely. Under a blue sky, bathed in dappled light, senses captured by the sights, sounds and smells of spring, we wandered through a wonderful pallet of verdance. Joyful. Still, at the back of your mind you know there'll be a price to pay for our mild, dry and rather agreeable winter/spring, and the degree of gravel on show suggests that without a watery respite payment will be coming due. Succinctly put, it's fecking dry out.

Highland Water

Dappled light plays on the rough path alongside Highland Water. No matter the season this stretch is easily the nicest stream side walking in the forest, though at it's finest through spring and autumn. The covid surge which saw noticeably more folk visiting the forest is finally disappearing in the rear view mirror. It's becoming the norm again for us to meet few or no other walkers on our walks. Of course if you walk a honey pot spot you'll still see lots of people, but get off the beaten track, just a bit, and you'll more often than not have the stands to yourself. 

Surprise graffiti

This piece of graffiti is off the beaten track, and quite close to a forestry property too. The canvas, a water metering station I think. The piece, a anemone like tentacle releasing what could be luminescent spores. Simple, but effective. I recognise the artist, I've seen their work in a subway between Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst. A nice surprise. I love a bit of graffiti, and I applaud the effort.

Up and away

A Heron (Ardea cinerea) rises gracefully through the canopy above Highland Water. Herons are becoming a more and more common sight along the forests streams and wet places, a testament to the streams growing health and fecundity. We're blessed, there are plenty of signs of good health in the forest.

Camel Green

 

Bathed in spring sunshine Highland Water wends through Camel Green, the stream through here was restored to its' former course some years back, the landscaping scars from which have almost vanished, almost. It's a lovely stretch of river. For my money Highland Water is by far the most consistently attractive stream in the forest, from Ocknell where it begins to where it becomes the Lymington River. 

Highland Water

 

Highland Water

 

Otter?

 

You know, I'm by no means certain, but I think these could be otter tracks left in a muddy bank on Highland Water. I want it to be otter tracks, because that'd be cool.  Eurasian otters have established themselves an active community along the coastal region of the New Forest, and have been known to follow streams inland in the pursuit of food. So. Maybe? Of course the tracks could be those of a badger, both otters and badgers have 5 toes leaving prints roughly the same size, though normally the claws of a badger are more pronounced. You see myriad tracks this time of year, these caught my eye as different, though I am no expert.

Camel Green

Winter holds the forest tightly.

Highland hues

Highland Water in autumn.

Highland Water

 

Highland Water

Highland Water

They've been low, and their gravelly asses have occasionally been on show, but this year the forests streams have continued to flow throughout, which is becoming an increasingly rare event. So huzzah to that. I know we're on autumns cusp but you know summer's already left the room, it's felt like autumn to one degree or another throughout August, though now it's presence now is inescapable.

Great Huntley Bank

Great Huntley Bank, a route we used to take far more regularly than we do today, after the New Forest National Park Authority closed off the closest access which was a lay-by on the A35. I can maybe see the argument for doing it, though can't help but feel that the erasure of roadside parking spots, warning notices in other traditional spots and the apparent permanent closure of a number of car parks is shepherding us towards a pay to play future. I'm sure I recall something along those lines being mooted some years back. Anyway. Great Huntley Bank and the length of Highland Water that runs through it are beautiful. Deciduous woodland filled with veteran and ancient trees casting wonderful dappled shade over a verdant floor teeming with life and a favoured haunt of deer, especially during the rut. 

Camel Green

Morning in Camel Green

Highland Water/Camel Green

We were up and out early this morning, and as a consequence we didn't see another soul for the majority of our walk, the forest was ours, and it was wonderful. The woodland flora and fauna has really come alive. Sunlight flooded the morning stands, and the woodlands were just waking up, their vibrant green canopies resonating to the sound of song and call, squirrels darted from tree to tree, a pony and her fawn lazily rise to the day and occasionally a solitary deer braking cover and disappearing again. Our whole walk was a joy, although the restored section of Highland Water through Camel Green I found particularly magnificent.

Red Deer

 

As we approached Highland Water through Brinken Wood this morning we disturbed a large herd of Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) grazing on the other side of the stream in Camel Green, maybe 30 plus of them, including at least 2 stags. They looked healthy and content, and although we'd disturbed their grazing they didn't appear that bothered by our presence, they obviously felt safe enough across the stream from us not to bolt. It was an amiable meeting, we moved on and they returned to grazing. It's nice seeing the forests' deer community, especially a herd of majestic Red Deer, though increasingly I can't ignore the damage they're causing to the forests' longevity; deer numbers in the UK are at a 1,000 year high. This is another mess of our own making, what's to be done though?

Stream side path

The entire walkable length of Highland Water from Ocknell Arch down stream to Bolderford Bridge where it joins Flecthers Water becoming the Lymington River is blessed with some wonderfully picturesque paths. The streams nourish the forest, and all forest life is seen frequenting their environs at some point; if you want to connect with the heart of the forest then you could do worse than to walk their meandering banks. 

The season of bare bottoms has begun

The forest's streams are beginning to show at lot of their gravelly asses of late; the season of bare bottoms has begun.