A Pembrokeshire bluebell wood

A weekend away in Pembrokeshire to catch up with friends and it is reasonable to suggest that the date was timed to coincide with the display of bluebells in Coed Tŷ Canol National Nature Reserve. I had last visited the Tŷ Canol woodlands at the end of March 2015  and this was my first visit in the month of May. Saturday dawned to a forecast of high wind and clear skies, sigh, nevertheless I had time for a recce to Tŷ Canol and ascertained that the woods were as atmospheric as ever, most of the sessile oaks were in leaf and bluebells were in flower, the harsh lighting and wind meant any meaningful photography was limited to recording the ground flora.

Enchanters nightshade, wood sorrel, hard fern, buckler fern and  bluebells.

On Sunday I persuaded Nic that we should visit Tŷ Canol on the journey home, coincidentally the weather was more photographically promising with lighter winds, showers, over head cloud with breaks for sunshine. The weather was amenable to making images of woodland in contrasting lighting with the quiet light of overhead cloud and intermittent sunshine allowing sunlit dappled woodland.

A far better appreciation and insight was gained into the habitats within Tŷ Canol with flora in leaf/flower denoting associations with deep shade, water logged ground, flushes and dry soils. The lichen and bryophyte communities for which Tŷ Canol is renowned for were once again pondered and once again a mental note made to make the effort to investigate these further. Nic summed up Tŷ Canol  perfectly in describing it as a 'special place' and 'nourishment for the soul'.