Bluebells of Warriner's Wood

Bluebells in Warriner's Wood

 Bluebells In an English woodland in May,  what could be lovelier.  The morning was cloudy so there were no butterflies on the wing and the light was low but after rain and cool days  bluebells were fresh and beautiful.   Bluebells come into flower as leaves unfurl and there's a contrast of sharp greens and shades of blue.  For a photographer, the loveliness of a bluebell wood is elusive, that's the challenge.  I like a foreground flower with a wash of massed bluebells  beyond.  Sunlight through the wood was the only thing lacking 

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We walked across Kendal Race Course and Helsington Barrows,  stopping for wood sorrel in the shade beneath a tree, for wood anemone in bracken, cowslips and early purple orchid. Willow warbler were calling everywhere and I could hear redstart. We hoped to hear cuckoo but did not.   There's little chance of meadow pipit or cuckoo thriving here because commercial dog walkers impact on ground nesting birds, on flora and fauna.  Alerted by barking dogs, we saw three separate dog walkers with 8,9 and 10 dogs respectively. Packs of dogs running loose.  I'd have wished to write solely about May and springtime, about what is inspirational. But we felt dismay to witness the impact of out of control dogs on this scale.   
In the wake of Wild Isles, conservation organisations come together to address what we must do to protect our wildlife.   Addressing the issue of commercial dog walkers is one place to start.