with Linda Seward.
Venturing outside
There’s plenty of the natural world to discover and experience in winter, despite the fact that the nights have drawn in and days are short. Appreciate the sensations you feel on a frosty morning, when your breath hangs in the chilly air and your footsteps crunch on dried leaves or snow. Whether the skies are overcast or blue, a fresh wind whipping your face makes that hot chocolate in front of a fire an enticing prospect. Regardless of the preparation required to keep yourself warm and dry, making the effort to go out for a winter walk in the Chilterns countryside is rewarding, because there’s still a lot to see.
Plants that flowered in spring and summer are now glowing with berries to feed the birds in colder months; fungi are popping up in the leaf litter and grasslands; and freezing temperatures can turn spiders’ webs and lichens into icy works of art.
Holly and the ivy
As you walk you might observe the bright red or orange hips of the dog rose (Rose canina). The plant’s strong curved thorns enable it to climb up to 3m tall, often supporting itself on neighbouring plants. The syrup made from dog rose hips is high in vitamin C. Bank voles, blackbirds, redwings and waxwings feast on the hips as an important food source.
Strands of small red berries, twisting and twining like a necklace in the hedgerows, might be those of black bryony (Tamus communis). The flowers appear in summer, but its shiny red berries decorate trees and bushes in winter. A member of the yam family, black bryony is very poisonous. Mistletoe (Viscum album) is a hemiparasitic plant. This means that it obtains some of it’s nutrients and water from host trees such as apple, hawthorn, lime and poplar. Blackcaps and mistle thrushes eat it’s waxy white berries, which contain seeds with sticky coating. If the birds swipe the gummy mess of their beaks or excrete the seeds onto a host tree, the gluey substance secures the seed to the tree where it begins to germinate and grow into a new mistletoe plant. It’s extremely poisonous.
At this time of year, holly (llex aquifolium) is especially apparent, with its glossy green leaves and bright red berries – an important food source for mammals and birds. The deep, dry litter underneath provides good protection for hibernating hedgehogs and other small mammals. Holly branches, often used for Christmas decorations, will also safeguard your home against the devil, goblins and witches!
Ivy (Hedera helix) is as ubiquitous as it’s important to wildlife. Contrary to perceived opinion, ivy won’t damage trees or buildings, as verified by English Heritage who say ‘in many instances ivy does not root into the structure and may actually be more protective than damaging, shielding masonry from rain and frost’. Ivy is an essential source of food all year round, but especially in winter when its succulent, nutritious berries are consumed by hungry birds when not much else is available. Insects, bats, small mammals and birds take refuge in its dense foliage. Ivy can also be of service to people planning to imbibe celebratory alcoholic drinks over the holidays: donning an ivy-leaf wreath is said to prevent intoxication! Ivy has long been used for celebrating athletic and intellectual accomplishments and is a symbol of faithfulness, which is why brides often carry some in their bouquets.
Ancient Yew tree
Yew trees (Taxus baccata) and hedges are essential for wildlife in the Chilterns. Dense hedges are perfect hideaways for nesting birds and provide protection in the cold months. Song and mistle thrushes, blackbirds and fieldfares are partial to the fleshy red berries, while mammals especially dormice and squirrels, depend on them for food. Yews are commonly found in churchyards where they were planted on the graves of plague victims for purification purposes. Because yews are so long-lived, they’re considered a symbol of immortatlity; indeed, they’re often older than the ancient buildings they surround. Yew wood has long been used for tools and weaponry – a yew spear head has been dated at 450,000 years old! Although yew is highly poisonous, scientists are developing anti-cancer drugs using its alkaloids.
Fungi forage
While the season of fungi is slowing down, temperatures below 17c will encourage fruiting of wood blewits (Lepista nuda) so look for this mushroom in frosty weather. It’s a spectacular find when young and at its most colourful; give it a sniff to detect the odour of aniseed. Candlesnuff fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon) is very common and grows in groups on dead wood, especially on rotting stumps. Should you decide to walk across fields and meadows, seemingly dormant without their flowers, you may spot some bright waxcaps such as the snowy waxcap (Hygrocybe virginea) or the butter waxcap (Hygrocybe ceracea). Both can be found in scattered groups, often covering a wide area. Touch the caps to feel the smooth waxy surface.
Nature’s gentle grazers
Countryside walks in the Chilterns wouldn’t be complete withouts fields of sheep (Ovis aries). I’m always amazed to be able to walk freely next to these beautiful animals-with my dogs on leads of course! But sheep are quick to spot the dogs and beat a hasty retreat, which isn’t a surprise. If you look deep into a sheep’s eyes, you’ll observe rectangular pupils, allowing it to see virtually everything in the vicinity without twisting it’s head. Sheep are associated with the holiday season, featuring on cards and calendars, but it never occurred to me that sheep can feel complex emotions such as anger, fear happiness and sadness. In addition, studies show that sheep can recognize about 50 other sheep faces, remembering them for up to two years – a great way to maintain social relationships.
Frosty mornings add a new dimension to a country walk as ice freezes trees, spiders’ webs and lichens to a preternatural stillness. Webs that weren’t easily seen are revealed in all their glory – but where are the owners of the webs? Spiders are cold-blooded, so enter a type of hibernation in winter called diapause. They’ll shelter in secure crevices in tree bark and under leaves or rocks until temperatures rise in spring.
I hope this article will encourage you to use all your senses as you discover the natural winter wonderland of the Chilterns. You can view what I’m finding in my daily photos on Instagram @quiltmaniac1 and also check out my website lindaseward.com
For inspiration take a look at our winter walks collection at
chilternsociety.org.uk/seasonal-walks/
