Epping Forest · Essex
Starting the Year in Epping Forest
Every New Year's Day, we head into Epping Forest for a walk with family and friends. It's become something of a tradition, usually involving a stop at Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge for a warming cup of hot chocolate or coffee. There's something special about being out in nature during winter, when familiar places take on a different character.
A black-headed gull (Chroicocephalus ridibundus) picking its way across the frozen surface of a forest pond. Despite the name, its head is largely white in winter, with just a dark spot behind the eye. The still water beneath the ice caught an almost complete reflection, while the other gulls carried on in the background.
A Different Side of the Forest
Seeing wildlife in its winter colours is always special, particularly as we don't get out nearly as often as we should during the colder months. The days are shorter, it's colder and wetter, and sometimes it's simply harder to find the motivation to head outside.
Fortunately, we've been rather lucky over the past few years. The weather has generally been kind to us, and the winter light has made these walks all the more enjoyable.
Tucked among the fallen branches at the edge of the pond, this coot (Fulica atra) was busy tending to its feathers. It was a quieter moment, partly hidden by the tangle of wood and reflections. The surrounding branches make the scene feel rather sheltered, almost as though I'd stumbled upon a private little corner of the forest.
Our route is rarely particularly ambitious. More often than not, it's simply a lap around Connaught Water, where I've seen kingfishers, swans, geese, coots and plenty of other waterfowl over the years.
It's a walk I always enjoy. You don't need to cover great distances to find something interesting here, and there's almost always some wildlife going about its day, whatever the weather or conditions. Even in winter, it's a fairly safe bet that something will catch your eye.
The Familiar Faces
Not every wildlife encounter needs to be something rare or unexpected. Sometimes it's the familiar birds that make a walk enjoyable, particularly when you take a little time to watch what they're doing.
Magpies are a good example. They're hardly an unusual sight around Epping Forest, but I've always enjoyed their character. This one was perched among the branches, seemingly keeping an eye on everything happening around it. The winter light also brought out some lovely blue and green in its otherwise black and white plumage.
Perched among the tangled branches, this magpie (Pica pica) appeared to be keeping a watchful eye on everything happening below. The familiar black and white plumage revealed flashes of blue and green where the light caught its wings. Magpies have such a distinctive presence in the woodland, and this one looked entirely at home surveying its surroundings.
Down by the water, a female mallard offered a rather different encounter. Standing in the shallows and facing straight towards me, she looked almost as though she was posing for a photograph. Her mottled brown feathers blended into the woodland surroundings, while that bright orange bill made her rather difficult to miss.
A female mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) standing almost perfectly still in the shallows, facing straight towards me. Her mottled brown plumage blends beautifully with the surrounding woodland, although that bright orange bill gives her away. There is something wonderfully inquisitive about the direct look, as though she was studying me just as carefully as I was studying her.
Neither encounter was particularly extraordinary, and perhaps that's what I like about them. These are birds we see all the time, yet there's still plenty of character and detail to appreciate when we give them a moment of attention.
A Tradition Worth Keeping
There's something lovely about starting the year refreshed by nature. After a rather lazy Christmas period, some fresh air, exercise and time surrounded by the winter landscape are exactly what's needed.
It's a tradition I hold dear and one I look forward to every year. Long may it continue!