Bowdown Woods

We began by striding out across the green expanse of Greenham Common upon which flowering clumps of gorse added a splash of yellow. Several ponds attract wildlife, and we stood for a while to watch a green woodpecker. A bridleway took us down beneath a canopy of autumn leaves, and soon we were crossing the River Kennet, and then the Kennet & Avon Canal. The towpath proved a pleasant place to walk, especially as the bushes alongside were full of birds enjoying autumn berries and seedheads. The trees and bushes alongside the towpath treated us to a double delight as their autumn colours were duplicated in the reflection on the smooth surface of the water. Numerous birds sang cheerfully as they feasted on the autumn berries and seedheads. We left the canal to walk beside Thatcham Lake – a hive of activity with native and migrant waterfowl jostling for any tit bits we may have for them. Feeling in need of refreshment on this bracing November day, we were grateful for the staff of the Thatcham Nature Discovery Centre for opening the café especially to serve us with coffee and cake. Refreshed, we resumed our walk to soon pass the outskirts of Newbury Racecourse. As we crossed the River Kennet the smooth green of the racecourse was replaced with rough grassland. A rabbit bobbed off to find its burrow and a deer bounded away to shelter. Above us stood another oasis for wildlife, Bodown Wood. This ancient woodland, managed by BBOWT, is the largest woodland nature reserve in Berkshire. Its spring-fed streams have sliced a deep valley through the wood, and here alders and willow dominate. On higher ground we walked amongst oak, ash and silver birch. Most of the ash leaves lay at our feet, but the oaks clung on to the last few colourful leaves, while the trunks of the birch showed off their white bark. At times the leaves on the ground parted to reveal the woodland floor, rich in fungi, and, as we left the wood, we spotted a tree with some spectacular fungi