© Karen Andrews
A New Year’s Day walk at Ebbor Gorge had an otherworldly quality. It felt as if you had stepped into the Land that Time Forgot. The abundance of ferns and mosses on fallen tree trunks created an eerie atmosphere. A dinosaur might have appeared at any minute. The Gruffalo did …
© Karen Andrews
Ebbor Gorge seems to be a bryologists’ paradise. Tree trunks, branches and stones were covered in thick, mossy coats. I was left kicking myself for leaving my identification guide behind. Here are just a few of the discoveries:
Wet, feathery moss
© Karen Andrews
Moss capsules with beaked calyptra
© Karen Andrews
Moss completely enveloping its host
© Karen Andrews
Moss looking like a sea-anemone
© Karen Andrews
Deep sponge of moss
© Karen Andrews
A shoe-like covering of moss
© Karen Andrews
Moss covering stones on the sides of the forested valley
© Karen Andrews
Steps down into the mossy valley
© Karen Andrews
The presence of lichen amid the mosses testifies to the air quality.
© Karen Andrews 
© Karen Andrews 
© Karen Andrews
A stream runs through the valley. Children enjoyed paddling through it in wellies.
© Karen Andrews 
© Karen Andrews
Children are delighted to discover the Gruffalo and Mouse in the forest valley. It seems that the Mouse ate too many sweets over Christmas and lost a tooth.
© Karen Andrews
The New Year Climb from the valley floor to the top of Ebbor Gorge proved quite wet, muddy and slippery. The nature reserve has an alternative route that avoids the rock climb.
Valley lined with ferns
© Karen Andrews
Shuttlecock ferns
© Karen Andrews
Fern in close-up
© Karen Andrews
The only flowers in evidence were on Herb Robert and Brambles. Open Hazel catkins showed that spring might not be too far away. The local people spoke of great displays of Bluebells for a return in May.
Open catkins on Hazel, Corylus avellana © Karen Andrews
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Karen does not seek or receive any commercial interest or advantage from this blog. She is not promoting any business venture. She simply loves to share fascinating facts about plants. These pages illustrate her love of plants, botany, biodiversity, gardens and creative expression. There is always so much to learn about plant diversity. This blog is designed as a showcase for photography, commentary on plants and wildlife, gardens and other places visited, horticulture and related topics. Viewpoints are her own, not those of her employer.
© Karen Andrews 2018 onwards. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Karen Andrews and BotanyKaren.net with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.