Welcome to Matthew Peaster's Countrymans Diary.
Award winning wildlife photographer Matthew Peaster from Over Stowey writes about what to look out for in the natural world right on your door step. All you need to do is read this feature, turn off that computer and get walking — not always very far either!
Winter on The Quantock Hills
Frosty Morning
Reindeer at Cobbs Cross
Frosty Leaf
It’s always difficult to know when one season ends and the next really starts. This year, as with the last few autumn has been drawn out and feels like it’s lasting until the end of November. Perhaps traditionally we have thought winter to start early in November. For my tree planting schemes we take delivery of trees ‘at the start of winter’ and this year, again as with the last few, the tree nursery has delayed the lifting of the trees until the first few hard frosts have ended the tree’s growing season and the trees loose their leaves. This annual display of the leaves changing colour on the deciduous trees has been spectacular, and never trying to be right, but once again strong winds coincided with this period and stripped many leaves before we had the full display of colours.
The winter landscape is very different, bare trees, bare fields and a duller feel. This is the time to really get in close and look at the details. Early December has sent a sequence of frosty mornings and for me I love to photograph the detail of frost – on leaves, gates, puddles and winter bracken. The bark on old Oaks and other mature trees is also appears more dramatic and you feel that you can explore these features more easily without the leaves blocking the sunlight.
This winter, however, there’s a new arrival on the Quantock’s. To add to our resident wild Red and Roe Deer we now have four Reindeer! It’s unlikely that you will see them roaming the hills like the Reds on the moorland tops but in a much accessible location. Cobb’s Cross Farm, between Enmore and Goathurst may be familiar with many as an outdoor activity centre. This is the location for the grass boarding ‘Hill’. We planted a new woodland there last winter and John drove me down the ‘Hill’ in his landrover, to say I was nervous is a bit of understatement, I held my nerve and breathed a big sigh of relief as we stopped (under control) at the bottom. Fortunately you won’t have to experience the hill for the Reindeer as they are right next to the farm for all visitors to see. They are busy selling Christmas Trees at present, so if you’re looking for a tree, look no further. There’s over 50 acres of Christmas Trees at Cobbs Cross including my favourite, the Nordman, with its lovely deep green needles which last all through Christmas. There’s also lots more going on there so why not find out for yourself how this fantastic farm really is embracing the term ‘diversification’.
As a wildlife photographer I’m always after those traditional shots with snow for Christmas cards and other seasonal requirements. The easiest option is to top up those garden bird feeders in hope that I can start with my faithful Robin before venturing off into the hills for ‘my characteristic’ type of shots of or wildlife and landscapes. So, please Mr Santa, could we have some snow this winter??
Merry Christmas and all the best for 2009.
