The lonesome pine

Just a walk. The late morning light shone through the hedges, illuminating the emerald, new growth of hemlock, buttercup and celandine, a colour not usually associated with winter. Here and there great and long-tailed tits flew from one holly bush to the other, stocking up on high energy berries like they knew a cold snap was approaching.  The path then opened out into fields with a spectacular view of Shropshire’s highest hill - the Clee - towering above the Corve Dale. To the south-east the woods of the Apley Estate, nestling on the banks of the Severn, were visible, all painted in the cold, blue mist that softens any winter view. We are lucky in Shropshire to have trees in our fields, usually oak, however it was a lonely pine in which I saw my favourite bird, the buzzard, standing sentinel in the upper branches. Just a walk, but it held many of the things that make this part of Shropshire special: hedgerows, buzzards and the Clee. It also let me truly appreciate the view of the Corve Dale, and that’s coming from someone who drives past it twice a day.