IT is always nice to spend a few moments reflecting on the previous months at this time of year.

I have prepared a recap of the developments and wildlife encounters spotted, while out and about on the Wyre Forest District Council nature reserves.

Winter seemed to fade quickly this year with three different species of woodpecker either seen or heard drumming out in the woods at Habberley Valley.

New green leaves were seen to be pushing their way through the leaf litter when winter struck another blow by covering the landscape in a layer of snow. As the snow melted, spring began in earnest.

Wild flowers started to appear, gorse came into magnificent bloom across the heathlands and the sunshine yellows of the celandines were spreading across the wetlands.

Then access to all this beauty was cruelly torn away from us, as foot and mouth disease spread across the countryside. Months passed and the seasons moved on.

It was almost as if we had completely missed out on the beauty of spring, as by the time the access restrictions were lifted, we were well into the summer season.

It was quite a shock visiting the marshlands, where there had only been the small flowers of the celandines there was now an immense jungle of marshland vegetation.

Ridgestone rock in Habberley Valley was looking amazing. This 120 ft tall sandstone outcrop was now crowned with a magnificent bloom of deep pink bell heather.

The summer lingered with many spectacular summer insects such as emperor dragonflies and peacock butterflies frequently being encountered as late as October.

The really spectacular season this year though, had to be autumn. It started early with large crops of mushrooms starting to sprout across the reserves in late August.

Among these was the amazing giant puffball, found in the newly declared and opened Hurcott Pools and Woods Nature Reserve.

Disappointingly, the exceptionally rare earthstars that had previously graced the nature reserves of Habberley Valley and Blake Marsh were nowhere to be found. The wetlands, while not being renowned for spectacular fungi, did display a vast quantity of large orb web spiders whose webs spanned between the remnants of the tall marshland herbs like a mass of criss-cross net curtains.

October was wet but relatively mild, as was November, creating the conditions for one of the most colourful autumns I can remember.

Now we are in the dead of winter and following this brief glance back it is time to look forward to when the seasons turn and bright spring colour once again sweeps across the nature reserves.

l Paul Allen, Countryside Officer, Wyre Forest District Council