Either it's a really good year for bluebells this year or I caught the wood on just the right day, but the show seems better than usual this time.
The banks of blue gave off their beautiful scent and the constant calls of the birds made the visit a feast for the senses.
The lack of leaves on the trees meant that it was quite bright and showed off all the flowers from those nearby right to those in the far distance.
It was more impressive this way than in the dappled shade that is usually the scene when I visit a bit later in the season.
There was also a greater abundance of flowers other than bluebells.
Wood anemones and primroses were common and I found a couple of early purple orchids on the bank of a stream.
Another unexpected find was this queen hornet. She had obviously had some sort of problem with the mud around. I hope she was able to clean herself up.
And, remembering the title of my blog, I thought I'd show that I really was "walking the dog". Petra enjoyed a sniff around the woods but was quite tired by the end.