A Sping Flower with a Difference

[JohnRostron]

My local woodland, Coombe Wood in Essex, is described as an Ancient Woodland. This does not mean that it has been there since ancient times, just that it has been there since the first reliable maps in around 1777. Ancient Woodlands have a characteristic flora including the Spurge Laurel, Daphne laureola. This is a low-growing shrub rarely exceeding one metre in height. An interesting feature is that it flowers in the early spring (February to March). The flowers are green and inconspicuous but do have a distinct scent. This photo was taken on March 6^th.


Sony A55, f/6.3, 1/125, ISO 800, effective focal length 120mm, using available light.

C&C welcome.

John

[marlunn]

Nice shot John, I suspect it is a welcome food kick start to a lot of insects

[IzzieK]

Very neat...I like the subtle green of this shot...it is not glaring green, almost iridescent but not quite...just pleasant and resting. I wonder what it would like look later on when the buds have fully opened up?

[Downrigger]

It's a great image, John, suffused with greenness as a spring shot should be. And an interesting story, too.

[Barbara Ponder]

Lovely shot John!

[Geoff F]

Good detail although just starting to get a bit noisy in places. But that is always a potential problem with this sort of scene. You have to avoid over exposure and there is often a risk of subject movement blur if you drop your shutter speed too much; so the only alternative is increasing Iso and risking some noise.

[Suzan J]

John, there is a lovely green glow to this shot that really feels like spring.