Some of the shrubs lining the track around the quarry edge seem to self-prune – a proportion of the outer branches are dead, but the heart of the shrub is still living. Where shrubs aren't as sheltered as this one, the wind removes the dead wood. I’m not sure what the bush is – there are still no leaves to help with identification, and my natural history is not good enough to rely on the bark to distinguish hedges or shrubs. If I’d thought about it at the time that I took the photo I could have rummaged on the ground to see if last season leaves were still in evidence. Winter seems to be back, my least favourite weather – cold and damp. Damp air that is a few degrees above freezing always seems colder than dry freezing air.
