Greenbelts of life

A wander through the forested greenbelts of Constantia is always the greatest pleasure, and even more so on a still, sunny late winter's day, with stretches of trail under deep shade and sudden clearings of bright, warm sunlight. Clear blue skies formed a backdrop for the majestic pines and yellowwoods that line the streams tumbling clear and strong from the sponge that is Table Mountain, and dense undergrowth of acanthus, bracken and the most striking tree ferns delighted the senses. Horses passed from time to time, their riders among the lucky few who have easy access to these trails, although not too many opportunities for a flat-out gallop, I would think.
An abundance of birdlife flitted among the trees, their calls music to the ears, and helping to identify what was hiding secretively - a Burchell's coucal, sedge warbler, dusky flycatchers, swee waxbills, jackal buzzard, African harrier hawk, pintailed whydahs, bronze mannikin, Cape batis, Levaillant's cisticola, Karoo prinia - some first sightings for us - and many more; a paradise for birds and birdwatchers alike.
Signs of Spring are lurking everywhere - an unblemished babiana ambigua, dozens of Cape tulips and the usual bursting green buds of the oak trees that seem to ignore seasons and do their own thing according to how many days of sunshine we have recently had. If winter brings another cold snap, they may have to regrow their Spring clothing.
Colourful fungi decorate the many fallen logs that criss-cross the streams, and damp logs steamed gently as the sun reached down to snatch away the early morning chill. Some are in advanced states of decay, while others may have fallen in the last gale, with leaves still clinging to the branches as if unwilling to let go of life. These green belts offer a glimpse into the constant cycle of life in the plant world, with rich mulch from the departed giving sustenance to new growth, and we should wander there often.