Laurel bashing at Dene

Hard work this morning, clearing and burning laurel, lots of interest in whether the burning of laurel is dangerous to people. And then a nice Comma Butterfly to reward me as I left.

Had a good go at Laurel pulling in the afternoon while walking Toby.

Dene Park on a sunny and warm February day

What a lovely few days, it really helps raise the spirits at this time of year when warm dry weather lasts for at least a few days!

I went down to the Alders, by the stream at the edge of the wood.

The first bird I saw was a Greater Spotted Woodpecker, but it was quickly away - too quick for a photograph.

This Blue Tit was searching the bark of an Alder tree, with the orange of the catkins forming a bit of a background to the photograph.

There were also Great Tits in the canopy - these seem to be commoner than the Blue Tits - or just louder or more visually obvious!

There wasn't much else in the woods today - lots of dog-walkers and families - but there were still Blackbirds and Robins, and of course Wood Pigeons overflying.

Birch Wood on a cloudy Sunday

I spent some time with Toby reviewing Birch Wood. There about two and a half hours, moving very slowly.

We started at the Ash tree by the path entrance, and up in the canopy there was some dead twiggery and a hung up broken off branch, with the oak tree behind. I am still worried about the pedestrians on this footpath.

There are some large Sweet Chestnuts to the northwest of the pond, variously damaged, possibly by squirrel.

There are some lovely tall "valley Alders" just by the main streamside, with mophead top shapes, but these are intermixed with a lot of tall Ash with a bit of dieback.

I added a moderate sized Oak towards the north as a notable tree but didn't get a good position fix.

I thought there were likely to be some large Birches and Cherries on the northern boundary that might be worth recording, away from the path, beyond the three Birches at the path junction.

There are a few Hornbeams mainly in the north, of various sizes.

As you move south through the mixed woods there is a patch of about half a dozen large tall Beeches.

Just to the south the tall trees change to a mix of Ash, Oak and Sweet Chestnut.

There must be half a dozen large Sweet Chestnut coppice stools on either side of the path by the eastern entrance. These, with the Beeches to the southern gate, are probably the most ancient trees in the remaining wood.