Gregorian calendar

 

It's 2026 and the first day of the Gregorian calendar has been lovely. 

Tummy rub?

I've met these pigs (a group of 8 or 9) a couple times foraging along the banks of Red Rise brook this pannage. These two rolled over like dogs to get their tummies rubbed, and enjoyed every minute of it. I was happy to be of service.

Winter Slostice

The dawn of the shortest day heralds the beginning of our journey back into the light; Winter Solstice is upon us. Celebrate as hope is rekindled, the Sun is reborn, and another cycle begins. The forest is always beautiful, though this morning it was particularly so. It so often is. Even so, it still never fails wow you. Muffled by the mists which hung heavily in the valleys and clung to the stands, the forest was bathed in an air of tranquillity; fitting for such an auspicious morning. Solstice Blessings /|\

New generation

 

After years of hosting, what had been my go to Mistletoe tree has gone, the hosts' life-force completely consumed by it's parasitic guest. Each year the mistletoe would increase it's spread until eventually it covered the entire tree. It became literally a mistletoe tree, and the bell tolled. Sad, though inevitable, nature is perpetual change. As if part of the plan over the years birds had deposited sticky mistletoe seeds in surrounding trees with many taking. With the old queen gone new hosts have stepped up, and the mistletoe community continues on. 

Up above the streets and houses

 

Rainbow climbing high, 

everyone can see it smiling, 

over the sky. 

Paint the whole world with a rainbow.

Craters

 

The forest in pocked with craters from the second world war, dozens of them. Some from deliberate Luftwaffe attacks, or dumping their munitions before the return trip across the channel; others were self inflicted in pursuit of victory. Near Godshill in the north of the forest is the site of a World War Two test range, the Ashley Range. They tested all sorts up here, both defensive and offensive; from air raid shelters and aircraft pens to Tall Boy and Grand Slam, the earthquake bombs whose craters are still visible adjacent to the mock submarine pen atop Hampton Ridge. They even tested 'Highball' a version of the Bouncing Bomb here. If you're into World War Two sites, it's a place worth exploring.

Levellers - Southampton Guildhall

 

This evening watching the levellers it's apparent that their edge has not been dulled by the years, they remain as sharp and committed as ever they've been. Some 40 years in the music industry have not swayed their ethics, their stance, nor the grind of modernity diminished their energy. In 40 years they've amassed a  library of notable albums packed with consistently solid tracks, each relevant to its' time. They’re a band that clearly care about their music, consummate performers never failing to deliver the audience a memorable evening of well honed artistry.  Tonight they kept that commitment to excellence with a stunning performance. It’s been 30 years since the release of Zeitgeist, an album containing some of their best loved tracks, tonights' set incorporated the entire album, plus a smattering a fan favourites from across the bands' expansive repertoire. A wonderful evening was had by all; the band appeared to be having fun, the audience certainly were. Great show, great sound, a great evening all round. 

Grace Petrie - Southampton Guildhall

This evening we found ourselves in Southampton, off to see the mighty Levellers. Their support, folky-protrest-rock type Grace Petrie. I hadn’t heard of Grace before this evening, although what I heard tonight I really enjoyed. She had to feel of an upgraded Billy Bragg, better vocally and lyrically; Grace has presence and warmth too. Her songs have energy, and powerful lyrics in the tradition of protest folk though brought modern. She appears at ease on stage, natural, and a sense of humour too, so easily lost in modernity. Grace engaged and involved the audience, it was a lovely experience. She said her job was to warm up the crowd for the levellers, and she did just that, and did it with gusto. If you get an opportunity to see her, take it.

Notable tree

I've always loved this wildly spreading oak on the edge of Sloden; with it's flamboyant animalistic characteristics it really makes its' presence felt. Definitely one of the forests notable oaks. You can't help but wonder how many other travellers have marvelled as they've passed.

Forest scene

The light through the stands this morning was special.

Dockens Water

 

Dockens Water, flowing again after its' long summer hiatus.

Pigs

A drift of pigs at pannage crowd the verge close to the ford at Moyles Court. A dozen or so of them, displaying a broad range of colour and pattern, busy hoovering up the fruits of the oak, they're being well fed this year. Always lovely to see them.

Shroom

One mushroom that's been particularly thin on the ground this year (at least about my roams) has been the Liberty Cap (Psilocybe semilanceata), you get years like that, the conditions just haven't been right. Though I feel inconsistency is becoming the norm, a consequence of the seasons slipping out of phase to to climatic change maybe. 

Wise words

Simple lyrics, two lines, stoic in tone. 

Samhain

 

The days are growing ever shorter, and now with last harvest safely gathered in, Samhain is upon us. Tonight the veil thins, a time to remember our ancestors and those who've gone before. This cycle has run its' course, it's a time to take stock, and count our blessings, it's a time to be grateful, and to give thanks. I hope the fates have been kind this year, and that your physical and metaphorical barns are full to burst, or at least well served. As darkness' reign begins we'll dream our dreams of spring. Flags, Flax, Fodder and Frigg y'all /|\

Flat Oak

 

Sad to find that one of the forests' elder statesmen, the Flat Oak of Wood Crates has lost one of its' three huge branches; the premier one too. This is an ancient oak, a remnant of a much older forest which existed prior to the 1700's and enclosure. They're a rarer phenomenon around the forest than you might imagine.

Noot

 

Noot '25. 

A31 subway at Upper Lazy Bushes.

Cauliflower fungus

One mushroom that appears to have fared well this season has been one of our less common, the Cauliflower fungus (Sparassis crispa). They've been more numerous this year than they've been for the last few years; on my roams at least. Considered edible good when young, although they're fiddly to prepare, taking a lot of cleaning. Remember, 110% on identification or leave well alone.

Bratley Wood autumn

 

Nice out. Bratley Wood.

Sneaky deer

 

I've not heard a stag roar for a while now, the rut must be coming to an end. As a consequence the groups of deer are beginning to dissipate. We disturbed a large group of Fallow Deer as we headed up from Bratley Water towards Bratley enclosure. They clocked our approach and quickly scattered; a few minutes later I spotted two of the stags back to back hidden amongst the browning bracken and scrub, a good defensive arrangement.

Sun kissed canopy

 

Early morning sun just catching the top of the canopy. Nice.

Last of the Ceps

 

It's not been an awful year for mushrooms, though nor has it been a particularly good one - around my roams at least. That said, some of my usual choices have been better than others. Ceps (boletus edulis) have been patchy, requiring careful and sustained searching to acquire, whereas Hedgehogs (Hydnum repandum) have been commonplace and easy to acquire, and Oysters (Pleurotus ostreatus) very rare indeed, only appearing in limited numbers after rain. Still, I'm not complaining, there have been worse years. I've enjoyed mushrooms for lunch every day bar one for 6 weeks, and count my blessings. I think this little fellow may represent the last of the Ceps; it's the only one I've seen in a couple of days now. I'll leave him be. Hail and farewell 'till next year.

Clay Hill morning

 Autumn continues to deepen in the forest.

Orange Oak Bolete

 

An Orange Bolete (Leccinum aurantiacum), sometimes known as the Orange Oak Bolete pushes up through amongst a loose group of Oaks on the edge of Red Rise.  They and their close cousins the Orange Birch Bolete (Leccinum versipelle) are usually a very common sight around the forest, though like others of their kin they've been scarce this mushroom season. Both boletes look very similar, and share a broadness in cap colour, one of the noticeable difference is that the stem of Orange Boletes have orange/brown scales floccules, whereas Orange Birch Boletes have small black scales. Both are edible, both require a very thorough cooking. Remember, 110% on identification or leave well alone.

Subway graffiti

 

A new graffiti piece in the Picket Post subway.

 

Black Water

Black Water, just above Gravelly Ford.

Orange Peel Fungus

 

A textbook example of Orange Peel Fungus (Aleuria aurantia), it's cited as edible, although I don't know if you'd be able to gather enough, or that it's worth it. 

Bomb loading Ramp

 

The New forest was home to a number of World War Two airfields, 80 years on and very little physical evidence of them remains, the Bomb Store at Hawkhill is one of the more interesting. Easy to miss amongst the undergrowth, one of the bomb stores' two loading/unloading ramps which would have been used to transfer bombs from delivery lorries onto land trains ready for storage or deployment around Beaulieu airfield.

Mast

 

The forest is experiencing a bumper mast year, wherever there are oaks the floor beneath them is liberally covered in acorns, to the degree that walking has become a crunchy affair. In light of the glut, I've been surprised as to how few pigs I've seen about the forest this pannage. They're going to need more pigs if a meaningful reduction in acorn mast is to be achieved. Years ago I had a go at making acorn coffee; I learnt that earthy burnt is an acquired taste. That said, if processed properly to remove toxins and tannins (it's a lengthy affair) they'd keep you fed in a crisis, very nutritious.

Parasols

There doesn’t seem to have been that many Parasol Mushrooms (Macrolepiota procera) about this season, they're usually a common sight amongst the heather of Spy Holms.

Sandy's Ridge

Sandy's Ridge, a liminal spaces between woodland and heath.

The Rut

Maybe through novelty and the access to new territory, the recently unenclosed Reinfield’s Sandy’s has become a Mecca for deer. The rut is most certainly on. Walking along the central track to my right I could hear hidden antlers clashing, off to my left deep in the stands a stag barked his guttural call, whilst ahead of me a group of fallow does cross the track watching Geoff and I hesitantly, before hastily disappearing into the safe darkness of a coniferous stand. A young white fallow stag stands clearly silhouetted against the dark greens and browns of autumn; I imagined him ironically saying 'you can’t see me, right', but I can, they do tend to stand out some. White fallow deer are a far more common sight that they were 20 years ago. The deer are everywhere, we see dozens, even when I can’t see them, I know their eyes are watching me pass.

Leave no trace

I never fail to feel disappointment when coming across a sight like this. With just a little thought from the builder you'd never have known that anyone had a campfire here. That's all it takes, a little bit of thought. Leave no trace, principle 5, minimize campfire impacts; you should aim for the site of where you've had a fire to be very hard, if not impossible to spot. Not obvious.

A trio of ceps

 

Well, it would be rude not to.

Ober Water

 

Early morning on Ober Water

Roundhouse

 

There's a single standing stone, or menhir, appeared in Church Bottom, not far from the Iron Age roundhouse reconstruction. It looks great. The Iron Age roundhouse is a living history feature, part of the Chalke History Festival, I'm imagining the standing stone performs a similar function. It's good to see projects like this; archaeological reconstructions and living history are such effective methods of public engagement and education. They put flesh on archaeological bones.

Lavondyss

 

Lavondyss is, as its author Robert Holdstock puts it, ‘not a sequel but a return visit to Ryhope Wood (Mythago Wood). The original Mythago Wood I read regularly, though this was only my second reading of Lavondyss. I loved it. And was left wondering why I'd not returned before. Tallis Keeton is a young woman living on the edge of Ryhope Wood, she's deeply connected to the surrounding landscape,it's places, monuments and myths; and they to her. She sees the land differently, her connection and understanding deepens as getting older she develops a range of shamanic abilities, including the ability to create hollowings, portals through time and place, with the aid of her hand-crafted wooden masks. Over a decade before, in the events of Mythago Wood, her older brother Harry Keeton had disappeared whilst on a quest into the heart of of the Wood with Stephen Huxley. Through a hollowing she hears Harry call to her from the heartland of the wood. With her burgeoning shamanic powers and collection of masks Tallis is determined to somehow rescue Harry from the depths of Ryhope Wood. Actions though have ramifications, and her interactions with the Mythago world have altered the course of stories, and as a consequence the paths of all those journeying through the wood. Holdstocks' writing is beautiful, evocative, his story telling compelling; he's created a recognizable world, plausible and engaging, imbued throughout with genuine magic. Deftly weaving archaeology, history and the natural world with mythology and lore, exploring the place and necessity of stories in the human experience, how they've shaped us and our navigation of the world.  It's a weird and wonderful read.

Fly Agaric

Probably our most recognizable mushroom, the iconic red and white toadstool of fairy tale, the Fly Agaric (Amanita muscaria).

Blackensford Bottom

Blackensford Bottom

Bird thing

There are a number of trees dotted about King's garden, though a particular pair of isolated Silver Birch were receiving special attention from a large flock of small birds who darted too and fro about it. I don't know what their dance was all about, must be a bird thing. Cool to watch.