Bumper haws

It's a bumper season for haws; definitely a success in what's been a thin year for many wild fruits and nuts. I've not seen a Hawthorn that hasn't been laden with pillar box red berries. Tree lore says, that a good crop of haws means a hard winter to come, they'll provide the forest's birds with a welcome meal then.

Art for art's sake pt1

 

Some wonderful new pieces of graffiti on the circular water reservoir atop St Catherine's Hill. I could only capture some of the works this morning due to the bright sunlight on half the reservoir, so this is part one, with part two to follow at a later date. I'm in awe of these artists, the medium, the canvas, the environment, all difficult, and create such pieces...I doff my cap.

Viva la France

 Viva la France!

 

What time do you call this?

 

What time do you call this? Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) is commonly found between May and August, a popular edible* bracket fungus, it's distinctive orange/ivory colour makes it hard to miss or misidentify. Of course, care should always be taken when collecting wild foods, and if in doubt...don't. To find fresh young fruits like this towards the end of September is quite an unusual occurrence. It's been a strange year for Chicken of the Woods, I saw scant signs of it through May to August, though now there are fresh clumps bursting out all over the place. The chaotic elements this year have played havoc with natures routines.

 (*although can cause stomach upset)

Full Moon

The wheel turns and a full Moon rises once more.

Brinken Wood

 

The deer are becoming skittish as rutting season begins. Although for the most part near invisible, Brinken Wood was alive with deer. Like Mythagos you might catch one out of the corner of your eye as they move deftly through the clutter of juvenile trees and waste high bracken, though you can hear their movement all around you, and the roar of competing stags echoes through the stands. An exciting time in the forest calender.

Tree skeleton

Traditionally the standard practice was to remove deadwood from the managed enclosures of the New Forest on the grounds of woodland hygiene. They stopped that practice 30 years ago?, I don't know, years back anyway. As a consequence tree skeletons now litter many of the forest's stands, with new recruits gathered to their cause with each storm wind.

Black

It was early when we set out, the forest was dour and still blanketed grey, which suited my mood,...this morning I was Jonny Nice Painter. I trudged down Rock Hills towards a misty Red Rise feeling sorry for myself, trailing a grey cloud of my own creation. Through the gorse clumped landscape of Red Rise Furze Brake we reached the open woodland of Red Rise Shade and the stream; Geoff never says no to water, and insists on doing his dog-odile impression, just his eyes above the water with his nose blowing bubbles. Funny bugger. The stands were illuminated by a diffuse light, a hidden sun shone through the thinning veil of autumn mist, giving the scene a magical air... lovely. You can understand why our ancestors held streams and wet places in high regard. I stood breathing it all in, taking some time to tune into the forest, the sights, sounds and smells of the surrounding woodland. Tranquillity reigned through Red Rise, quiet and still other than the babbling stream and an occasional bird. I could've settled it, though we were on a mission, so after a while we said farewell to the stream and moved off towards Burley Old and the wider forest beyond. Standing there I must have inhaled some of that tranquillity,  as walking off I felt lighter, my mood lifted and my demeanour completely changed. Powerful medicine nature, fast acting too.

Seasonal wear

 

The latest autumn fashion on display in the forest this morning; this juvenile Oak is wearing this seasons Ent must have, a very nice (once) lined Animal jacket, perfect for out and about in the colder months. Funny the things you come across whilst out walking. Each has a story to tell.

Saved by centimetres

This veteran Beech (fagus) was saved by mere centimetres, a casualty of ravenous ponies short of food, she'd be a goner like dozens of her sisters if completely ringed.  A consequence of too many ponies for the forest to sustain, and the equine owners not providing supplementary food. The number of ponies has risen from around 1300 in the mid fifty's to near 5000 today, that's a lot of pressure on the forest. You'll see evidence of gnawing like this on individual Beech trees all over the forest, although Mark Ash is by far the worst cluster I know, so many beautiful trees slighted, in such a picturesque tract of the forest too. 

Sloe year?

It's been a patchy year for Sloes. The forest Blackthorns (Prunus spinosa) are either nearly/completely bare or have the best sized fruits I've seen in years. Maybe some sloe Vodka?

Yabba dabba doo

Father and daughter graffiti. Yabba dabba doo!

Ouzo Bazooka

Ouzo Bazooka return with their spanking new fifth album 'Dalya', and it's a real aural joy, two sides of solid tracks, all in the band's uniquely Middle Eastern flavoured psyche. As we've come to expect from Tel Aviv's premier psyche rock minstrels Ouzo Bazooka, Dalya is pure quality by every metric. There's a smorgasbord psyche infused flavours to enjoy, and more beyond, a smidge of prog, a sniff of pop, a hint of something jazzy, 'Monsters' perfectly paced hypnotic rhythm has an air of folk to it, whilst 'Million years of Light' and 'It's a Menace' have a nice electronica feel to them. If there's one thing Dalya has in oodles its an uplifting energy, I defy you not to find yourself nodding, swaying, foot tapping or in some way moving to the captivating beat of this album! Take 'Kruv', made to move to, cool eastern funkiness with a thread of lovely 60's aesthetic... great live I'd imagine. Dalya is a fabulous album. Consummate musicians one and all, Ouzo Bazooka are a tight sounding outfit with a rich sound exquisitely blending strands of psychedelic music with organic middle eastern influences to create something immensely listen-able and original, and they just get better. It's a lovely clean pressing too, fantastic sound quality, on a wonderful purple/black splatter on opaque clear vinyl, all beautifully packaged.  Everyone needs some Ouzo Bazooka in their music collection, check them out here or here, guaranteed not to disappoint.

Hives of activity

Signs warn 'Caution Bees at work'. It's that time of year in the forest when the bees do their thing. The heathland is radiant, her purple cloak in full bloom, flowers all brimming with nectar, and clusters of hives now hide amongst the scattered clumps of gorse set to exploit natures bounty in the pursuit of glorious bee gold.

Burley Old early

Early doors in Burly Old; a church not made by hands.

OK 1930

 OK 1930. The start of a tumultuous decade.

Bing bong

Deep in an enclosure, in a secluded block of mixed though mainly deciduous woodland, is located the finest debris built shack in all the forest...a proper job, though just beginning to fail. Still, it's well built of sturdy woodland detritus, and as a consequence the shack has stood here amongst these stands for at least 10 years. What's this I spy inside today though? Oh I say, bing bong! Well I never, what have the woodland folk been up to!

Knopper

 

Another aspect to the invasive Turkey Oak (Quercus cerris), which I mentioned in a previous post, is the Knopper Gall Wasp (Andricus quercuscalicis). Although the Turkey Oak  arrived on these shores in the 1700's, the Knopper Gall Wasp who requires the Turkey Oak to complete it's life journey didn't arrive here until the 1960's. On arrival it discovered it also had a fondness for the acorns of our indigenous Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur), and as with the Turkey Oak itself the Gall Wasps are becoming a more and more common sight on the forest's oaks. It's been a thin year for acorns anyway, and a glut of Knoppers hasn't helped any.

Bridge too far

 

For me this broken bridge (broken for weeks now) over the Ober is totemic of the New Forest NPA's  failures in managing and maintaining this magnificent tract of land. Well used, it's one of only 2 bridges on the stretch of Ober Water between Markway and Puttles bridges (there used to be a third bridge which fell into disrepair, was removed and never replaced), it's been out of service for weeks now, not too much of an issue whilst it's dry, though when it's wet. That's not the point mind, for years now too much of the forest's furniture, gates, dog accesses, tracks, bridges etal. have fallen into disrepair, languishing as such for a time before being lost/removed. Of course, I known the forest for 50 years and this decline was on going for years before the New Forest National Park Authority came into being, although, under the NPA it's accelerated as the forest has been relentlessly marketed at the same time as the infrastructure has continued to be neglected...then there's been the increased footfall of the pandemic too. Yes, I know I'm being a touch disingenuous, there's always repairs ongoing throughout the forest, and my complaint is not with the rangers or any other forest workers, all who do sterling work, but the NPA who should either fund the required staffing levels, restorations and repairs, or stop marketing the forest until they do.