Creepy woods

 

Creepy woods

Ants

The ants are out, with frantic energy innumerable Wood Ants (formica rufa) busy themselves around their nest. Aggressive little buggers.

Thinning stands

Forestry work continues at a pace around the forest, and the results of timber thinning is evident on the sides of the tracks, with the sweet fragrant smell of freshly sawn conifer filling the air. The scale of extraction is something, as is the change in aspect. You'd seen the marked trees walking past for months, but it was hard to visualize it done. I had a chat with the guys doing the thinning, a son, with his father who'd started as a boy with his father, a family of lumberjacks, cool. If you can, take the time to chat with folk, everyone has something to say, and there's always something for you to learn.

Rock Hills

 

Although we're regular visitors amongst the stands of Red Rise and Burleys Old and New beyond, it's a while since we've approached via Rock Hills from Spy Holmes. The 'hills' offer pleasing vistas over the Furze Brake, Stag Brake and the canopy of the stands beyond, it's a lovely route. I find there's a natural seasonality to roaming, dictated either by necessity or opportunity.

Rhododendron

 

Attractive as they are, the bright mauve flowers of rhododendrons hide a dark secret, left unchecked they'll choke and overwhelm our natural flora, smothering wildlife habitats and rendering the soil toxic to many of our native species. The rhododendron may only have arrived in Britain in the late 1700s, though they're such a common sight I'd imagine many would think them native. They're classified as a non native invasive species and with good reason, with no predators and the ability of each of their numerous flowers to produce up to 7000 seeds, they'll spread through and colonize woodland with alarming speed. Once established they're buggers to get rid of too.

Gimme shelter

I like seeing shelters and camps amongst the stands, they mean at least some of the coming generation are being introduced to the joys of the natural world. Exposure to nature builds a connection, that connection builds a relationship, and that relationship develops and deepens with continued exposure. Until relatively recently everyday life was exposure to nature, it's well-being tied directly to ours. Now though being for the most part removed from the natural world, we've got to actively seek making that connection. Building shelters and camps is as good a way as any to start. It's where my love of the natural world was kindled. It's essential our species connection with the natural world isn't weakened any further. 

 

Bit of a tangent, but. Years ago we had a friend who'd moved down from London, and one time thought he'd come camping with us to Dartmoor; at the time we regularly camped on the moor. His reaction to the moor has stayed with me. Dartmoor blew his mind, and he wasn't a fan, he'd never experienced that degree of nature, prompting questions like 'why are there no street lights?' and 'where are the shops?'. He was an urban human, the natural environment was a mystery to him. That amazed me.

Same day, take #2

30 minutes later on the same roam, seen in another place in another light, autumns' winding down can still be viewed through a kaleidoscope of autumn tints.

Bolete

 

I've seen a few Summer Boletes (Boletus reticulatus) about.

Cone resin

Of late I've seen several of the forests' Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) cones oozing sticky fragrant resin, not just the cones either, their needle like leaves too. As well as being a highly prized and versatile timber with wide ranging use, and its needles making a renowned healing tea, the resin of the Douglas can also be used as an antiseptic to treat wounds, chewed as a gum, or used to treat coughs, colds and sore throats. I just love the smell of it. 

Spring's sprung

 

Water bubbling up through one of the forestry tracks; it was so wet out in the forest this morning that as rain fell from above springs sprung from below.

Dem bones

 

It's not common to find bones naturally occurring amongst the branches of trees; without a doubt the hand of man has been at play. Why though? You'll regularly see bones and skulls purposely placed in trees around the forest, and in woods more generally. What's the meaning, is there 'a' meaning? I think it's playing out subconscious ancestral memory, though the reason for the behaviour is long lost, the echo of an older practice and a want to perform rite remains. Or of course it could merely be the result of a fleeting whim. Still, makes you think.

I spy

Sawn and chopped wood stored discretely under the trunk of a large fallen tree; I see you wild camper. Well played; not just for the forethought of your squirrelled fuel stash, but for the fact of there being no other sign of your having camped here.  You'd be amazed at how dry these under trunk spots can remain, even after the heaviest of rains; I'll often to do my Jo practice out in Burly Old, though don't always fancy carrying a staff with me, so have one similarly hidden. Another thing that amazes me is the extent to which wild camping is illegal in England, generally without permission you no rights to camp anywhere, including the New Forest; the one place I know you can is in on Dartmoor (now that a real treat too). That said, I've practised wild camping since I was in my early teens, and have camped all over, there's nothing like it; there's something cruel and draconian about denying us what should be our natural right to sleep in the arms of nature out under the stars. I've long believed if people had more opportunities to socialise with nature they'd respect her more, treat her better and be easier to mobilise at this time of climate crisis, who knows, had we not become so disconnected from the natural world maybe we wouldn't find ourselves in a crisis in the first place.

Saplings

A nursery of sapling deciduous trees, predominantly Oaks (Quercus) though including Beech (Fagus sylvatica), Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) and Silver Birch (Betula pendula), tucked away amongst the mosaic of Burley New enclosure. Good to see. A strange environment to wander through and nice space to spend time in too; like being in an art installation.

Fly Agaric

 

As you walk through the forest you'll see a fair number of Fly Agarics (Amanita muscaria), it's been a really good year for them. Though if you go off the tracks into any one of the many blocks of closely planted Silver Birch you'll see just how good a year it's been; in some blocks I've seen dozens and dozens of these red and white toadstools, of all sizes too, from golf ball to dinner plate sized.

Cabin in the woods

 

I don't know how long this, what was a, fantastically well constructed shelter had been hidden amongst the stands, some time I reckon. I first clocked it back in 2018 and was immediately struck by the time and effort that had obviously gone into it's construction; it was sturdily built and fairly weather proof, which is not the case for most of the forest's shelters, in fact it was unique amongst them. Once Burley New Enclosures grand design, the finest shelter in the forest; more recently a woodland bong house; today I was disappointed to find it had been completely flattened by the forestry, you could see the tractor tracks. Shame really, I always favour leaving these and other woodland creations to fade naturally over the years, it adds to the woodlands aesthetic. 

Rutting time

Rutting continues in the forest and this year I'm seeing scrapes in parts of the forest I've not traditionally seen them. I don't know why that is. Maybe they're due to an increased number of competing stags this year? I considered whether it was a sign of a growing overall deer population, though quickly dismissed that as the current population is held at around 2000 (Fallow, Roe, Red, Sika and Muntjac) by regular culling. Then I thought, maybe it's a sign of displacement due to increased numbers of visitors the forest has seen over Covid. A couple of years ago I commented to a ranger that I felt I saw more deer these days than I remember back in the 90's, and she told me it was more a change in deer behaviour driven by the increase in visitors. That said, I've noticed a huge reduction in people out in the forest over the last few months, since 'freedom day', their effects may still be rippling through the forest though. Mind you we tend to keep away from the honey pots. 

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!

Red Rise Brook

Forest were wet today, Mother, even the dry bits were wet. And, if you get that obscure parodied reference, I doff my cap. Though yes, even the dry bits were wet today, with both Black Water and Red Rise Brook extending way beyond their banks, flooding their shallow valleys. You're not getting across there, not even in wellies. Our route today took us through Burley Old, Burley New and Dames Slough and whenever we travelled off forestry track (which was mostly), the ground was puddled and yielding. If it doesn't rain the waters will quickly recede until the next time, although the ground will remain sodden now until Spring.

Burley New

Burley New enclosure

Back in the woods

It's been a while since we'd walked in our beautiful forest. Cowed by the persistent mud which meant Geoff was always wet, no matter how vigorously I try and dry him, then his skin suffers, we'd taken to walking along the coast or over the hills. Today we were back amongst those familiar stands, and it felt wonderful, the light was lovely, everything about made for a perfect spring day.  It felt as if the forest had missed us as much as we'd missed it, and welcomed us back with open arms, it felt good.