Gnarly Oak

A Denny Wood oak. Gnarly.

Yabba dabba doo

Father and daughter graffiti. Yabba dabba doo!

Mother Hawthorn

Mother Hawthorn, beloved of the Fay, and revered by man, a treasured repository of folklore. This venerable tree could was easily seed from quite a ways off, its red flush of fecundity shining in contrast to the forest's fading glories. So many berries, man. It's been a bumper year for the Hawthorn, blossom covered in Spring and now laden with fruits, most good sized fruits too, a successful year. And, this Hawthorn is definitely the most striking and one of the most successful I've seen, so far.

Frog chorus

I was back in the west of the forest again today.  On the whole, I tend to rinse an area for a few days or a week, and then move on to another and do the same there, that way I get around the forest and everywhere is always fresh.  The afternoon was fading, as was the light as I crossed the open, and wet, land between Denny Lodge and Denny Wood; it's where waterways, ditches and streams, converge in an area of extensive seasonal standing water and permanent bogginess. Like several areas of the forest there are bridges for ease of crossing the streams, though getting to the bridges and remaining dry is harder. Upon reaching the final bridge on the edge of Denny Wood I took time to pause, when I was struck by a sound, it sounded like a deep low cat purring on loop, then amplified, it filled the air. At first I thought it must be a machine or something in the distance, though as I focused on it, it was clear it came from close by. As far as could, wetland restricting me, I followed the sound and then it's origin became clear. The wetland in front of me was teaming with frogs, who themselves moved and furiously hopped in 'water' teaming with spawn; no, really, there was more spawn than water. It was an incredible sight to match the incredible sound. I've never seen as many frogs, nor as abundance of spawn. My photo doesn't do the scene justice, though if you look closely you can just see what I'm talking about. And this is only a tiny area of the much bigger wetland, although indicative of the rest. Quite amazing.

Sally & Simon

You find these pieces of graffiti of sometimes, ones where the carver has returned for a year or so, adding a the new date each time. I've not come across one that has recorded as many years as this one. The carving reads 'Sally + or 4 Simon, AUG, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88.  So, from 1980 to 1988, in August, Sally and Simon Holidayed in this part of the forest (I can be fairly certain of that as there's a forest camp site close by). I wonder why they stopped and where they holidayed in 1989.

What's through the irregularly shaped window?

What's through the irregularly shaped window? Ah, a reference that dates me. Still, as always the forest is timeless and today I continued to explore parts of the eastern forest, an area of which my knowledge remains patchy. So my aim is to fill in all the blank spaces on my forest mind map, joining up all the areas I do know.  Today it was the extensive adjoining broad leaf woodlands of Little Holm Hill and Denny Wood. Well, I wasn't disappointed. Little Holm Hill and Denny Wood are woodlands of my favourite type: mature/ancient mixed deciduous, Beech, Oak, Sweet Chestnut and even some Ash with an under-storied by Birch, Rowan, Holly, Hawthorn and Blackthorn, punctuated with open areas of rough grass with a multitude of wild plants. Really nice. There were some beautiful specimens of tree too, as well as some gnarly beasts (as the ancient Oak pictured above) showing their determination to endure. I walked in wonder at the feast of new sights and sounds I'd been served. At one point I could hear the unmistakable sound of antlers clashing and stealthily I crept up on three kings, two of which were locked in noisy combat; they forgot their differences though when they realized I was nearby, and before I could focus my camera they were off deeper into the woodland. On resuming my walk I came across a huge number of Hedgehog Mushrooms, big ones too. Well, it would have been rude not to, so I availed myself of a kilo. I do enjoy a Hedgehog mushroom. Well, what a walk, I think this area deserves much more investigation.