Seasonal streams

Seasonal streams still run through the forest stands, through the gullies and low places. Soon they'll dry up and disappear, soon no sign of them will be left as if they'd never flowed. Until next wet season, when they'll come to life again.

Down and out

I walked for about 250m across Little Holm Hill through one of the coniferous plantations which form an expanse of mosaic coniferous/deciduous woodland in this part of the forest. The devastation caused by storm damage was remarkable. The woodland is all but impassible, a jumble of trunks, canopies and upturned root-balls, leaving the walker disorientated and confused. I'd say around 40% of the trees were down. This wasn't done in one storm, though nor had this extensive damage been done over years, no, most of this looked like in had occurred over the last 2 years, say.  I've seen this happen in other parts of the forest.  First a tree or two goes down, weakened by the extremes of wet and dry they're easy prey for todays' stronger and more persistent winds, now a chink has been exposed each following storm has a way into the stands and once in they wreak havoc creating more weak points to exploit. And, so the pattern goes on until the woodland is decimated. I fear as climate change intensifies we'll only see more of this. A sad sight.

Late parasol

A late Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera), their season being July to November this will no doubt be one of the last, especially with the arrival of frost. Good specimen though. 

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.