Thinning

 

Hell of a lot of thinning going on throughout Vinney Ridge enclosure at the moment, all sorts of sizes and tree species too. The forestry tracks are lined with stacked timber, stacks which have grown every time I pass. From good sized larch (Larix decidua) and I think Western Hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla), and a handful of Oak (Quercus) and Beech (Fagus sylvatica), right down to much younger and therefore much smaller Silver Birch (Betula pendula) and Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris). As you'd imagine the character of the stands is totally changed in the thinning process. I look forward to seeing, and wandering, the results.

Danger!

Well, you don't get more dangerous than that. Straight and to the point.

Gravelly Ford

 

Black Water looking downstream towards Gravelly Ford.

That'll be a no then.

 

That'll be a no then.

Yellow Staghorn

A clump of Yellow Staghorn (Calocera viscosa) bursting through a thick carpet of sphagnum moss in one of Vinney Ridge enclosures' coniferous stands.

Black Water

For years since our boys were young we've enjoyed our Christmas feast on Christmas Eve, continental stylee; logistically it made sense, I couldn't cook a Christmas dinner and put together three children's toys at the same time; it became our family tradition. Another tradition is our short Christmas day walk, which in recent years has been along the stretch of Black Water between Black Water Bridge and Gravelly Ford; it's a nice stretch of stream with a high meander ratio, picturesque and easy walking, set amongst the open mature Oaks in Vinny Ridge enclosure (1859). As you'd imagine, the forest was very quiet this morning.