Mast

 

The forest is experiencing a bumper mast year, wherever there are oaks the floor beneath them is liberally covered in acorns, to the degree that walking has become a crunchy affair. In light of the glut, I've been surprised as to how few pigs I've seen about the forest this pannage. They're going to need more pigs if a meaningful reduction in acorn mast is to be achieved. Years ago I had a go at making acorn coffee; I learnt that earthy burnt is an acquired taste. That said, if processed properly to remove toxins and tannins (it's a lengthy affair) they'd keep you fed in a crisis, very nutritious.

Tiny acorns

Many of the forest oaks are laden with tiny acorns. It's looking like it's going to be a bumper year, and I'd imagine heralds a long pannage in Autumn.

Acorns

 

Surveying the oaks about our roams, I'd say it's been a pretty poor year for acorns. A significant number of oaks have no visible fruits, whilst most of the others have a mix of low yield fruit or diseased fruit. If what I've seen on our walks is representative of the forests' stands as a whole, it's going to be a thin pannage for the oinkers. I've not noticed the quality and quantity of beech mast this autumn, though I think I'd have noticed if it were good.

Pannage

Pannage is upon us and I understand the pigs have been released into the forest; although as yet we've not spotted any. What a grand old tradition pannage is; the practice is nearly 1000 years old, dating to establishment of the royal hunting forest by William of Normandy way back in 1079. It's a joy meeting the pigs amongst the trees, well, for the most part that is, occasionally you'll come up against some brute, in which case......run! 

Acorns

Unlike yesterday's Chestnuts, the small acorns I wondered whether would amount to much back in July have done just that, and are currently shaping up to provide a hearty feast for the commoners pigs soon to be released into the forest for pannage.

From tiny acorns

The oaks are smothered with tiny acorns this year, quite the contrast to last summers near bare boughs. A good sign maybe for a fruitful pannage in autumn; last years pannage was very thin on the ground for the foraging pigs. Still, nothing is guaranteed, and without some much need rain I don't know how well this crop will develop. 

It's nuts!

 

It's been a proper bumper year for Acorns, even with pigs and other woodland inhabitants having their fill, the forest floor remains thick with nuts in places. I understand that pannage has been extended again this year, pig'll be well fed this winter. It's not just the woodland floor that's experiencing the nut glut, there are long stretches of stream where the nuts washed into the waters congregate to cover swathes of the stream's bed. Quite a sight.

Pigs

We knew the pigs were out to pannage around the forest (pannage is the tradition of releasing pigs into the forest to hoover up the acorns, dangerous in high quantities to the forest's ponies), although this was our first spotting of them this season. It's always lovely to see them out, they add something to the forest...maybe it's a dim echo of the past when wild pigs would have been a common sight in the landscape. Geoff was interested in them and wanted a closer look, but the young pigs were more interested in him and wanted an even closer look...Geoff ran away.  I don't know if this was a family group, the sow did look different to the younger pigs accompanying her, that said, I know little about the Suidae family. Whatever, they were a healthy and inquisitive bunch, enjoying the autumnal sun and their nutty feast (acorns have been particularly bountiful this year).

Hard rain

The sound of acorns falling earthward followed us on our walk through Burley Old and along the wooded corridor of Red Rise Brook this morning...it was near continuous. It's been a good year for the acorn, with oaks boughs hanging low, soon you'll be treading them underfoot as they begin to cover the forest floor. The pigs will be happy though, in a few weeks it'll be pannage. Pannage in the New Forest dates back to AD1079, when during September around 600 pigs (much greater numbers were released in previous centuries) are released into the forest stands for a minimum of two months to eat their fill of Oaknuts (as well as other nuts). A feast for the pigs and a blessing for the New Forest ponies; acorns are poisonous to ponies. I look forward to seeing the pigs roaming the woodland, they're animals with character. You need to watch out, mind, not all of them are friendly, although that said, most are, and very inquisitive too. 

Matley Pannage

The pigs are still out throughout the forest at pannage. These British Saddleback's out at Matley were much friendlier than those I ran from at Mill Lawn, more inquisitive than anything else, they'd come right up to you, though scatter at your slightest move.

Pannge

Pannage is well under way throughout the forest as the commoners pigs enjoy this years bumper crop of acorns. There was a sweet little group out near Knightwood Oak, about 10 or so piglets, in a variety of lovely colours, and with a very laid back mother. A mother who although keeping an eye on them, and you, was cool with you getting close to her little darlings. As for the piglets themselves, they weren't really bothered, too many tasty treats to be snuffled. I saw a group out last week, the piglets were a bit older and very skittish, the mother was protective and aggressive too. So much so that I stayed behind a fallen bough, and in the end decided I wasn't going to be able to get a photo and left them in peace.  It's best not to be too complacent around the forest beasties.  Fair enough really, being a human, I don't think we have a great reputation amongst the natural world.

Bumper crop

There's been a bumper crop of acorns this year, the trees are literally hanging with them. It'll be a good pannage season, with some happy pigs, that's for sure. 

Pigs doing their thing

They're here! The pigs are out to pannage. This group were wandering about the wooded environs of Red Rise Brook (which as I suggested yesterday were back to normal, all the flood waters gone and the gravel bed of the brook exposed in places), and there was plenty for them to forage for. They were quite a friendly bunch, more interested in us than anything. I wish we hadn't sanitised our countryside, it's one of the aspects of re-wilding which most appeals to me, the idea of reintroducing once common, now absent wildlife.  Yeah, I know it would cause problems initially, but we'd get over it, we'd adapt. Other countries retain wild animals, some dangerous, and they get by. It's a real joy seeing the pigs out, if you're lucky, you'll spot pigs, ponies, cows and deer, all mingling together. I did. I say 'if you're lucky', as I've only seen that twice, it was cool, though.

Acorns

After last years poor acorn crop, it's good to see many of the Oaks sporting fair sized fruits and plenty of them. I've noticed though, I've not seen the pigs out at pannage yet. Pannage started nearly a month ago (12th September), and traditionally I've seen pigs snuffling about the Oak stands of Red Rise, both sides of the brook by now.  Maybe they're hiding from us, that said, they'll often chase you about....which is fun. 

From tiny acorns

Last year was the worst year I remember for acorns; I didn't see a single one. Although this year, as with the other fruits and nuts out there, it appears like it could be a bumper year for acorns. Many of the trees I've seen are hanging with them. The pigs will be happy. Maybe that's how it goes, nature cycles through good years and bad, effected by natural factors; historical and archaeological sources would support that. Or could it be that demon of our own making 'climate change' taking effect?  I like to think the former as the latter doesn't really bear thinking about, though must be confronted as natures fluctuations are one thing, but there's no doubt our interventions are far beyond natural and will tip the balance in the end.