Perspective

Can you see the wood for the trees? 

Meetinghouse Plantation

Being locked down, and unable to get out to our usual far flung roams, we've been reacquainting ourselves with some of our more off the beaten track local haunts. I enjoy wandering where we shouldn't, it keeps your senses focused, you're more observant, you're hearing becomes more acute, it's like you tap back into what it was like to human for most history, and you experience the land that little bit more intensely. We're really very lucky where we live to have easy access to a wide variety of environments.

Birch Flowers

One of our young Silver Birches (Betula pendula) is in full flower at the moment, the female flowers put on quite a show.

Wired

A coil of galvanized fence wire is firmly embedded in this silver birch tree.  Or it maybe two birch trees grown, really, really, close to each other, I couldn't properly make out.  The exposed wire of the coil looks in good shape, weather though still looking new. I don't know how long the coil's been there, although the tree's a reasonable size, birch is a fast grower, mind.  Still, I'd say the wire's been there for 20-30 years.

Yellow leaf road

Follow, follow, follow, follow, ... follow the yellow leaf road. The fall has begun with the first to show being the first to go.  The Birch leaves drain to yellow almost in the turn of your back, and helped by the recent winds, are easily dislodged from their twiggy homes to litter the narrow woodland paths of the common.

Tags

Bonnie, Ben, Jack and Molly, shiny discs, nailed to a birch in Red Rise Shade. What's the story there, I wonder?

Giant tree Clams

The forest was aquatic this morning, so much so we saw some Giant tree Clams basking in the sun which periodically broke through. Being fed by a myriad of glistening brooklets which ran across the heathland and through the stands, Red Rise Brook had escaped its banks to capture any low lying environs. Open ground now lake, dry woodland now akin to Everglades. This situation is fluid though (no pun intended), it's not like wet season proper where it remains inundated for weeks, and on returning an hour later the waters had, for the most part, receded back within the confines of the Brooks banks. We could see where the waters had recently extended much further beyond the point at we saw them, neatly stacked piles of leafs mark the furthest extent of this flooding. The shape of things to come, maybe? 

Dusk chorus

As we walked this evening at sunset the last rays of the sun imbued the commons birch trees with a golden hue, beautifully framed against the blue sky. I stopped to soak up the spectacle, and was transported by the bird song. You hear the term 'dawn chorus' a lot, but not so the dusk chorus, I don't know if that's even a thing.  But as I stood there listening, and my ears became more attuned to the birds, the depth of sound and song was amazing. So many birds singing, so many different songs, if you allow it to it will fill your senses. Yeah, you register birds singing as you walk, though it's not until you stop and focus that you really begin to hear how many different birds are singing and how many different songs are being sung, a magnificent natural orchestra playing the greatest of compositions every evening, and just like the sunset, it's free, another one of natures gifts.   

Loving Spring

You've got to be loving Spring!

Munzee!

I found this attached to the Ivy climbing up a nondescript Birch tree over the local common, I wondered what it's about? As I say, the tree is nondescript, one of many of similar size and nature, nothing unusual. The label is at head height, a sort of buff laminate and was turned inward to hide the QR code (sounds like I know what I'm talking about, I don't, I had to look it up).  All I could think of is that it's part of some game, or some sort of orienteering set up. Well, not a bad guess as it happens, with the help of modern technology (my wifes' smart phone) I discovered it's part of something called 'Munzee' a global scavenger hunt game https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munzee. It's funny what you can unintentionally come across whilst out walking, there are whole worlds of activity out there, which unless you're personally involved, you know nothing about; the worlds a massive place, and there are boundless opportunities to get involved in it.

Russula

I saw a fair few of these mushrooms amongst the Birch clumps scattered through Brinken Wood and Camel Green today, testament to our current mild wet climate, no doubt. Yellow Swamp Russula (Russula claroflava). Frequently found in Birch woodland, particularly wet Birch woodland in late summer through to autumn. As with many of the Russula family it's listed as 'edible'. I usually stay clear of collecting Russulas, many are similarly coloured and the subtle variations in colour between edibles and inedible are so numerous and commonplace have always put me off. Although the Yellow Swamp Russula doesn't suffer from this problem. 

Breakhrough

A young Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus) breaks through the bark of a truncated Birch (Betula) trunk, the top half of which has long fallen and lies rotting nearby. The young white flesh of the polypore looks tasty although it's not supposed to be that good to eat as it's tough, rubbery and bitter making it inedible really, although, it's far from useless, with plenty of bushcraft applications. This young example may be soft and bit squidgy though as they age they become firmer and firmer. It maybe inedible but the Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus) is a medicinal miracle with antiseptic, anti bacterial, anti viral, anti-inflammatory, anti parasitic and anti fungal properties, it can also strengthen the immune system and that's just the beginning as new medical application are continually being identified, such as anti tumour and cancer fighting properties. It's usually consumed medicinally as a beverage. It has external uses too, thin strips of fresh skin from the underside of juvenile examples can be used as an antiseptic, anti bacterial and anti-inflammatory plaster. And it's not medicinal properties. When dried it's useful as tinder as it can take a weak spark, it'll also smoulder for a long time which makes it ideal for transporting embers. Birch Polypore was found with the body of Ötzi (the 5000 year old prehistoric man found locked in the Alpine ice) as part of his fire kit, although the multipurpose nature of the ploypore means he could have been carrying it for another use or for several uses. The tough upper surface of the Birch Polypore has traditionally been cut into strips, stretched and used as a strop to sharpen blades.  As you can see from my small description the Birch Polypore (Piptoporus betulinus), just like its host tree, has a cornucopia of bushcraft applications. Check it out, it's certainly worth knowing.