Tree health and safety

In Sweep wood there was an old dead oak that was over a road and a house. So, we called in Tim from Rother Forestry to deal with it. Here are a few pictures from the day - more to follow when Mike has processed them.

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New birds and a mole

We're in the middle of moving house, but we found time to go up and sit in the wood for an hour and light the kelly kettle for a coffee. We saw several new birds today. First was a Jay - we knew they were in the wood as we'd found a feather in the past, but this was the first time we'd seen one, although only fleetingly.
Next up was a Chaffinch (I think - feel free to correct me) - a common bird, but not one I've noticed in the wood before. He was fluttering from branch to branch in the oaks, looking for insects I assume:The old favourites were around too, such as the Great Tit:and the Robin, feeding at the freshly filled bird feeder:
OK, trying to feed...
We also found a mole had been digging a tunnel under one of our rides! It links up to the one we found a week ago.
Things are changing fast at this time of year. Here's a picture of willow buds we took a week ago:
and here's one from today:
I expect leaves to be appearing soon....

Mike

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More signs of Spring

I'm in Cornwall right now, for work, but I happen to have an internet connection and some pictures I took at the woods on Sunday of the new evidence of Spring coming in the woods...

The first picture isn't about Spring though, it's about repairing the track. We've done a bit of repair over the past few months, but we were pleased to turn up on Sunday and find that one of the other owners has joined in as well, bringing up some crushed hardcore to fill the holes in:
Anyway, once we got up to the woods we had lunch, during which we heard a noisy bird up in the top of an oak tree. It was hard to get a picture but I managed a tolerable one - a Greater Spotted Woodpecker:
We knew these guys were around, but it's great to see one and improve our skills at ID'ing their call and how they look while flying.

There were lots of other birds around too, such as the usual collection of Blue, Great and Coal tits:The Coal Tit didn't hang around for long:
But the Blue Tits were very busy in the birch trees - it looks like they're eating the buds:
Someone's also eating buds up in the oak trees - we didn't see who, but the evidence was there:
The other interesting bird we saw was a Treecreeper - only the second time I've got a photo of one:OK, on to vegetation...

The birch we coppiced at the sides of the path back in November are now "weeping" as the sap starts to rise:I guess there'll be epicormic growth starting soon on these. There's buds already opening on young sycamore in Sweep Wood:and the willow in the wayleave looks like it's covered in cotton wool:Also in Sweep Wood is hawthorn:Lords and Ladies:Nettles:
and the whole woodland floor is looking pretty green:
Two last things to mention. A mole track (well, the evidence of its tunnel):
and coppicing where Grist Wood meets the road - I think this was done by the electricity company in preparation for a new cable being put in:
That's all for now. We *hope* to get to the wood at the weekend, but there's moving house to do as well...

Mike

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Another fire in Rye Harbour

There's more chaos at the end of our road - it started last night and has gone on through today:
And now the TV people have turned up, to do their usual thing of interviewing random people who probably know nothing about the whole event...
The police told us that there was a fire down at Rye Harbour industrial estate (again, see the details of the last one here), and due to the proximity of a large store of fireworks there was an exclusion zone. More details on the BBC.

Mike

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Bluebells are starting...

We saw something cool today - Bluebell shoots in our wood - they've been in my parents' wood for a while, not sure why they start earlier there...
Anyway, we should see the Wood Anemone flower before the Bluebells start.

We were up in the wood to collect a trailer load of logs for a customer who we've been the sole supplier for this winter. We've got more left than I thought though - I keep finding little log piles that we made a year ago and then forgot! While we were cutting the wood, a robin came to watch:I stirred up some leaves for him, and he immediately went down to look for food, then returned to a good lookout point:
from which he was able to flee at the first hint of danger...After cutting the logs and having a hot drink, we put up a bird box. I'm ashamed to say we've had this for a year and have only just got round to putting it up. It only took 10 minutes too! Hopefully it'll get used this year, otherwise maybe next year.
The ropes are hooked around a branch on the back of the tree to stop them slipping down, and each is tied independently so that if one somehow came loose there's still another holding the box.

Mike

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