Woodlands.co.uk - Cornwall and West Devon
October
Phytophthora update
Having had the disease confirmed in one of my woods, it’s been a busy time: implementing bio-security/hygiene measures, meeting with contractors and timber buyers, marking out precisely the extent of the areas to be felled and perhaps most importantly, keeping woodland owners informed about what is happening.
Luckily for me I have been very well supported by my local Forestry Commission Woodland Officer. Without his knowledge and sympathetic approach, I would be floundering.
Hungarian hedging
My colleague Stuart has been helping to host a group of Hungarian conservation workers who are here for 15 weeks on some sort of exchange programme. We have been trying to involve them in some typically English activities. Hedge-laying proved to be one of Stu’s more inspired ideas and, as an added bonus, they also got to experience some of the vagaries of the local climate; we arrived at the site in fog, got drenched in a late morning downpour and left in glorious autumn sunshine.
We have also introduced them to the delights of fish & chips and pasties – both of which taste so much better when eaten outdoors, even if they did get a little soggy.
One of the visitors is a park ranger at home inHungary. It was fascinating to hear about a current project to reintroduce bison to graze in woodland. He has previously been involved in a WWF funded scheme to reintroduce beaver – an idea which excites extreme passions round these parts.
September
Roadside checks
At least once each year I inspect the road frontages at all our locations in West Devon and Cornwall, primarily to ensure that there are no branches overhanging the carriageway or obstructing visibility, but also to check for trees which may be in danger of ‘going over’ in the direction of the road. While I’m there I also make sure that any structures are sound, gateposts are not wobbly etc. I also give the padlocks on the gates a good squirt of WD40.
My least favourite part of this task is picking up all the litter which accumulates in and around the gateways. I seem to fill more bin liners each year. Apart from this, it’s a very enjoyable couple of days driving around the region and reacquainting myself with woodlands which I don’t get to visit very often.
Southwest WoodlandShow
Together with my colleagues Stuart and Dan, we enjoyed a very pleasant few hours at the biennial show which is now staged at Longleat. We did a slow circuit of all the trade stands, watched demonstrations of some pretty massive forestry equipment and listened to a presentation about Phytophthora ramorum in the Forestry Commission marquee. We also managed to squeeze in a picnic lunch, coffees and ice-cream! Being more of a trade show than something which is aimed at the general public, it was hardly surprising to see so many familiar faces there. The dominant theme (and many of the exhibitors) seemed to be wood for fuel, but – regrettably – much of the talk was about Phytophthora.
Last cut of the season?
I have been taking advantage of this wonderful spell of dry, hot weather to give all the tracks and rides in the woodlands I take care of what will hopefully be their last cut of the year. In some places the grass was rather longer than I’d have liked – it was previously too wet to get it cut – but at least everywhere is looking tidy for now and anyone going to view the woodlands will be able to get around without having to wade through knee-high wet grass, nettles etc.
August
Phytophthora
Spent the day with a couple of Forestry Commission representatives examining some suspect larch trees – identified via an aerial survey. Now we just have to wait for the results from the analysis of the samples they took away with them. The only bright spot is that this is a fantastic location for tree growth and a previously clear-felled area has regenerated very quickly, mainly with sweet chestnut and birch.
Treefest at Westonbirt
Despite the somewhat mixed weather, numbers were good, especially on the Sunday and Monday. Saw many old friends among the exhibitors and had the chance to catch up with some of our woodland owners who visited our stand. The changes to the layout of the event seemed to work well, although changes to the content were less universally welcomed; many missed the chainsaw carving and subsequent auction, whilst the “food hall” was a major disappointment.
Pulling Power
It’s been a while since I have had to extract a vehicle from one of the woods. Previous towing triumphs have included a 13.5 tonne lorry complete with fully laden builder’s skip and a long-wheelbase motor-caravan which had “bottomed-out” on a deeply rutted track. Then last week, a desperate call from a woodland owner. The dry spring had encouraged him to take his touring caravan further into his woodland than he had previously attempted. On the day before a planned week’s touring he went to get the caravan, but failed. So, a very apologetic phone call to me (it was Sunday lunchtime). He said I was his last hope of avoiding some serious domestic strife. Soon had him out and about and I returned home within an hour and a half, a bottle of wine to the good. All part of the service!
Hidden treasures
A recent article on the woodlands blog really struck a chord. The writer was enthusing about his recently acquired woodland and how he discovers new things with each visit. This is certainly true with me when working in the woodlands and readying them for sale; the more time you spend the more you discover and realise what special places they all are, each in its own ways. I always encourage potential buyers to spend as long as they can at the woods when viewing, to try to get the feeling of the place. Some follow my advice with enthusiasm, bringing along a picnic or viewing early and returning at dusk to experience the different sights and sounds. Redstone Wood is a great example of this. At first glance it may look like a pretty ordinary conifer plantation, but spend time quietly exploring the rides, tracks and boundary hedgebanks and you will discover so much more.
Changing seasons
One of the great joys of working outdoors most days of the week is that you get to appreciate the gradual changing of the seasons. The change from summer into early autumn has to be my favourite, with the shortening days, cooler early mornings and that special, indefinable smell of autumn in the air.
July
Don’t disturb the wildlife:
I sometimes wonder if all that Springwatch style creeping around and talking in hushed tones is strictly necessary. In most woods, songbirds are still around literally feet from where I’m chain-sawing, I have seen deer happily grazing only 30 – 40 yards down a track from where I’m making a right din and today, in Iron Fort Wood, and in bright sunshine, my work colleague spotted an adult badger passing between him and me, no more than 20 yards or so from where I was strimming away. It seemed as oblivious to my presence as I was to its.
Sightings:
Seen in and around my woods this month – with thanks to woodland owners & visitors who reported some of these, the rest I observed:-
ú Muntjac deer, only a few yards inside the main entrance gate at Pelynt [Hendra Wood]
ú Again, muntjac deer being – unsuccessfully – stalked by a young fox down by the stream along the northern boundary of Forda Wood. near Kilkhampton
ú Three pheasant egg shells in the middle of a track at Redstone Wood. Something had obviously removed them from there home and taken them somewhere more comfortable to enjoy its meal
Full details on all of the woods mentioned above can be found at: http://www.woodlands.co.uk/buying-a-wood/cornwall-and-west-devon/
Ratchet straps:
Space being limited, I always have to think about what tools and equipment to take and what can be left behind when loading up the wagon for a days work. There are some items though without which I will not go anywhere. These include WD-40, Duck tape and some polypropylene rope. To these I have now added a couple of ratchet straps, which have uses way beyond those they were originally designed for ie strapping down loads. In the past fortnight, mine have seen action: restraining a want-away tree on a steep slope, up-righting a biggish ash which had part gone over and was too tall/heavy to manhandle back into position and best of all, winching a reluctant mini-tractor back up the ramps and onto the trailer. Painfully slow, but effective.
Ticks:
Spent most of the day working in an area containing lots of bracken and so was not surprised to find what is so far my only tick of the year firmly attached to my left leg. I thought I was fairly well protected; long-sleeved shirt, trousers tucked into my socks, but I had forgotten that there is a small tear just above the knee in the left leg of my trousers – and that is exactly where I found the tick. Easy enough to get rid of though; first smother the blighter with Vaseline – this suffocates them, then carefully remove with tweezers and douse the “wound” with TCP. Just one of the reasons I so much enjoy working with my colleague Stuart is that he is something of a tick magnet – there have been occasions when he has been into double figures whilst I have remained unscathed.
June
JUNE
Showtime:
Just back from a great day out at the Royal Cornwall Show. Caught up with all the usual suspects in the forestry & woodworking area and said hello to several stall-holders who I recognised from events which woodlands.co.uk attend. Spent a lot of time looking at tractors old and new and talking to the Golden Guernsey goats, although it was a bit of a one-sided conversation. The highlight of the day though was discovering the Manic Organic stall. I haven’t seen these good folk since the demise of Woodfair Southwest, which was usually held at Roadford Lake. Their Bombay potatoes are just the best thing ever.
Weather words:
There is a country saying, regarding the emergence of leaves on the trees, which is meant to give an indication of what kind of summer we can expect. It goes “oak before ash and we’ll get a splash. Ash before oak and we’ll get a soak”. Well around here, the two species came into leaf simultaneously this year. The saying doesn’t cater for this event and I don’t think the weather is too sure either. For several days the skies have been heavy and grey, looking like it could rain at any minute, but somehow never quite managing it.
Which elm:
While I was cutting the rides and tracks at Brockscombe Wood I stopped for a brief chat over the gate with Vernon, the neighbouring farmer. We were discussing the relative merits of our respective grass cutting equipment, when we noticed a tree in the hedgerow along the west side of the wood – previously unseen, hidden among the sycamore and ash. From the characteristic shoulder at the base of the leaves I was pretty sure it was some sort of elm, but without my tree id book and specs, I couldn’t say what type. Having looked more closely now, it would appear to be a Cornish elm. There are others along the same stretch of hedgerow too.
The eagle has landed:
Earlier today I was walking the dogs round the lakes which I look after for a local farmer. I got into conversation with a visitor who was enjoying a spot of fishing. He was enthusing about all the wildlife he had seen during the day and was listing the various species of birds he’d observed. All was well until he mentioned the eagles. I tactfully pointed out that they were most likely buzzards, but he was absolutely insistent that they were eagles – got quite stroppy in fact.
On the bench
Whilst strimming the area around the bench which I put in at Redstone Wood I noticed loads of snail shell fragments on the bench. Song thrushes must be using it as a hard surface on which to bash the shells in order to get at the juicy bits inside. Glad it is appreciated.
Get a grip
As I type these notes, I have just witnessed an entertaining episode with a recently fledged woodpecker chick practising its pecking skills on a telegraph pole just outside the window. The trouble is, it doesn’t seem able to do two things at once, so when it pecks it forgets to hang on as well – resulting in a spectacular tumble into the rambling rose which grows part way up the pole. After a lot of squeaking and bush shaking, it re-appeared and made its way warily back up the pole – where both parents were waiting with consolatory titbits in their beaks.
Rant of the month:
It’s around this time of year that we start to feel the full effects of a particular invasive alien species. I’m not talking about giant hogweed, Japanese knotweed, mink or signal crayfish, I am talking about holidaymakers. Don’t get me wrong, holidaymakers are absolutely vital to the economy of the area and most of us fortunate enough to live in this fantastic part of the country are only too pleased to share it with our visitors. But, there is one particular sub-species, originating largely but not exclusively from the West Midlands, who seem to think that any roadside verge or gateway large enough to accommodate their vehicle is fair game for a picnic site. Now, I’d be the first to admit that I am not the best when it comes to manoeuvring my Landrover and trailer in and out of tight spaces. So, anyone thinking of stopping off for a cuppa in the entrance to any of my woods – you have been warned!
May
Bluebells
What a fantastic show of bluebells there has been this year. Strangely, the bluebells in my woods down on the south Cornish coast were about a week or two behind those ‘up north’ at Taddiport Wood, near Torrington. Last autumn I cut a corridor through some dense young Douglas fir in Hendra Wood and now that clearing is an aisle of brilliant blue.
Brambles
I swear those tracks get longer every time! Just spent the whole day cutting back brambles along the sides of the tracks at our woods at Pelynt, near Looe [Iron Fort Wood, Ashen Cross Wood, Trelawne Wood]. Whilst kneeling down to refuel the trimmer, I caught a glimpse of a shadow over my shoulder and looked up just in time to get a glance of a tawny owl shifting position from one larch tree to another – probably to get a better view of what I was up to. Back at the wagon, I find a note under the windscreen wiper. Its from the owners of Milcombe Wood, inviting me round for a cuppa. I get there just in time to help free a chainsaw which is jammed. Then, over a brew, we discuss options for extending and linking the network of tracks through their wood, so that they can more easily extract firewood.
Campsites
Back down to Looe; this time to meet up with the new owners of Hendra Wood. It is the first time they have actually seen the woodland. Unusually, they made the decision to purchase whilst living & working in China. Happily, they are delighted with their long distance purchase and after a guided tour we spend time discussing their plans and looking at potential locations for establishing a campsite. My colleague Rob recently wrote an excellent blog article on creating campsites, so I was able to refer my buyers to that.
New Arrival
Walking the boundary line between Fishleigh Wood and Merricks Wood at Highampton, I stumbled upon a tiny roe deer fawn. It must have been literally minutes old – it couldn’t stand and its mother had not even had time to clean it up before I intruded. I beat a hasty retreat and – from a good distance – was relieved to see mum cautiously returning to her baby. I read somewhere that fawns are born without any scent, so as not to attract predators. This certainly seems to be true; my two terriers walked straight past it, not three feet away.