October in Bicknor Wood

Leaf fall has started in earnest. The paths are now strewn with dead leaves and many of those clinging on are losing their chlorophyll and changing colour. Leaves are dropped by the tree through a process called abcission. Most trees lose leaves from their tops first. The Sweet Chestnut was the first to start shedding, but the Aspen is the first to take on the skeletal winter look.

A new tree was identified after hiding in plain sight. Beside the entrance from the Bicknor Wood development is a stand of  small Guelder Rose. 

This tree is a native British tree and can be used as an indicator of ancient woodland. In this case however, the saplings look to have established themselves quite recently.

Other recent additions are the many saplings that have started to push their way through. Ash, Oak, Hawthorne, Birch and Rowan have all successfully set seed. Hazel has started producing catkins in preparation for next year.

Woodpigeons, usually abundant and conspicuous have been seen in relatively small numbers and on occasion, not at all. Two visits during the second week of October were completely devoid of Woopigs (an ornithological shorthand uses the first three letters of the first and second names of a bird to make a name that can quickly be scratched into a notebook whilst in the field. WOOd PIGeon. Woopig. A HOUse SPArrow would be a Houspa). The reason for the dearth of Woopigs in the wood was probably down to the easy pickings available in the harvested fields towards Downswood.

Thrushes in the shape of Blackbirds have been more numerous than of late, but no sign yet of the winter thrushes returning.

There have been many fungi seen, both in the wood and in the buffer meadows to the south. Many of them remain un-named as they are tricky little suckers to identify to species level. There are more to add to the fungus page and I will do so as soon as I know what they are.

Common Ragwort have had a late bloom, but flowers generally are few and far between.

And at the end of the month, a happy Halloween to you all!