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Bird life caught on camera

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With so much tall grass and bracken triggering the cameras I have been placing them up trees recently to see what is happening in the canopy. I have picked up a good selection of secret goings on over the last month or two including some lovely Woodpecker, Jay and Owl activity. The downside of watching the activity in branches is the number of grey squirrels running up and down. It looks like the numbers are up this year and I am talking to neighbours about managing the numbers as the South Lakes grey population migrate north and threaten one of the last remaining populations of Red Squirrels. They will also pose a threat to the newly planted trees as they become more established as they will be vulnerable to damage to the bark. The ratio on the cameras is about 80% squirrel to 20% something else. Here I am including the ‘something else’.  NB the temperature reported on this camera has always been out by about 8ºc! One of the most common birds I see and hear at the wood is the blue tit
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Ceclia (the Sessile Oak) in all Seasons

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 I have been taking standard photographs across the wood over the last 4 years. I am not always consistent but since Ceclia the Sessile Oak is a favourite spot to visit I have a good selection showing the different seasons and changes on the land. My friend took this photo of me when I have just taken responsibility for the land. I was measuring her girth to estimate her age. But yes I am a tree hugger now! The Woodland Trust publish this Ready Reckoner for aging oaks. It was developed in South East England so it is likely that it underestimates the age of a tree grown in the Cumbria. This table would say she is about 150 years old. I suspect 200 years is more likely as she is dropping branches like a mature oak tree does. I named her as she is a prominent tree and therefore useful for navigation. At the beginning I used to get disorientated in the wood and I would say to myself - oh yes I recognise that big old oak and there is another one etc. So giving individual trees names helped
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Watching the New Trees Grow

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I have been at the wood a great deal since February laying mulch mats and then clearing bracken. Around me the trees have started to grow. Now that the bracken is down it is easier to see that a woodland is emerging. I have photographed each of the different tree species planted however they have arrived at the wood - those trees ordered from nurseries  (17 varieties), those donated, those propagated from seeds and those that have self seeded and here is a record of progress over Spring and Summer 2024. Alder Aspen I won’t ever know but I do wonder if the Aspen trees that have shot up are the ones donated by BOOM (Back on our Map). Downy Birch One of the first trees to emerge in spring was this Downy  Birch and when it started to show I realised why they are called Downy Birch - you can see the down on the stem Birch are known as a ‘pioneer’ trees being the first to establish themselve in land that will allow it to grow. There is a large amount self seeding and here cheekily benefittin
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