Hainault Forest Website
Written and Designed by © Brian Ecott
NATURE DIARY
November - December 2011
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Up to 50% of forest species depend on veteran trees and deadwood for their survival. Deadwood provides habitat, shelter and food source for birds, bats and other mammals and is particularly important for the less visible majority of forest dwelling species: insects, especially beetles, fungi and lichens. Although the role of deadwood in proper functioning of forests is more and more recognized, the view that a "clean" forest is a healthy forest still persists. Other common myths about negative impacts of deadwood are: "over-aged forests are a problem", "dead trees harbour diseases", "only young is beautiful!".
"The Woodland Trust are destroying my generation's future.
At school we learnt about old oak trees importance to bats, birds and woodpeckers.
This is wrong and bad of managers to do this."
Munya, age 10.
Details: Circumference 3.58m and diameter 1.14m all measurements at1.2m along the cut down trunk.
Above and below left: Main trunk shows a healthy tree with a little die-back in a couple of branches. 30th November 2011. The Woodland Trust lost the Nightingale through clearance, now the Lesser and Greater woodpeckers' habitats are being destroyed, along with rare mosses and lichens.
"Welcome to Disneyland Hainault." Regular doggy walker.
Is this the way to manage Ancient woodland or Wood pasture?
Why are the users and local population not informed in advance of this work? Where is it in the Management plan?
What is the cost? Would the money be better spent in dealing with more essential work like ditching to prevent last year's floods, or cutting the Common BEFORE the ragwort and thistles have seeded.
"What have the Woodland Trust got against the Hainault Forest Oaks and standing timber." Chigwell Row Villager.
"As everyone knows, oak has more insects and probably more birds and lichens associated with it than any other tree, but these are not equally associated with all oaks. Some of them require woodland oaks or coppiced oaks; above all, old rotten, and dead oaks are the particular habitat of much of the tree's fauna and flora."
Oliver Rackham (2003) ANCIENT WOODLAND New Edition.
Photographs © Peter Comber 28th December 2011.
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September - October 2011
Common puffballs Lycoperdon perlatum 12th September 2011
Shaggy parasol Macrolepiota rhacodes 12th September 2011
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Big Jim Gymnopilus junonius 15th October 2011 |
The months of August to the end of October were very dry and not the best conditions for a bumper crop of fungi. Most fungi species found were singletons and none appeared in large numbers. Two fungus forays led by local mycologist Peter Comber were held in Hainault Forest Country Park, the one on the 15th October produced 24 species and the other for the British Naturalists Association on the 29th October numbered 27 species. Common puffballs and Shaggy parasols were found early in September. One parasol found in the large horse grazing field had a scaly cap of 18 cms diameter with a prominent bump in the centre and stood 25 cms tall. A prominent ring is seen on the stem under the cap. The first fungus noted on the fungus foray of 15th October was Big Jim - a group of which were growing from an old oak stump near the visitor centre. In recent years all the groups and species of fungi have been given English names and Big Jim is now to be called Spectacular Rustgill ! A full list of the fungi found will be found here soon. During the period when many of the wild flowers have finished flowering, the Michaelmas Daisy provides an abundance of late food for numerous species of bees, bumblebees and hoverflies. Michaelmas Daisy is a garden escapee and is found growing on waste ground and in the forest it is plentiful along the Romford Road through the plantation and around the lake. Pictured left is a Honey bee worker gathering pollen in special baskets on its hind legs. Hoverflies appear whenever the sun shines. It is worth standing by a clump of daisies or creeping thistle to see the variety that congregate there and feed. Many are able to extend their season with this bonus of late flowers including also ivy. Michael Rumble has taken some excellent pictures including Eristalis horticola shown below. More pictures can be seen by clicking here. Autumn sees the emergence from the grassland areas of hundreds of Common Craneflies Tipula oleracea. The larvae known as Leatherjackets are maggot-like and spend the year feeding underground on the roots of grasses and crops. They can be a problem on an allotment. Flocks of Starlings and Jackdaws will often be seen feeding on the grubs as they venture near the surface. During September and October the adult Craneflies emerge and their sole purpose is to find a mate and the female will lay hundreds of eggs in the damp soil to repeat the life cycle. They are harmless flies which do not bite or sting. Their long legs give rise to their country name of Daddy-long-legs. The Small copper butterfly has three generations a year but is particularly noticeable in the autumn generation when there are fewer butterflies about. The female which has curved forewings can be seen on the ground seeking out the larval foodplants - Docks, Common and Sheep sorrel. Sheep's sorrel is particularly common on the acid grassland on Cabin Hill and on the heathland area. The grey-white eggs are laid singly on the upper side of the leaves and particularly on the stem where the blade meets the stem. The larvae feed on the underside of the leaf and the late generation overwinter in a silk band and emerge seven months later in the spring. After an absence of a couple of years the various spangle galls which appear in the autumn on the backs of oak leaves have started to make a comeback. Many galls on oak trees have two distinct generations a year and their absence or scarcity may be weather related. While looking for dragonflies of the hainault Golf course I came across the Hedgehog gall Andricus lucidus. It has been recorded as occurring only in Regents Park, London for many years and started to move outwards in 2004 and was first recorded in Hainault Forest in 2005. I photographed an odd looking Darter dragonfly on a reed in my garden pond at the beginning of September. I identified it as Red-veined darter Sympetrum fonscolombii. It is a southern European species but in recent years it has been moving northwards and migrating to the UK. Ted Benton of the Essex Field Club confirmed the identity and informed me that it was the first record for Essex this year. Subsequently on the 10th September Michael Rumble photographed them on the large pond in the Hainault Golf Course and they were egg laying. According to Professor Benton in his book Dragonflies of Essex states that they have bred at Abberton Reservoir in South Essex in recent years and suggests that this species might colonize the county in future years. They have a very short life cycle with adults occurring the same year from eggs laid in the spring. Watch this space! Cormorants are often seen in small numbers on the lake, often flying in from other water bodies like Fairlop Waters. They dive for fish and will dry their wings and preen them between dives. Here is a Cormorant with its wings spread to aid drying. During October a Fallow deer buck was seen on several occasions by ground staff and public at the Café running down Hoghill from the golf course to the lake and into the plantation. It had small antlers and appeared young. Fawns are born in June and reach maturity between 7-14 months of age. Rutting occurs in late October and is a very active time for bucks with fighting, chasing and challenging other bucks as they round up their females. Ron Andrews found and photographed the young fallow buck near the heathland and sent me the photograph. It is probable that this was an unsuccessful male defeated in his effort to mate.
Left: Small copper butterfly Lycaena phlaeas egg laying on Sheep sorrel. 10th October 2011 Photo © Michael Rumble.
Above: Egg photographed in October 2001. |
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Honey bee worker on Michaelmas Daisy 28th Sept. Pollen sac arrowed, |
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Hoverfly Eristalis horticola on Creeping thistle 21st September 2011. Photo © Michael Rumble. |
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Common cranefly Tipula oleracea in grassland, Hog Hill. 28th Sept. 2011. |
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Hedgehog gall Andricus lucidus (left and above) 19th September 2011. |
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Red-veined darter dragonfly on Golf course pond. 10th September 2011. Photo © Michael Rumble. |
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Cormorant wing drying 14th October 2011 on the Lake. |
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Young fallow deer buck on the heathland. Photo © Ron Andrews 25th October 2011. |
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July - August 2011
Some of the many perennials present in the Wild flower Meadow, Hog Hill on 6th August 2011. Knapweed Centaurea nigra nigra flower, Knapweed attracting honey bees, White form of Knapweed, Meadow cranesbill Geranium pratense and Field scabious Knautia arvensis.
Redbridge Walk to Health participants arrive at Lambourne Church on Wednesday 17th August 2011.
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Frogbit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae in Sheepwater 5th August 2011 |
Speckled Wood butterfly Pararge aegeria by pond in Wildlife garden. 22 July. |
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The wild flower meadow on Hog Hill is well established and has attracted many bees, hoverflies, butterflies, ladybirds and soldier beetles. Among the species present are Wild carrot Daucus carota, Knapweed Centaurea nigra nigra, Meadow cranesbill Geranium pratense, Field scabious Knautia arvensis, Ox-eye daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Creeping thistle Cirsium arvense, Lady's bedstraw Galium verum, Hedge bedstraw G. mollugo, Common mallow Malva sylvestris and Musk mallow M. moschata. The composite picture above shows a few of these species and also shows a white form of Knapweed. The Longer Wednesday "Redbridge Walk to Health" walks are monthly from April to December and are well attended. In August the walk was from the Global Café Hainault Forest Country Park to Lambourne Church and back, and included woodland walks and public footpaths through farmland with some hilly areas. Names such as Cavill's walk and Featherbed Lane were walked along and explained as ancient tracks. On Sheepwater the floating plant Frogbit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae is spreading and its three-petalled white flower and tiny round leaves are very noticeable in August. Butterflies have appeared when the weather was suitable including Small and Essex skippers, Large and Small White, Common blue, Gatekeeper, Meadow browns, Purple hairstreaks and Speckled wood. I photographed a Speckled wood resting on pebbles in the Wildlife garden and Michael Rumble photographed an ageing Small skipper nectaring on Knapweed. It's long proboscis can clearly be seen probing amongst the flower head. Most of the trees and shrubs are showing very good crops of fruits this autumn including the wild roses, dogwood, spindle and hawthorn. Sloes, the fruit of Blackthorn are very bitter to taste but are sought after for making Sloe Gin. Crab apples are in profusion this year and are best collected after the first frost. They make an excellent jelly or conserve. Recipes are available on-line to make Hedgerow Jam which contains most of the fruit available at the moment - Elderberries, Blackberries, Rose hips, Haws, Crab apples, Rowan berries and Sloes. Not all fruits found in the forest are edible and some are poisonous such as the red berries of Woody nightshade found mainly around the lake edge and the red fruits of Lords and Ladies also known as Cuckoo pint, Parson in the Pulpit, and Wild arum to name but a few of the aliases around the country. My thanks to Michael Rumble who photographed the Arum berries in a hedgerow in the forest and several of the other photographs in this section of the diary. Galls have had a bad year in Hainault this year following an absence of some species last Autumn especially the Common, Smooth spangle galls and Silk button galls. Some of the fungal galls are also missing this year. How they have fared over the whole country hasn't been recorded so far. While checking for galls on Silver birch I came across a Green shieldbug Palomena prasina which was shedding its final instar skin to become an adult. The wing tip colour hasn't developed yet. This species of shieldbug will eventually change colour and will overwinter as a brown bug and change back to green in the spring months. Michael Rumble photographed an immature male Southern Hawker Dragonfly Aeshna cyanea resting on nettles. This was identified by Andrew McGeeney, author of A Complete Guide to British Dragonflies. Published by Jonathan Cape 1986. The full colouration is not complete but will become bluer with time. Fungi have started to appear and the unpleasant smell of the Stinkhorn Phallus impudicus is often the first indication that the fungus is about. Secondly flies are often seen buzzing about as they feed on the ripe spores. The picture shows the fungus after the spores have been shed, and there is also an "egg" stage present which will grow and expand into a mature fungus later. The edible Oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus was found on fallen beech. The 14th August was marked in St Mary's, Stapleford by a Pets Service. This is an annual service and was led by the Rev. Gay Ellis who has not long retired from the incumbency of Stapleford Abbotts, Lambourne and Abridge. Members of The Hearing Dogs for the Deaf always take part and explain how a dog has enriched their lives and what it does for them. The Service is accompanied by a Sign Language interpreter. Hearing dogs come in all breeds including Chinese Crested dogs, Spaniels and Labradors. The end of July saw Griff and Sally Holliday leaving Redbridge and moving back to their roots in Herefordshire. Both Griff and Sally have been invaluable volunteers for the conservation tasks in the whole of Redbridge organized by the Redbridge Conservation Rangers. They are pictured below standing in the Wildlife Garden at Hainault Forest. Sally was also an active member of the Ilford Horticultural Society. Our best wishes are with them for their future in Ledbury. |
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 Small Skipper butterfly Thymelicus sylvestris feeding on knapweed. Photo © Michael Rumble |
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Sloes - fruit of Blackthorn Prunus spinosa 15th August 2011 |
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Crab apple Malus sylvestris 28th August 2011 |
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7th August 2011.
Photo © Michael Rumble |
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Green shieldbug Palomena prasina shedding skin 15th August 2011 |
Immature male Southern Hawker dragonfly resting on nettle. Photo © Michael Rumble. 7th August 2011 Identification confirmed by Andy McGeeney. |
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Stinkhorn fungus Phallus impudicus with developing egg. 5th August 2011 |
Oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus on fallen beech. 7th August 2011 |
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Pet Service at Stapleford Abbotts Church 14th August 2011 |
Griff and Sally Holliday in the Wildlife garden 29th July 2011 |
Lords
and Ladies also known as Cuckoo Pint or Wild Arum Arum maculatum
with
autumn berries.
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April - June 2011
Easter Monday crowds. 25th April 2011
Canada Goose family of fourteen goslings. 25th May 2011.
DANCING MOTHS
Photographs © Michael Rumble
Michael Rumble captured these long-horned moth males Adela reaumurella in flight on a still sunny day in late May 2011.
Above: Male Fern fiddleheads unfurling 7th April 2011.
Right: Cavill's walk in Springtime. Hornbeams in leaf. 24th April 2011.
Mallard family. 29th April 2011
Spring weather finally arrived in April after months of dull, cold, overcast days with little rainfall. Grass was slow to grow and bare patches appeared in the farm enclosures. Even at the end of June the grass still has not recovered and there is little chance of a hay crop.
The Easter Holiday weekend brought crowds out to the Country Park and the weather was brilliant. Families were walking, picnicking, playing games, and visiting the farm and play areas.
The Male fern Dryopteris filix-mas is the most common fern in the woodland and scrub areas and after spending the winter underground the new leaves arise from the rhizome and are coiled. As they grow the leaves unfurl and are known as fiddleheads. The fern plant is the asexual part of the life cycle and therefore the name Male fern does not refer to it's gender. The sexual part of the life cycle are very tiny green plants that go unnoticed. Ferns were collected by Victorians and one fern which was delicate and elegant was given the name Lady fern hence a similar closely related stronger fern was called Male fern.
A walk through the Lambourne Woodland along Cavill's walk is well worth doing especially in Springtime. There are many hornbeams here and the fresh light green leaves make it totally different from any other time of the year - and the bluebells are a bonus.
The Canada geese produced record numbers of goslings this year, with one pair hatching fourteen young. Mallards are not so successful with most of the ducklings being predated by Pike and Carrion crows which lift them out of the water. The Cob swan's mate was killed last year and much to his annoyance his two offspring have remained on the lake.
On warm still days in late May swarms of male Long-horned moths Adela reaumurella were seen dancing close to trees and bushes, With the slightest breeze the moths settle on the vegetation. Their antennae are about 5 cms (2 inches) long which they carry in front of them in flight. They are seeking females who sit on the vegetation. They have short antennae 1.5 cms (½ inch) in length. These magnificent photographs were taken by Michael Rumble. Along the path behind Sunnymede, Chigwell Row Michael also photographed a Hairy-footed Flower Bee. This is a Solitary bee and its identification was made from the photograph by Peter Harvey, Recorder of Hymenoptera for the Essex Field Club who wrote:
"Fortuitously (since most solitary bees, especially males, can't be reliably identified from photos) the long hairs on the mid tarsus indicate this is a male Anthophora plumipes (the 'spring or hairy-footed flower bee')."
Steven Stuart who has recently moved from Chigwell Row reported on the Cambridge & Essex Butterfly Conservation website of his visit to Hainault Forest where he recorded 5 White Admirals, 5 Purple Hairstreaks, 15 Meadow Brown butterflies and other species such as Comma, Speckled wood and Large whites. The White admiral has been doing well in the area of Roe's well and has been recorded in the Forest since 2006.
The age of an oak tree is difficult to estimate without taking core samples or cutting it down and counting the rings. So it is always helpful to have a date of planting. We know that the Water Poplars at both ends of the lake were planted in 1910 and are therefore 101 years old but there is an oak tree which was planted in 1939 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the London County Council 1889 -1939. So we know that the Oak tree is 72 years old. It has a girth of 2.08m as measured 2nd August 2011.
The spring galls on Oak were few or absent, following the lack of Smooth, Common spangle and Silk button galls on the underside of the leaves in autumn last year. Later this year will indicate whether there has been a recovery. While looking for galls I came across an instar of the Forest bug. Shield bugs undergo incomplete metamorphosis in that a nymph hatches from an egg looking like a small adult. During growth it moults up to five times when it finally becomes an adult with final colouration and wings.
By the lake on Crack willow in mid June were a pair of Willow leaf beetles Plagiodera versicolora. These are very small blue metallic beetles.
Three Meerkats one male and two females finally made their public appearance in the children's play area in a specially created site. They can tunnel in the sand, burrow under logs and stand sentry on a standing tree trunk. They are fed on cockroaches, crickets and soft fruits such as banana. They are very inquisitive and are constantly seeking their food which is hidden for them to find.
The Wildlife garden is doing well although there is much damage to crops due to a large population of slugs. Flowers are attracting many bees and hoverflies. Two Alliums flowered and are pictured below.
Meerkat June 2011
Above: Leaf beetle pair on Willow.
20th June 2011.
Left: Forest bug instar on Common lime. 31st May 2011
Hairy-footed flower bee Anthophora plumipes male 17th May 2011. Photo © Michael Rumble.
Flower bed in Wildlife Garden 26th June 2011.
Looking down on Allium flowers in Wildlife Garden 18th May 2011
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January - March 2011
END OF AN ERA 1-2 Hainault Cottages 1856 - 2011
Yours truly watching the demolition taking place.
Photo with thanks. © Michael Rumble 28th March 2011.
Vandalism. Photo 10th February 2008
After the occupier Vic George (Warden) retired five years ago Redbridge Council refused requests for occupation by two of Hainault's Country Park staff. There followed break-ins, removal of lead piping, and the Victorian crests. Vandalism by youths made the building untenable , and after persistent dumping of tyres, the cottages are finally demolished on the 29th March 2011.
PETITION
Despite an attempt by Leisure officers to stop the petition asking people to say no to a move by Cabinet members and Leisure services to move Hainault Forest and local parks into a non-elected Vision Trust, a further petition was held and a total of 205 signatories were received by Cabinet members.
Pictured left were forest users Pat and Ron Andrews, Brian Ecott, Dr. Kenneth Adams (Botanical and Bryophyte Recorder for Essex including Metropolitan Essex), Sue Mudhar and Dianne Stone.
I expressed my concerns by e-mail to all Cabinet members on the 9th March including the listening Councillor Prince but so far (6th April) no reply or even an acknowledgement has been received. It would seem that the Council do not want anyone to know what is going on. This is not what I understand as Democracy.
Hainault Forest was given to the people of East London by an Act of Parliament in 1903 and was managed by the LCC., GLC., and by L.B.Redbridge following the GLC's demise in 1985.
In the recent budget Hainault cuts will be £50k with £100k next year. This will result in in-house qualified frontline staff losses which poses many questions which need to be seriously thought about:
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Visitor centre closed most days due to staff shortages.
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Cuts in the Walks and community programme at Hainault.
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Will a small farm and zoo still be maintained? It is much loved by parents, grandparents and toddlers, and daily visiting groups of people with special needs.
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Hainault Forest is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and Metropolitan importance. The Councillors have a statutory duty to the Government to maintain and improve the site.
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Hainault Forest contains flora and fauna of Red data, National and County importance. How will these be secured. Who on the Leisure Trust is qualified to make decisions on management of sensitive areas?
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Hainault Forest provides a tranquil place for the near million people that use the area yearly - families, schools, disabled, special needs and a range of activities - walking, running, orienteering, picnics, kites, dog walking. Last year a large area of amenity grassland was fenced off for over one month of the summer holidays for Music Festivals with the heavy goods vehicles constantly damaging the verges and grassland. The noise was heard as far as Chigwell Row and Lambourne End, to what benefit to local people? According to their publicity the Festivals are coming again this year!
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No consultations were made with the Café proprietors, The Woodland Trust who are also stakeholders or the public at large. Redbridge Life didn't enlighten us. All round silence!
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No information is available on the composition of the Trustees and their interests to maintain Hainault Forest as it should be.
ON A HAPPIER NOTE
After the long dull days of winter, Spring has finally made an appearance. The ubiquitous dandelion is in flower everywhere. If it wasn't for its fecundity it would make an attractive and excellent border flower in the garden.
One of the first of the spring flowers that is closely related to the dandelion is Coltsfoot. The buds and flowers appear before the leaves which have an outline of a Colt's foot. Coltsfoot is found around the lake, along the Havering link path and in The Woodland Trust's new land.
The Ivy-leaved speedwell flowers in early spring along woodland edges and is found on the heathland area. The leaves as suggested by its name are ivy-shaped and the single flowers are pale blue to white and are on a short stalk in the leaf axils. Within a month it flowers, fruits and completely disappears.
Apart from Hazel which started flowering in late December, other trees which have started to flower are Sallow, Silver birch and Hornbeam. On a warm day the Sallow attracts early bees and insects. To the end of March the following plants were seen in flower: Red and White deadnettles Lamium purpureum, L. album; Lesser celandine Ranunculus ficaria; Early dog and Common dog violet Viola reichenbachiana, V. riviniana; Daisy Bellis perennis; Cow parsley Anthriscus sylvestris; Jack-by-the hedge Alliaria petiolata; Barren strawberry Potentilla sterilis.
Wood anemone or Wind flower Anemone nemorosa is a wonderful flower to see in many Essex woodlands at this time of year. At Hainault we have a very tiny patch which have held on for many years and has flowered well this year. It needs some TLC if its to increase its presence in Hainault for years to come. The photographs below taken on 30th March show the complete patch.
Hedges and shrubs are starting to green up and there are patches of Blackthorn Prunus spinosa showing white on the woodland edges. This comes into leaf after flowering and hopefully will provide a good crop of Sloes in the Autumn.
Butterflies are appearing on warm days with a Peacock in February and a Comma on 23rd March. Bee-flies were seen in late March together a number of Queen bumblebees searching for nest sites.
The 8th March found frogs spawning in Roe's well but the number of spawn masses was about half of previous years. There was more spawn to be found in the Lake and by the 16th March the toads were spawning in the lake
There is a tremendous amount of work to be done in the forest during winter and the early spring months. Heavy rainfall in the autumn destroyed a number of paths by water running off the Common. The Headland path and paths around the lake needed resurfacing, ditches needed to be cleared out to allow drainage. This made areas inaccessible and muddy and difficult to walk on. This type of work causes annoyance to some users but most people accept that the work has to be done and the Country Park staff are to be congratulated on getting this done efficiently and in-house. Work on Farm improvements continues and tree surgery to make safe trees near paths is essential work. There is a regular programme of coppicing of the White and Crack willows around the lake.
In the Woodland Trust area Geordie the Woodman is making safe some of the old and dying trees. Not only is he a tree-man but a sculptor as well. Dotted around the wood are sculptures to look out for and at Roe's Well are tree spirits created by Geordie. Waymarked paths are being created in the Trust's woodland area and the old posts are gradually being replaced by more substantial ones. A sunny still day gives a good opportunity to get pictures of reflections in water.
Ivy Hedera helix is a much misunderstood plant. It is not parasitic on trees and it is a very important plant in the ecosystem. In Autumn the late flowering provides nectar thus providing food for late flying insects, and in early spring migrant and resident Blackcaps feed on the berries before the insects emerge. The evergreen covering of trees seen in the photograph close to the lake provides nesting cover for early nesters.
It is always a delight to see a small band of members of the Essex Kite club in the Country Park. Some of the kite are made by members and there are some wonderful shapes and colours. I particularly liked the two striped fish complete with a yellow cleaner fish attached.
Muntjac deer are common throughout the forest but are rarely seen. I came across some small footprints or slots of Muntjac in the Lime plantation and set about making plaster casts. The results are shown here and I hope to finish the project by making latex copies of the slots.
Dandelion Taraxacum sp.
Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara by the lakeside. 10th March 2011
Ivy-leaved speedwell Veronica hederifolia Heathland area
30th March 2011
Sallow Salix caprea male catkins in the Lime plantation
23rd March 2011
Hornbeam catkins 30th March 2011.
Comma butterfly on old willow. 23rd March 2011
A regular
cycle of coppicing and pollarding of the White and Crack willows around the lake is
important to maintain the health of the trees and bring light to the lake
and open up the bank areas.
Ivy growth on Birch and Oak - an important habitat, 23rd March 2011
Ivy berries 17th February 2007
Flying fish of the Essex Kite Club 8th March 2011
Muntjac slots in Lime plantation 22nd March 2011
A tree spirit at Roe's Well. This is one of several wood and tree carvings by Geordie of Green-man Tree Care in The Woodland Trust's part of Hainault Forest.
Roe's Well reflections 14th February 2011
Blackthorn or sloe blossom 29th March 2011 and above.
Anemone patch 30th March 2011 - close up below.
