I’ve put in some overtime at the woods lately. More a case of trying to get the ball rolling with my thinning application. On the first visit there was more measuring and calculating of the compartment sizes and counting numbers of trees to thin. I ordered some tree marking paint and went around the sycamore stand looking for the obvious stems that need to come down. Just “getting my eye in” now. The diameters vary quite considerably although they were all planted at the same time. So it’s a case of looking for the thinnest, sickliest stems and the forked and badly shaped ones first. I’ll do a second trawl to find the ones I missed first time and any that I think need to go just to favour the more healthier ones close by.

I continued with my machete, “bramble bashing” down the boundary line and eventually got a clear enough path to run my blue rope all the way down. This will make it so much easier to see where my plot ends now. An exhausting but satisfying day. Spotted some deer tracks in the mud and on the way out, there was a roe deer in the adjacent field. Beautiful as they are, they are a nuisance to the woodlander. They chew off new shoots and stunt the growth of plants and young trees.

My second visit was to meet the man from the Woodland Trust again. Another interesting experience, new ideas and tips to learn. More bramble bashing just to fill in time. Spotted some very interesting fungi. Haven’t identified them yet though. It’s getting to that time of year where they are springing up all over the place. There’s always something new to see with each visit if you take the time and be observant.