A nice warm sunny day and an early arrival. I was meeting a very good friend of mine to show him around and just explore the wider woods there. We tend to talk all the time so it’s easy to miss things and for time to slip away so my apologies – no photos taken. The only work done was to chainsaw some more logs that I felled last winter, ready for splitting next time. So this will be short and sweet.

During the walk around the woods I spotted a very odd looking fungi on a dead branch. I have seen them before and identified them but have forgotten them. I have never seen them in any other place but my woods. You could easily miss them though. It stood about 3cm high, thin and poker-like and was black and had an alien look about it. My research has shown it to be an “earth tongue”. An equally weird name.

Walking the rides later we found lots of small frogs which were hiding in the grass until we approached when they quickly hopped away. They were obviously this year’s issue. I love those little things but I know someone who is quite repulsed by them. Odd isn’t it? The newly coppiced hazel as been nibbled even more by the roe deer. So severely that I shall have to put netting up before next year’s growth, a bit too late in the season now.

Bird life is very quiet at this time of year. A few wrens, robins, a buzzard and a noisy Jay were around but didn’t see much else. What a difference from Springtime. I shall have to repair some of the nest boxes as they have been damaged by squirrels, chewing at the holes to try to get the eggs and chicks.

Hopefully I will have more to report next visit. Must try harder!