Saturday was almost like spring in the woods. The extra shelter from the trees meant it was perfectly still and the gentle sun warmed the air. The birds were getting the spring vibe too. Lots of calling here and there and they were queueing up at the food dispensers as I filled them. An important time now to keep them well fed. Not so much around for then to forage for and they need to be fighting fit for breeding soon. There are bluebell leaves starting to poke through now. These have come through since I planted the hazel a couple of weeks ago. Lords and Ladies and some dock leaves were peeping through too.

It’s a race before spring to get more jobs done. I worked most of the day wheel-barrowing the cut logs from a few weeks ago, back to my work area where I split and stacked them into crates for seasoning. In the hazel coppice I have earmarked four decent sized sycamore for felling before the new growth comes on the hazel. To be honest I am  nervous of these, as my experience is still limited and working on my own in these situations is a little bit scary (yet exciting too). I picked the easiest one, a fairly straight stemmed tree and worked out where my cuts should be to drop it neatly down the side of the coppice area, away from any saplings or new growth that would get crushed otherwise. There’s more to this than meets the untrained eye. The tree will have a natural weighting to one side and that is where gravity will pull it if you were able to quickly slice it off at the base. To calculate this you look at which way it is naturally leaning. Then look up and see where the upper branches are. How heavy are they? Are there more on this side than that? Does the stem have a bend in the opposite direction etc? You have to make a mental judgement on these factors, trying to find how they will influence the drop, then decide where you actually want it to go. You’ll pick a place not far from where your calculations take you but there might be something obstructing it, preferably to be avoided. So you can make your cuts slightly off to one side, which if done correctly, will steer it slightly that way.

There’s a moment when cutting, when you see a slight movement in the trunk in front of you. The cut is opening up. Thank God you got that bit right. If it doesn’t, you’re in trouble. Your calculations were wrong and the tree can start to come back to you, trapping the chainsaw blade and you’re gonna have a helluva job getting it out. The tree starts to tilt but you don’t have time to look up to see what’s happening, you cross your fingers and trust to luck that you got it right. Pull the saw out and step back to one side. No turning back now. A loud thump confirms it’s down and if you’re quick enough to turn your head, you might see it actually hit the earth with a shudder and to see twigs and branches flying here and there. A wave of relief comes over you and if you did get it right, relief turns to mild euphoria. On this occasion I’m glad to say I got it just right. Now the hard work comes, processing and clearing it all up.

It’s a shame I had to fell this one as it’s a lovely long, straight stem but sacrifices have to be made for the good of the dozens of hazel bushes that will benefit from the extra light and nutrients. Some consolation is that the sycamore is not dead. It will send new shoots and become a coppiced plant too. In a few years the new growth can be cut for firewood and the cycle starts again.

My last visit a week or so ago was not recorded here. It was a special visit to start my volunteering role for the Woodland Trust. You might remember me saying I was going to be taking fixed point photographs four times a year. It will be in areas where restoration is taking place or may be in the near future. Over a few years it will provide a visual record of new growth and how the woodland adjusts and responds to thinning and replanting or natural regeneration. I met with the Project Officer and we pinpointed six positions. Some in my patch and some in nearby neighbours. I have to say it is more challenging than I expected. We planned to do some 360 degree shots from my tripod. It was a sunny day and at this time of year, the sun is low giving very contrasty lighting conditions. Trying to take 360 shots means that some will face straight into the sun and be unusable. Still it is a learning curve for me and making me think more about my photography techniques too.

Lords and Ladies pushing through. Latin name Arum maculatum it has numerous common names – snakeshead, adder’s root, arum, wild arum, arum lily, lords-and-ladies, devils and angels, cows and bulls, cuckoo-pint, Adam and Eve, bobbins, naked girls, naked boys, starch-root, wake robin, friar’s cowl, and jack in the pulpit.