A time to fell

              We have brought in the specialists to do some awkward tree felling in Crow Wood. We have a line of old, and largely dead Sweet Chestnut trees along the border with our neighbouring farmer and they are mostly leaning over his land and fence. There is a good chance they will fall in due course and potentially cause damage so they need to be felled. They are along a mediaeval bank beside what was once a forest track into the wood and usually covered in Bluebells. Frankie and Rich, the arborists, know our wood well having worked in it over many years. Felling these tall, leaning trees requires the kind of skill that the duo bring to the task. Coppicing these trees will let the light in to the woodland floor and help stimulate ground flora, which is an added benefit. It is still just about early enough to do this work as the bluebells are only just showing above the soil and birds are not quite nesting, although I watched a Blue Tit pair yesterday taking nesting material into a hole in the big Oak tree. A Chiffchaff was calling too, the first I have heard this Spring, and woodpeckers are drumming.

dead trees along our boundary

Note the old Badger sett

Felling these old trees is challenging work

work in progress

A Treecreeper spotted nearby

Great Spotted Woodpeckers have started drumming and are often heard

Blue Tits getting ready to nest in this cavity