About an old Oak tree

             We do not have many Oak trees in Crow Wood compared to other areas within Old Park Wood and sadly one of the largest is not looking too healthy. It is losing leaves in the canopy and one side the branches are largely bare. Like all trees, oaks are prone to a variety of diseases and fungal infections and this one has always had two or three bracket fungi growing out of it in the Autumn, which suggests that the core may be rotting.  We think the tree is likely to be 100+ years old and probably planted after the first world war. It will take many years dying and in the meantime it will continue to provide a home and larder for many birds and insects. 

           Oak trees produce a sticky, sweet sap, which is a good source of food for many invertebrates and on this particular tree the sap weeps out of many small cracks in the bark. On a recent sunny day there were several butterflies and other insects enjoying this free snack. Several Red Admiral butterflies seemed to believe the sap was theirs entirely and were constantly alert to all others including a few Hornets, which they were not afraid to chase off. Sometimes these butterflies can take in so much sap that they seem drunk on it and unable to fly.

             Elsewhere the wood is suddenly full of young birds, mainly Robins, members of  tit families and a few Nuthatches. While watching the activities on the trunk of the oak tree, I spotted a large family group of Long-tailed Tits and counted up to a dozen moving through the canopy; often birds from different nests join up to forage as larger groups. I hope this means that it has been a good breeding season.

One of several Red Admirals enjoying the sap runs on the oak

A Comma, showing its punctuation mark as it drinks the sap

A Speckled Wood joins in

Signs of decay at the base of the tree

note the dead branches

One of several Hornets

A Red Admiral with wings closed....pretty good camouflage against the tree bark

A juvenile Nuthatch looking for insects on the same tree.