Arbtalk.co.uk | Discussion Forum for Arborists

I apologise for the quantity and quality of pictures, light was fading and I only had my little Nokia but maybe my narrative will inspire you?

Went up to this site yesterday and found many, many beautiful old Veterans full of ecological niches just ripe for the taking of bugs, bats, raptors and fungi. Sweet Chestnut, Oak, Scots Pine (yep even one of those with a lightning strike that burnt out 5 of its butresses - a beaut), Beech and Sycamore to name a few. Some of the stems were well over 2m in diameter and a delight to work with. On one Veteran Oak I found Ganoderma sp, Fistulina hepatica, Leitiporus and what looked like the remains of Collibia fusipies. The Oak was a hollow beast but stood out amongst the crowds. Griffola frondosa covered 270 degrees of a felled stump. Unfortunately it had gone over but if we'd been a week or so earlier it would have made a stunning picture (and Hama would have got a call for sure). Super sized Birch with Piptoporus betulinus evident and a host of other trees we did not have time to look at. A return journey is warranted I think. Awesome. A private site but none-the-less accessible if you asked nicely I bet.