What a day, awsome, love arboriculture!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I have to say, generaly my days are average, back garden stuff, general maintenance prunes, re-reductions blah blah blah. However, once in a while we end up somewhere interesting and today was legend.

 

I made myself a promise a few years back, to try everyday to find something interesting, something to keep me interested and alive, I am so underchalenged on a day to day basis this is the only thing that keeps me alive and kicking!

 

So lunchtime came and the Hama was off! on his usual hour sprint to find hidden treasures of the natural world and i thought i would share some of them here as there was far too much to keep to myself!

 

This maple, Acer campestre really stunned me, biggest ive ever seen, me in the third image just to try and give you an idea of its size, only wish i had a tape, was 10ft diam at the base! obviously was origionaly kept low as a boundary to live stock as this is old grazing ground, worthless for crops.

 

 

 

 

 

The next image is a first find for me, Toothwort Lathraea squamaria L.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Tony Croft aka hamadryad

[Ben90]

That's a monster! Guess it was loving the rich, continuously-fertilized farmland soil...back in the days when it may have been used for crops.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Some more images from this area, shall definatley be going back late summer/autumn when i am certain this place will be heaving with stuff to discover. Another VSP (very special place) for the mental logs.

 

Shall go back and do some major recording surveying for the ATF at a later date! This is site number two that i could use a hand on with this recording, I have an isolated pocket of ancient beech and hawthorn to log, as well as this site now!

 

Another pair of hands would make it so much more do-able in a day!

 

 

 

 

 

[raafbeard]

Nice Pics Hama!

[David Humphries]

Any pollards Tony?

 

 

 

Any Stag grubs poking their little mandabills outta them there holes ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

[Johny Walker]

tony, i bet you had a whale off time didnt you

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

tony, i bet you had a whale off time didnt you

 

THAT shant even get a rise!

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

Any pollards Tony?

 

 

 

Any Stag grubs poking their little mandabills outta them there holes ?

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

I heard the chainsaws starting up before i had time to really find whats up here but certain there is going to be a few pollards. most of this stuff has been cut as hedge, so really prounced wide bases, basicaly pollards at 3-5ft.

 

The bore holes wherent quite large enough to be the real thing, suspect lessers. Was a great place, and defo going back:thumbup:

[Mark Bolam]

There is an evil face hiding in that semi-decayed Ash (?) butt Tony!

 

There's some really gnarly stuff in old hedgerows that have been layed years ago.

 

Good find.

[liamjordan]

i saw this in canada http://arbtalk.co.uk/forum/picture-forum/9447-old-sugar-maple.html it was hugeee!