Russell Miller

Anyone else seeing major defoliation of ash by insects this summer? Leaves eaten to midrib. Semi circular holes. Got to be caterpillars but I’ve not seen such dramatic defoliation. A number of large early mature trees in Richmond.

OK I'm going to need some help with this one - possibly some kind of Alderfly or Dobson but can anyone narrow it down for me?  The body is about 6cm with antennae and twin 'tails' on top of that, wings laid more flat down the length of its body rather than more triangular either side. Thick sturdy legs.

Looks like shaggy polypore Inonotus hispidus to me.
On ash?

This little beauty gave me a bit of a fright as I coughed on dust whilst removing ivy from the base of a oak.

It took me a while to recognise that, although very hairy, this is Gypsy moth not Oak Processionary moth. Quite common in London now but not yet established at pest proportions. Even London is still to cold for it to proliferate on a scale that would cause defoliation problems.

I'm hoping the tree is still there so I can go back and look for it again. I didn't appreciate what I was photographing when I took the photos in 2014.

Looking back through some photos from 2014 discovered Orchard Tooth fungus or orchard toothcrust - Sarcodontia crocea.

Surpisingly large bracket - about 50cm.

On Malus in old orchard. London.

Laetiporus is common  on willow and can disintigrate like this to powder. But it is a very long tier of brackets.

@treeruss

Had to suffer a lads weekend away in Riga (Latvia). It was horrid, all those lapdancers and cheap beer! I did however stumble accross this ? Oak. Huge leaves. Can anyone identify it?

Oak is probably Q. macranthera (Caucasian oak). Leaves 15-23cm according to Mitchell.

:scared1:Hang on, I'll be with you in a minute. I'm just writing the risk assesment.

After a hard day's planting...

Nice place to plant a tree.

Russell