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| Yellow Brain
© Duncan Wright
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A fine sunny winter’s
day. Ten of us set out from Vereley car park to explore Ridley Wood, a
lovely wood with some very old trees. We noted where the Holly had been
pollarded to provide browse for the ponies and to let light on to the trunks of
the Beech trees for the lichens. Many rare species grow here but they are
in danger of becoming shaded out by the holly. The old timber provides a
good habitat for fungi. Among those we identified were Turkeytail, Candle
Snuff, Beech Jelly Disc, Oyster Mushroom, Yellow Brain, Glistening Inkcap, and
Southern Bracket Fungus. A flock of Chaffinches flitted through the wood,
including a couple of Bramblings, enjoying the beech mast. Other birds we saw
included Treecreeper, Nuthatch and a pair of Buzzards.
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| Examining a Beech Tree
© Richard Coomber
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One particular Beech tree
caught our eye, a massive tree that must have been pollarded over 400 years
ago, covered in a white lichen which shone in the sunlight. No digestives
today, but seasonal mince pies instead! As we returned over the source of the
Mill Lawn Brook which flows through Burley and Brockenhurst before joining the
Lymington river Richard S spotted a small flock of Fieldfares that paused
briefly in the top of a Silver Birch before flying onwards. AM