Hayley Wood

Today I did something I'd been meaning to for a long time: I went to Hayley Wood. It's not far from where I live and I've been reading Oliver Rackham's book about it, titled Hayley Wood: Its History and Ecology.

Apparently, Hayley Wood might be a remnant of the prehistoric wildwood which covered much of this area, and its history can be traced through old documents showing how important it was for local villagers - for fuel and building materials, and also for pannage (that's browsing pigs).

I also thought it might be interesting to check out whether there were any of the typical ancient woodland bird species. The Wildlife Trust website mentions Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and Lesser Redpoll. Of course, I drew a blank there, I didn't even see a Marsh Tit, and it was too early for flowers, too. It was hard work for not much, to be honest, but perhaps if I got back in a few weeks, I'll be impressed. Must swot up on my flowers and trees...







photos taken with Canon Powershot A640