Scottish Native Woods

Walking the dug in Highland Perthshire

2011-12-15T10:39:00.002Z

Closer.....

2011-12-15T10:38:00.003Z

The Tay today

2011-12-15T10:38:00.000Z

Christmas cards... which one?

2011-12-06T20:48:00.000Z

Xmas card time. Here are a couple of options. This first one, and the third one by North-east manager Carol Robertson. The trees here are actually beech, so, strictly speaking, not native.

Another one...parkland trees at Drummond Estate

2011-12-06T20:46:00.000Z

Another one...ivy on birch tree

2011-12-06T20:45:00.000Z

Sun over the flooded Tay

2011-12-01T21:12:00.003Z

Walking the dug....

2011-12-01T21:12:00.000Z

First snow in Perthshire, November 2011

2011-11-26T14:57:00.001Z

The importance of leaf litter

2011-11-24T17:14:00.004Z

At this time of year the principle source of energy in many upland burns comes from leaves washed into the burn.

These aspen leaves will be processed in stages by a series of micro-organisms such as fungi & bacteria, followed by invertebrates such as the larvae of stoneflies & caddisflies which in turn
are preyed upon by larger animals including fish.

The rate of breakdown varies with different tree species with the leaves of some tree species such as bird cherry broken down within a few weeks whereas the leaves of other species such as oak may take several months to decay.

Most semi-natural woodlands produce a diverse leaf-litter and will therefore provide a continuous food supply throughout the autumn and winter to sustain a rich and productive aquatic ecosystem.

Tree planting at Star of Markinch Resevoir in Fife

2011-11-21T10:20:00.000Z

Scottish Native Woods donated some aspen trees to this local community effort in Fife. Photos courtesy of Sue Band. Very well done Sue.

Deer protection

2011-11-21T10:18:00.000Z

The resevoir at Star of Markinch

2011-11-21T10:17:00.000Z

Glen Quoich at Mar Lodge

2011-11-20T11:53:00.002Z

The winter sun.....

2011-11-20T11:52:00.003Z

Big pines

2011-11-20T11:52:00.000Z

Above the pinewoods

2011-11-20T11:50:00.003Z

Four trees

2011-11-20T11:50:00.000Z

Glen Quoich

2011-11-20T11:49:00.000Z

Community Woodlands Conference

2011-11-18T17:28:00.003Z

CWA organised another very successful conference at Boat of Garten last weekend. One of the site visits was to RSPB Abernethy, where delegates caught up with plans to naturalise areas of Scots pine plantation. The discussion was good, provoking some serious reflection among participants.

One of the themes we looked at was the creation of deadwood. The vast majority of the species which live in the Abernethy pinewoods depend on deadwood at some stage in their life. However Scottish pinewoods are short of deadwood. This picture includes one of the numerous wee patches of deadwood that are being created in this plantation.

An autumn path

2011-11-10T16:34:00.000Z

Autumn light in the beeches

2011-11-10T16:33:00.000Z

Beech is not a native toScotland and grows on and out-competes many native trees, as here on the ancient woodland and SSSI site.

Mist through the birches

2011-11-10T16:31:00.000Z

Ash leaves hanging down

2011-11-10T16:30:00.000Z

Planning for Winter

2011-11-07T16:02:00.005Z

Before the leaves are fully off the trees it is important to check your new trees planted last winter to assess the numbers which have not survived and require replanting this coming winter. The ideal is to undertaken this assessment after the first season or summer in growth although it can be completed up to 3 summers following planting. However the longer you leave this assessment the more difficult it is to replant due to the coarse ground vegetation which can develop.

Any dead trees must be marked with a dot of spray paint and the total numbers counted. Make sure you place your order with the tree nursery early in the season to ensure you get the pick of the planting stock for this season.

Boat house in the wood

2011-11-03T18:55:00.003Z

An unusual feature of this wood is a boathouse. Admittedly it's actually on the woodland edge, but it shows what can turn up when you're looking at woodland management. There's a proposal to turn this structure into a wee base and bird hide for the local Primary School to use.

Autumn Hazel

2011-10-26T16:24:00.000+01:00

Forest Research training day in Dumfries

2011-10-26T16:23:00.000+01:00

Birch trees before the rain

2011-10-26T16:22:00.000+01:00

Glen Lyon pine tree

2011-10-26T16:20:00.000+01:00

Another scary tree......

2011-10-26T16:19:00.000+01:00

Ghoulish Trees

2011-10-24T16:56:00.006+01:00

With Halloween approaching I thought I would share with you a few unusual trees which, if you look hard enough, have a ghoulish form. Not very sinister, infact they made me smile when I came across them in the woods!

My favourite of the year.

Boats, history and communities

2011-10-19T22:37:00.003+01:00

The NWDG's woodland history conference this year will include a talk on the ways in which community groups relate to woodland history. One of the themes that I will explore will be the way in which groups such as Galgael have developed and used links with historical boat building.

This picture shows the work of another group, Big Green Tarbert. These Loch Fyne skiffs formed the backbone of the 19th century herring fishing fleet which made Tarbert prosperous. The one at the back, "Wee Dooker" was built by local children under the supervision of AGWA's Adam Way. Wee Dooker has a keel and ribs made from Argyll oak.

The conference is in Perth on the 10th November: more details at http://www.nwdg.org.uk/conference_14.html

Wood Ants

2011-10-14T12:03:00.006+01:00

The nests of wood ants are characteristic of Caledonian Pinewoods. There are three species present in Scotland, all are recognised as of conservation importance with their own Species Action Plans as part of the UK Biodiversity process.

This impressive rounded mound of pine needles has been carefully constructed by the worker ants to maintain a specific temperature and humidity in the nest. The south side of the nest is less steep to maximise solar gain. Underground is a series of chambers where the eggs and pupae develop.

As I approached this nest, the tracks of the worker ants foraging in the surrounding trees for needles and invertebrates was very clear amongst the carpet of blaeberry.

Birch Regeneration

2011-10-14T10:27:00.000+01:00

Here is an ex- conifer plantation that was felled 8 years ago and which has now sprung up to be a carpet of birch trees.

Getting scientific with hazelnuts

2011-10-12T22:47:00.003+01:00

Here's some pictures of the school hazel project we have been working on with Atlantic Hazel Action Group member Sandy Coppins. The children are helping with a wee experiment to see if hazel nuts might have colonised Scotland after the last ice age by sea: floating across from Ireland. Having collected the nuts on a damp autumnal day, the children set about sorting their haul
Some of the nuts have been put in salt water to see if they will still germinate after immersion in salt water

Others were planted immediately as a control: that meant dirty hands for some of the helpers!

Questions, Questions

2011-10-07T09:21:00.006+01:00

Coming across a couple of aspen seedlings in a gully in the Cairngorms poses a number of interesting questions. Located hundred of metres from any mature aspen how did these seedlings establish themselves here?

Aspen rarely produces seed in Scotland, spreading mainly by suckers from the tree roots. Looking around in the heather I found no evidence of stumps of older aspen trees which could have produced these as suckers. Perhaps any stumps have decayed but the roots remained, fed by small suckers hidden in the heather?

Or can we conclude that they have established from seed, blown on the wind over the heather moorland to germinate and establish in the damp mossy layer of this gully?

Scientific analysis of the genetic print of the seedlings and comparing it with genetic print of neighbouring aspen trees would help answer these questions.

Seal of approval

2011-09-30T18:52:00.002+01:00

Autumn aspen on Loch Hourn

2011-09-30T18:51:00.000+01:00

On Clunie Loch

2011-09-30T10:21:00.000+01:00

Beaver chewed willows

2011-09-30T10:20:00.000+01:00

This willow regrowth on the river Earn has arisen after trees had been felled by beavers. It is one year of growth. You can see the evidence of beaver chewing on the stumps to the right.

Autumn Gold

2011-09-29T21:08:00.004+01:00

Why not invest some time in the coming weeks to get out and see the autumn golds?

The sunny late summer weather in the North East with the brilliant blue sky, provides a fantastic backdrop for the start of this striking autumn display.

These birch trees near Braemar are the first few trees to change. However it will not be long before the neighbouring woodlands join the colour festival. So don't leave it too long......

Autumn aspen leaves

2011-09-26T13:21:00.000+01:00

Different angle.........

2011-09-26T13:20:00.000+01:00

Different colour.........

2011-09-26T13:19:00.001+01:00

Searching for fungi

2011-09-26T11:28:00.003+01:00

Out and about in the woods at Creagan Hill, part of the Glen Creran Special Area of Conservation. We're revisiting the management of this area, looking to get an acceptable balance between grazing and woodland regeneration. I also took the chance to look for glove fungi in the hazel that forms a part of these woods. There was plenty of fungi, but no sign of the elusive glove.

The fungus in this shot is a bit obscure: the oak leaf is probably held in place by a glue fungus.
Glue fungus are often associated with hazel glove fungus.

..and finally, one that was not on a hazel tree: the birch polypore

Small is beautiful

2011-09-23T10:03:00.003+01:00

Who knows how old this rowan tree is nestled within the heather.

At around 30cm in height and its multi stemmed form indicates this tree has survived years of browsing by red and roe deer as well as mountain hares.

Despite its size, the rowan rewarded me this week with a vibrant display of autumn colours.

Along the Tay

2011-09-21T09:53:00.000+01:00

Here are a few photos from yesterday, out looking for invasive species along the Tay.

The Tay below Aberfeldy

2011-09-21T09:51:00.000+01:00

The Tay above Logierait

2011-09-21T09:50:00.002+01:00

Harvest time the noo

2011-09-19T14:12:00.000+01:00

The rewards of wet feet

2011-09-16T12:09:00.004+01:00

Out and about surveying trees in the eastern Cairngorms yesterday, involved fording a number of large hill burns.

By plotting where the existing tree cover is along these mountain burns, we can also highlighted where the gaps are. Scottish Native Woods NE manager is working with the landowner to draft proposals to protect & expand native woods within these hill gullies. Woods occurring along rivers, lochs and burns is referred to as riparian woodland.

Birch, willow, Scots pine and rowan trees were the most common species recorded. With the striking autumn colours just starting to appear on the rowan trees.

At the end of a days surveying, you can quickly forget wet feet with views like this!

Scotch Argus Butterfly

2011-09-12T21:40:00.002+01:00

There are still some butterflies on the wing in Argyll. Here's a Scotch Argus at rest....

..and here's one playing hard to find. The reverse of the wings are far more muted in colour, allowing the butterfly to merge in with the leaf litter.

A Walk along the Tay

2011-09-04T20:48:00.000+01:00

Old ways through the woods

2011-08-30T20:57:00.003+01:00

Looking through a Plantation on Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS) out in Argyll, and came across this old pathway through the wood. Someone put a fair bit of work into cutting a path into the hillside. It would have been wide enough for a person or a horse.

Further on there's the remains of a gateway through a dyke. Research indicates the dyke was probably built in the 1820's.

Vote for Treshnish!

2011-08-23T17:46:00.003+01:00

Treshnish Farm, which we have been involved with as part of the Atlantic Hazelwood Project has won the Scottish leg of the RSPB Nature of Farming Award.

Treshnish is now in the running for the national award, and to win they need as many votes as possible, so please help to support this great example of a West Highland farm by voting at
http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/farming/natureoffarming/

(Thanks to http://treshnishbirdlog.blogspot.com/ for use of the picture, showing a view over the Treshnish hazelwoods towards Rum and Skye)

Argyll NFU & Agricultural Forum Meet

2011-08-22T21:33:00.003+01:00

Argyll National Farmers Union and the Agriculture Forum had a joint meeting at Ardkinglas Estate, taking in a view of some of the native woodland work that Scottish Native Woods have been involved with at Ardkinglas.
The participants had a lively session on the impact of forestry expansion on the farming sector. John Semple, Regional NFU Chairman, and Sid House, FC Conservator are listened to by Andrew Barbour, a past Scottish Native Woods trustee. Andrew has just been appointed to head the Scottish Government's Woodland Advisory Group, which will be looking at the balance between woodland creation and farming activity.

After the forestry session, the participants moved on to inspect some shearling blackface tups from Pole Farm (before a final stop and a tasting session at Fyne Ales).

A sunken road............

2011-08-16T16:12:00.002+01:00

VIDEO- Another PAWS site

2011-08-16T16:11:00.000+01:00

VIDEO- A more open area

2011-08-16T16:02:00.000+01:00

Under your feet.....

2011-08-16T15:21:00.000+01:00

As well as ancient woodland indicator vegetation, there are a lot of other things under your feet in here as well. See below............

Hazel

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Ash

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Brambles

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Oak

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Honeysuckle

2011-08-16T15:16:00.000+01:00

Eyes Down

2011-08-08T10:59:00.006+01:00

Certain plants are used as indicators of the history of woodland cover on a site. When out in the Caledonian Pinewoods at this time of year it is worth keeping a look out on the forest floor for a few of these pinewood indicator plants.

The lime green hummocks of Ostrich-plume feather moss (Ptilium crista-castrensis) stand out in the low light conditions of the wood. This moss gets is name from its resemblance to an ostrich feather.

Peaking through the heather below, are the white flowering spires of creeping lady's-tresses (Goodyera repens) which as the name suggests spreads through creeping runners ending in rosettes of oval evergreen leaves. This species can also be found in Scots pine plantation in the North East.

Looking along Loch Tay

2011-08-04T10:21:00.000+01:00

On way to Oban yesterday for meeting with Gordon and Shona, one of our company directors.

Stob Binnein & Benmore

2011-08-04T10:18:00.002+01:00

Farm across Loch Tay

2011-08-04T10:17:00.002+01:00

Turriff Agricultural Show

2011-08-02T14:25:00.004+01:00

Scottish Aspen, Populus tremula was the theme of Scottish Native Woods' display within the forestry marquee at the Turriff Agricultural Show this week.
I am delighted to say a few of the visitors to the stand had aspen in their woods and many hoped to plant a few Scottish aspen trees in their new woodland plantings this autumn, which is great news.
Our display boards, made from locally grown birch and ash, were also admired.

Many thanks to Forestry Commission Scotland for the invitation to participate in the forestry marquee.

Alstor at Kilfinan Community Forest Company

2011-08-02T11:35:00.006+01:00

Kilfinan Community Forest Company had a great "Tree to Table" day on Saturday, with over 200 people turning out to see what's going on in the woods. Here's the Scottish Native Woods' Alstor showing that a wee machine can move a mountain of wood.

Neil Hopkinson put his firewood processor on display. We've helped KCFC with a firewood feasibility study, and they are gearing up to supply a high quality low carbon fuel from the forest.

Having a go at greenwoodworking is always popular, and the Argyll Green Woodworkers Association stand was kept busy.

Video- PAWS survey work around Pitlochry

2011-07-27T16:52:00.000+01:00

Videos are a great way of demonstrating the work we do and the sort of situations and sites that we work with.

If you are feeling lazy and cant be bothered keeping notes, they are also a great way of recording useful information that you can easily refer back to. These three sites are in and around Pitlochry in Highland Perthshire.

Video- Another site

2011-07-27T16:43:00.000+01:00

Video- A Sea of Dog's Mecury.

2011-07-27T16:30:00.000+01:00

Dog's Mecury is a woodland indicator plant, and denotes soils of high pH, often associated with ash or other very fertile sites.

Sunshine & shade

2011-07-26T18:57:00.000+01:00

It was very, very hot today. Thankfully getting some shade in the woods near Pitlochry while doing some PAWS survey work. Trees do come in handy....!

Dwarf Birch

2011-07-25T10:16:00.004+01:00

Out in the Cairngorms I came across a lovely area of dwarf birch (Betula nana) amongst the wet heath. This native species with its small dark green leaves, can be found growing in our mountains up to 800m above sea level. In these exposed conditions dwarf birch achieves a maximum height of one metre and is an important species in the restoration of our montane woods in Scotland.

New volunteer

2011-07-19T09:04:00.001+01:00

This wild cat was camera-trapped at Highland Aspen Group's tree nursery near Kincraig. It has been kindly helping keep down the local rabbit population.

Making a tree nursery - from this...

2011-07-14T16:57:00.003+01:00

This school had a raised bed, the perfect size for a tree nursery, if it wasn't for the fact that someone had planted them up with Cypress which were now about 10 feet tall.

It looked like it would be impossible to take them out by hand....

...to this

2011-07-14T16:48:00.004+01:00

..but it wasn't. Conifers such as these Cypresses only have shallow roots so they came out quickly. (This is also why conifers are prone to being blown over, and can't stabilise the soil like native broadleaf trees can.)
We then put in posts and netting to keep out the rabbits. (The mesh should be not more than 25mm)

The tree nursery was now ready to be planted up.

Enter the children

2011-07-14T16:01:00.007+01:00

Once the tree nursery was ready the children were able to put in their tree seedlings, which had been in a cold frame till now. It was well over time for them to be in the ground, especially over the summer holidays.

The trees were a mixture of Oak, Rowan, Elder, Ash and one Yew (Can you find it?)

Natural regeneration at work

2011-07-13T10:17:00.000+01:00

This is a really interesting area of natural regeneration on Deeside, with a mixture of birch and Scots Pine coming up within a Scots Pine plantation which has been progressively thinned out over 15 years or so. Although it was a plantation, the regen is all (or nearly all) of native species and the wood now has tree-mendous amenity and biodiversity value, as well as being successfully restocked. The remaining mature trees are also putting on girth very quickly now. The area is a good example of Continuous Cover Forestry (CCF) at work.

A sea of birch

2011-07-13T10:10:00.000+01:00

You can see a European larch on the left, and also some scattered Scots Pine seedlings as well. There are 20- 50,000 seedlings per ha throughout this area..... way too many for the local deer population to hold in check.

Young Scots Pine

2011-07-13T10:07:00.000+01:00

There is a 20-30% cover of Scots Pine among all this birch.

And again

2011-07-13T10:05:00.000+01:00

A sea of green

2011-07-13T10:04:00.000+01:00

At first glance, this looks like a swath of bracken, but the majority of what you see here are Scots Pine seedlings that have arisen after a fire in the Forest of Birse in 2003, probably the most dramatic and dangerous fire there has been on Deeside for a very long time. The seedlngs are exceptionally dense in this area, and the resulting woodland will likely be more dense than what was destroyed at the time. It looks as though this lot will get away from the deer. The more trees you have, the better their chances.

So, what looked like devastation in 2003 now looks a good deal more healthy. You can expand the image simply by clicking on it.

A different view

2011-07-13T09:56:00.000+01:00

Hiding in the heather

2011-07-13T09:55:00.000+01:00

This Scots Pine seedling has taken hold at some point after fire seven years ago.

Schiehallion

2011-07-13T09:53:00.000+01:00

Lime flowers

2011-07-13T09:50:00.000+01:00

Water flowing by.......

2011-07-13T09:48:00.000+01:00

The Falls of Moness

2011-07-13T09:37:00.000+01:00

VIDEO- The Falls of Moness

2011-07-13T09:34:00.000+01:00

As always, quite an impressive site.

A Toast to the Elder Tree

2011-07-08T17:44:00.004+01:00

The elder trees are in full flower in the North East and their clusters of sweetly scented flowers stand out along this woodland edge. These flowers can be used to make a refreshing summertime cordial, which I looked forward to partaking of after a hot day surveying this wood!

Compared to the Springtime when a number of trees and shrubs are in flower, elder provides an important nectar source for insects at this time of year.

These fragrant flowers will develop into striking dark purple berries in the autumn which are relished by birds and mammals. These berries are also favoured by some enthusiasts for making another more warming drink elderberry wine.

CHEERS!

Surviving Wych Elm

2011-07-01T18:07:00.007+01:00

A familiar sight to many are the bare, leafless tree branches in summer of elms which have died as a result of Dutch Elm disease. However there is hope, as within this same wood a wonderful specimen of wych elm is still surviving. Its knotty burrs and fissures in the bark providing a haven for invertebrates and bats.

Pinewood Discussions

2011-06-28T17:11:00.003+01:00

This group of landowners, foresters and ecologists had an interesting excursion to Mar Lodge Estate to discuss stand structure and succession in native pinewoods. The event run by the Royal Scottish Forestry Society was lead by Colin Edwards from Forest Research.

The group had a lovely walk along Glen Quoich through the native pine & birch woods. The results of the National Trust for Scotland's management of controlling deer numbers to allow natural regeneration of trees was showing signs of success. Good seedling regeneration of birch, alder, Scots pine and willow was evident along the Quoich

Great to see a more diverse range of species and ages of trees appearing in these ancient woodlands.

Scottish Native Woods at the Royal Highland Show

2011-06-23T21:06:00.005+01:00

If you're at Ingliston during the RHS, then drop by the Forestry Demonstration Area to see Scottish Native Woods' Alstor in action

A quiet backwater..........

2011-06-23T09:18:00.000+01:00

Here is a really nice bit of riparian woodland between the river Tummel and a quiet backwater. It is dominated by willows and especially alder, completely undisturbed, nice range of habitats with a number of watercourses flowing through it, as well as sitting water. The A9 is only 20 metres away!

Trees on screes

2011-06-23T09:13:00.002+01:00

Native woodland fragments in Glen Lyon

Good and bad

2011-06-23T09:12:00.000+01:00

The taller, light coloured plant here is himalayam balsam, an invasive species. The slightly darker, shrter plant is dogs mecury, an anicient woodland indicator plant.