Birch on Loch Finnart, South Rannoch, Perthshire

Birch on the island....

Loch Finnart appears to be man-made, having a dam at the west-end, probably associated with hydro-electric schemes is this area. Certainly, this birch trees look to be about that age, and may well have got away when the ground around them was flooded.

Remnant Caledonian forest in the Allt Easan Stalcair

There was a really impressive woodland growing in this gorge on the Allt Easan Stalcair on Lochs Estate, to the south of Finnart, including aspen and juniper as well as birch , Scots Pine and rowan. Along with willows, these are the main-stays of Caledonian pine forests......and it is unusual to find them all together in one place like this. For anyone interested in pinewoods and associated habitats, this area to the south-west of the Black Wood of Rannoch is well worth a visit.

Big granny Scots Pine

Young planted native pinewood on Lochs Estate

There are several hundred hectares of native pinewoods here on Lochs Estate. There is a lot of open space, and in many areas the trees have not grown either, but the end result is a fairly open native woodland with a good proportion of broadleaves and this will be very valuable for wildlife, landscape and shelter in the future. The remote location and uneven-ness of the trees means this will never really be a "commercial" plantation. Undoubtedly, the owners will have been motivated to do this to create deer shelter in the future. In another 10 years or so, when the fences start to deteriorate, it will probably be safe to let animals in here again.

Young regenerated Scots Pine

Rowan.......an important pioneer species

Rowan berries are plentiful this year, often pulling down the branches like this to reveal the underside of the leaves.......

Aspen too.......

Aspen is an important component of this sort of woodland

Juniper in a safe place..........

Juniper bushes as good as this are quite rare in west Perthshire.......

Three ages of pine.........

The pine trees here in the foreground are planted and are 7-8 years old. The ones in the middle are granny pines, possibly 250-300 years old. They are a very yellow colour, and are obviously now standing in wetter ground. In the background is South Rannoch Forest, which contains plantation Scots Pine, 50-80 years old, among other species. The trees with the pointed tops are Sitka Spruce.

You put your left arm out.......

This Scots Pine tree has seen better days.......

Among the birches......

The further west you get, the more broadleaved trees you tend to get in pine woods.....these granny pines are stocking up amongst a sea of birch......this is looking towards Cross Craigs to the south-west of Rannoch Forest.......

Birch trees on the edge of Loch Monaghan

Autumn coming.......

You can see the birch tree here starting to turn colour........

Scots Pine in South Rannoch

The hills in the background are on the other side of Loch Rannoch

The Queen's View on Loch Tummel

oak gall

This strange growth is an artichoke gall. It's one of a number of galls that appear on oak trees. Galls are caused by insects laying eggs on the bud of the oak. The bud is deformed into the gall, providing a home for the young insect. The most well known gall is the oak apple.

It's called an artichoke gall because it looks a bit like the fruit of a globe artichoke (more so on the inside as shown here).

First signs of autumn.........

These oak leaves are starting to lose a bit of colour- a sure sign that autumn is not all that far away. Late in the summer, you can start to see leaves turning colour on any trees that are stressed in any way.

And again......

Rowan Berries again.......

And again.......

A hedge of white butterburr......

Photo from Kristina Hayward. White butterburr casts a very dense shade and does not allow other native vegetation the chance to grow. It spreads rapidly, and, while not yet recognized as one of the main invasive species, it is very much an up-and-coming menace.

Hazel Nuts are forming

Hazel Seedling

Dog's mecury

A useful indicator plant for some ancient woodland sites.......

aspen shoots

Back in April I collected some aspen roots as part of our project to make young aspen from around Scotland more available. There was a bit left of root left over so I put it in pot, and here's what's happened. I'll need to seperate out these new plants which have grown up from the root, and then find a home for them in one of the woods that we manage.

Rowan berries in the Black Wood of Rannoch

And again........

Looking out across the Black Wood of Rannoch

Ancient woodland sites at Dall, South Rannoch

The Forestry Commission have been clearing away the non-native plantation species on this site to restore it as an ancient woodland site. The very dense regeneration of birch in particluar illustrates that most of the woodland ecosystem processes are still functioning properly, and this will shortly become a very nice native woodland again.

Or should do.

Unfortunately, this site neighbouring the Dall Estate is the area proposed to be cleared for two golf courses as part of a £1.3 billion development. Replacing ancient woodland sites with manicured golf courses is not an appropriate form of restoration, will not produce a slight-moderate positive impact and, contrary to the environmental audit produced, these sites are not of "low instrinsic value"

Plantation spruce on ancient woodland site

Planted pine on ancient woodland site

Granny pine

Granny pines and other ancient woodland signs exist even outwith the recognized ancient woodland areas.

Restored PAWS Site

In the Black Wood of Rannoch

Looking out over Dunalastair Water

beavers are about

Here's one of the first trees in Argyll to be munched by a beaver from the recent trial reintroduction in Knapdale. The willow tree was given a going over by the male beaver who has attracted attention in recent days following his departure from the trial area. Scottish Native Woods manage the area of woodland adjacent to the fish farm where the beaver decided to settle.

Latest news is that the organisers of the trial have successfully trapped the animal and it has now been released back into the area where they want him to live.

PAWS site survey at Kinnaird Estate

This site is a PAWS woodland......an ancient woodland site with conifers planted on it. Scottish Native Woods are working with the Woodland Trust to survey and develop appropriate management plans for such sites across the country. In Highland Perthshire, the focus is on the A9 corridor. This site is on Kinnaird Estate.

Looking up a thinning rack.......

You can see light getting in here down a forest rack.......ancient woodland sites can gradually be restored by thinning.......in this case, this plantation has been over-thinned.....the risk now being that bracken will take over as subsequent thinnings are acheived..........a very, very difficult balancing act.

Nae ground vegetation........

These spruce trees have been unthinned and there is no ground vegetation here at all.

Under the birch trees........

This area is under birch trees. The threat here to the PAWS interest is more subtle......the very rank grass sward with very little floralistic interest......bracken is becoming dominant in some areas as well.

Ancient willow tree

This willow tree has all sorts of things clinging to it.......it is unusual in that willows are not often long-lived, but this tree has clearly been here for a very, very long time.

Ground vegetation in an ancient woodland site

The natural woodland cover on this site........

Oak leaves.......

Bracken in the woods

Bracken can be a real threat to woodland biodiversity if it becomes too widespread, but a certain % of bracken in any wood is entirely natural. Woodland canopy tends to keep it under control. On this site, thinning conifers too much to improve the PAWS interest would risk letting bracken in.

Bracken along a ride

Close-up of bracken

This is bracken, easily distingished from other woodland ferns, below

Non invasive hard fern

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