Philorth Woods -Change and decay

Recent gales and colder weather have  brought dramatic changes to the woods, the ground under the trees is littered with fallen leaves. There are very few flowers still in bloom, mainly the occasional campion and ragwort.

At the edge of Flagpole Plantation we saw this completely leafless, apparently largely decayed, beech tree densely covered  in clumps of fleshy fungus brackets  (possibly  Lentinellus cochleatus).

The clumps extended from just above ground level up the east side of the trunk and main branches 

The most highly coloured leaves are those on the beeches and horse chestnuts

The ground beneath the horse chestnuts is thick with fallen leaves but there are very few conkers to be found. This shortage seems to be Scotland wide and caused major problems for the Scottish conker Championships were were held in Peebles earlier this month -the event was only able to go ahead using conkers imported from England.

A magnificent spreading chestnut tree ablaze with autumn tints. One of the very many vociferous pheasants in the wood is foraging in the grass.

There are ash trees scattered throughout the wood, especially round the pond, Grey Granite is concerned that they may become infected with ash dieback which has arrived in the UK from mainland Europe where it has had such devastating effect on the ash population.

The Overhaul: Kathleen Jamie

During her recent absences in France and Nethy Bridge Grey Granite has really missed the sight and sound of the sea in all its moods and since her return has enjoyed wandering along a variety of familiar shorelines. In the occasional beautiful, calm days of pale autumnal light the shore has an elegiac quality. This  mood is perfectly matched by the poems in Kathleen Jamie's new collection, 'The Overhaul'. Her reflective poems explore the interface between the human and natural world, they are understated, but profound, exquisite descriptive cameos whose cadences match thought rather than spoken language. 

Grey Granite has noticed that there seem to be noticeably fewer seabirds and waders than in previous years, sadly this has been confirmed by a recent WeBS survey which indicates a reduction of about 25% in oystercatcher numbers.