22 December 2009

Winter wonders

A short gallery of some of the things that are going on in the woods this winter showing there is still much to see

First, three plants that have appeared among the wood chip where a dense stand of Christmas trees, Norway spruce, was cleared in the autumn.

20091202 Metre & BHW 008

Young rosettes of heath groundsel (Senecio sylvaticus).

20091202 BHW Vicia faba 015

A broad bean or field bean (Vicia faba) seedling.

20091202 Metre & BHW 016

Fat hen (Chenopodium album) seedling.

The lying snow over the last few days has altered the landscape. Particularly telling in the Saturday sunshine were the silver birches in another area from which conifers have been recently removed.

snow birch woodland Sussex 001

Rather more visceral is the fungus jelly drops or purple jelly disc (Ascocoryne sarcoides) found growing on a long-dead fallen tree trunk. The orange bracket in the background is hairy stereum (Stereum hirsutum)

20091202 Ascocoryne sarcoides BHW 006