Trees

I love trees, and trees are featuring strongly in my work at the moment, because as you know I am carrying out a number of bird surveys across Cumbria in recently planted woodland. On my travels this week I noticed the shape and form of a few trees and you will see a few snaps below.

On Wednesday I was at one of my larger sites northeast of Penrith where I have to survey ten woodland compartments. It sounds like a lot, but some of them are quite small. There was lots of trees, but I did have a few birds too. My list of noteworthy birds included eight Tree Sparrows (including one recently fledged juv.), seven Willow Warblers, two Stock Doves, a Curlew, two Blackcaps, two Buzzards and two Redstarts. 

Two trees stood out on my wanderings; an Oak tree and a Sycamore. I can't begin to guess how old the Sycamore is, but it's old, have a look at it's girth in the picture below.

 Oak

 Sycamore; look at that girth!

This morning I was in the North Pennines east of Kirkby Stephen. I'll start with the birds and I had two Stock Doves, a Great Spotted Woodpecker, a male Bullfinch, two Song Thrushes, a Mistle Thrush, three Willow Warblers, a Redstart, two House Sparrows, a Cuckoo, five Oystercatchers, four Curlews, two Blackcaps, two Lesser Redpolls and a Linnet.

 Oystercatcher

 Song Thrush

It was an Ash and Sycamore that stood out at this site. The Ash was amongst a few Ash and Scots Pines that formed a nice mature hedgerow/line of trees. A bit of habitat amongst a Rye Grass desert!

 Ash

It's more trees for me tomorrow and possibly some Barn Owls at weekend!