Hazel Catkins and Clues

At the most dormant time of the year, each deciduous tree species provides its own clues….

One of the earliest and most obvious is the Hazel

with catkins glowing in the sun, on the bank of the river after rain.

Today, a damp, dank and dark day, other Hazels we planted a few years ago elsewhere on the river bank were observed to be doing well, emerging from their 'nursery plants' and carpets of fallen leaves.

These will add to the crop of hazel nuts produced in the early autumn by the mature Hazel trees planted many years ago, the nuts enjoyed by wildlife as soon as they form.

An easily overlooked Hazel flower, just one or two mms. across accompanies the 'lamb's tails' Hazel catkins.

There's no mistaking the Alder in winter with a mixture of last years miniature cones and fresh red catkins. The Alder is at home along rivers and damp ground.

On most Field Maples there will be a few winged seeds still clinging to the branches in winter, or perhaps just thin stems curved over where the seeds hung before they flew off. Here new leaf buds are forming either side of last year's seed stem.

Further along the river new planting by the developer on the banks of a wildlife pond has been thriving over the past year.

Sun shining through frost droplets on 17th January and

beyond, a frozen pond.

The surrounding vegetation provides shelter for amphibians and small mammals.

Dragonfly larvae will be in the pond under the ice in warmer water.