DOWN TO EARTH in The City

A huge amount of fallen and lying timber currently adorns the ground in gardens, parks and woodlands around Britain,  following Storm Doris's fly-by a few weeks ago. A Met Office image of Storm Doris The clean up operation began immediately -  but many fallen trees will remain undisturbed where they lie, and will gradually decay naturally. In some cases taking 50 years or more, the rate of decay depending on a multitude of invading decomposers, including fungi and invertebrates in all shapes and sizes and further aided by wind, rain and extremes of temperature. other trees will be cleared away immediately The transition from 'plantation' to 'woodland' is a gradual one, elevated somewhat by the presence of deadwood and the decaying process. For details on deadwood management in woodland and forest follow the link below http://www.forestry.gov.uk/PDF/FCPG020.pdf/$FILE/FCPG020.pdf

A Birmingham & Black Country Wildlife Trust initiative to encourage the observation of wild flowers - March hedgerow, bank and ditch at the Grove, Kings Heath. The oldest oak tree is around 150 years but the feature could date back to the Enclosure Act of 1772. A 'hidden history' of Kings Heath. The term 'eyes on the ground' often has military connotations and has been conceptualised thus since the Iraqi war. other definitions = "The term "eyes on the ground" is occasionally used to describe those individuals (frequently soldiers) who are close to an event and can give first-hand information to decision makers." Google or ""witnesses."  The Americanism "eyes on the ground" appears to be military (or espionage) jargon for information obtained directly ("what they saw with their own eyes") as distinguished from deductions, documentary information etc.   But the meaning is simply witnesses."...

This is, at least for me, always an exciting time of year. I'm not desperate to be rid of Winter 2016-17, for it has been relatively comfortable, 'unseasonal', some might say, followed by 'we need a good freeze to get rid of pests'. I'm not convinced with this argument, although I do enjoy wintery seasonal conditions, you know - threatening, moody skies followed by heavy snow, resulting in standstill on the roads, or bright clear night skies followed by hard, hoary frost. I do sympathise however with those poor unsteady-on-feet souls during such conditions, and falls can be fatal for elderly people; indeed it seems that most years an inevitable 'fatal fall' happens somewhere in my extended family, as it did this year to a 99 year old. The 100th celebration will continue later this year however. The 'pest wipe-out' argument' also results in many small bird species declining, and in some cases, quite devastatingly, although often recovering i...