Yesterday’s visit was memorable for insects that gave us a hard time – but more of that later. I met one of my mates who had come for a day out and to help me put together a workbench I made last year. I had been sorting out my cellar and decided that I should try to use up some of the big pieces of timber I’d collected over the years because “They might come in useful one day”. I was planning to build a small blackmith area and thought how useful a sturdy bench would be. So I constructed it at home then partly dismantled it for storing and transporting. It’s deceptive when you look at the photo but it’s really heavy. It took us about an hour to finish and I’m really pleased with it. I just need to crack on with the new shelter now.
Now for the insect stories. Well firstly the mosquitoes were wicked. They were targeting us all day and despite wearing repellents, they wouldn’t leave us alone and we both got some nasty bites. But worse was to come. We decided it was time for coffee but my mate urgently needed to use the composting toilet so off he went. I set about making a brew but a few minutes later some loud cries were heard and he came staggering back, obviously in pain. “There’s a ******* wasps nest in the loo”. Fortunately he hadn’t got as far as sitting on it, merely dropping his jeans but he had a nasty sting on his thigh. I can’t bear to think how it could have turned out had he actually sat down, bare bum and all! Nor the embarrassment of turning up at A&E trouser-less and with his crown jewels covered in stings. Yikes! Lucky escape but unlucky encounter? I went back later to cover the toilet back up and you can see they have chewed a hole in the tarp for access.
My mate stocked up on logs for his garden firepit at home and we had a wander around just looking at various aspects of the woods and seeing what we could find of interest. He found three lovely feathers, probably all wing feathers – Buzzard, Magpie and Jay
I spotted this little wren’s nest wedged at the side of my shelter. Wished I had found it earlier in the year when it might have had chicks. Apparently though, the males build several nests and let the female choose which one, so it might be one of the rejects.
I spotted two plants that were previously unknown to me. The first is Enchanter’s Nightshade. Sounds ominous but supposedly not particularly toxic. In Magick practices it is used as a love potion, binding, shapeshifting and the law of attraction. Sounds interesting!
While having our lunch we got talking about fungi and I remembered there had been a strange one on a nearby rotten birch tree. I suddenly realised that the tree was gone. For a second I thought I had lost my bearings, then realised that as it was so badly rotten, it might have finally fallen. Sure enough there it was, well hidden in the tall undergrowth. It can stay there and continue to feed the various fungi and bugs that love rotten wood.
Diary of a man and his woodland 