This is a good year for acorns, and the squirrels in Buck Wood are definitely in collecting-stores-for-winter mode at present.
This first photo shows the acorns of the Sessile Oak, which is probably the commonest in our wood. The acorns fit snuggly against the branch, and have no stalk, which is what 'sessile' means - although to complicate matters, the leaves do have a stalk.
Then we have the English, or Pedunculate Oak. The acorns grow on a long stalk or 'peduncle', often in pairs, as shown here. However the leaves don't have a peduncle, but grow close to the twig. Which confuses those of us with bad memories as to where there are - or aren't - stalks. This species is also known as the Common Oak, but in Buck Wood we don't have many, compared with the Sessiles.
Of course there's one that's easy to identify, and that's the lovely whiskery cup of the Turkey Oak acorn. We might only have one or two of these trees now, as I suspect some were cut down the clear-felling under the power lines, but I live in hope of discovering more, and that they'll regenerate. But if you see these very distinctive rounded acorns you can be sure that it's one of Buck Wood's Turkey Oaks!
CA
Acorns are the easiest way of identifying the types of oak trees that are in the wood. There are around 500 different species worldwide, but two predominate in Buck Wood, although that's an oversimplification!
This first photo shows the acorns of the Sessile Oak, which is probably the commonest in our wood. The acorns fit snuggly against the branch, and have no stalk, which is what 'sessile' means - although to complicate matters, the leaves do have a stalk.
Then we have the English, or Pedunculate Oak. The acorns grow on a long stalk or 'peduncle', often in pairs, as shown here. However the leaves don't have a peduncle, but grow close to the twig. Which confuses those of us with bad memories as to where there are - or aren't - stalks. This species is also known as the Common Oak, but in Buck Wood we don't have many, compared with the Sessiles.
But what we seem to have most of is a hybrid between the two, so the acorn in this photo is growing on a short stem, but as you can see, the leaves also have stems. So it isn't straightforward.
However, the squirrels are happy, and as far as I can tell, make the most of whatever they find!
Of course there's one that's easy to identify, and that's the lovely whiskery cup of the Turkey Oak acorn. We might only have one or two of these trees now, as I suspect some were cut down the clear-felling under the power lines, but I live in hope of discovering more, and that they'll regenerate. But if you see these very distinctive rounded acorns you can be sure that it's one of Buck Wood's Turkey Oaks!
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