Ghost elm

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In: photo

The ghost of an English elm that died forty years ago from Dutch elm disease (Ophiostoma novo-ulmi). In an English meadow, this stump is all that remains of a majestic elm Ulms procera that once typified the English landscape until the arrival of Dutch elm disease in the 1960s. SeeContinue Reading

misty morning trees

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In: photo

I always say to myself, “don’t forget the camera“. You never know when you may come across a great landscape scene, newsworthy event, or chance upon something really photogenic. Today was one of those frantic mornings – getting the kids ready for school and dashing off for work – andContinue Reading

Fall in woodland

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In: art, environment, nature, photo

The colours and texture of Autumn are perfectly captured, with a hint of seasonal swirling winds. I love the idea of falling into the woodland; like disappearing down a silvan plug hole.Continue Reading

Sunrise in the Cevennes

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In: photo, travel

I enjoy the subjects provided by the Weekly photo challenge.  This week I’ve cheated, just a little, as the theme is Sunset and I have posted instead a sunrise. I like this photo so I thought I could get away with posting it. While on holiday in France in July,Continue Reading

Wild cherry and hawksbeard

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In: photo

It’s always a challenge photographing flowers in a woodland. Very often you have to battle with low light conditions due to shade, so a tripod is essential. Being outdoors, the wind is often a problem in trying to capture the detail of flowers. In this case I made the mostContinue Reading

Sunrise in the Cevennes

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In: photo

Sunrise and valley mist in the Cevennes mountains of south east France.  The forests contain a large proportion of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) trees, alongside downy oak (Quercus pubescens) and various pines and spruces. Gabriel HemeryContinue Reading

Elder and farm machinery HDR image

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In: feature, trees

Trees are beautiful to the eye but their smell is often overlooked. I don’t mean the obvious showy flowering trees but the hidden olfactory wonders in leaf, bark and seed. Here are my favourite Fragrant trees, and some less popular Odiferous trees. Fragrant trees The fresh needles of the EuropeanContinue Reading

Swallow and trees

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In: birds

“One swallow doesn’t make a summer!” This seemed an apt saying to sum up this year’s British summer.  It’s been difficult to photograph anything ‘hot’ to meet this week’s photo challenge, at least in the British countryside. Gabriel HemeryContinue Reading

Maiden sweet chestnut and coppice

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In: forestry, silviculture, trees

This week I had the pleasure of visiting Kent – “England’s garden” – famous for its apple, cherry and cobnut growing.  It is also the centre of Britain’s sweet chestnut coppice industry. Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) was introduced to Britain by the Romans some 2000 years ago.  Its attraction wasContinue Reading

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In: art, photo

Early dawn in rural Oxfordshire, England.  The sun was about to rise over the Chilterns (left) early on this morning in June, and would soon illuminate the Wittenham Clumps, visible in the centre distance. Gabriel HemeryContinue Reading

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In: nature, photo, trees

Deep within an English woodland, while the distant bark of a roe deer echoed between the hazel coppice stools, the nearby sounds of a calling coot led to me to water and a hidden woodland pond.  As I explored the fringes of the carr woodland I came across these luminescentContinue Reading

On:
In: nature, photo

Here in the south of Britain we’ve experienced our first substantial rain for many weeks, following the driest April and May since meteorological records began.  During a particularly heavy shower while I was in the woods today, I took shelter under a beautiful sycamore tree.  Looking up I discovered thatContinue Reading