This Jay has been stealing the crop of acorns from one of the two oaks in the garden for the last few weeks. (S)he has been planting them with some regularity in the lawn. I could end up living in a forest!
Posts Tagged ‘Oak Trees
31
Oct
15
Planting trees
07
Jan
14
The Oak Apple
Walking the lanes here on the hill during a sunny respite between the seemingly ever persistent storms I noticed something in the hedgerows.
A small almost insignificant oak was growing among the brambles. What attracted me to it is that it was supporting a number of Galls.
Galls, or Oak Apples as they are often called, are formed by Gall Wasps laying eggs within the tissue of the Oak; which then swells to form a Gall. The Wasp lava feeds on the Gall until it emerges as an adult. The galls here will have long been vacated; during the summer. What remains is just the dried out ‘husk’. There are many different types of gall Wasp in the UK; around 250 all told I believe. A bit of interest on a bright January day.
Letter From Norfolk 