Photo Diary

Beech trees in Spring



DSC_0037.JPG, originally uploaded by michael_jecks.

This shows that strange, but lovely, pale green light that you only get under beech trees at this time of year. Beech trees are fantastic sources of food. At this time the fresh leaves are great in salads – sweet and almost melting in the mouth – while later there is the profusion of nuts. Then again, they are often sought out for cover by pigeons and other birds, so they were worth keeping an eye on for the cottar who needed more food. Peasants and farmers used to spread glue-like mixtures over branches late in the afternoon, and roosting birds would land on it at be trapped overnight. Personally I’ve never liked that sort of approach to gathering and hunting, but I have always loved the colours you get in a beech forest.

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