The woodland at Nymans

Winter is the time to appreciate the sculptural form of trees, without their summer dressing of leaves.

More noticeable too are barks of varying texture and colour: the smooth grey beech, the fissured oak and red and silver striped birch.  Redwoods majestically stand tall with their red, fibrous bark and glossy green foliage and holly berries stand out, bright and red – food for birds and wildlife. Look out late winter hazel catkins which release clouds of yellow pollen and produce tiny red flowers. 

You may still spot dog’s mercury foliage – always the first to appear in spring and the last to go in winter – as well as cushions of mosses and liverworts which soften the winter landscape. Keep an eye out for wood spurge and naturalized snowdrops. 

Spot tree creepers in the coppice looking for insects, watch tits and finches feed on berries, nuts and seeds and Jays searching for buried acorns. Winter’s a good time to spot old bird nests in the bare trees and listen out for the dog-like barking of the muntjac deer and the calls of owls.