Hockering Wood & Hindolveston

I made a morning drive up to Hindolveston to pick up a new 125w Skinner trap from Anglia Lepidopterist Supplies. I was glad I did as it gave me time to meet and chat with propietor Jon Clifton.

Another reason for driving was to visit Hockering Wood, an 88 ha, privately-owned ancient limewood, en route. This is a curious wood with a lot of old Small-leaved Lime Tilia cordata, some coppice stools of which are several metres across. 

Small-leaved Lime Tilia cordata coppice stools on E boundary.

Paths are good broad, typical ex-WWII concrete roadways, of the type familiar in this part of the world, so access is easy. The site has been somewhat spoilt by hundreds of exotic trees - mostly conifers but also some broadleafs - and the best area for limes seems to be at the southern end, most distant from the entrance. Hopefully, the ongoing management aims to selectively remove the non-native trees.

Small-leaved Lime Tilia cordata stand in SW corner.

 
I cannot recall having been in a limewood before and had certainly never seen treetrunks in Britain showing the regularly-drilled net of holes typical of those made in America by sapsuckers Sphyrapicus, presumably made by Great-spotted Woodpeckers Dendrocopos major.

Rows of holes in Small-leaved Lime Tilia cordata trunk presumably made by
Great-spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major.

The weather is propitious and the trap has been on since dusk...