As this exceptionally dry, early and lovely Spring proceeds into Summer, the succession of woodland and wayside flowers demonstrates this passage in all its glory: thus, since mid-March we have seen in Ast Wood wild dafodils and dogs mercury giving way to wood anemones and dog violets, to yellow archangel and bluebell. Then bluebells took over,with bugle, sanicle, stitchwort, campion and herb paris. Now, foxgloves are making their contribution.

In April, we completed the making and erection of 50 dormouse boxes. They will offer Summer nesting opportunities - hopefully, for the dormouse, though wildlife does not always read the script! Thus, some of our bat boxes have been occupied by tits, woodmice and even dormouse! Volunteers from HAM - Herefordshire Action for Mammals - will survey the boxes on a monthly interval,with the aims of establishing population levels and trends in each of the three management regime areas of the Wood. ie high forest, coppice with standards and non-intervention.

Another fascinating Springtime component of oak woodland is the caterpillar of the green oak roller moth (Tortrix viridana). These bright green larvae hatch from eggs laid on the foliage and roll up the leaves as protection whilst feeding. When mature, they descend on long threads and pupate in the leaf-litter. We used to have peak years in the populations of this species, which resulted in near-complete defoliation of the first flush of oak leaves. However, I have not witnessed such a 'plague' in my 16 years of woodland management.