Recovery

When we suffered our worst storm of the winter - in May, link to that day's blog entry here - the main casualties were the trees with their tender new leaves, particularly the broad-leafed varieties which were within a couple of hundred metres of the shore, though the effects were seen up to two miles inland. The leaves were burnt both by the strong wind and the salt spray. Some, particularly the younger deciduous trees and some bushes, haven't recovered, their leaves curled and brown round the edges, and many of the fir trees still show the scars from that day.

Most, however, have shown a remarkable recovery. The oaks - pictured above - have come on strongly, as have....

....the sycamores, though these were probably worst affected with their large leaves, some of them shedding them as if it were autumn.

One of the most unusual effects has been on the rowan trees. This one is typical. It grows close to Trevor Potts' camp site (link here) and, being so close to the sea, was stripped of its leaves on the up-wind, western side. The new shoots have the fresh colour of spring while the old, surviving leaves are in their more sombre, summer colours.

For those of us who hate bracken, it's been a great year. All along Ormsaigbeg it has shrivelled to a crisp, many of the fronds dying completely. New shoots have grown, but they are half the height of and thinner than the normal crop, and there are places which remain almost clear. Bracken, being the strong survivor it is, will probably come back with a vengeance next year.