https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog daily 0.75 2025-02-19 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2025/1/23/new-details-of-upcoming-work-opportunities-for-forestry-contractorssuppliers monthly 0.5 2025-01-23 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2018/6/17/monitoring-forest-pests monthly 0.5 2025-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1529251080903-5L3H233RBGB78GFC7WU1/ptlm+risk+zones.png News - Trapping the Pine Tree Lappet Moth The Pine tree lappet moth risk zones established in the Beauly area by the Forestry Commission (red = higher risk; blue = lower risk). For the uninitiated, Beauly is about a 12 mile drive from Inverness. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1529248728120-QRS3SAN3E56YVDAM62QY/frnews0212_plm.jpg News - Trapping the Pine Tree Lappet Moth The Pine tree lappet moth, courtesy of Forest Research at https://www.forestry.gov.uk/pinetreelappet https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1529251660593-UWN89PY6HVL1JTYY9Q2K/trap+tent+on+tree.jpg News - Trapping the Pine Tree Lappet Moth - Polycarbonate tent holding a pheromone trap and a sticky end (for a moth) Several traps are placed around the forest to be studied and each primed with a pheromone trap. They are inspected weekly for a period of ten weeks over June, July and August . https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1529251835705-36V5WXDZNFRSDAG84RSZ/9BBF.tmp.jpg News - Trapping the Pine Tree Lappet Moth - The very sticky trap with its rubber lure The rubber lure is impregnated (snigger) with irresistible moth pheromone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1529251964192-9S9ZM9TTGHU3CSRJL34O/IMG_20180617_103713981_HDR.jpg News - Trapping the Pine Tree Lappet Moth - A Pine tree lappet moth meets its sticky end Not how I would like to go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1529251975174-DHJCEKZBCXGCVV5HP525/IMG_20180617_151451900.jpg News - Trapping the Pine Tree Lappet Moth - How I would like go: soaking in alcohol Today’s catch (three moths) sitting in ethanol, waiting for collection by Forest Research. https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2018/3/14/tree-planting-in-brora-sutherland monthly 0.5 2025-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521024148548-EMHCG5UTAX45HC3J66BT/20180313_102905.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. - Bare root Scots pine Very healthy looking bare root Scots pine waiting to be planted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521024149920-FSE9D7NCB0SQW60SG63J/20180313_104058.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. - Downy birch They may look tiny, but this handful of bare root Downy birch has a nice fibrous root system and is ready to be planted. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521024151537-TQTCJEOKN3BN50ADLEID/20180313_103857.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. - Aspen The aspen were the only container grown planting stock used in this project area. Finding the right provenance was difficult and these particular trees - clones, the lot of them - came from material collected in Orkney. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521024148692-436Q183RXBNEF10I1RXY/20180313_102956.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. - Fertiliser Each tree receives a small handful of fertiliser at the time of planting to help it establish quickly during the first few years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521027240202-RVMI25CYX2IHWX7CHNN3/map+of+seed+sources.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. A map of British seed zones from the Forestry Commission's Seed Sources for Planting Native Trees and Shrubs in Scotland (this link). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521024722978-KXQABFJ0YCE3P3GWKJWS/20180313_101047.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. John poses for the camera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521025809312-53OJGOXNVDU1ATZ1ADC7/20180313_095206.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. A different view of the site, mounded and ready to plant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521025974500-5P8U842TWF7AVYC3233T/20180313_103509.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. I couldn't resist showing this picture of the second tree planting project area I designed on the same farm. This one is much smaller and is on better ground. I planted it with improved broadleaved and coniferous stock with the intention of creating a small stand of trees with great amenity value within close proximity to the farmhouse (just out of picture). We are hoping to get some quality hardwood and softwood logs out of this woodland in the future. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1624610674394-JOZ8OFDGV60046KWOCHQ/20180313_092412+%282%29.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. - Spot cultivation Spot cultivation in the form of excavator mounds await being planted with native trees. This ground preparation work was completed last summer, so the mounds are settled, friable and ready to be planted after being frozen and thawed several times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521023825405-BJKQYSJEXLG5C8JWGKRU/20170102_124502.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. Digging soil pits to in the early days of the site evaluation process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521022770729-L6OK0CJLPEP40YL7EK5K/20180313_092222.jpg News - Tree planting in Brora, Sutherland. Although not really an oak site, I thought that a few Sessile oaks would not go amiss in the best ground within the project area. https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2018/1/27/more-timber-measurement-more-snow monthly 0.5 2025-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1517078244186-JK94L1MWM91NWZT7DE30/20180126_112114.jpg News - More timber measurement. More snow. January sun shining through a stand of Scots pine at 11 in the morn'. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1517077777895-LAJFS0FEFCS82KG6SOE4/20180126_122017_HDR.jpg News - More timber measurement. More snow. Fine weather. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1517078055332-MOIPEWGLPVSLVHSA0EPY/20180126_091128.jpg News - More timber measurement. More snow. Snowy rides. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1517079392708-QYURICQNQ8JE0UAMG7U0/Screenshot+%288%29.png News - More timber measurement. More snow. Remapping a forest with Quantum GIS, aerial imagery and field notes collected using a mobile phone app. https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2018/1/17/aecs-application-window-opens monthly 0.5 2018-01-17 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2017/12/9/a-wintry-scene monthly 0.5 2025-02-19 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2017/12/7/nmmtyyj5uhnr1e5peej7ptk70gnyd6 monthly 0.5 2025-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1512672556406-D60OT9N7E7AO9MLZREPP/5807b8db-e5f8-44c7-aad9-2ffb9bf8c701.jpg News - Wind will it stop (you're snow fun anymore) .... mine of course! Why else would I be banging on about it?! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1512672467489-8VUS1U0DBBWNMUDZ9MQS/40827c85-36f0-498a-8c9a-8c25880bd8d8.jpg News - Wind will it stop (you're snow fun anymore) The cover of the Winter 2017/2018 issue of Farming North. Guess whose advert is inside...... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1512672614731-SDETXG1R3TTVN5GQ1A3M/77610fb5-2a0d-45bd-80ad-f28d88b9310e.jpg News - Wind will it stop (you're snow fun anymore) My advert in the current Scottish Forestry magazine. I was very tempted to obscure the contact details of my competitors' adverts in this image, but I thought that would make me look churlish.... https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2017/11/15/till-death-do-us-part monthly 0.5 2017-12-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510752694750-RMPQVOF3CMK2Q3IYPAHQ/20171115_111613.jpg News - 'Till Death Do Us Part An inauspicious position perhaps.... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510752803879-SK9EEW19NNSXDKZ253IO/20171115_111608.jpg News - 'Till Death Do Us Part This sign is basic but it should do the job. I have bought the space for a year, so I better be right! https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2017/11/10/getting-into-the-spirit-of-things-on-the-isle-of-rum monthly 0.5 2025-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510337078690-UYNZKSDTOZUIT3792WCV/20171107_100605.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum Cheeky :D https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510338133609-5GNML0ME2TBT2SCSP5Z8/20171107_095802_HDR.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum The open hill was very wet, rough and difficult to survey in a systematic fashion. In wet and windy weather it was cold and exposed. In sunnier weather, the late autumn colours looked great and it was a pleasure to walk the ground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510338436273-12QNLX6J0NQ9ZQM57584/20171105_144307_HDR.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum The low end-of-day sunlight added a nice effect to the landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510338642281-U3LHZZCO5CT5EOUES3WB/20171107_105108_HDR.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum Looking west, across Loch Screesort to the hills of Torridon and a large rain cloud in the distance. The views of the hills along this part of the western seaboard are a highlight of the ferry trip when visibility is good. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510337471260-FILSLEFN867VHQUTADXA/20171107_102717_HDR.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum A picture of one of the target species: a mature cotoneaster growing wild in an upland environment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510337319634-YJRGLTSRANPZ8SF5CS40/20171107_104443.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum For those that have the time to walk around, the castle grounds offer many interesting things to see. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510336414853-CURGV3LOPQXYPURVG0P7/20171105_083544_HDR.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum The castle at Kinloch, seen at first light (I had to start early because of the short days this time of year). The castle is incongruously owned by SNH. It has severe structural problems and flooding in the basement and costs a fortune to keep going, I was told. I am sure SNH would rather not have to manage it but it comes with the land, which was gifted to them with strings attached when they were the Nature Conservancy Council. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510336701490-2JHQK70ZVRTGRAJJOEQN/20171107_101016_HDR.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum Another view of the castle. I think its external appearance, which appears to be in reasonable state of repair, hides structural problems that are insurmountable without a lot of money being spent. The SNH warden for the island performs tours of the inside on days when the ferry is visiting. I did not have time to do this, but I think it would be a fascinating thing to do. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510336934017-EZVUXHC8QTDTB6PRSC5X/20171107_100617.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum I came across this statue in woodland within the castle grounds. I think it dates back to the original owner in the pre 1920 period. I was told interesting stories of the parties that took place at this time..... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510336215061-JLFIFEGZWXW1AT0YORV1/20171102_100506.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum Mallaig harbour looking bonny from the ferry on the day of departure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510337141147-D6XBAJU238AFN3PE81CG/20171107_100637.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum What's that in the hand of the statue? [Inspects closely] Is that..... is that...... a penis? (Answer: yes, it is. Like I said, they had some interesting parties in the swinging Twenties I was told). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510337985493-1XBS2SW4MGCWNLIO6LKY/20171107_103034_HDR.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum On sunny days, the molinia on the open hill looked fantastic with its autumn colour. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510338298992-R6GG5D4TH5NIY8L9D8SI/20171105_133932.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum Looking back towards Kinloch from the surrounding hill ground. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510338775382-A9VSJY43UQH2ZV5K54KC/20171105_181920.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum For the final image, here's a picture of the so called Beaver Moon (**snigger**) on the 5 November. It was the colour of liquid amber and rose very quickly into the sky. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510337612619-OAQ3ZLWP4B2YA7OSFMVA/20171107_102041.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum More cotoneaster. This time, I stand of plants in a riparian setting. I wondered whether upstream bushes had been the source of seed for these plants, as indeed they probably now are for younger plants growing further downstream. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510338568311-W79N2LFLENVX36TZOKPQ/20171107_095026.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum All the twenty or so current residents live around Kinloch, which is next to the sheltered Loch Scresort. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510337791983-19HPHK3EUAE7ZQ91O1L3/20171107_095939.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum I found rhododendron growing in all sizes and forms. This is one of a few formal rhododendron hedges growing around Kinloch and it quite probably the source of the thick rhododendron understorey in adjacent woodlands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1510336311534-56N629ZR4RYJLS6UP3SE/20171102_102418.jpg News - Getting into the spirit of things on the Island of Rum There were great views of the West Coast from the ferry - plenty of harbour porpoises too (others have seen dolphins and even the occasional whale) https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2017/10/27/local-news monthly 0.5 2025-02-19 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2017/10/4/wednesday-3-october-its-been-a-while monthly 0.5 2017-12-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1507112421577-YAI99X6QXTJ2TKMYMTBH/20171003_140829.jpg News - Wednesday 3 October - it's been a while.... Although the peat was too deep to qualify for grant supported tree planting, some areas contained an encouraging amount of self seeded Downy birch (Betula pubescens). The few remaining mature birch trees around the riparian zone were probably the source of the seed. A new deer fence had been built on one side of the watercourse some time in the last five years and I thought that these young birch had been able to grow to their current height because the fence had reduced the effects of browsing by deer. If more deer fences were built around the project area, the deer could be completely excluded and the self seeded trees would stand a better chance of becoming fully established and more self seeding would occur. Other vegetation such as blaeberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) would recover as well. In this case, the next step would be to assess the cost of doing this work and establishing how much of it could be recovered with a grant application. There is no guarantee of being awarded a grant so the project must be considered with caution and developed with a close eye on expenditure. Such are the cruel realities of ecological restoration in the uplands! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1507111460690-PGM2E7ZCLGAZGUXO3AKV/20171003_134139.jpg News - Wednesday 3 October - it's been a while.... Here, the watercourse and its gulley can be seen on the left hand side of the picture. On the right, the 1970s plantations can be seen close to the riparian zone. Those conifers were planted on peat that is probably approaching two metres deep. As a result, the growth rate and quality is not very good even after almost forty years. An extensive stand of bracken (Pteridium aquilinum) can be seen in the middle distance. As foresters, we often think that bracken indicates good ground that can support tree growth. That is true to a degree, but bracken can also grow on very poor ground so one has to also consider its form when visually assessing the ground of its suitability for tree planting (e.g. stand spread and height). In this case, the bracken was of reasonable form but the peat depth was too deep for tree planting without substantial - and undesirable - management inputs. I suspect that the bracken was growing well because of nutrients being washed into the area in which it was growing, rather than an indication of underlying soil fertility. In other words, it was growing in a 'flushed peat'. Of course, a considerable disadvantage of the presence of bracken on a site is that it will seriously impede tree establishment. Its presence therefore requires control both before and during the tree establishment phase and this adds to the cost of implementing the project. Considering this cost and the high price of manual labour, chemical controls are the best solution in many situations and at this moment in time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1507110220092-HGWX72CE4HL39VTXX25Z/20171003_104250.jpg News - Wednesday 3 October - it's been a while.... This picture shows some of the lower ground that I was surveying. It is interesting because the underlying geology and the soil conditions are the same - broadly speaking - in all areas that appear in the photo, yet the vegetation cover is markedly different. To the left, there is largely un-managed ground, perhaps subject to some light grazing by sheep. The dominant vegetation cover here is heather (Calluna vulgaris) and there are also some stands of scattered native woodland. To the right of the stock fence the ground is unimproved, improved and semi-improved rough grassland. These areas are permanently grazed by sheep. On that side of the fence, the brown grass in the foreground is Deer grass (Trichophorum germanicum) and it is the dominant vegetation cover where the ground has not been improved. The dark green areas on the slopes above it were improved by adding lime. This was done in the 1970s. The improved areas were then reseeded with a commercial grass mix at the same time. Although it is difficult to see this clearly in the image, there is a small area of pale green ground to the right of the fence and immediately above the amber hues of the Deer grass. This area was limed but not reseeded, so the sward is unimproved and consists mainly of the rough grasses that were present at the time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1507111074911-9U165MSPFHDBGH3X98KC/20171003_130816_HDR.jpg News - Wednesday 3 October - it's been a while.... Further up the hill, I came to the main project area. Here, we have open ground on both sides of a minor watercourse (not easy to see in the picture) which is located between several blocks of non native conifers that were planted for timber production. The species in these plantations are typical of this upland environment: Scots pine, Lodgepole pine, Sitka spruce and larch. My purpose of being here was to consider whether it was worthwhile excluding deer from these areas of open ground and then planting native trees to restore the natural tree cover. Unfortunately, it did not take long to realise that the peat was too deep to support grant funded tree planting in most places, even though the nutrient status was sufficiently good for heather to grow quite well in some areas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1507112179426-9T4OZ1URZK3PK0CSIDN8/20171003_134148.jpg News - Wednesday 3 October - it's been a while.... Upon first glance, this looks like an ideal place to plant some trees: small knolls of well drained ground within the riparian zone with an underlying mineral soil and reasonable fertility. Actually, upon looking more closely, my peat probe indicated that the peat was too deep for any tree planting work to be eligible for grant support and that most of the project costs would probably have to be met by the landowner. https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2017/10/2/rptllo8yugpra7q5bots9922ytgls0 monthly 0.5 2017-10-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1506947799400-JFN3R0S6P7OLDVO5X8LX/UBC-Tall-Wood-Building-770.jpg News - Small Man writes of Tall Wood The Tall Wood building at the University of British Columbia Source: https://news.ubc.ca/2016/09/15/structure-of-ubcs-tall-wood-building-now-complete https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2017/9/26/long-time-no-post monthly 0.5 2017-12-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1506439402048-2BVWI8EI3232J6RLSYJX/20170926_161314.jpg News - Long time no post. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1506439511161-ZIJQCH3STK88O3M77DEU/20170926_161303.jpg News - Long time no post. https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/2017/8/11/the-week-that-was monthly 0.5 2017-08-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502468266249-Z6T5XPTMANGE400ZTEKW/image-asset.jpeg News - The week that was I was quite busy for my four hours on the island so I didn't take many photos. Here's one taken from Kinloch, showing the nice aspect and the far-from-treeless hills. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502468854466-KYF43HTFWM592JYO6PJJ/image-asset.jpeg News - The week that was The ferry passes by Eigg on the way home. On most other days of the week it stops at Eigg, so it is possible to get a closer look. I wanted the quickest journey so I went to Rum on a Wednesday, on which the ferry heads straight back to Mallaig from Rum instead of calling in at the other islands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502468491647-B0PK4Z3I1L1ZDCZUQR22/20170809_163858.jpg News - The week that was This is the view from the boat on the return to Mallaig. The views of Skye (very close but not appearing in the picture) and the hills of Glen Shiel, Knoydart and Arisaig were amazing. This picture really doesn't do them justice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502468189109-T7TH78YCWQBLJT7JTCM9/image-asset.jpeg News - The week that was The Calmac ferry docked at the modern pier at Kinloch, Rum. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502469313225-QVHZPA3HK4GT7WD4RHWQ/image-asset.jpeg News - The week that was Unrelated to Rum, here's a picture of a Grey Dagger (Acronicta psi) caterpillar I chanced upon in my garden in Foyers while weeding last weekend. I had no idea what it was until I googled it. While this is not an uncommon species, I noted that there is no record of this species occurring in Foyers according to the National Biodiversity Network 10K Atlas. I think the photo is a pretty conclusive sighting, so I ought to report it really. On that note, I should end this long post on what has been a busy and varied week, which is just how I like it. A Friday night beer beckons for me, as I hope it does for you. Have a good one! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502469103817-0IPO9HFAE664GMXQ0CD8/image-asset.jpeg News - The week that was A (slightly blurry) photo of the castle at Kinloch. The ponies are a breed of Highland pony that is specific to Rum. After the clearances in the 1800s they were abandoned and left to go wild. They were subsequently used by deer stalkers. 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https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/tag/slow+worm+anguis+fragilis monthly 0.5 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/tag/foyers monthly 0.5 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/tag/rhododendron monthly 0.5 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/tag/scottish+famer monthly 0.5 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/blog/tag/contracting monthly 0.5 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/gallery daily 0.75 2025-02-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453654504-SUQ9HQALI6F1HG400XGT/001.jpg gallery - A view of the National Forest Estate in Foyers This is Foyers, where I am based. The woodland in the background is not one that I manage. It is part of the National Forest Estate. In other words, it is owner by the citizens of the UK and managed by Forest Enterprise. Here in Scotland, the Government is presently consulting on the future of a devolved state forestry. You are encouraged to read this and make your views known. Details here http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/08/1075 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453654504-SUQ9HQALI6F1HG400XGT/001.jpg gallery - A view of the National Forest Estate in Foyers This is Foyers, where I am based. The woodland in the background is not one that I manage. It is part of the National Forest Estate. In other words, it is owner by the citizens of the UK and managed by Forest Enterprise. Here in Scotland, the Government is presently consulting on the future of a devolved state forestry. You are encouraged to read this and make your views known. Details here http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/08/1075 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453751869-L2L3Q9QE964D87QDO0FZ/0+%281%29.jpg gallery - A young white-tailed sea eagle I was fortunate enough to be managing a forest that contained a nesting pair of white-tailed sea eagles. These fantastic birds are slowly spreading around the Scottish coastline. Being a protected species, I had to be careful that they suffered no ill-effect from some future timber harvesting works that were being planned. At the time, I did not know whether the adult birds had successfully produced offspring so, in cooperation with RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, I arranged for Justin Grant and Abigail Rhodes to climb the tree containing the nest and check the health of any chicks that were inside. They were met with this young fellow! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453744423-Z3QIV6PLGPIA594KF1XM/IMG-20111101-00005+small.jpg gallery - Timber at roadside A large stack of timber sitting at the roadside looks impressive, but it is not something to be too proud about. Timber is sold by weight in the UK and it will be drying out and becoming lighter while it is stacked here. The sooner it is removed from the site and delivered to the sawmill (or other end user) the less weight it loses and the more money the client earns. Furthermore, rapid despatch helps the client's cash flow as it could be several weeks before the income is received. In this particular case, the site was close to the road, so the timber stacks were being assembled at a faster pace than usual. The route to the market involved weak roads and there was a restriction in place on the amount of daily visits by timber wagons. This compounded the problem by slowing-down the road extraction aspect of the job. Just one of the many challenges when harvesting timber! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453764687-UJBI72LDMFS0WMDOUC00/0.jpg gallery - Get off my land! I was fortunate enough to be managing a forest that contained a nesting pair of white-tailed sea eagles. These fantastic birds are slowly spreading around the Scottish coastline. Being a protected species, I had to be careful that they suffered no ill-effect from some future timber harvesting works that were being planned. At the time, I did not know whether the adult birds had successfully produced offspring so, in cooperation with RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, I arranged for Justin Grant and Abigail Rhodes to climb the tree containing the nest and check the health of any chicks that were inside. They were met with this young fellow! Cute feet.... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453813161-8F9U15Y1SCLOXVBTF2OI/023.jpg gallery - Stac Pollaidh one late winter morning One of the great aspects of the job is being out and about in the Highlands at times of the year. I took this picture of Stac Pollaidh as I drove through the Assynt hills one late winter morning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453890634-485IB7XICLAP6QP2TBYW/2015-02-02+13.16.46.jpg gallery - A lone birch on the lower slopes (Ben Arkle in the background) I was planning a new deer fence to protect some woodland that had been classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This meant a long walk on a wintry day to find the best route. I took this photo during a break in the weather. I was standing on the lower slopes of Ben Stack and looking across to Ben Arkle on the fabulous Reay Forest Estate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454022474-TDENEI0AHAMW8AQ0CWG9/2014-12-16+10.58.39.jpg gallery - Making the most of a tight space My client's woodland was not very accessible, but they did have an informal quarry area that, with some lateral thinking and the construction of a short extraction route for the site forwarder, provided just enough space to store and load the timber before it went off to the market. Here, three wagons try to make the most of the available space. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454105958-R7UQYTMCITCXK9E6E0TW/2015-03-03+10.35.35.jpg gallery - Quinag and Kylesku This is a picture of Quinag that I took when working on a restocking plan on the other side of the water to the small settlement of Kylesku, North West Sutherland. It was a cold day but, as can be seen, the air was clear and the views superb. The restocking was taking place after recent timber harvesting works and the plan was to plant native broadleaf trees to replace the previous cover of mature non-native conifers that had been felled and the timber removed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453545343-KQZKT7WAHIU28SST274A/fcalarge.jpg gallery - Forestry Contracting Association I support the Forestry Contracting Association. Their Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/forestrycontractingassociation https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454258518-FR188I679B890VFGAKA3/20120528_092034.jpg gallery - Mechanised timber harvesting Some people still think that timber is felled with chainsaws. While this is partly true, most of the work on all but the smallest sites is undertaken by purpose-built harvesters. Originally just an excavator with a harvesting head instead of a bucket, today's machines are built for the job and are very impressive to see in action. They make light work of the tree felling process and have many safety features to protect the operator.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454355638-USAS55FKB178B4L614P4/20131104_112106.jpg gallery - Ground preparation Here, an excavator prepares new ground for the planting of trees for a new native woodland. The peaty soil is being turned over to create a weed-free planting position and to bring sub-surface minerals to within reach of the young plants. This process also creates a drier planting position for the young trees which will help them to establish in areas of high rainfall or where soils can be waterlogged according to the season. It takes a skilled operator to create the mounds at the correct spacing and to drive a heavy excavator through these remote and often boggy locations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453678861-2OYHY12ACWP750TCH895/IMG_2402+small.jpg gallery - Tim Lucas This is me circa 2014, taking a break from surveying ground in Sutherland for a new native woodland. With a few simple tools (a spade, a peat probe, an aerial photo or map, and a GPS) it is possible to quickly identify the tree planting potential of any given area of land. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454416715-1URW9Y87WX45YYBALJ6W/IMG-20110816-00022.jpg gallery - A sturdy new bridge Occasionally, simple timber harvesting projects can be complicated by off-site factors. Here, a new permanent bridge was required along an old estate road that was being upgraded so that the 44-ton timber wagons could reach the harvesting site. A specification for the bridge was included in the tender for resurfacing the road and competent contractors were invited to submit a price for the work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454494657-XTXG0ZQE03EC7KD6PRG1/20140130_113856.jpg gallery - Delivery of young trees Young pine and native broadleaved trees (birch, rowan, willow, alder, holly and aspen) are delivered to a restock site. These are cell-grown trees and they would remain in the bags for a few days before being distributed across the steep and remote site by helicopter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454566683-WXH8RSORJWNO6M5X5KEH/IMG_1786+cropped.jpg gallery - Laying-out fence materials A helicopter taking bundles of fence materials to a woodland creation project in a hard-to-reach area. Enough materials for a one hundred metre length of new deer fence are gathered into each individual bundle and taken out to be distributed around the new fence line in a process called 'laying-out'. The forest manager works with the fencing contractor to ensure that everything goes smoothly and that the right materials arrive in the right location. For example, some bundles may have an added field gate or may contain extra timber if the ground is particularly rough. Moving materials around by hand is a slow and expensive business and it can be hazardous if the ground is soft, steeply sloping, or just plain remote. Despite appearing to be an expensive luxury, helicopter layout can often be cheaper and is always safer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474460554641-S7U8XVXZPTLOFZ5LOU5G/IMG_0003.JPG gallery - Bundles of deer fence materials waiting for helicopter uplift This is a picture of deer fence materials waiting to be distributed ('laid-out') around the perimeter of a new native woodland. Each contractor has a slightly different approach. Here, the bundles are separated by deer stobs.   It is not unusual for fence materials to be laid-out by helicopter when the site is not very accessible. It is not cheap, but it compares favourably to other methods and is always quicker and often safer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474460897311-D8MJZH5GISLH5E4B2QIJ/IMG_0048.JPG gallery - Birch sawlogs The picture shows an unusually-good Silver birch (B. pendula) sawlog. A client wished to restock his woodland with a pine and birch mix and had very specific requirements for the work. I could not obtain the correct specification birch planting stock from the usual suppliers, so I suggested that we could gather seed locally and have it contract grown in a tree nursery. Because timber production was a primary objective, a straight and lightly-branched phenotype was preferable. To this effect, I located and visited a stand of birch near Inverness that exhibited the desired characteristics. The owner of the stand was very kind and allowed me to fell a few trees to gather viable seed from the catkins hanging in the crowns. With some trepidation that there would be no viable seed to gather if my timing was incorrect, the trees were felled and the seed sent off to be cleaned and subsequently planted. Germination was excellent and I was rewarded with some fine planting stock in subsequent years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474461723459-XHJHQTKDTAB4JAK6H7JH/Picture+047+rotated.jpg gallery - Extreme sheep damage Several years ago, during an unusually cold and prolonged winter, I was working on a woodland establishment project on a farm. Late one day, a sudden snowstorm prevented the farmer from putting extra food out for his sheep. The weather worsened and he could get access to them for a couple of days. In their hunger, the sheep ate anything they could find, including the bark of this mature Scots pine! I thought it was interesting that there was such a well-defined line where the bark was suddenly beyond the reach of even the most stretchy sheep....   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474461739970-PJDKFRP97YPASKQ8X70G/20130330_181339+less+1+mb.jpg gallery - Plantations can be attractive too! The colours in a stand of pine and larch are picked-out by the late evening sun. It was great to walk among these trees and proof, to me, that owning and managing woodland isn't just about the timber, or even the wildlife and the environment. Trees and woodlands provide amenity benefits and aesthetic values too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501235466777-WIMXWL5R7VG7K9LRQHBF/20170429_105821.jpg gallery - Gaultheria shallon Gaultheria shallon ('Shallon') provides great for ground cover for game birds and can be very useful in a garden situation. Unfortunately, the very characteristics that make it so suited for these jobs (spreads rapidly; thicket forming; shade tolerant) can make it a nasty invasive species in the wrong circumstances. It likes the Highland climate and I have seen it spreading through native woodland and along the edges of watercourses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236009007-FYDQAN51V5J792B9J9IU/20170523_075259.jpg gallery - Small grave, Ardtoe I saw this small grave on private land in Ardtoe while I was undertaking a tree survey. I guess a dog is buried here. What a fitting resting place! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236151026-7V5I5V38LJJFN3EQ2WUV/0.jpg gallery - Rhododendron cut and burn There are plenty of good reasons for clearing land of Rhododendron ponticum. In this case, it was infected with the plant pathogen Phytopthora ramorum so it had to go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236473213-V8KSRLV6WHES6HCYW126/20170402_134619.jpg gallery - Rhodendron ponticum - the green menace! I was asked to survey the spread of Rhododendron ponticum across a private estate. It was everywhere: private gardens, timber stands and, as this picture shows, native woodland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236636650-Q0B9HMJMDW72WT6ONHXY/20170402_141105.jpg gallery - Feral pigs 1 I found these signs of feral pigs throughout an area where I was undertaking a survey. I did not realise that they had spread so far along the Great Glen and was initially puzzled as to what could be disturbing the ground in this manner. It obviously was not deer and seemed rather extensive for badgers (my first thoughts). Then the penny dropped: I had seen something similar before in the Forest of Dean, where feral pigs had become a local cause celebre for the ground disturbance they were causing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236829271-D5A6S0075LT4D2WTLV3S/20170402_141041.jpg gallery - Feral pigs 2 I was seeing these puzzling scat throughout an area in which I was working. It was only when I saw the ground disturbance that feral pigs had caused in other nearby areas that the penny dropped: I was seeing pig faeces. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501237229780-GQ6Q2BA1ARLLNT0WBJNP/20170301_120953.jpg gallery - Composting toilet I was asked to produce a management plan for a small woodland along the Moray Firth. The owner required one to support a planning application and also wanted advice on how to best manage his birch and other broadleaves for timber production. The owner would spend long hours working in his wood and cleverly addressed one of the common problems associated with a lack of welfare facilities by building this self composting toilet. The view was great but I bet the midges meant that you wouldn't want sit around for too long to enjoy it... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501237555460-KDUA51FO9QHB2219YJ14/20170221_150651.jpg gallery - Regenerating rhododendron from a previously cut stump In an ideal world, it would not be necessary to return to a site once the work had been done. However, things are rarely 'ideal'. In this case, a rhododendron bush has been cut down and glyphosate applied to the stump (the horizontal chainsaw cuts where the chemical would have been applied are clearly visible). Rhododendron can be a pernicious weed and, as in this case, the chemical treatment was not quite enough and new shoots have appeared. In two to three years this will be a substantial bush once more so a further timely treatment now will save both time and money.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501237851207-EKYTHJJJYNJ20GWYKMRG/soil+pit+3b.jpg gallery - Planning new woodland It is a good idea to dig a few soil pits when planning new woodlands. This area of pasture on a farm was clearly much better than many places where new woodlands are usually planted in the uplands. However, surface water was collecting (visible in the picture) so I decided to see what was underneath the grassy sward.     https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501238248954-LQCN15XG55S16U6CZG2P/merged+1.jpg gallery - The site of a new woodland Here, an upland sheep farmer wished to increase tree cover on his land. He had previously planted new woodland nearby with support from early incarnations of a forestry grant scheme. In this case, the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) was offering sufficient support to make even a relatively modest new woodland financially worthwhile so I was asked to prepare a plan. The plan was approved and the establishment work should start in the autumn of 2017 when the pre-planting ground preparation begins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502185235083-WC3SA4WTBVNC0Z637462/20160614_110049.jpg gallery - Tigercat harvester on steep ground A Tigercat harvester working on steep ground in Sutherland, Highland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502185367224-DAUY0ARA169GNB4AHR24/20160614_105932.jpg gallery - Forwarder on steep ground Mechanised extraction of timer on steep ground in Sutherland, Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549982843850-Z8VYGHHO93A5C7R67APV/IMG_20180630_120922083.jpg gallery - Strathconan, Inverness-shire Spring and summer 2018 were fantastic. Hardly a drop of rain and some very high temps. I took this picture when driving along a very hot and dusty forest road in Strathconan. At the time, I was contracted to Forestry Commission Scotland for about ten weeks, spending one day a week checking pheromone traps in various woodlands around the Beauly Firth. The traps were intended to attract and catch any Pine tree lappet moths that happened to be present. This was undertaken as part of an annual monitoring programme for this non-native species, which is known to be breeding in woodlands near the small town of Beauly. Strathconan Forest was an outlying area, well beyond the known breeding grounds of the moth and I found no Pine tree lappet moths here during my checks. Monitoring was undertaken with the kind permission of the landowner, whose assistance was invaluable in monitoring the spread of this species. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549983707777-5P4VXH5YL5DPHJUKUERJ/production+underway.jpg gallery - Christmas trees ready to go to market Nordman fir Christmas trees, bagged-up and ready to go to the market. This plantation was for sale at the time and a prospective buyer asked for my thoughts on quality of the crop and its potential for generating future income. In addition to assessing the crop through digital mapping (to establish the productive area) and random plots in the field (to identifying the stocking density and tree sizes) I also investigated access constraints and other site conditions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549984072217-MHQ1VQ464X2OPCLOTM1J/IMG_20181024_143642059_HDR.jpg gallery - Larch in the autumn landscape Hybrid larch (Larix x eurolepis) positively glowing in the landscape during the autumn, when its needles change colour before dropping. Unlike many other conifers, it is deciduous. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549985002509-K2BLM1MX458USB3FNRZN/IMG_20181018_083851256_HDR.jpg gallery - Surveying ground for woodland establishment purposes Sunrise over an area with potential for planting-up as a new native woodland. The ground was a little too peaty in this location, but the sun shining on the russet grasses made up for it. Elsewhere in this parcel of land, my findings were more promising, with shallow peat on top of mineral soil. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549985790490-QENRZTH2MAK4GXOIFJFY/P1030765.JPG gallery - A rhododendron stand after being machine-mulched If a machine (excavator with flail attachment or similar) can get into a rhododendron stand, it can make light work of the bushes at significantly less cost than motor manual methods. Both the damage by the flail and the subsequent thick mulch of shredded plant matter helps to suppress new growth from the remains of crowns. Where it does occur, it is usually fairly straightforward to find it and treat it with herbicide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738229128016-VUC1FFGZH8NJEZ9P6X6A/image-asset.jpeg gallery - Birch woodland in Inverness-shire I took this picture when planning a tree regeneration project in Inverness shire. The autumn picked-out the colours of the existing mature birch woodland beautifully. With such a substantial seed source nearby, I thought there was an excellent chance that many seedling trees would begin to appear on the adjacent open ground, provided the deer and sheep were removed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738229503509-QXI8C9XG42SIUQ4RFS4D/image-asset.jpeg gallery - Lochan I took this picture of a small lochan at around 9 a.m. one late August morning, after walking forty minutes to the open hill land where I was working. My task that day was to survey some peaty ground to see if it was sufficiently shallow for a new native woodland to be planted. I recall that the summer had been a washout, so it was nice to be working in the sun. Of course, every silver lining has to have a cloud and the flies were particularly bad that day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738230455966-WRU715GZBL0SF2LZ9IOG/image-asset.jpeg gallery - Standing stone at Brawlbin Forest I was measuring standing timber at Brawlbin forest and the process involved identifying and recording where the size of the trees and the stocking density was similar. In this manner the process of establishing the potential timber yield would be made all the more easier, as measurements from one area could be applied to other similar areas. The method involved a lot of walking and, as the crop was quite young and difficult to move through, I would frequently walk around the edge. It was while doing this that I saw this interesting standing stone on the muir just beyond the forest. Not very tall, but striking because of the surrounding landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738231192347-99JLHBVAPQE6BSJWGID0/brawlbin_stone1.jpg gallery - Standing stone at Brawbil Forest I was measuring standing timber at Brawlbin forest and the process involved identifying and recording where the size of the trees and the stocking density was similar. In this manner the process of establishing the potential timber yield would be made all the more easier, as measurements from one area could be applied to other similar areas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738231693361-2SGT9SWZVQNEGTB7CBBX/carn_nam_badam_1.jpg gallery - Bright but cool A view of hill ground near Strathglass, Inverness-shire. I was working on the design for a small native woodland planting scheme on a cool late winter day. It may appear sunny in the photo, but it did not feel very warm. There was still ice on the small lochan in the middle distance! This turned-out to be a windy site and snow flurries were still falling in April when the trees were being planted a few years later. The tall electrical pylons added an additional constraint when planning and undertaking the work. First, the design plan had to ensure that the tree planting was held-back a suitable distance from the live conductors and, second, the operational plan had to consider the risk of machines working near the the hazard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738231413273-JLC0RBD6OBAAE7GP3YOD/brora1.jpg gallery - East coast seascape I was working on designing a woodland creation project on a farm by the coast at Brora and the water had a lovely turquoise hue in the sun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738232208298-EMQ3GVQTF8VMVD53IEHZ/hardy_pig1.jpg gallery - Hardy pig I was checking the condition of a small native woodland on a windy West coast location when this fella (lady?) came over to say ‘hello’. I thought its ragged fir and grizzled appearance adequately reflected the wild conditions in which it lived! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738232495076-BKLFX8SOX43VZ9X5CL9Q/impromptu_tree_shelter1.jpg gallery - Impromptu tree store A picture of an impromptu tarpaulin shelter for bare root trees waiting to be planted on a restock site. It was still March and the weather was cool, but I feared that the trees could get too hot while they wait to be planted, so I decided not to take any chances. The aim here is to keep the sun off the thick plastic bags containing the trees, while allowing some air movement around them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738232849235-O206MR30I70NJ5TXU6JQ/planting_stock1.jpg gallery - Bare root trees waiting to be planted Bare root trees in the species bags wait to be planted. The white bags are quite thick and black on the inside, hence their colloquial name, ‘black and white bags’. This design is supposed to keep the trees inside a little cooler than would otherwise be the case. Some of the trees were in fact destined for a new planting scheme on adjacent ground, hence the boxes of slow release fertiliser on the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738233112626-48X9U7XO28JL9HCIHWVG/lochaber1.jpg gallery - Lochaber view I took this picture while looking down the Great Glen towards Fort William and Loch Linnhe - with the Nevis Range on the left - while surveying some hill land woodland creation potential. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738233570812-W2DHM3HV68CIMZO8BRKZ/new_stacking_area1.jpg gallery - A new timber stacking area A freshly-built hardstanding for stacking timber, constructed ahead of the start of timber harvesting in this forest near Inverness. The picture does not do full justice to the difficult landform on which this was built, although the fresh cutting in the solid rock on the right side provides some indication. The civil engineering contractor did a brilliant job. Some of the forest had to be cleared to make room for this hardstanding and the exposed edges of the remaining stands show the height and quality of the crop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738234369097-07D99S9THSISZQ9ZIZ67/oversize_rowan1.jpg gallery - Oversize trees These rowan were ordered as 20-40cm bare root transplants and, as the photo shows, the stock the nursery sent was several times larger. They were far too big for the planting squad to handle. Seeing that it was too late to return them to the nursery and wait for sensible replacements to arrive, I took some secateurs to them and cut them down to the very first bud from the root collar. This left the stems at around 100 mm tall. Despite the harsh treatment, the trees flourished during the summer after planting, most likely assisted by their enormous oversize rootballs! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738236538631-7M2H47C53D2TXP4RZJZT/restock_site1.jpg gallery - Site ready for replanting This is a picture of a freshly-cultivated restock site. In other words, a forest that was previously clearfelled and has now been prepared for replanting. The particular cultivation method chosen here is ‘excavator mounds’, where a tracked excavator uses its bucket to create a raised planting position for each tree. It is a common approach with several benefits for the planted tree. It also makes the replanting work easier, particularly if woody debris leftover from the previous felling works is tidied-up while the cultivation machinery is on site. Although this particular forest is being restocked with conifers for timber production, the composition won’t be the same as the previous rotation. Instead, there a greater proportion of the land will be stocked with native broadleaves and will not be managed for timber production. Furthermore, the new timber crop will be held-back further from watercourses than was the case previously, and also kept away from soft and peaty ground that probably shouldn’t have been planted last time around. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738237347863-VBHNE8DRNYKOXXKA8MCZ/soil_pit_lairg1.jpg gallery - Digging soil pits Nine times out of ten, one can quite readily determine whether land is suitable for planting trees within a short time of arriving at a new project area. Here, a quick walkover of the site is all that is required. An exception is where the ground is peaty, soft or otherwise marginal, as the prevailing ground cover does not always provide the usual strong indications of growing conditions underfoot. The site in the picture was clearly in the ‘plantable’ camp, but I dug some soil pits anyway to see what the conditions were like underneath the grassy sward of this area of improved grazing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738238304008-372T3MYIS12IL18JSXL1/soil_pit1.jpg gallery - Soil pit This picture shows a soil pit that was dug when assessing the potential of a site for grant-assisted woodland creation. The owner had been keeping a small number of sheep on the ground and was looking to put the land to other use after deciding to reduce the size of the herd. Evidently plantable just from walking around the field, the soil pit revealed a very typical North Highland soil: a peaty ground water gley. This would be fine for the typical native species of this area (birch, willow, rowan etc) - as well as a few pine on the occasional well drained knoll. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738238894206-1L1PUYBIBFX6Q3UE8IPK/soil_profile1.jpg gallery - Pine territory An eroded bank beside an estate track (not visible) shows a typical peaty podsol complete with a covering of Ling heather (Calluna vulgaris). This is a south-facing, well-drained, and ericaceous environment - great for planting Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738239358018-WF7V7PBTMISMVAXE24RF/stressed_pine1.jpg gallery - Stressed Scots pine The Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in this native woodland planting scheme looked great for several weeks after planting in the spring, after which they turned brown almost overnight. They may look completely dead but, some eight months later, most of the needles have now recovered and returned to being green, much to my relief. Even most of the trees that went on to drop all their needles are still alive, despite appearing at present to be completely dead. How could I tell? Well, I used my thumbnail to scrape off a little bark low down on the stem, revealing the still-live cambium underneath. Fingers-crossed, they should green-up in the coming spring. As to what caused the problem? I am not completely sure but I think it was basic transplant shock mixed with a period of prolonged and unseasonal stiff, cool, northerly breeze that occurred in the summer following planting. Maybe this had a dessicating effect on the young trees at a time when their roots had not yet had a chance to establish fully. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738242568199-6211HMYM8U4UI4MPELGS/PXL_20220624_101407130.jpg gallery - Yours truly A quick selfie, taken when planning the restocking of a felled woodland in Angus. I am carrying two essential pieces of kit: 1. A hat to keep the damn flies away (yes, it is not just a fashion statement). 2. Safety reading glasses so I can see what I am recording on the map on my phone (I daren’t take my proper reading glasses onto a rough-and-tumble restock site). The t-shirt tells a simple story: it was an unusually warm day for the time of year! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738666793862-FBNL4D9PIETRID8LXIUR/balnalick_landscape_1_reduced.png gallery - Woodland creation planning during the late autumn I was planning a woodland planting project for some hill land at the end of October and the weather was very fine for the time of year. The sun was setting and it was time to start the long walk back to the car. Just at that moment, the sun caught the landscape in front of me and it lit up with the most amazing browns and oranges. I took several pictures with my phone camera and stitched them together to form this montage. Sadly, much of the detail has been lost in this image, as I had to re-scale is severely to upload it here. Still, it gives a good idea of what it was like to stand in that landscape during that brief passing moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738240247055-Y8IC6WAHNXY1ZAZQMWQO/vole_damage1.jpg gallery - Vole damage to holly Voles are a pain. Where rank grasses provide them with cover from predation, large numbers can appear in a planting scheme and wreak great harm to even well-established trees. Usually, they eat bark low down on the stem, and in the process girdle and kill a tree (or create a wound that allows ingress by pathogens and disease). In the case of this photo, the vole has bitten the stem higher-up and completely separated the main shoot. I first thought it was a hare, as this is typical of the damage they do, but the enclosure was tiny and well-fenced with a rabbit net. Also, the damage appeared alongside typical vole damage on the same tree and throughout the stand. In the case of this project, I thought at the time of planting that the cost of adding protection against voles to each tree was not justified, but soon changed my mind on seeing this. Vole guards were installed within a few days and the young native woodland saved from further harm. This just goes to show that woodlands need to be monitored, especially when young and vulnerable to mammal damage. One shouldn’t simply plant them and walk away. https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/about daily 0.75 2025-12-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/cfb32c24-5d7b-498c-bdd6-df8fa28c085f/PXL_20220624_101347015_reduced_1.png About Tim Lucas Forest Management This is me, Tim Lucas, preparing a planting plan in a woodland that was felled for timber. 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The woodland in the background is not one that I manage. It is part of the National Forest Estate. In other words, it is owner by the citizens of the UK and managed by Forest Enterprise. Here in Scotland, the Government is presently consulting on the future of a devolved state forestry. You are encouraged to read this and make your views known. Details here http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/08/1075 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453751869-L2L3Q9QE964D87QDO0FZ/0+%281%29.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - A young white-tailed sea eagle I was fortunate enough to be managing a forest that contained a nesting pair of white-tailed sea eagles. These fantastic birds are slowly spreading around the Scottish coastline. Being a protected species, I had to be careful that they suffered no ill-effect from some future timber harvesting works that were being planned. At the time, I did not know whether the adult birds had successfully produced offspring so, in cooperation with RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, I arranged for Justin Grant and Abigail Rhodes to climb the tree containing the nest and check the health of any chicks that were inside. They were met with this young fellow! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453744423-Z3QIV6PLGPIA594KF1XM/IMG-20111101-00005+small.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Timber at roadside A large stack of timber sitting at the roadside looks impressive, but it is not something to be too proud about. Timber is sold by weight in the UK and it will be drying out and becoming lighter while it is stacked here. The sooner it is removed from the site and delivered to the sawmill (or other end user) the less weight it loses and the more money the client earns. Furthermore, rapid despatch helps the client's cash flow as it could be several weeks before the income is received. In this particular case, the site was close to the road, so the timber stacks were being assembled at a faster pace than usual. The route to the market involved weak roads and there was a restriction in place on the amount of daily visits by timber wagons. This compounded the problem by slowing-down the road extraction aspect of the job. Just one of the many challenges when harvesting timber! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453764687-UJBI72LDMFS0WMDOUC00/0.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Get off my land! I was fortunate enough to be managing a forest that contained a nesting pair of white-tailed sea eagles. These fantastic birds are slowly spreading around the Scottish coastline. Being a protected species, I had to be careful that they suffered no ill-effect from some future timber harvesting works that were being planned. At the time, I did not know whether the adult birds had successfully produced offspring so, in cooperation with RSPB Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, I arranged for Justin Grant and Abigail Rhodes to climb the tree containing the nest and check the health of any chicks that were inside. They were met with this young fellow! Cute feet.... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453813161-8F9U15Y1SCLOXVBTF2OI/023.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Stac Pollaidh one late winter morning One of the great aspects of the job is being out and about in the Highlands at times of the year. I took this picture of Stac Pollaidh as I drove through the Assynt hills one late winter morning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453890634-485IB7XICLAP6QP2TBYW/2015-02-02+13.16.46.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - A lone birch on the lower slopes (Ben Arkle in the background) I was planning a new deer fence to protect some woodland that had been classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This meant a long walk on a wintry day to find the best route. I took this photo during a break in the weather. I was standing on the lower slopes of Ben Stack and looking across to Ben Arkle on the fabulous Reay Forest Estate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454022474-TDENEI0AHAMW8AQ0CWG9/2014-12-16+10.58.39.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Making the most of a tight space My client's woodland was not very accessible, but they did have an informal quarry area that, with some lateral thinking and the construction of a short extraction route for the site forwarder, provided just enough space to store and load the timber before it went off to the market. Here, three wagons try to make the most of the available space. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454105958-R7UQYTMCITCXK9E6E0TW/2015-03-03+10.35.35.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Quinag and Kylesku This is a picture of Quinag that I took when working on a restocking plan on the other side of the water to the small settlement of Kylesku, North West Sutherland. It was a cold day but, as can be seen, the air was clear and the views superb. The restocking was taking place after recent timber harvesting works and the plan was to plant native broadleaf trees to replace the previous cover of mature non-native conifers that had been felled and the timber removed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454258518-FR188I679B890VFGAKA3/20120528_092034.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Mechanised timber harvesting Some people still think that timber is felled with chainsaws. While this is partly true, most of the work on all but the smallest sites is undertaken by purpose-built harvesters. Originally just an excavator with a harvesting head instead of a bucket, today's machines are built for the job and are very impressive to see in action. They make light work of the tree felling process and have many safety features to protect the operator.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454355638-USAS55FKB178B4L614P4/20131104_112106.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Ground preparation Here, an excavator prepares new ground for the planting of trees for a new native woodland. The peaty soil is being turned over to create a weed-free planting position and to bring sub-surface minerals to within reach of the young plants. This process also creates a drier planting position for the young trees which will help them to establish in areas of high rainfall or where soils can be waterlogged according to the season. It takes a skilled operator to create the mounds at the correct spacing and to drive a heavy excavator through these remote and often boggy locations. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474453678861-2OYHY12ACWP750TCH895/IMG_2402+small.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Tim Lucas This is me circa 2014, taking a break from surveying ground in Sutherland for a new native woodland. With a few simple tools (a spade, a peat probe, an aerial photo or map, and a GPS) it is possible to quickly identify the tree planting potential of any given area of land. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454416715-1URW9Y87WX45YYBALJ6W/IMG-20110816-00022.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - A sturdy new bridge Occasionally, simple timber harvesting projects can be complicated by off-site factors. Here, a new permanent bridge was required along an old estate road that was being upgraded so that the 44-ton timber wagons could reach the harvesting site. A specification for the bridge was included in the tender for resurfacing the road and competent contractors were invited to submit a price for the work. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454494657-XTXG0ZQE03EC7KD6PRG1/20140130_113856.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Delivery of young trees Young pine and native broadleaved trees (birch, rowan, willow, alder, holly and aspen) are delivered to a restock site. These are cell-grown trees and they would remain in the bags for a few days before being distributed across the steep and remote site by helicopter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474454566683-WXH8RSORJWNO6M5X5KEH/IMG_1786+cropped.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Laying-out fence materials A helicopter taking bundles of fence materials to a woodland creation project in a hard-to-reach area. Enough materials for a one hundred metre length of new deer fence are gathered into each individual bundle and taken out to be distributed around the new fence line in a process called 'laying-out'. The forest manager works with the fencing contractor to ensure that everything goes smoothly and that the right materials arrive in the right location. For example, some bundles may have an added field gate or may contain extra timber if the ground is particularly rough. Moving materials around by hand is a slow and expensive business and it can be hazardous if the ground is soft, steeply sloping, or just plain remote. Despite appearing to be an expensive luxury, helicopter layout can often be cheaper and is always safer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474460554641-S7U8XVXZPTLOFZ5LOU5G/IMG_0003.JPG Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Bundles of deer fence materials waiting for helicopter uplift This is a picture of deer fence materials waiting to be distributed ('laid-out') around the perimeter of a new native woodland. Each contractor has a slightly different approach. Here, the bundles are separated by deer stobs.   It is not unusual for fence materials to be laid-out by helicopter when the site is not very accessible. It is not cheap, but it compares favourably to other methods and is always quicker and often safer. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474460897311-D8MJZH5GISLH5E4B2QIJ/IMG_0048.JPG Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Birch sawlogs The picture shows an unusually-good Silver birch (B. pendula) sawlog. A client wished to restock his woodland with a pine and birch mix and had very specific requirements for the work. I could not obtain the correct specification birch planting stock from the usual suppliers, so I suggested that we could gather seed locally and have it contract grown in a tree nursery. Because timber production was a primary objective, a straight and lightly-branched phenotype was preferable. To this effect, I located and visited a stand of birch near Inverness that exhibited the desired characteristics. The owner of the stand was very kind and allowed me to fell a few trees to gather viable seed from the catkins hanging in the crowns. With some trepidation that there would be no viable seed to gather if my timing was incorrect, the trees were felled and the seed sent off to be cleaned and subsequently planted. Germination was excellent and I was rewarded with some fine planting stock in subsequent years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474461723459-XHJHQTKDTAB4JAK6H7JH/Picture+047+rotated.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Extreme sheep damage Several years ago, during an unusually cold and prolonged winter, I was working on a woodland establishment project on a farm. Late one day, a sudden snowstorm prevented the farmer from putting extra food out for his sheep. The weather worsened and he could get access to them for a couple of days. In their hunger, the sheep ate anything they could find, including the bark of this mature Scots pine! I thought it was interesting that there was such a well-defined line where the bark was suddenly beyond the reach of even the most stretchy sheep....   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1474461739970-PJDKFRP97YPASKQ8X70G/20130330_181339+less+1+mb.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Plantations can be attractive too! The colours in a stand of pine and larch are picked-out by the late evening sun. It was great to walk among these trees and proof, to me, that owning and managing woodland isn't just about the timber, or even the wildlife and the environment. Trees and woodlands provide amenity benefits and aesthetic values too. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501235466777-WIMXWL5R7VG7K9LRQHBF/20170429_105821.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Gaultheria shallon Gaultheria shallon ('Shallon') provides great for ground cover for game birds and can be very useful in a garden situation. Unfortunately, the very characteristics that make it so suited for these jobs (spreads rapidly; thicket forming; shade tolerant) can make it a nasty invasive species in the wrong circumstances. It likes the Highland climate and I have seen it spreading through native woodland and along the edges of watercourses. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236009007-FYDQAN51V5J792B9J9IU/20170523_075259.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Small grave, Ardtoe I saw this small grave on private land in Ardtoe while I was undertaking a tree survey. I guess a dog is buried here. What a fitting resting place! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236151026-7V5I5V38LJJFN3EQ2WUV/0.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Rhododendron cut and burn There are plenty of good reasons for clearing land of Rhododendron ponticum. In this case, it was infected with the plant pathogen Phytopthora ramorum so it had to go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236473213-V8KSRLV6WHES6HCYW126/20170402_134619.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Rhodendron ponticum - the green menace! I was asked to survey the spread of Rhododendron ponticum across a private estate. It was everywhere: private gardens, timber stands and, as this picture shows, native woodland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236636650-Q0B9HMJMDW72WT6ONHXY/20170402_141105.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Feral pigs 1 I found these signs of feral pigs throughout an area where I was undertaking a survey. I did not realise that they had spread so far along the Great Glen and was initially puzzled as to what could be disturbing the ground in this manner. It obviously was not deer and seemed rather extensive for badgers (my first thoughts). Then the penny dropped: I had seen something similar before in the Forest of Dean, where feral pigs had become a local cause celebre for the ground disturbance they were causing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501236829271-D5A6S0075LT4D2WTLV3S/20170402_141041.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Feral pigs 2 I was seeing these puzzling scat throughout an area in which I was working. It was only when I saw the ground disturbance that feral pigs had caused in other nearby areas that the penny dropped: I was seeing pig faeces. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501237229780-GQ6Q2BA1ARLLNT0WBJNP/20170301_120953.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Composting toilet I was asked to produce a management plan for a small woodland along the Moray Firth. The owner required one to support a planning application and also wanted advice on how to best manage his birch and other broadleaves for timber production. The owner would spend long hours working in his wood and cleverly addressed one of the common problems associated with a lack of welfare facilities by building this self composting toilet. The view was great but I bet the midges meant that you wouldn't want sit around for too long to enjoy it... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501237555460-KDUA51FO9QHB2219YJ14/20170221_150651.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Regenerating rhododendron from a previously cut stump In an ideal world, it would not be necessary to return to a site once the work had been done. However, things are rarely 'ideal'. In this case, a rhododendron bush has been cut down and glyphosate applied to the stump (the horizontal chainsaw cuts where the chemical would have been applied are clearly visible). Rhododendron can be a pernicious weed and, as in this case, the chemical treatment was not quite enough and new shoots have appeared. In two to three years this will be a substantial bush once more so a further timely treatment now will save both time and money.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501237851207-EKYTHJJJYNJ20GWYKMRG/soil+pit+3b.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Planning new woodland It is a good idea to dig a few soil pits when planning new woodlands. This area of pasture on a farm was clearly much better than many places where new woodlands are usually planted in the uplands. However, surface water was collecting (visible in the picture) so I decided to see what was underneath the grassy sward.     https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1501238248954-LQCN15XG55S16U6CZG2P/merged+1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - The site of a new woodland Here, an upland sheep farmer wished to increase tree cover on his land. He had previously planted new woodland nearby with support from early incarnations of a forestry grant scheme. In this case, the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) was offering sufficient support to make even a relatively modest new woodland financially worthwhile so I was asked to prepare a plan. The plan was approved and the establishment work should start in the autumn of 2017 when the pre-planting ground preparation begins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502185235083-WC3SA4WTBVNC0Z637462/20160614_110049.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Tigercat harvester on steep ground A Tigercat harvester working on steep ground in Sutherland, Highland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1502185367224-DAUY0ARA169GNB4AHR24/20160614_105932.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Forwarder on steep ground Mechanised extraction of timer on steep ground in Sutherland, Scotland https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549982843850-Z8VYGHHO93A5C7R67APV/IMG_20180630_120922083.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Strathconan, Inverness-shire Spring and summer 2018 were fantastic. Hardly a drop of rain and some very high temps. I took this picture when driving along a very hot and dusty forest road in Strathconan. At the time, I was contracted to Forestry Commission Scotland for about ten weeks, spending one day a week checking pheromone traps in various woodlands around the Beauly Firth. The traps were intended to attract and catch any Pine tree lappet moths that happened to be present. This was undertaken as part of an annual monitoring programme for this non-native species, which is known to be breeding in woodlands near the small town of Beauly. Strathconan Forest was an outlying area, well beyond the known breeding grounds of the moth and I found no Pine tree lappet moths here during my checks. Monitoring was undertaken with the kind permission of the landowner, whose assistance was invaluable in monitoring the spread of this species. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549983707777-5P4VXH5YL5DPHJUKUERJ/production+underway.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Christmas trees ready to go to market Nordman fir Christmas trees, bagged-up and ready to go to the market. This plantation was for sale at the time and a prospective buyer asked for my thoughts on quality of the crop and its potential for generating future income. In addition to assessing the crop through digital mapping (to establish the productive area) and random plots in the field (to identifying the stocking density and tree sizes) I also investigated access constraints and other site conditions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549984072217-MHQ1VQ464X2OPCLOTM1J/IMG_20181024_143642059_HDR.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Larch in the autumn landscape Hybrid larch (Larix x eurolepis) positively glowing in the landscape during the autumn, when its needles change colour before dropping. Unlike many other conifers, it is deciduous. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549985002509-K2BLM1MX458USB3FNRZN/IMG_20181018_083851256_HDR.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Surveying ground for woodland establishment purposes Sunrise over an area with potential for planting-up as a new native woodland. The ground was a little too peaty in this location, but the sun shining on the russet grasses made up for it. Elsewhere in this parcel of land, my findings were more promising, with shallow peat on top of mineral soil. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1549985790490-QENRZTH2MAK4GXOIFJFY/P1030765.JPG Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - A rhododendron stand after being machine-mulched If a machine (excavator with flail attachment or similar) can get into a rhododendron stand, it can make light work of the bushes at significantly less cost than motor manual methods. Both the damage by the flail and the subsequent thick mulch of shredded plant matter helps to suppress new growth from the remains of crowns. Where it does occur, it is usually fairly straightforward to find it and treat it with herbicide. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738229128016-VUC1FFGZH8NJEZ9P6X6A/image-asset.jpeg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Birch woodland in Inverness-shire I took this picture when planning a tree regeneration project in Inverness shire. The autumn picked-out the colours of the existing mature birch woodland beautifully. With such a substantial seed source nearby, I thought there was an excellent chance that many seedling trees would begin to appear on the adjacent open ground, provided the deer and sheep were removed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738229503509-QXI8C9XG42SIUQ4RFS4D/image-asset.jpeg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Lochan I took this picture of a small lochan at around 9 a.m. one late August morning, after walking forty minutes to the open hill land where I was working. My task that day was to survey some peaty ground to see if it was sufficiently shallow for a new native woodland to be planted. I recall that the summer had been a washout, so it was nice to be working in the sun. Of course, every silver lining has to have a cloud and the flies were particularly bad that day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738230455966-WRU715GZBL0SF2LZ9IOG/image-asset.jpeg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Standing stone at Brawlbin Forest I was measuring standing timber at Brawlbin forest and the process involved identifying and recording where the size of the trees and the stocking density was similar. In this manner the process of establishing the potential timber yield would be made all the more easier, as measurements from one area could be applied to other similar areas. The method involved a lot of walking and, as the crop was quite young and difficult to move through, I would frequently walk around the edge. It was while doing this that I saw this interesting standing stone on the muir just beyond the forest. Not very tall, but striking because of the surrounding landscape. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738231192347-99JLHBVAPQE6BSJWGID0/brawlbin_stone1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Standing stone at Brawbil Forest I was measuring standing timber at Brawlbin forest and the process involved identifying and recording where the size of the trees and the stocking density was similar. In this manner the process of establishing the potential timber yield would be made all the more easier, as measurements from one area could be applied to other similar areas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738231693361-2SGT9SWZVQNEGTB7CBBX/carn_nam_badam_1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Bright but cool A view of hill ground near Strathglass, Inverness-shire. I was working on the design for a small native woodland planting scheme on a cool late winter day. It may appear sunny in the photo, but it did not feel very warm. There was still ice on the small lochan in the middle distance! This turned-out to be a windy site and snow flurries were still falling in April when the trees were being planted a few years later. The tall electrical pylons added an additional constraint when planning and undertaking the work. First, the design plan had to ensure that the tree planting was held-back a suitable distance from the live conductors and, second, the operational plan had to consider the risk of machines working near the the hazard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738231413273-JLC0RBD6OBAAE7GP3YOD/brora1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - East coast seascape I was working on designing a woodland creation project on a farm by the coast at Brora and the water had a lovely turquoise hue in the sun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738232208298-EMQ3GVQTF8VMVD53IEHZ/hardy_pig1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Hardy pig I was checking the condition of a small native woodland on a windy West coast location when this fella (lady?) came over to say ‘hello’. I thought its ragged fir and grizzled appearance adequately reflected the wild conditions in which it lived! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738232495076-BKLFX8SOX43VZ9X5CL9Q/impromptu_tree_shelter1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Impromptu tree store A picture of an impromptu tarpaulin shelter for bare root trees waiting to be planted on a restock site. It was still March and the weather was cool, but I feared that the trees could get too hot while they wait to be planted, so I decided not to take any chances. The aim here is to keep the sun off the thick plastic bags containing the trees, while allowing some air movement around them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738232849235-O206MR30I70NJ5TXU6JQ/planting_stock1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Bare root trees waiting to be planted Bare root trees in the species bags wait to be planted. The white bags are quite thick and black on the inside, hence their colloquial name, ‘black and white bags’. This design is supposed to keep the trees inside a little cooler than would otherwise be the case. Some of the trees were in fact destined for a new planting scheme on adjacent ground, hence the boxes of slow release fertiliser on the right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738233112626-48X9U7XO28JL9HCIHWVG/lochaber1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Lochaber view I took this picture while looking down the Great Glen towards Fort William and Loch Linnhe - with the Nevis Range on the left - while surveying some hill land woodland creation potential. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738233570812-W2DHM3HV68CIMZO8BRKZ/new_stacking_area1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - A new timber stacking area A freshly-built hardstanding for stacking timber, constructed ahead of the start of timber harvesting in this forest near Inverness. The picture does not do full justice to the difficult landform on which this was built, although the fresh cutting in the solid rock on the right side provides some indication. The civil engineering contractor did a brilliant job. Some of the forest had to be cleared to make room for this hardstanding and the exposed edges of the remaining stands show the height and quality of the crop. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738234369097-07D99S9THSISZQ9ZIZ67/oversize_rowan1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Oversize trees These rowan were ordered as 20-40cm bare root transplants and, as the photo shows, the stock the nursery sent was several times larger. They were far too big for the planting squad to handle. Seeing that it was too late to return them to the nursery and wait for sensible replacements to arrive, I took some secateurs to them and cut them down to the very first bud from the root collar. This left the stems at around 100 mm tall. Despite the harsh treatment, the trees flourished during the summer after planting, most likely assisted by their enormous oversize rootballs! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738236538631-7M2H47C53D2TXP4RZJZT/restock_site1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Site ready for replanting This is a picture of a freshly-cultivated restock site. In other words, a forest that was previously clearfelled and has now been prepared for replanting. The particular cultivation method chosen here is ‘excavator mounds’, where a tracked excavator uses its bucket to create a raised planting position for each tree. It is a common approach with several benefits for the planted tree. It also makes the replanting work easier, particularly if woody debris leftover from the previous felling works is tidied-up while the cultivation machinery is on site. Although this particular forest is being restocked with conifers for timber production, the composition won’t be the same as the previous rotation. Instead, there a greater proportion of the land will be stocked with native broadleaves and will not be managed for timber production. Furthermore, the new timber crop will be held-back further from watercourses than was the case previously, and also kept away from soft and peaty ground that probably shouldn’t have been planted last time around. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738237347863-VBHNE8DRNYKOXXKA8MCZ/soil_pit_lairg1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Digging soil pits Nine times out of ten, one can quite readily determine whether land is suitable for planting trees within a short time of arriving at a new project area. Here, a quick walkover of the site is all that is required. An exception is where the ground is peaty, soft or otherwise marginal, as the prevailing ground cover does not always provide the usual strong indications of growing conditions underfoot. The site in the picture was clearly in the ‘plantable’ camp, but I dug some soil pits anyway to see what the conditions were like underneath the grassy sward of this area of improved grazing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738238304008-372T3MYIS12IL18JSXL1/soil_pit1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Soil pit This picture shows a soil pit that was dug when assessing the potential of a site for grant-assisted woodland creation. The owner had been keeping a small number of sheep on the ground and was looking to put the land to other use after deciding to reduce the size of the herd. Evidently plantable just from walking around the field, the soil pit revealed a very typical North Highland soil: a peaty ground water gley. This would be fine for the typical native species of this area (birch, willow, rowan etc) - as well as a few pine on the occasional well drained knoll. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738238894206-1L1PUYBIBFX6Q3UE8IPK/soil_profile1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Pine territory An eroded bank beside an estate track (not visible) shows a typical peaty podsol complete with a covering of Ling heather (Calluna vulgaris). This is a south-facing, well-drained, and ericaceous environment - great for planting Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738239358018-WF7V7PBTMISMVAXE24RF/stressed_pine1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Stressed Scots pine The Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) in this native woodland planting scheme looked great for several weeks after planting in the spring, after which they turned brown almost overnight. They may look completely dead but, some eight months later, most of the needles have now recovered and returned to being green, much to my relief. Even most of the trees that went on to drop all their needles are still alive, despite appearing at present to be completely dead. How could I tell? Well, I used my thumbnail to scrape off a little bark low down on the stem, revealing the still-live cambium underneath. Fingers-crossed, they should green-up in the coming spring. As to what caused the problem? I am not completely sure but I think it was basic transplant shock mixed with a period of prolonged and unseasonal stiff, cool, northerly breeze that occurred in the summer following planting. Maybe this had a dessicating effect on the young trees at a time when their roots had not yet had a chance to establish fully. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738242568199-6211HMYM8U4UI4MPELGS/PXL_20220624_101407130.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Yours truly A quick selfie, taken when planning the restocking of a felled woodland in Angus. I am carrying two essential pieces of kit: 1. A hat to keep the damn flies away (yes, it is not just a fashion statement). 2. Safety reading glasses so I can see what I am recording on the map on my phone (I daren’t take my proper reading glasses onto a rough-and-tumble restock site). The t-shirt tells a simple story: it was an unusually warm day for the time of year! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738666793862-FBNL4D9PIETRID8LXIUR/balnalick_landscape_1_reduced.png Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Woodland creation planning during the late autumn I was planning a woodland planting project for some hill land at the end of October and the weather was very fine for the time of year. The sun was setting and it was time to start the long walk back to the car. Just at that moment, the sun caught the landscape in front of me and it lit up with the most amazing browns and oranges. I took several pictures with my phone camera and stitched them together to form this montage. Sadly, much of the detail has been lost in this image, as I had to re-scale is severely to upload it here. Still, it gives a good idea of what it was like to stand in that landscape during that brief passing moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1738240247055-Y8IC6WAHNXY1ZAZQMWQO/vole_damage1.jpg Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management - Vole damage to holly Voles are a pain. Where rank grasses provide them with cover from predation, large numbers can appear in a planting scheme and wreak great harm to even well-established trees. Usually, they eat bark low down on the stem, and in the process girdle and kill a tree (or create a wound that allows ingress by pathogens and disease). In the case of this photo, the vole has bitten the stem higher-up and completely separated the main shoot. I first thought it was a hare, as this is typical of the damage they do, but the enclosure was tiny and well-fenced with a rabbit net. Also, the damage appeared alongside typical vole damage on the same tree and throughout the stand. In the case of this project, I thought at the time of planting that the cost of adding protection against voles to each tree was not justified, but soon changed my mind on seeing this. Vole guards were installed within a few days and the young native woodland saved from further harm. This just goes to show that woodlands need to be monitored, especially when young and vulnerable to mammal damage. One shouldn’t simply plant them and walk away. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1624611328164-TRFHH5GMTV33BQUHUT92/TimLucas_Logo_FINAL_Ver2%28trans%29.png Welcome to Tim Lucas Forest Management https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/our-expertise daily 0.75 2025-12-10 https://timlucasforestmanagement.co.uk/work_available daily 0.75 2025-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/57dfdcfb3e00be77caadf6e1/1521024151537-TQTCJEOKN3BN50ADLEID/20180313_103857.jpg Forestry work opportunities in the Scottish Highlands