Trip Report – 2017-10-15: Introduction to Cedarcroft

180-Degree Panorama of Cedarcroft

On Saturday, the 36-hour weather forecast did not look promising for a Sunday hike. Heavy rains, high winds, and a humidex of 28 (more reminiscent of summer weather than fall) were expected. Sunday morning had something else in mind. A gap opened in the rain clouds ahead of a cold front that would punch through in the early afternoon. That was enough for a handful of Nature London members to take a chance and venture out to Cedarcroft, Nature London’s 11 hectare nature reserve southwest of London.

Blustery winds and a noisy canopy kept the wildlife lying low. The ravines were more sheltered and quiet, but strangely sauna-like for this time of year. Nature was well into the annual tradition of painting the trees a colourful mosaic and gradually transferring the collage to the forest floor. It’s never the same from day to day, or even year to year. Visit often. You never know what you might see that wasn’t there before, like the Boogie Woogies (see movie below).

(Click to view larger images and descriptions.)

 

Dancing Beech Blight Aphids – The “Boogie Woogies”