Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) in Llandaff Fields, Cardiff, in November
I visited the hornbeam I am following twice this month, as I thought there would be a lot of autumnal activity and I didn’t want to miss anything. The first time was on October 20, a grey day just before the tail end of Hurricane Gonzalo hit Britain, and the second time was on November 5 – a rare sunny day in a very wet week.
Just a reminder that this tree-following lark is a great project organised by Loose & Leafy, so thanks again to Lucy Corrander for that.
As I see it, the hornbeam in Llandaff Fields was late coming into leaf – after its catkins had already flowered – and therefore it is now going to be one of the last trees to lose its leaves, too.
Here is the general scene on October 20…
The hornbeam is in the distance between the sycamore and lime tree…
And on November 5…
The sycamore and lime are now totally bare, but the hornbeam keeps going…
And a closer look…
Hornbeam (left) on October 20
Hornbeam on November 5 looks fuller than a fortnight earlier!
If I have a theory, maybe it’s that the winds have removed the deadest leaves so only the firmly attached green ones remain?
Hornbeam leaves on October 20
Hornbeam leaves on November 5
But while we wait for autumn to fall, let’s have a look around…
There’s always a dog of one sort or another under the tree – this was October 20
Velvety moss on October 20
The bark is showing its age – October 20
I feel I know every patch of lichen on the tree by now…
Wet fallen leaves, October 20 – mostly maple but the hornbeam leaves are there, very dark brown and delicate
View from under the tree, October 20…
…view from behind the tree, November 5 – the sharp-eyed may spot the Millennium Stadium, in the distance just to the right
November 5 and still there are daisies (Bellis perennis)
Seagull stamping in the grass to raise worms…
By its pink legs and pale back, this is, I think, a herring gull (Larus argentatus). And in fact there were two of them sashaying along, working the field…
Herring gulls looking for food
I can no longer see any fruits on the hornbeam tree – those I have seen on the smaller street hornbeam I pass each day seem to have gone black around the edges and fallen apart. I did try nibbling one nutlet before it was quite ripe and it was VERY hard.
On my next visit it will be December – surely all the leaves will be gone by then?
See all my tree postings here…
See all Loose & Leafy’s November tree followers here…
And here is Laura Bloomsbury’s very different hornbeam in London…
The Squirrelbasket 
Yes, they are Herring Gulls and they do this ‘paddling’ on the ground to raise the worms more than any other gull species I’ve observed. There was a pair near my former office in Cardiff Bay that could be seen doing it most days.
Yes, they were very organised and even when I got quite close they just carried on with their task.
I’d only really noticed blackbirds raising worms before…
All the best 🙂
I think the biggest revelation from this year’s Tree Following is how late leaves are falling. Do we remember them falling earlier than they really do – make sweeping judgements because some trees loose their leaves earlier than others and we think they all fall off together? Or is it something to do with this year? At the rate we’re going there will be autumn leaf posts from several Tree Followers at Christmas!
You may be right. I just have this image in my mind that in September all the leaves fall, with lovely colours, and then that’s it!
Just as we all “remember” snow at Christmas.
All the best 🙂
Moss and lichen are fascinating, aren’t they?
Absolutely! I’m trying to remember if I have ever seen you paint them?
Best wishes 🙂
Oaks are one of the last to get their finery and one of the last to lose them too. I think as a general rule it depends on local climate and environment as well as the species.
Enjoying your posts Pat.
Sure you are right on all that – and thank you for the kind comment.
We don’t really have that many oaks in Cardiff (apart from turkey oaks and evergreen oaks), so I haven’t seen one for ages.
All the best 🙂
I always enjoy seeing “before” and “after” photos … and lichen and moss photos! Gorgeous. Your Hornbeam is a wonderful tree!
Thanks for that. I have a bit more lichen “up my sleeve” and will probably do a year-long before and after hornbeam gallery at the close of the year. I already feel nostalgic for the catkin time of last spring.
I enjoyed your latest butterfly blog post.
All the best 🙂
what a difference a zone makes – mine is completely bare whilst other tree species are hanging on to the foliage. Lovely viewing your tree over the seasons, and to appreciate what a mature specimen looks like in the best of environs
Indeed it does – your hornbeam looks so dry and hemmed in by construction, poor thing.
But your maples and planes are showing some good autumn colour.
All the best 🙂
what a beautiful hornbeam, as Laura says so different from the one she is following, the hornbeam you are following is in a beautiful setting, Frances
I see you have a little hornbeam, too, much more colourful in autumn than mine so far. I guess that’s because it’s colder there.
I am now following your blog, which I thought I was doing already. It has been a busy year at work and I have rather got behind with my aim to follow closely every single one of Lucy’s tree followers!
I’ll keep an eye on your blog through the winter, although I see you say you probably won’t do a tree-follow post in December.
All the best 🙂