Ancient Woodlands and Trees

Andy’s life-long interest in natural history, encouraged throughout his childhood by his grandfather, eventually developed into a serious photographic passion.  Yet he somehow also finds time to run his own camera shop in Chiswick.

Ancient woodlands are areas of woodland that have had tree cover for hundreds of years.  And they provide a unique, rich and complex habitat for plants, wildlife, fungi, and microorganisms.

They are close to Andy’s heart.  He loves being out in them.

Andy’s talk covered the history of woodlands (most of the woodlands in Britain are not ancient and were planted only in the 19^th century), identifying ancient woodlands, the environments such woodlands provide for all sorts of living creatures, and the creatures themselves.  And, along the way, there were also a few comments on current forestry practices!

He talked about various different types of woodlands and how woodlands can be managed, including the importance of regular coppicing and pollarding.  He also gave us helpful tips for identifying ancient woodland, including topographical pointers and indicator species.

And the talk was richly illustrated with an abundance of Andy’s beautiful images.

These images included trees (of course).  But also

• Animals (including muntjac deer, yellow-necked mouse, hazel dormouse, vole, and weasel);
• Beetles and weevils (including net-winged, longhorn, and stag beetles and the acorn weevil);
• Birds (including tawny and barn owls, kestrel, red kite, goshawk, tree creeper, woodcock, song thrush, chiff chaff, willow warbler, spotted flycatcher, pied flycatcher, black cap, nightingale, willow tit, and redstart);
• Caterpillars, butterflies and moths (including brindled beauty and lobster moth caterpillars, brimstone, green veined white, orange tip, wood white, pearl-bordered fritillary, heath fritillary, silver-washed fritillary, white admiral, and purple emperor butterflies, and lime hawk-moth);
• Fungi (including sulphur tuft, wrinkled peach, amethyst deceiver, fluted bird’s nest, holly parachute, anemone stinkhorn, and dung cannon);
• Plants (including wood anemones, wild garlic, primrose, violet, wood sorrel, wood spurge, and oxlip); plus
• Hoverflies (there are over 400 species), the gall wasp, and Andy’s trademark slime moulds.

So his subjects in this presentation ranged from very large to large to small to very small to minute.  From huge old trees and all sorts of other vegetation, through deer and dormice and a large variety of birds, through assorted fungi, through butterflies and other insects, and even to the amazingly tiny (less than one millimetre) slime moulds.  There were so many superb images to enjoy.

Andy is obviously extremely passionate about the natural world.  He has an impressive knowledge of his subject and an extensive portfolio of beautiful images.  He is also an accomplished and engaging speaker.  This was another marvellous presentation.

Andy has had work published in many books and magazine both nationally and internationally.  He has particular interests in macro photography of insects (especially bees and wasps), fungi and slime moulds, woodland, and wading birds.  And he specialises in British subjects.

More of his work can be seen on his website https://andysands.co.uk/gallery/ 

And his images of British wildlife can also be seen on Natural Picture Library https://www.naturepl.com/search?s=andy+sands&filters=sf6%3D