Lambs tails

 A lot of hazel was planted in Filnore Woods when the big planting happened in winter 1998-99. Now that the days are getting longer we can look forward to a good display of lambstail catkins. The hazel bushes are showing the catkins already, but in January and February they will stretch out to their full length, covered in yellow pollen. These are the male flowers of the hazel. Each female flower is really tiny, like a miniature red sea anemone on top of a little bud. They appear at the same time as the catkins, but before the leaves.