Pelted by acorns

[stripee]

There is a huge crop of acorns this year. They are falling out of the sky all the time and it's quite hard to walk on them. Noone seems to be rushing to eat them. They often stay on the ground all winter and they don't seem popular. Is this because there are no pigs in woods anymore?

[Meles meles]

No rodents or small mammals eating them? Otherwise i would say personally say yes the loss of wild boar and pig could be the reason for so many acorns on the ground. Especially where you are.

[aeshna5]

I'm amazed they are being left as many things eat them- Wood Pigeons sometimes descend in thousands to gorge on them, also of course Jays, squirrels + other rodents. Even Mallard are partial to them.

[stripee]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

I'm amazed they are being left as many things eat them- Wood Pigeons sometimes descend in thousands to gorge on them, also of course Jays, squirrels + other rodents. Even Mallard are partial to them.

This is what I would have thought too...I have found hazelnuts with holes made by mice etc, but no acorns with signs of nibbling, some are germinating. There are only a few jays, the wood pigeons don't seem that interested. Squirrels are taking the hazelnuts.But there is a glut of beech mast and other woodland food too this year, maybe acorns will get eaten later, but last few years have been good ones for them. Glad they arent coconuts

[paulchandler6]

I went down to the bottom of the garden this afternoon and over 20 Wood Pigeons flew out of the Oak tree. They must have been enjoying the acorns as the 2 Oaks in the garden are absolutely dripping with them this year.
Keep looking out for some jays to appear as I only seem to get them in the garden at this time of year.

Paul

[Dan Salter]

This confuses me as i was only reading or watching something the other day ( cant for the life of me remember the source) saying how its a great year for "berries" of all kinds but terrible year for nuts/acorns/beach mast...i thought this odd as the day after this we went on a walk of the college campus and came accross not only the largest number of acorns on the ground under a huge Common Oak but they were MASSIVE !! i have been seeing acorns yearly since i was a wee kid and these things were huge great beasts. i have seen good hazelnuts harvests and conkers/chestnut as well?

Dam i wish i could remember the source of the "bad year for nuts and mast" comments as i would write and say Oi!...you......your telling porkys.

ill have to scan recent Countryman magazine/ CPRE country VOICE mag/ Countryfile Mag/ ...unless it was on natures calender or something?

[paulchandler6]

Originally Posted by Dan Salter

This confuses me as i was only reading or watching something the other day ( cant for the life of me remember the source) saying how its a great year for "berries" of all kinds but terrible year for nuts/acorns/beach mast

I was in a large wood the other day and was suprised by the amount of beech mast around. From my observations nuts, acorns, mast as well as berries etc are plentiful this year.

Paul

[Scarlet Pimpernel]

There was a thread on here not that long ago saying there was a shortage of acorns and conkers etc! It was only me who seemed to have a 50ft oak teeming with them at that point!

I was only walking through the woods the other day and had to take evasive action from a falling one....however I am sure the squirrels were firing them down!!!

Cheers Jacob

[Jez]

It's been a cracking autumn for acorns probably due to last years hot summer and high pollunation. What we see next year maybe quite the opposite?

[stripee]

Also this summer very wet for a couple of months, the trees have grown well and look healthy, there was lots of blackberries, crab apples too.