Old oak trees are a feature of the site here, and are very important ecologically, as well as being just awe-inspiringly massive, beautiful and wondrous. They mostly inhabit a world that moves very slowly, but occasionally things happen to them very quickly. This tree, which is by my reckoning perhaps 250-300 years old, shed a large limb in the summer of 2008, and was comprehensively finished off by the big storm of 28th October 2013. It is now what you might call dead. Except it will be very much alive for a long time to come, and probably 'outlive' all of us. Very large, very old trees probably support as much life during their period of decay as they do whilst they are alive, and are immensely important habitats in their own right. This hulk will no doubt be rotting down for many decades, provinding food and shelter for countless organisms during that time. As in life, it isn't going anywhere fast.
On the bird front, both merlin and marsh harrier continue to put in appearances (merlin seems to favour the south brooks), and good numbers of wigeon remain all over the site. A few black-tailed godwits and dunlin are still present amongst the lapwing flocks. Siskin, brambling and redpoll have been seen on/around the edge of the heath in recent days.