Not very nuts about hazel

This is the rather feeble sum total of the hazel nuts I have picked over the past couple of weekends. A very disappointing amount from my foraging. Last year I picked so many I was eating them well into the new year. This year I won't have enough to make it to Christmas.

I simply found that the trees were barely producing a crop. And I wasn't alone. When I was out foraging on Saturday, I found a couple out picking hazel and they told me it was meagre pickings as well.

Not all nut crops have been poor however. Near my house in London is a sweet chestnut tree. Plenty of nuts on it. The only problem is that I have not had a chance to pick any. And so the grey squirrels have been having a feast.