Country diary: the woods' biological clocks seem out of kilter

White spring blossom of blackthorn or sloe bushes (Prunus spinosa). Photograph: Alamy

Spring has arrived patchily in Northamptonshire; the trees and shrubs seem unusually desynchronised; one oak clothed in unfurling chartreuse leaves, its neighbour still firmly in bud; one blackthorn flourishing white blossom, yet the next still spikey and grey. Perhaps biological clocks in the woods and hedgerows have been thrown out of kilter by the hottest February in history followed by a cooler March and April?

For me, the leaf burst of the oak is one of the landmark moments of spring. The fresh growth of delicate shiny leaves embodies the return of vibrancy to the canopy, proliferating vegetation that will soon feed the mass of caterpillars that will fuel the chicks of the wood’s feathered inhabitants. I marvel at the colour of the leaves, pale yellow-green, flushed red around the edges; there is no blend of hues quite the same in the countryside, but its presence is fleeting.

Vandalised sprig of oak in Fermlyn Woods. ‘All fingers point to the pruning being the work of grey squirrels.’ Photograph: Matt Shardlow

Disquietingly there has been some vandalism of oak shoots in Fermlyn Woods this year. Strewn under a tree are numerous twigs, all about 10cm long, each adorned with wilting, tender leaves dispatched in the moment of their exuberant victory over winter. The straight cut end of every twig has fine parallel grooves as if detached with a tiny chisel. This is not far from the truth – all fingers point to the pruning being the work of grey squirrels. However, consensus breaks down when it comes to explaining why they behave so badly. Are the twigs the dropsam from nest building or food hoarding, or is the squirrel accessing the sugary rising sap? It seems no one is sure.

Recently cleared ride edge in Fermyn Woods. ‘The disturbance will rejuvenate the flora.’ Photograph: Matt Shardlow

There has been some dramatic activity in the wood over winter, broad swathes of trees have been cleared back from the edges of paths. A sign explains that the habitat management has been done by Butterfly Conservation as part of the Back from the Brink project, which I have some involvement in through Buglife. The strips still look rather knocked about, but the disturbance will rejuvenate the flora. Sunlit rides are great habitats for flowers and insects; it will be exciting to watch them develop over coming years. What will come back?