The slender silver birch is a rather attractive tree, both with and without leaves. Here, the low afternoon winter sun plays almost horizontally across the bare branches, and a clear blue sky provides a superb backdrop.

The silver birch is a pioneer species, always one of the first trees to appear on bare or reclaimed land. The prevalence at Brereton Country Park, as in these pictures, shows how recent is the reclamation of this land – in common with many of the UK’s recent country parks. And how glad we are that these oases have been reclaimed for nature and recreation.