This tree is usually relatively small and I find very few on our acid Cheshire sandstone as it prefers neutral or calcareous soils. It is quite a decorative deciduous tree so is used by landscape gardeners and parks so the trick is to find one which doesn't look as though it's been planted. This one was taken in an ancient woodland so I'm reasonably sure it was a genuine wild specimen.

Green tree flowers, of which there are many, pose a real problem for the photographer. Using a compact digital camera with poor manual focussing facilities, I tend to try to use the auto focus if I can. This depends on the sensor detecting the contrast between the the desired photographic subject and its surroundings: often light green against dark. So the camera tries to focus on anything but the subject and selecting a specific focus area doesn't work either. Add to that the low light levels you always get in woods together with a gentle breeze and you could spend an hour failing to get a decent shot. This one isn't marvellous but the others were worse.

Acer campestre is common in England and Wales and can fairly easily be found in southern Scotland and around the lowland industrial belt but records become scarcer in the Highlands and further north. It is dotted about in Ireland not being common anywhere.

Coed Cilygroeslwyd, near Ruthin North Wales, 25th April 2005

Added on 1st May 05, updated 3rd Oct 06, updated 29th Apr 08, updated 20th Feb 10, updated 26th Feb 2012