Awoke this morning to a bright clear crisp autumnal day. The wood may not be devastated by the storm but there is damage enough. Debris lies everywhere and you need to be even more careful than is normally necessary when placing your feet to a'void being tripped by small branches. A few larger trees and a number of large limbs have also come down. An eroded footpath leading into the wood has recently been restored with considerable effort put into the placing of steps to allow easier access. This route is currently blocked by a large ash branch. It is noticeable that most of the trees that have gone over were those covered with ivy. This parasitic plant, is often said to do no harm to its hosts, but when the wind blows, its extra weight can prove fatal. But then, fallen trees provide  rotten wood and a good many invertebrates rely on this. The gaps produced in the canopy will allow for regeneration and the wood will continue to flourish as a habitat for creatures large and small.
The animals within the wood are likely to have escaped unscathed. The rabbits would have been underground during the storm, along with the badgers. The dormice whilst still active during this mild autumn, should have been safe in their coppice bottom nests, whilst the few birds to be found at this time of year (mainly robins and blackbirds), will have sought shelter low down in holly bushes and should not have been harmed.
Across the country, four deaths related to the storm show its intensity, and its potential for harm, but here its effects can be seen as a balance between the damage caused and the benefits from the clearing out of weak timbers.