2017 Hazel harvest – 4 weeks earlier than 2016

This had caught me by surprise. The 2017 Hazel harvest is 4 weeks earlier than in 2016.

I noticed the squirrels starting to gorge themselves on hazels from either end of my row of different hazel varieties. Masses of broken shells on the ground. I thought nothing of it, as squirrels have done this in previous years. Even when the kernel inside was not properly formed.