please help identify this tree.

[Melonfish]

from these shots if poss, there's loads of this growing all over where i live and i just can't figure what it is?!
i'm pretty sure it isn't hazel but honestly its doing my nut.

any idea's?
the catkins really throw me too.
pete

 

[slowworm]

Why do you say you don't think it's hazel? Looks like hazel to me, the catkins and the buds. If you look closely at some of the buds do you see little red bits sticking out? If so that's the female flowers of hazel.

 

[Melonfish]

just doesn't seem to be too similar to the other hazels in the area, seems knarly...
maybe i'm having a moment...

 

[slowworm]

Hazel can be quite variable. I've planted some in our garden and some plants are coppiced and some left for nuts and they look quite different to each other. The knarly bits don't look familiar to me but perhaps the trees suffered some pest attack when young or are suffering some mild disease? Hopefully in a few months you'll find plenty of nuts on them.

 

[addo]

Looks like coppiced hazel to me.

 

[dwardo]

Could be Hazel but its hard to tell from the photos. The catkins could also point to some type of alder. Have a good scout around on the floor and look for the dead leaves

 

[bushcraftbob]

Looks like theres some hazel in there some where!