Bracket fungus on Sycamore tree: Polyporus squamosus (commonly known as "Dryad's Saddle") forms large, thin, polypore brackets up to 50 cm across. Quite often these brackets are produced in clusters on stumps or dying branches of deciduous trees such as elms, beech and sycamore. They cause an intense white-rot of the wood. | Wilden Marsh Nature Reserve

Here is a start to finish of cutting a sycamore using a hinge technique | Boys In The Woods

Tips: The best time to prune off branches is usually early spring but that’s not always realistic. Try to avoid extreme temperatures and don’t do this too late in the fall or the tree may not have time to recover before winter (this was early October). If you’re doing this in the summer, as I often do, water afterward if it’s hot and dry. Don’t prune off too much of a tree at one time or this could potentially create excess stress for the tree. Dead or damaged branches can be removed at pretty m