Home to many creatures

Over the past few weeks, we have made a few visits to weed around the tree spirals and to plant a further 20 trees donated by The Woodland Trust.  These included some Spindle, Silver Birch, Osier Willow and Field Maple.  We have also added a few primroses in the far corner. Last week I saw a Willow Warbler along the hedge-bank. But the most exciting find was a Harvest Mouse nest inside a tree-tube!  It was the solitary nest of a young mouse and could have been there since 2021, or the previous Summer, as that particular tree was planted in late 2019.

Solitary Harvest Mouse Nest

 

Later on I found another nest, this time it was closely packed at the base of the tree-tube and made of leaves, some grass, fur and chewed polythene.  This was most likely the nest of a Wood Mouse. They like the warm, dry tree-tubes and treat them like an underground hole. It is difficult to see, but here is the photo:

Wood Mouse nest

There were Buff-tailed Bumblebee Queens scouting around for holes.  Some trees are in blossom now, such as Crab Apple and Wild Cherry, with Hawthorn, Rowan and Whitebeam not far behind.  Today was warm and sunny.  Maggie was taking advantage of the dry weather to cut the grass path for the first time.  We saw several butterflies, including Peacock, Holly Blue, a pair of Tortoiseshell, Brimstone and a female Orange Tip.  The Lady's Smock (food-plant of the Orange Tip) is in flower both in the Biodiversity Area and in the field outside. Maggie also saw a couple of lizards.

Peacock butterfly

Drinker Moth caterpillar

Oak Marble Galls

It is wonderful to see how each year we are finding different creatures settling in.  We have insects (bees, beetles, moths, butterflies, wasps) breeding on site.  We have small mammals (voles, wood mice, harvest mice). Also reptiles (lizards and slow worms) and a plentiful population of snails - white-lipped, brown-lipped and Garden Snails, which are a good food source for voles and thrushes.

Adding to the Spiral Maze

We are now reaching the end of the tenth planting season. Yesterday, a couple of us went to the Biodiversity Area to add in a few more whips to the spiral row of trees.  This time we planted the rest of the second Woodland Pack of 50 - Oak, Alder and Rowan given to us by The Conservation Volunteers #IDigTrees funded by Ovo Energy customers.  In addition, there were some Osier Willow, Silver Birch, Common Lime, Spindle and Field Maple.  We added 34 trees to the total, which is now many hundreds. A rough tally of planting since December 2012 suggests that we have put in around 800 trees.  Of course, not every one will have survived, but most of them have and are in varying degrees of maturity. Many now flower and fruit every year, providing nectar and food for birds and mammals.  The Wild Cherries are in flower now, and many others are showing flower buds.

There were a few birds around - Blackbirds, Wood Pigeon, Sparrows (in the hedge) and possibly a Blackcap Warbler, but I could only hear it, not see it.  There is also a Song Thrush which visits the old Bowling Green and may be nesting nearby.

I also disturbed a tiny leaf beetle (Chrysolina bankii) with a beautiful copper shell and red legs and antennae.  It feeds on plantain leaves.

While I was clearing grasses from the tree tubes, I found a tiny Cucumber Spider (Araniella cucurbitina), the same species I found here last Spring.

The trees are coming into leaf now.  I noticed that a few trees, such as this silver birch, that are growing among brambles along the fence are holding their own.

 

250 trees distributed to our local communities

On Saturday, we hosted a stall and gave away approximately 250 trees to people living in Winkleigh and surrounding parishes. These whips were given to us by The Woodland Trust for community distribution.

Giving away a bundle of trees

Trees ready to go to the stall

Everyone completed a short online form to register, and then collected their trees from us on the morning.  We are grateful for all the generous donations made towards our activities.  This will be mainly used to maintain the Biodiversity Area.