I’m really getting in plenty of visits at the moment, partly because I want to push on with lots of jobs before spring. My list for yesterday arrived around 2.30 am when I awoke to hear five scallies talking loudly outside and smoking a spliff. I’d gone to bed thinking about what I was going to do at the woods, so my brain just continued with the internal conversation. “Take the chainsaw, finish cutting, chopping and stacking last winter’s felling. Sned the new ones (cut off the side branches) and start making a new brash hedge around the log store, dig a pit and fill with logs and rubble to make a wildlife sanctuary and fix some squirrel protection plates to my birdboxes. By the time I got back to sleep I could have done at least one of those jobs for real!
It was a glorious morning and as I arrived there were two cars just heading up the ride into the woods. I recognised one as a neighbour I hadn’t seen for a while, so first job was to head over to their plot to say hello and catch up. Back at mine I made the first job to light a fire for coffee and to get some nice embers ready for cooking a whole mackerel I was having for lunch. A friendly robin appeared on a nearby branch. There was no doubt it had come to see what I was up to. I love that, when a bird seeks you out, rather than flies off thinking it is in danger. It suggests a sense of trust which to me is precious. The dappled sun coming through the remaining autumn leaves and the comfort of a new, smokey wood fire is hard to beat. The other car at the ride, I discovered was another neighbour who called around and we had a good long chat about woodland ownership and a bit of a walkabout. He makes some fantastic wildlife videos of his woods and camping trips.
During the spring, some of my bird nest boxes had been attacked by the greys trying to get to the eggs and chicks. They had gnawed at the holes to enlarge them, so I have bought some metal plates that fit over the hole and hopefully, prevent it in future.
squirrel damaged nest box
It was a good opportunity to open the boxes, repair them and clear out any debris and see which had been used. Out of seven boxes, only two looked as if birds had successfully bred. Two remained unoccupied and three had been started and abandoned – a bit disappointing. By now it was already time to start cooking the fish which I simply wrapped in foil and put on a grid over the embers. I’m a rubbish chef but it came out nice and went well with my red Thai curry flavoured instant noodles. A very messy but tasty meal. The fish scraps went on the fire to dispose of.
After lunch I set-to with the chainsaw, attacking the last remaining pile of old logs. I had hoped to clear them off as it’s getting boring now but nope, still a few to go at. I did the snedding and felled a small wonky oak tree. I checked out the mouse nest that has been under an upturned metal bin for about a year. It looked abandoned, so I decided it was time to reclaim my bin for more practical purposes.The days are very short now so there was only time left to load a few more logs to bring home, tidy up and head off home. Next time I’m hoping to start building the brash hedge. This will partly enclose the area around the back and sides of my logshed. It will partly hide the shed for aesthetic purposes and provide shelter and nesting places for wildlife and hopefully allow me to see more of it too. Till next time, bye for now.
