I’ve had a nasty, chesty cough and head cold all week which has sapped my energy levels. Having spent most of the time indoors, I desperately needed a day at the woods as a tonic. It would be foolish to attempt any strenuous jobs, so I made a list of small things that would be useful but not too tiring. I have several ideas that need a little planning and forethought; a new car-camping area, a small pond, a new tarp shelter by the logshed etc.

I had a really good look around, amazed at how much has changed since last visit only ten days ago. The wood anemones are in abundance and lots of flowers opening now. Leaf buds are bursting on the elder, hawthorn, cherry, and hazel and primroses in flower. This must be the first significant turning point from winter to spring in my woods. The floor has turned from a dull brown to bright green. My blackthorn shrubs planted two years ago, have their first tiny and beautiful flowers.

I watched a buzzard overhead, circling the perimeter of my patch and spotted deer tracks and badger scrapings.

Then I put the ladder up to the Little Owl nest box I installed eithteen months ago. Nothing nested in it as far as I know but I needed to check that it was clean and ready for occupation. There were signs of something nibbling around the hole and edge of the box. There’s a door on the front which I gently opened. Something had clearly made a home there at some point. It was crammed with old leaves. There were abundant creepy crawlies and I suspected it was an old nest but what creature had made it? A squirrel or a woodpecker maybe?

I decided to clear it out but carefully in case it was still in use, so I took a large trug up to put the material in. After removing the outer layer blocking the opening, I could see the inside was not as full and slowly proceeded to pull the rest out. That’s when I noticed a movement in the debris. Had I imagined it? Was it a large beetle? No the shuffling was something larger. Whatever it was, it was obviously unhappy with my interference. I watched for a short while but didn’t see the actual animal. I am guessing it was a mouse of some sort and I stuffed the dead leaves back in a closed the door. It will have a bit of housekeeping to do but should be OK. If Little Owls do decide to nest there later, they might find a ready meal waiting in the larder.

I was pleased to see that some of my groundcover transplantings last year have survived. I have one patch of wood sorrel only but the wild garlic and some primroses are looking good. I’m going to try splitting some ferns and replanting in other areas this year. Wood sorrel, below, tastes like cooking apples. Also it’s what the Irish call Shamrock. Popular at the moment with poncey London chef’s who add the leaves to salads. It contains oxalic acid which is not good for us in large quantities but ok in small doses.

I found a possible spot for a small pond, a natural hollow which always seems damp. My woods are very well drained and have no natural water courses, so it’s going to be a struggle to keep a pond supplied with water. I’d like to have one though, mainly for the birds and animals to drink from. A source of water is very important for birds to digest their food. It’s going to be an experiment for later in the year.

Another plan I wanted to investigate is to find a better position for my car when I try the overnight car-camping idea I had last year. One of the problems I had was being underneath some large sycamore tress. The the tarp I slung over to give me some privacy and shelter, got covered in the sticky goo that aphids produce. Also it was a bit too close to the ride to feel any sense of privacy if anyone should be taking an early morning walk. I figured out a much improved position just a few metres further into the wood from my car track. If I remove a dead tree stump and a couple of very small hathorn stems, there’s a nice area just big enough for the car, that is surrounded by tall hawthorn trees which form a canopy. That feels much more cosy and shouldn’t be bothered by aphid goo. The trees are nicely spaced to anchor my ridgeline for the tarp and it’s also next to the logshed and work area, making it easier in future for loading up logs to take home. Until next time, thanks for reading.