The forecast looked a bit dodgy for Saturday, storm Freya brewing out in the Atlantic and threatening some possible rain and winds but I wanted to go and drop a few more skinny sycamore to leave on the ground for deadwood. The Bluebells and now the Wood Anemones are pushing through and they cover the woodland floor. So this was going to be my last session for the winter because I hate trampling on them. As it turned out the weather was beautiful for most of the day and as you can see from this photo of some very tall lime trees on my ride edge, the morning was clear and sunny.
First job as usual, check the trail cam. Not much – mainly grey squirrels but a nice shot of the fox and a couple of the hare, but hey what is this? Some guy in an orange jacket with a dog walking down my woods! I immediately recognised him as one of the other woodland owners, a guy I had met for the first time a couple of weeks ago. The next camera shot showed him coming back up. My shelter is at the bottom of the area so I figured he was simply being curious and came to have a look at it. No harm done so no worries but personally I wouldn’t enter another neighbour’s plot on my own without specific invitation and even then would be reluctant. Funnily, he was out later on in the morning with same jacket and dog walking along the ride and he stopped for a chat. I didn’t let on I’d caught him on camera. No point embarrassing him and causing friction.
I set-to with chainsaw and felled four more small sycamore, making a total of forty this winter. Most have been used as material for the toilet walls or cut into firewood sizes but a good number have been left on the ground. The area is now strewn with logs and trunks which will slowly decay and provide homes and food for all sorts of creatures and fungi. It also softens the rather manicured look of the plantation, adding some character and points of interest and a more natural look. It will soon fill out again. First the anemones, and bluebells, then the brambles and ferns and whatever else is waiting for the spring.
What about the bees in the owl box then? Well, when the guy from the woodland Trust visited a couple of weeks ago, he saw the box and commented that it contained a wasps’ nest. Although the box is quite high up, he could see the insects flying in and out. I was a little puzzled because as far as I am aware, during winter the colony dies off, apart from the Queen, who hibernates until spring then starts a new small nest, lays some eggs and it builds from there. Could it be bees? In the UK our wild bees are mainly bumble bees, the big round fluffy ones and mason bees which burrow into the ground. But it’s possible that a colony of domesticated honey bees had swarmed last summer and found a new home in my Little Owl box. With binoculars at hand I zoomed in on the hole which was a busy gateway of honey bees coming and going. Wow what a thrill – honey bees. I have no idea how long they are likely to thrive there as it’s much smaller than a conventional beehive which can be added to as the colony expands. There’s no way I am getting the ladder out to investigate but I’d love to see what it looks like inside the box. One day when they abandon it, I will get the opportunity but for now I am happy to leave them to it.
Another small bonus was finding a small bunch of wild daffodils nearby. That’s one of the joys of owning the woods and getting to know it well, there is always something new to find if you take the time to explore.
The recent warm weather has brought a few things to the surface. The first Ramson leaves (wild garlic) are poking through, as are Wood Anemones and nettles. Honeysuckle and Elder leaves are opening too. I had another urgent job to do, moving a couple of saplings. A small oak and a hazel that were growing in my camp area. I moved them into the clearing where the sycamore is being thinned. Another bonus find – as I dug holes to plant them, I found two acorns and a plump Sweet Chestnut which must have been cached by a squirrel. Well Mr Grey I have reclaimed my nuts which I shall pot up to see if they grow on. Thanks for looking after them for me!
Finally I have a very good friend who is desperate to make a shavehorse like mine for green woodworking. One of my neighbours has milled some larch trunks form his wood and kindly donated a beautiful thick plank for the project. I am hatching a plan to invite my pal over and we can start to make the shavehorse together very soon. Here it is resting quietly until then.
