Posts

News Update May 26th 2026

Image
  Update on our Pied Flycatcher Project. Looking like this year is going to be a very good year at our woodland for Pied Flycatchers. So far we have discovered that 6 Pairs of flycatchers have chosen our nest boxes to breed in this season & two other boxes are occupied by Blue Tits. Also one box has become home to wood mice. That leaves 18 boxes yet to be used at our woodland so there is still plenty of time for other birds to take up residence. Looking to be the best year for us with the Pied flycatchers since buying the woodland back it 2021. Fingers crossed they all fledge. Some photos from our wood at a few of the nest boxes. Boxes 7, 9, 11, 18, 19, 22 have Pied Flycatchers nesting. Boxes 1A contains Wood Mice & Boxes 1, 21 contain Blue Tits. Blue Tit Male Pied Flycatcher Female Pied Flycatcher Female Pied Flycatcher Male Pied Flycatcher Female Pied Flycatcher Male Pied Flycatcher Male Pied Flycatcher Male Pied Flycatcher Male Pied Flycatcher Male Pied Flycatcher Female...

Tree Growth Project Data 2023-2025

Image
 Tree Growth Project Data 2023-2025 Data I have collected over the past 3 years since the start of the Tree growth project working with Forest Research.Gov & Sylva Foundation as a Stewardship Scientist. This is Just one of the Research Project's  I am working on at Present with forest Research looking at the effects of Climate Change & the resilience of our Woodland to Changes in Weather.   Below are the charts results for the Sessile Oak Trees. Tree Girth Diameter measurements are in cm  (Note 2023 was a Mast Year for the Oaks with a bumper crop of Acorns)  Tree 34 seem to have steady growth over the 3 years This is also the Largest Oak within the woodland apart from the Car Park Oaks. Tree 24 had a reduction of growth in 2024 but recovered in 2025 Tree 24 is the smallest Oaks on the Research growth project a young Oak tree.  Tree 23 seem to have steady growth over the 3 years Tree 22 seem to have steady growth over the 3 years Tree 21 seem...

NEWS UPDATE MAY 2026

Image
NEWS UPDATE MAY 2026 We have been busy since our last update in March The Damage cage is still being used as the temporary repair is holding up OK. Unfortunately we have been busy with other work so have not started replacing the cage yet but hope to between now & next year with a permanent Shed for Research.    We have been very busy this spring in the orchard and have planted a total of 18 fruit trees in our orchard. The Orchard is doing well & some of the fruit trees have blossomed & setting fruit. We have netted a 1/3 of the trees to protect the fruit & waiting for the others to blossom. The orchard has also been home to a small colony of rabbits. We are monitoring the Orchard to keep an eye on the rabbits and other wildlife.  Last year we were unsuccessful with Pied Flycatchers spotting only one pair which failed to nest at our site.  We are also hoping for a better breeding Season for the Pied Flycatchers as we installed 24 new nest boxed last y...

News March 2026

Image
  News for March 2026 This year started off not very good for Us. January was a sad time for me as my Father Past Away the first week of January from Cancer. Also this month we had bad winter storms at our Woodland with heavy Snows. The Snows damaged our Storage Cage up at the woodland with the roof collapsing in the middle due to the weight of the snow. Due to the Damage I have temporarily repaired it with the aid of a long stick to prop up the roof for now until I can install a new Cage. We will also be replacing it with a Permanent Wooden Shed so that we can continue our Wildlife conservation work on site. We have also planted another 3 fruit trees this month making a total of 14 fruit trees in our orchard.  The orchard has also been home to a small colony of rabbits so we have had to make sure our trees are protected with tree guards to stop them damaging our fruit trees.  We are also hoping for a better breeding Season for the Pied Flycatchers as we installed 24 new ...
November News 2025  Update   It's been awhile since the last update on the wood. We have now started Work this Autumn on coppicing our Hazel trees, and have divided the wood up in to four Coupes or Areas to concentrate on getting our understory trees back in to rotation. Each coupe a fairly large so will take time to restore each area back into rotation. This Autumn we have started down in the Orchard which is the Lower part of Coupe 1 and has many old Hazel trees in this area. So far this year we have managed to coppice 6 trees back in to rotation, But there are at least another 8 or more to coppice in this area which may have to wait now till next Autumn. The coppiced wood has been put in our storage cage to season to make some products like walking sticks. This Winter we are going to grow some more wild flowers which we hope to plant out when they are ready in the woodland helping restore some of our rare native woodland flowers. See our wild flower project for more info. ...

April News 2025

News for April In April we will be starting a new wild flower project. We have ordered 420 bulbs from  garden supply direct   100 native double headed daffodils bulbs in the green Unfortunately they had no double heads in stock but gave us extra Wild Daffodils. So ended up with about  500 native wild daffodils bulbs in the green 200 wild garlic bulbs in the green 20 snakehead fritillary bulbs in the green. This will be done to help Boost the wild population of Native woodland flowers. see our wildflowers project page for more info. Orchard Update. Our Orchard is starting to Establish after last year & this years Planting. morello cherry 1 tree, opal plum 1 tree,doyenne du comice pear 2 trees ,jonagold apple 2 trees ,Other Apples 2 trees ,victoria plum 1 tree & stella cherry 1 tree tree. We will be planting marbella golden sphere plum 1 tree to add to our Orchard this week. Taking our Fruit Trees to 13 trees plus a couple of Black Current Bushes have been Establish...

March News 2025

Image
  March News 2025 Spring is here our wild daffodils are out!  New Nest boxes have been installed ready for the Pied Flycatcher nesting Season. The Older boxes have also been relocated a bit Higher up the trees also to stop predation from Feral cats. It is hoped that we will have a good song bird nesting season this year. We have also got control of the Grey Squirrel Population reducing there number with in our wood which should also reduce Squirrel tree damage & Song Bird Nest Predation from squirrels.    Old nest boxes moved higher up the trees Also New this season we have installed 10 Trial Dormouse Nest Tubes to see if we have the endangered Dormice living in the wood. If we do then we may consider getting Advice from a local Dormouse group in monitoring and providing nest boxes to protect these elusive little animals. Dormouse Nest Tubes installed for the Endangered Dormice  We have been given by a Neighbouring woodland owner over 100+ Hazel saplings whi...