1st April
As you can see, we have mastered the instructions for the new trail camera and it is proving its worth. Here you will see different beneficiaries of the nuts on the squirrel traps.
Investigation
Theft under cover of darkness
The camera has also captured deer eating near the gate into the Orchard, and you can see them nibbling at lichen and bark on the Hawthorns, and as a bonus, it has caught the arrival of the chiffchaffs on April 1st - or maybe it was a Starling indulging in some mimicry and an April Fool. Listen carefully to the second video. Some of you may remember the hospital comedy Green Wing, in which case you may remember this scene. For viewers of a sensitive disposition, the latter part of the scene could also be about birds. Spot the inquisitive deer!
April 4th
John has started filling the large holes left from the removal of Ash saplings in the Orchard.
April 6th
6 notches on John's squirrel belt. More work filling Ash Tree holes and tidying/bonfire building in the Orchard. John met Monica today and apparently since we found the dead Barn Owl, she has not been seeing any Barn Owls on her regular walks. John saw one hunting in the daytime today about a quarter of a mile away near the Military Road. It's possible that 'our' owl has moved away to new territory.
7th April
I hope you spotted the fox in the last video. Today was a great day for spotting and spots - we saw a Goldcrest, a Treecreeper, a Nuthatch on one of the squirrel traps and after much pursuing of its call, a Green Woodpecker. We'd heard a Green Woodpecker on the land before, however this was the first time we'd seen one, and unusually we saw it in a tree rather than on the ground. Technically the tree is on our neighbour's land, however the branch on which the woodpecker chose to perch was overhanging Liddells, so we think it counts as on our land. At one point the Green Woodpecker flew off to be replaced immediately by a Great Spotted Woodpecker which, in its turn, flew off as soon as the Green returned. Several Chiffchaffs heard and one seen calling from the top of a Silver Birch in the Scrub. We were also pleased to see our home grown Horse Chestnuts had produces sticky buds. Bank voles, a favoured food for owls, are making holes everywhere. We found Scarlet Elf Cap fungus, also called Scarlet Elf Cup, Moss Cup and Fairies' Baths - a guess it all depends on how fanciful you are.
Scarlet Elf Cap fungus
Sticky buds
Vole hole
8th April
Two days ago the trail camera recorded an animal running through the Pit Wood at night. John was convinced it was a rabbit, Clare, seeing the dark tips to its ears, believed it was a hare. I think the above suggests Clare might have been right. John has destroyed the evidence (not the hare) which Clare thinks proves conclusively that he knew he was wrong.
11th April
John saw two deer on the Wetland.
12th April
We had thought there would be a two week holiday gap in the blog at this point, however we had to cancel the holiday and so there are rather more entries for the next two weeks than we had expected.
14th April
The camera caught a cock fight. We have seen Primroses, Dandelions, Celandines, Marsh Marigold, Daffodils all flowering and the Wild Garlic is spreading in the Top Strip. Clare happily anticipates making even more Wild Garlic, Rocket/Nettle and Walnut Pesto than usual next year.
We'd love to show the bank of Primroses however it's very hard to get a good photograph
Wild Daffodils are beginning to take
All this Wild Garlic from a couple of bulbs two years ago
15th April
A new position for the trail camera overlooking the Verge shows a doe walking away. We expect you all to have remembered your deer anatomy and know the names for the large white patch on her backside and the white dangly bit. Clare saw another Goldcrest and saw and heard the first Willow Warbler and Blackcap of the returning migrants.
16th April
A first ever on Liddells, Clare heard then saw a Marsh Tit.
A quincunx of Wild Strawberries
Kissing? Yes!
A septunx of Celandines!
19th April
We planted several Martagon Lilies in the Pit Wood from bulbs we'd been given and managed to grow on. Technically they are an introduced species, however they are so lovely we decided to give them a place. We also planted two more Brooms on the Crag that have emerged from seeds sown at home. It was so sunny we had our first picnic lunch on the Wildflower Meadow and Clare found a spot in the Pit Wood to set up the pop-up bird-watching hide John had given her for Christmas. Apart from seeing three grey squirrels, she loved it and saw a Tawny Owl, Blackcap and Willow Warblers.
Hiding. Seen this way, it does look a bit like a sculpture of a helmet - hmm, maybe an art trail some time in the future....
21st April
The trail camera is back observing one of the squirrel feeders. One welcome recipient and one unwelcome. The second video shows a buck fraying the velvet from his antlers. Fraying is the major way deer cause damage in woodland.
21st April
Finally we have managed to plant more of the Willows that survived over winter in the pond. Clare opened all three of her hives and all are doing well. One so well that she added a super (a shallower box than a brood box, filled with frames that the bees can use for honey storage, leaving more space in the lower box for the queen to lay. A queen excluder goes between the two which is a grid that allows the smaller worker bees through but not the queen). John filmed the bees bringing in pollen. The yellow pollen is from Gorse, the more orange pollen from Willows.
22nd April
The last of the Willows are in. Clare heard and saw a Marsh Tit in the Scrub so all digits crossed that there is more than one and that they will breed. At last there is nesting material appearing in some of the nest boxes. The second video below demonstrates how the frogspawn is developing - two sounds to note, Willow Warblers singing and John breathing heavily with cameraman's concentration. Ash - first to leave and last to arrive - is coming in to leaf.
And here is where the pollen ends up
Ash emerging and looking rather like broccoli
23rd April
The Top Grazing had a harrowing experience today - harrowing levels the ground, distributes the manure and encourages the grass to grow. We find even more evidence of why we are not catching many squirrels in the traps. Clare, who is wondering about moving permanently into her hide as she is loving it so much, watched a Blue Tit making at least 30 visits to a nest box with moss - a visit every 30 - 45 seconds and about 20 seconds spent arranging the materials inside. She saw a Marsh Tit again, seeming to investigate a bit of stone wall and then, oh joy, that bird was joined by another and the two of them spent a long time picking insects from one of the brash piles/bug hotels. Maybe they were on a first date at a restaurant. According to the RSPB Marsh Tits will nest in an existing hole in a tree or wall.
25th April
John decided to challenge William. It was a first move and he seemed not to mind at all (William not John).
Look what I've been saddled with
26th April
More wildflowers are coming in to flower. There are lots of Dandelions on the Meadow providing pollen for the bees.
Wooden enemies
Wood Sorrel in the Quarry
29th April
More nest boxes have nesting material. A Blue Tit has laid 3 eggs so far in Box 15. Clare's son planted a Hazel in the Pit Wood in memory of a good friend.
Feathering the nest