Spring Is Sprung and welcome ducks

Spring has finally arrived and the woodland is beginning to come back into life again. Thanks to The Woodland Trust, I planted another 100 trees (holly, Scots pine, hornbeam and small-leaved lime) which are all budding or showing little leaves already. The evergreens should give some colour and structure in the long winter months.

I also divided some bamboo that was dug up from near the house. I know there are concerns about it taking over but it provides excellent cover all year round and makes a lovely noise in the wind, as well as providing canes to help support spirals for future trees. I've lost bits in the past so it's not as hardy as people make out but there are new shoots appearing and it should be quick growing once the soil warms up fully.

Bamboo survived

The rest of the woodland is showing signs of life and aside from everything leaning away from the prevailing wind, very few were lost over the winter

The blossom avenue coming on strong

The blackthorn has also come into flower. Only 2 of them seem to have survived, out of the 50 that were planted. They've amalgamated into a dense hedge that is predominantly hawthorn but it's made that part of the boundary impregnable, at least by the dog!

Sloe gin anyone?

The willow fedge mentioned in the last post is also greening up and should provide valuable cover as well as soil reinforcement on the island.

Fedge

A group of ducks has started landing on the pond so I've woven a basic nesting tube in the hope that they'll stay. Might need lining with hay but the height should keep it safe from certain predators. It's woven from green willow, which wasn't quite as flexible as I'd have hoped and when it dries out it might become a bit loose but for a first try I'm quite proud of it. Had large clumps of frogspawn laid and some of them definitely hatched. No tiny frogs seen so maybe the ducks and the heron have eaten them all. Let's hope some of them survived but it's great to see life appearing in the pond

Nesting tube

Gelatinous

Also discovered some deer slots (tracks) by the pond. Not sure of species, but I see roe on the trail cameras quite often. The young trees are all in deer tubes, which should protect them from browsing, although I've lost a few shrubs when they get flayed by the bucks rubbing their antlers against them to remove the velvet.

Fallow or roe?