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OK I am going to get back into posting about our section of Ninewells wood and try to do it more regularly…. say once a month? But as this is the first I might just go back a few months to cover recent developments.

I suppose the biggest recent change is that a lot of felling has taken place in other parts of the wood, the main area owned by Welsh National Resources but the felling has been undertaken by a commercial operation. Maybe this will mean they are more efficient at removing the felled timber and not leave piles of it to rot as is often the case when it is felled by Forestry Commission and such like.

The felling has not been clear-fell just thinning, probably taking out 50% of the trees. 

Also of course it has been very very wet so most paths have been very muddy, it is now drying out a bit and of course the trees will be taking up a lot more water now.

A consequence of the felling and inevitable disturbance is that other areas of Ninewells wood have become more attractive to wildlife. My patch is now quite dense in places with young Silver Birch. I have in fact been removing some to let others develop into more attractive trees. It is amazing the difference in growth when a tree has space and light to develop properly. However leaving some regions where the trees are packed together does afford shelter and safety for certain animals. Recently three Fallow Deer have been in our patch. Rather odd that it is two bucks and one female?

A wild Boar has also been about, I have not seen it but I have captured it on a trail camera and there are lots of old rotting stumps that have been targeted by the board, no doubt rooting around for grubs living in the decaying wood or maybe for bees nests.

 

I am providing food for the birds and have recently seen on a regular basis several birds that had not previously been regular visitors, notably 3 Stock Doves, a pair of Siskins and a pair of Bullfinches. Buzzards sometimes pop by as do Ravens and of course Crows and Magpies. Occasionally I do get a visit from a Red Kite… stunning birds.

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OK that’s it for now but April is not over yet so I may add some more to this.