A wildlife wood pile log town!
Find a quiet patch, with some shelter and a little shade. A few sunny hot-spots to attract warmth now and then. A pile of logs, branches and sticks. A barrow-load of leaves thrown over it every once in a while. A nearby compost heap. A couple of small watering holes. Add some bramble cuttings. And time....
The Wildlife Trusts' Nature Challenge 2018
Random Acts of Wildness : Day 3
Wildlife Art and Nature Blog : A dead wood habitat for wildlife in the garden, with living fruits. |
Nearby, some decomposed cut logs have disintegrated over the years to become golden treacle dust - held together by the outside bark. Within the golden treacle of the rotting wood are many insects, especially woodlice and centipedes, slugs, even stag beetles. Not too far away, newts, frogs and toads thrive, tucked away in the quietest, dampest, darkest patches. A hedgehog visited - the first seen in many, many years - and because the wood pile is so well-established it might offer a haven from predators; for hedgehogs it is a fairly safe place out of the way of badgers. Badgers, foxes and squirrels pass round and over the large wood pile on their daily journeys but the density of the heavier woods would restrict their access to the deepest layers of the pile. Deep within live mice and moths, along with a host of mini-beasts. Once, a slow worm was discovered in the nearby compost heap - slow worms are not worms or snakes but lizards! Perhaps there is one in the compost heap today...
In their early stages, the wood pile, compost heap and various other little corners of organic garden litter seemed to be blots on the garden landscape - the natural rubbish was gathered and left for the garden wildlife... but it seemed more like a gesture and simply looked unsightly.
Now, though, these piles of decay have matured and blend into the garden landscape naturally - safe and warm habitats during the colder months and cool retreats on sunny days. Today those bramble cuttings have noticeably burst into June blackberry blossoms and juicy fruits will soon appear to tempt the taste buds - and, later, the cool green hazelnuts that will ripen further on in the year.
Summer feast anyone! Birds, bees and garden wildlife welcome!
'Tidyness is the enemy of nature so let things be as much as possible; the decaying plant materials, leaf litter and rotting wood, provide food sources and rich habitats for thousands of different kinds of organisms. Only cut down dead trees if they are dangerous. Make your own leafmould to use as your own perfect soil conditioner.'
(The Wildlife Trusts')
For the #30dayswild post in 2016, Nature Challenge : Pick up Litter, click here.