Bel's Wood

May has been cold and wet. The beck has refilled after an exceptionally dry April and the boggy areas are again sticky to walk over. Which is a relief. The blackthorn has finished and the hawthorn is now in flower with maybe a day of overlap. A few butterflies have emerged - I have spotted orange tip & red admiral. I first heard the cuckoo the morning after Beltane (1st May and the beginning of the Celtic year). A couple of friends joined me for a cook out and we jumped over the fire as it tradition!                                         The blackthorn & hawthorn keeping the bees well fed:               Blackthorn                                                                            Hawthorn The first leaves appeared on the trees and more flowers have sprung up        Rowan coming into leaf and then flower - having thought I had none it now transpires I have many which is a delight. Cecelia (the sessile oak) coming into leaf     I have been able to identify a 'myster

Having started with a high level plan of course leads to the need for more precise decisions - lots of them. Some of these decisions are not easy as they feel really important with long term consequences and I am new to all this. The more time I spend at Bel’s Wood the more I love it as it is but the purpose is to create a woodland with more trees (to capture carbon from the atmosphere) and support a wider biodiversity so that’s what I am going to do. Trees, trees, trees I have a few mature trees on the site - Cecelia (the sessile oaks) is stand out beauty. I have learned a new tree which I have only identified this spring - there are white beams across the plot. T he new leaves look like magnolia. I have also counted 6 rowan trees so far. These will flower and feed the bees, then produce lovely red berries & provide food for birds. White Beam                    Rowan Cecelia with leaves emerging  Wilhelmina is a lovely mature willow tree that has been allowed to grow openly 360º,

Another visit and so much to take in. Martin Wain, Conservation Officer, came to help me consider options for when I am planting my wood that would encourage invertebrates. He introduced me to flowers and trees I had not identified (or indeed spotted) before. So much to take in and here are my take aways. He has offered to come again when I am nearer putting a detailed plan together and when I have seen more seasons unfold. Current diversity From the land being grazed over the years, it lacks diversity of plants and flowers. The difference from the roadside to inside is quite stark and shows that the land needs to recover from being grazed and to be stimulated by adding plants from neighbours in the Gilpin Valley.    Bluebells outside in a cluster while inside they tend to be solitary. This should improve now that grazing has ceased.   The variety on the verges is greater Variety of land within the plot There are many different areas which present opportunities. The wet areas can be l