The look and feel of the field is changing fast.
Since 900 trees were planted in January, the treed areas have been fenced off from livestock and wooden gates put in to allow access on foot and also by tractor when needed.
Mike, our excellent fencing contractor, doing some repair work on the laneside fence. We chose wooden gates rather than standard metal ones.
The proposed wetland area at the bottom of the field has also been fenced off ready for groundworks in the summer as part of a Shropshire Hills AONB/Environment Agency project. This will start with removal of the big metre-diameter land drain - a job that simply couldn't be done now with the super-saturated ground, apart from the fact there may be native crayfish hiding in the pipe at the moment. All necessary licences and permissions have been obtained.
The plan is that wet woodland using Alder and Willow will be established in this area with over 100 trees. Alder/Willow Carr is currently nationally rare habitat, so it is very exciting to have the opportunity to try and create this here. We also hope to have at least one open pond too (with no trees), and are on a waiting list with the Shropshire Wildlife Trust pending future funding as part of their Shropshire Pond Creation Scheme.
This is the pipe which will be deculverted in the summer, showing the water it discharges into the river (under the road) after very heavy rains (February 2020). The idea is that this water will be encouraged to flow back into the field (into the rushy area behind which will be planted up with trees this autumn) via a series of culverts/channels/slits. This should help to 'slow the flow' and 'unmuddy the waters'.
Up amongst the tree whips at the top of the hill, we've been wondering how best to protect them for the first few years of their lives. They have been planted in what will be thigh-high grass by this summer so we must protect them from competing vegetation! The main options appear to be mulch mats (1 metre square cardboard sheets topped with wood chip), spot spraying - or an awful lot of hand weeding. Mulch mats are said to attract voles (they hide underneath and then go on to eat your young trees) The spot spraying, done in April for the first 2 or 3 years, is said to be effective, but in all our years here, we've never used chemicals. It's a bit of a conundrum.
Since the field has no tall trees (yet) Simon, having watched a number of You Tube videos on the subject, built a raptor post and put it up amongst the saplings. It's a tall pole topped with a rustic branch (all in the shape of a letter "T"). The idea is that it provides an elevated lookout post for birds of prey so they might helps us keep the vole population in check. The post looks curiously like a gibbet from afar, and I have no idea what travellers on the A488 make of it!
In an attempt to add another type of habitat to the bottom of the field (which will double as a bit of screening along some open fencing), we have been building a deadwood hedge. This is created using a double line of posts with brash and hedge cuttings pushed down between them to create a 'hedge'. A surprisingly large amount of brash is needed to complete around 25 feet of hedge and it will need topping up annually as the brash starts to settle down and decompose.
Putting in the parallel line of posts along the fenceline. We used second hand posts and these will probably need replacing in the next year or two but they will do for now.
A somewhat rustic construction taking shape!
.... starting to fill in with brash, mainly Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Holly. We found the Elder branches really awkward to use since they have little elasticity and break easily.
The 'hedge' beginning to shape up, but needing more brash to create better thickness. But not bad for a morning's work.
Finally, in these dark times, some signs of spring! Frogs have been laying spawn in the wet pools at the bottom of the field, anchoring them amongst watercress in one area. The grass is growing now and a few Clun Forest sheep and their strapping lambs have been put on the field temporarily for some 'spring bite' in an attempt to arrest the growth of the stronger grasses.
And Lesser Celandines and Dandelions are flowering. Yellow, colour of hope.
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