Bird Boxes

On our visit to the wood today we went to investigate the two bird boxes that we had previously installed - one on 'Middle Tree', a 70 years old oak, and one on 'the Faraway Tree', possibly 100+ years old. The boxes were installed back in February and the one on Middle Tree has a hole diameter of 25mm and the one on Faraway Tree has a 35mm hole. The boxes, which we bought from the RSPB, were put on the north side of the tree to provide shade from the summer sunshine (if we get any!!).

I am pleased to say that the box on the Faraway Tree has blue tits in residence. If they succesfully nest then next year I would like to install more boxes and put cameras into one or two of them.

First Camp

Jill and I decided that Saturday night (2nd May) was a good night to stay over in the wood; with champagne and jacket potatoes in hand we set forth and pitched camp in what has affectionately become known as ‘glade 1’. (I’m sure we can find a better name at a later date!!)

It did rain during the night but we were warm and cosy in the tent. The dawn chorus from all the birds was fantastic – if a little early at first light (4:30 am).

Early Purple

We have two early purple orchids in Rainbow Wood.

Felling Licence

A few weeks ago we applied to the Forestry Commission for a felling license to try and keep everyone informed of our intentions to manage the woodland in a sustainable, traditional way. As with all applications a copy of the license application was sent to the District Council and the Parish Council for information and comment. Our request was for the thinning of a few of the more mature oaks and to bring back the ash into a coppiced rotation. The ash hasn't been coppiced for around 50 years.

We have just heard our application has been successful.

Last Coppice

Yesterday was our last coppicing activity until next autumn. The sap is rising in the hazel and the leaves are beginning to emerge. We also did some bramble clearing ready for our fist sleepover with friends.

First Cuppa

This morning Jill and I set off for the woods with a shiny new kettle and a jar of hot chocolate. We had some brash that needed burning as a result of coppicing some hazel for bean poles.

While we were out we took the opportunity to patrol our perimeter and check for overhanging branches. All was well - no diseased or dead wood over the paths and rides.

Visitors, Responsibilities and Public Liability

Because of our increasingly litigious society, Jill and I decided to take out third party liability insurance for Rainbow Wood. Although we take every care to ensure a safe environment, it seems that we must protect ourselves against injury to people and their pets in our woodland - whether or not we have invited them to be there! We even have to insure ourselves against the possibility of trespassers marauding through our wood and injuring themselves.

We keep a running log of any regular patrols of the boundaries and woodland that we undertake, and also log anything we consider to be a hazard such as branches overhanging the boundary footpaths. We also undertake to patrol after storms to check that nothing has become dislodged. Anything we indentify as a hazard is then dealt with - eg lopping branches and felling unsafe trees.

In many respects this rigorous attention is counterproductive to the natural state of the woodland as it destroys the ecosystem and natural processes of decay much needed as habitat for birds, bats, insects, mice and other small mammals.

Since ‘Right to Roam’ can be exercised over large tracts of hillside, many people imagine that all countryside, including woodland, is now open access. Unless a wood was previously ‘common land’ no such right exists. Rainbow Wood is ancient woodland and has never been used as common land.

Readers - please see ‘Managing Visitor Safety in the Countryside’ - www.vscg.co.uk/