Posts Tagged ‘ponds’

DWT’s Eager Beavers Get To Work

Wednesday, August 1st, 2012

BeaverHello and welcome to the Beaver Blog!  Here you will find regular updates on the two beavers involved in Devon Wildlife Trust’s Devon Beaver Project and the effects they are having on their habitat, as well as interesting facts about the history of beavers and their behaviour.

Firstly, a bit of background…  The Devon Beaver Project is an experiment to assess how beavers impact upon the wildlife and water quality of their habitat and to see whether they could be used as a habitat management tool in the future.  DWT has introduced a pair of European beavers into a fully enclosed piece of land in the headwaters of the Tamar catchment.  The site has an area of 2.8 Ha, securely contained by a 900m fence which is inspected daily by the landowner.

Before the beavers arrived, there was a small watercourse running through the wet woodland site, with no defined channel.  The only other water feature was an artificially created ‘starter pond’ with a purpose-built lodge for their new home – any further engineering was left for the beavers to do!

New beaver canal - Aug 2011Upon their arrival in March 2011, the beavers got straight to work re-modelling their lodge and wider surroundings.  They began by constructing dams and small ‘canals’ to enable them to move around their enclosure without leaving the safety of the water.  Within a very short space of time, the handiwork of these natural engineers was plain to see.  They have now created a mosaic of ponds, streams and waterlogged areas – one of the results being an increase in frogspawn from ten clumps in 2011 to 260 clumps in 2012!

Check out the video below on the day the beavers were introduced to their enclosure.  After a few hours in the lodge they came out to explore their new surroundings and make themselves at home.

Thanks for visiting the Beaver Blog and come back soon for more updates.

Did you know? – British beavers were hunted to extinction for their meat, pelts and scent glands.

The Beaver Project is funded by Viridor Credits Environmental Company and The Truell Charitable Foundation.

Find out more at www.devonwildlifetrust.org/devon-beaver-project

Watch more videos on DWT’s youtube channel

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Wildlife gardening in March

Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

If like me, you’re slightly averse to those chilly winter temperatures, it’s during March that my mind finally lets go of winter and starts to welcome the approach of summer. I almost feel like I have the energy of the March hare, keen to get out and get busy in the garden.

Hopefully between the few remaining cold snaps, this month will see the air fill with all those familiar signs of spring that we all seem to have forgotten about since last year. For me it’s seeing lesser celandine and primroses appearing among Devon hedgebanks, and the glimpse of a bumble bee or red admiral butterfly, maybe even a hawthorn bud towards the end of the month if we’re lucky.

Frog spawn appeared in the pond last month, but I’m still awaiting the return of the toads which are always a couple of weeks behind. However before their return, and before their strings of toad spawn encircle pond plants, I’m going to use the warmer weather as encouragement to get my hands dirty and get my pond into shape. Apart from the usual removal of a few leaves, at the end of last year the marsh marigolds and water mint were starting to spread, so I’ve been meaning to reduce, providing the pond with a little bit more breathing space. Like many marginal plants the marsh marigolds can simply be divided by separating the root clump; you can even remove the plant completely and use a fork if it seems tough going. Keep the fresher looking specimens, discarding the remainder. Water mint tends to creep, so pull up a good proportion of the root stock from the area you’re working on. Once removed these root sections will also take again quite easily; these new plants may be transferred to any bare marginal patches or passed to neighbouring pond owners?

This month sees birds shift gear ready for the task of parenthood ahead. Magpies are often the first birds I see collecting nesting material and they seem to chatter amongst themselves with a bit more authority lately. You may have also heard the frolicking song of skylark if you’ve been out in the countryside. I’m going to be keeping my eye out for my gardening companion, the robin, who I’ve already seen twice popping back and forth into an old pile of pots. I’ve been meaning to plant those pots up for a couple of years, but at least I’ve got an excuse for leaving them alone for a while yet!

In order to give nesting birds a helping hand I’ve begun to add bits of moss, leaves and small twigs to the bird table. I’ve also left the brushings from a neighbour’s dog after a a grooming session. Dog hair will provide great nest insulation keeping eggs warm and safe!

If you have a greenhouse, covered stand or even a bit of space on the kitchen windowsill, you may want to consider sowing the seeds of less hardy annuals to make sure you get the most out of them through the summer months. Growing from seed can also be a great way to make your money go further. Annuals such as heliotrope, petunia and tobacco plant produce nectar rich flowers which are guaranteed to cause a buzz in your garden this summer!

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February – Surviving the Cold and Looking Forward to Spring!

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

Winter hit particularly early and hard this year, with December being the coldest since 1910. Periods of freezing temperatures, ice and frost can make life tough for the wildlife in your garden. However, there are a few things we can all do to help.

A prolonged cold spell may see a cover of ice form over the surface of your pond. It’s not essential to remove ice from ponds; the ice will insulate the water and any animals below, and aquatic plants will continue to provide oxygen (although you may need to brush off any deep snow to allow sunlight to penetrate). However, if you are concerned, you can create an opening by holding a pan of very hot water on the surface of the ice until it melts. Another option is to leave a ball floating in the pond overnight when a cold snap is forecast. Both these methods are preferable to smashing the ice, as this can send shock waves through the water harming the animals below.

During the cold weather birds flock towards villages, towns and cities which may be a degree or so higher than surrounding countryside. These visitors may include species not normally associated with residential areas, such as redpoll, brambling and yellowhammer. In addition to warmth, the birds will be seeking important sources of food and water, so keep an eye on any feeders and top them up as required. Food sources high in fat can be particular important through the winter (see December’s blog for recipes and instructions). Additionally, try to keep bird baths clear of ice and topped up with water. Not only do clean feathers mean better insulation, but birds and other animals will be able to take a much needed drink. Birds often become accustomed to their favourite feeding spots, and with a good supply of food and water you’re likely to attract some repeat visitors.

Another regular winter job is turning your compost heap. This lets oxygen into the pile and aids the decomposition process; however please remember that you may have lodgers in your heap attempting to sleep off the worst of the winter. If the weather is severe, spare a thought for those amphibians, reptiles and hedgehog and put off the task for another month or so.

Despite all the talk of wintery weather, signs that spring is on its way are starting to appear. Days are becoming longer, primroses are starting to pepper the hedgebanks and you may have seen your first clumps of frog spawn! Visit the Nature’s Calendar web site at www.naturescalendar.org.uk to track the signs of spring, and record who or what you’ve seen in your garden!

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September in the garden

Friday, September 3rd, 2010

Another summer is nearly over but do not despair as September still provides plenty of daylight in which to make the most of your garden. And if you are anything like me, you will still have a couple of annual tasks to keep you busy over the coming weeks.

Autumn is the best time for managing garden ponds, principally because most amphibians will have moved on. I have a relatively new pond and this autumn, as with the past couple of years, I’ve had to skim an amount of blanket weed from the surface which has built up over the summer. Other pond maintenance tasks have included breaking up and removing some of the more vigorous marginal plants, this year including a growing stand of yellow flag iris, bur-reed and water mint. Leave a pile of any removed blanket weed and plants close to the pond for a day or two after clearing them, this will allow time for invertebrates to return to the pond. Finally, try to clear no more than one third of the pond’s total plant material at one time. This is a task you can return to next autumn.

September’s job list also includes one of my favourite pastimes – fruit-picking! You might have already started harvesting blackberries and sloes, but apples, plums and pears will soon be ready too. When picking leave a few of the more bruised windfalls for your garden’s birds and insects to feed on. Autumn fruits make a great energy source for wildlife as the shorter daylight hours creep in and the colder weather approaches.

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Wildlife gardening in July

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

Its mid summer and time to enjoy those somewhat rare sunny moments by relaxing in the garden and appreciating all your hard work. I have often had some close wildlife encounters after waking from a mid afternoon nap in the garden, with the animals almost forgetting that I was there after being so still for so long.

Your garden birds may have fledged their second brood by now, so you could have three generations of birds all foraging around your borders. Butterflies and bumblebees should be busy in abundance enjoying the colours and scents of the garden as much as you. On particularly warm and clear evenings you may see the agile swooping of bats foraging for invertebrates over your flower beds.

Dead heading certain flowers can extend the flowering periods for some plant species, but remember by letting some flower heads progress to seed you will be able to collect seeds for next years plants and also provide some seed for foraging invertebrates and birds.

During July your wildlife pond may experience a bloom of algal growth coinciding with the warmer summer temperatures. Ponds generally go through cycle of some algal growth, with this reducing over the colder winter months. However new ponds are particularly susceptible to the algal growth blanketing the whole pond, which then reduces light levels to submerged oxygenating plants, reducing the oxygen content of the pond water, and subsequently reducing the invertebrate diversity lurking below the surface. You can remedy this by using a home made netted bag of barley straw suspended within your pond, like a tea bag! As the straw breaks down it releases a substance that prevents further growth of the algae. Using string, tie the bag to a bamboo cane on the outside of the pond, so you don’t have to get too wet when its time to take it out again. As a guide you should use 10g of straw for each square metre of the ponds surface. As the pond matures these algal blooms should reduce both in extent and frequency as the nutrients levels of the pond balance out and as numbers of grazing pond snails builds up. To learn more about life in your pond visit the Pond Conservation web site at www.pondconservation.org.uk

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Spring time in the garden

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Spring is finally upon us, with the snowdrops rescinding to the blooms of daffodils, and with the sprigs of bluebell leaves indicating that’s there more on the way. The birds are now in full song and you may see the odd bird carrying sticks or moss.

Although spring is now truly on the way don’t get too anxious to over tidy your garden for the season ahead. Useful allies such as ladybirds, amphibians and hedgehogs may still be sheltering beneath piles of leaf litter or old pots.

Now would be the ideal time to introduce any new shrubs, plant out those perennials which were over-wintered in a sheltered spot, or introduce any hardy annuals that you may have been fortunate enough to seed early in a greenhouse, porch or conservatory. If you weren’t able to seed out any annuals, don’t worry you should be able to find some at your local garden centre. Poppies, marigolds (Chrysanthemum spp.) and poached-egg flower (Limnanthes douglasii) are favoured flowering annuals, with scabious (Scabiosa spp.), musk mallow (Malva moschata), white campion (Silene latifolia), wild marjoram (Origanum vulgare), tormentil (Potentilla erecta), common valerian (Valeriana officinalis), evening primrose (Oenothera acaulis) and tobacco plant (Nicotiana sylvestris) proving particularly wildlife attracting perennials and biannuals. Using a mixture of the above, restock beds ready to provide an abundance of colour and an important nectar source over the coming summer months. Don’t get disheartened if you don’t have a large garden or any garden at all. Remember that the annuals and perennials listed above could just as easily be grown in pots or a window box.

Have you ever considered having your own wild flower meadow? If you have an area of your lawn which you wouldn’t mind letting grow over the summer, this would be a good time to sow the wild flower seed. It’s important that the area should be cut as short as possible and raked really hard, with all the clippings collected and removed. You only need 5 grams of seed per each square metre of grassland so it’s a cost effective way to introduce some colour to your garden. Wild flower meadow seed is available from a range of sources; a particularly useful supplier is Emorsgate Seeds (www.wildseed.co.uk) who are able to provide a seeds for individual species or a range of standard mixtures to suit your gardens soil type. Species to look out for include oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), common knapweed (Centaurea nigra), meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris) and yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Simply sprinkle the wild flower seed over the top of your prepared area, and allow this area to remain uncut until about September when your wild flower meadow has flowered and set seed ready for next years meadow.

Amphibians are back on the move, with frogs always the first to return to their aquatic habitats. Frogs have inbuilt antifreeze which allows them to emerge slightly earlier, and if you have a garden pond you may have seen frog spawn appear during late February, with free swimming tadpoles already present. March sees the return of toads and newts, hot on the heels of the frogs, also heading for our garden ponds. As ponds have become less frequent in the countryside, garden ponds have become increasingly important for amphibians and other wildlife.

If you already have a pond March is a good time to top up or fill in any marginal spaces with pond plants, such as water mint (Mentha aquatica), yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides). Alternatively if you have any particularly established swathes you could remove these plants carefully, dividing them up and replanting around the ponds margin. If you’re still considering a pond it may be worthwhile adding it to the ‘to do list’ for later in the year.

The study of the seasons and how this affects our wildlife is called phenology. In addition to our amphibians first sightings for the year during March may also include butterflies, bumblebees and lady birds. To learn more about how the first sightings indicate the coming of spring, or to report sightings from your garden visit The Nature’s Calendar web site at www.naturescalendar.org.uk.

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