Winter and Spring 2025/6
Variety of birds around and in healthy numbers. Still plenty of apples on the trees but the fat balls and seeds are essential for many small birds. Generally bird numbers down this year and few rare species making an appearance.
Apples on the trees in Winter provide an essential food source for over wintering birds. Although Blackbird numbers are down they are usually seen feeding from apples on trees.
I often find clusters of apples away from the trees they came from. The only explanation is animals that rely on them in winter create their own feeding zones.
This picture shows rabbit entrances under bramble clustered around European Larch and clearly fruit has been brought closer to this zone. We pop out to the chippy rabbits pop out for an apple.
Evidence of bark nibbling which is almost certainly rabbits judging by the height.
WHAT IS CAUSING BRAMBLE BUSH COLLAPSE? This phenomena has been evident on a scale I've not seen before this Winter. Large bramble masses have collapsed in the middle with woody stems seemingly gone. Above I have tried to show with my limited technical skills just how much bramble has disappeared. I'm still to nail this down and say with confidence which species are responsible. Some bramble patches form huge domes 5 to 10 metres across. They are an essential to ecosystems for example, protecting the ground for overwintering bees and providing shelter for a variety of small mammals. They provide nutrition for herbivores and invertebrates with extended cover and a range of microhabitats within their dense and thorny mass.
They are alive with activity throughout the warmer seasons and a haven in winter. I think you take my point. I have considered Muntjac in previous years but general evidence of deer activity is relatively low at the moment. My Wildlife cameras have not managed to identify the culprit. Fortunately I have a lot of bramble, possibly too much so I will just keep trying to solve the mystery.
Deer protection given by rootstock. I won't trim these back until Spring as they provide some protection from hungry herbivores.
My rootstock varies but this is either Blackthorne or Hawthorn.
If left it would overwhelm the fruit tree and I find usually the damson or plum tree withers away.
Lichens are a keystone species which means they are essential to any ecosystem as they provide nutrition to a broad range of animals like birds, small mammals and deer. They are an indicator of clean air as they are intolerant of pollution found in towns and cities. Their presence hear suggests this wild apple tree (crab apple) is slow growing with sufficient shade and moisture to sustain a range of lichen species. Lichens are two different life forms fungus and algae coexisting in a way described as symbiotic.
This apple tree has provided an extended and essential food boost for a variety of creatures at the harshest time of the year. This picture (taken in mid January 2026) shows the importance of orchards in providing food and habitats for British wildlife and contributing to the survival of many increasingly rare species.
Having as many types of trees also helps with different peaks in ripeness and fruiting body availability. Last year I observed the grey willow provided bees with a very early food boost in late March.
The greater spotted woodpecker has been a regular this Winter and is specially fond of the seed crusted fat balls.
If you look carefully you can see a small robin inside the feeding cage quite comfortably feeding with the woodpecker.
The long tailed tits are ever present generally all found together in small excitable social groups.
Great tits and blue tits are present in relatively high numbers as they have been for the last few years.
Ravens have been regulars also although they are bit destructive and can wreck the feeding paraphernalia.
There is a hierarchy of feeding rights but when their is plenty this tends to be forgotten in the frenzy to feed.