Melwood in Lockdown

Whilst many of the local clubs and societies are managing to conduct virtual meetings, Zoom cannot be used to cut back brush or coppice bushes! We have managed three work parties since the first lockdown but clearly we will have to have to prioritise what work gets done and what gets left until next year. In June, we raked up cut grass off the meadow and cut areas where spring flowers such as Hedge Parsley and Garlic Mustard had gone to seed. Cleavers was raked or pulled clear of protected young trees to ensure it did not smother their new growth, which has progressed well this year. We never normally work in the wood during July and August, as plants need to put on growth in this period and workers need their holidays. For most, the latter did not happen in 2020 but the trees were still left in peace. September saw the start of our autumn round of brush cutting and this continued into October, ensuring that the spring flowers have room to emerge and grow. Spring is always the most colourful time in the wood, starting with the snowdrops from as early as January and progressing to Bluebells and Daffodils by the end of April. Some coppicing is still needed and it is likely that the nest boxes will have to remain uncleaned. It will be a case of ‘wait and see’ to determine how much we will be able to achieve in December, January and February, although February is a bit too late for disturbance of nest boxes. Perhaps the Blue tits and Great tits can learn a lesson from the Great Spotted Woodpeckers, that have used the same nesting hole for the past three years. I assume they have done any cleaning needed themselves. I tend to forget about them until I hear the young calling for food in the spring. The meadow is getting seriously overrun by Stinging Nettles and White Dead-nettle, to the detriment of the grasses and all other smaller flowers; a cut before the cowslips and primroses emerge would be ideal. In the summer months the stinging nettles might have been of use to the Red Admiral butterfly that I saw sunning itself on their foliage about midday on 5th November but at this time of year, it is difficult to know what will be the fate of such a late specimen. There is increasing evidence that this traditionally migrant species may now be managing to over-winter further north than previously. One sighted in the same

area in March 2020 supports this idea. Over-wintering along the south coast has been recorded for many years. The push north by some southern species continued at a pace this year and five new species of moths were recorded in my back garden. The Oak Processionary Moth (Thaumetopoea processionea) is a potential pest that has hit the news quite a bit in the London Area due to the irritant hairs on its larvae. The Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar), which is a forestry pest in many parts of the world, was resident in the UK until the early 1900’s. Fortunately the specimens recorded were all male. The females are fairly sedentary, limiting the potential for spread, which is often by wandering or accidentally transported larvae. Important though these species may be, they were nowhere near as exciting as the massive Clifden Nonpareil (Catocala fraxini), known to the Victorians as The Blue Underwing. It has a chequered history of temporary establishments and extinctions in the UK. With broad wings extending to almost 10cm it is really spectacular. Also huge, the Convulvulus Convulvulus Hawkmoth Hawkmoth (Agrius convolvuli) is an uncommon but fairly regular migrant from North Africa, considered unlikely to be able to survive a UK winter. This also has a wingspan of 10cm or more but narrower in profile. We managed a little autumn planting in Melwood to eventually bulk up a hedge line to the east of the wood and a few woodland flowers were planted in areas of lighter shade. Building up numbers of the native British Bluebell is proving quite difficult. It seems to be much less robust than its Spanish cousin. One of the effects of the COVID lockdowns has been a huge increase in the number of visitors to the wood and along the river footpath. This is evident in the wear and tear of the main paths and the proliferation of new paths through the wood. The latter can result in damage to bulbs and other flowers as they start to appear above ground and we would ask visitors to please keep to the main paths.

Jim Reid