Hello!

Given the fabulous wildlife garden we have at our offices near Cambridge and our mutual love of all things green fingered we have decided to collect our thoughts and gardening ramblings, point out some seasonal things we’ve spied and share any tips we’ve learnt on our gardening adventures.

 

Gardening Blog entry, 11th January 2012 -Better out than in.

Winter is a great time of year for playing nature detective. With shorter days, there is far less time to see wildlife itself but animals leave plenty of signs to show us they are around. Sarah and I have been really lucky recently in finding some pellets. Pellets are produced by birds and contain the indigestible parts of their meal – bones, fur, feathers and seeds. This waste is packaged up and regurgitated. Owls are well known for producing pellets due to their diet of small mammals such as mice and voles, but they are also produced by kestrels, sparrowhawks, gulls and crows.

 

 

Pellets can be fascinating as they provide us with information about the diet of the bird. They can also show us what birds are in the area. Different species produce pellets of slightly different characteristics, for example barn owl pellets are smooth on the outside but contain large pieces of bone, whereas pellets from little owls are crumbly due to the large proportion of insect wing cases within.

 

 

 

I’ve just dissected three owl pellets found on a nature reserve. They were on the ground at the bottom of a large tree where the bird may have been roosting. The pellets were clearly packed with fur and bones but I was still surprised at just how intact parts of the skeleton were. These small pellets contained a total of five skulls, four lower jaws, 51 vertebrae, seven pelvis bones and many many ribs! One of the skulls can easily be identified as that of a common shrew due to the size and the tiny red tipped teeth. The other bones were from mice and voles.

Sarah managed to find a pellet that was produced by a heron. This is certainly more solid and larger than my owl pellets and is full of bones, small stones and fish scales. The heron pellet is about 8cm long whereas the owl pellets are each about 3cm long.

Finding a pellet is often by luck rather than judgement but, if you know of a particular tree or barn that an owl roosts in, then have a look on the ground below. If you do find one to dissect, do let us know what was in it. To dissect a pellet, soften it with some water then gently tease it apart with cocktail sticks.   

 

Gardening Blog entry, 16th November 2011 -Tree Sparrows

We’ve had Tree Sparrows in our office garden at Cambourne! This is very exciting as it supports the growing trend for these beautiful birds to gather and feed in wildlife friendly garden.

Tree Sparrows were once a common bird of farmland and grassland habitats, however they have been declining at an alarming rate - populations have decreased by 97% over the past 40 years in England. This is largely due to changes to our countryside which have removed both nesting and feeding opportunities; they typically nest in holes in trees and eat seeds, weeds, cereals and insects

 

Happily as farmers are encouraged to support natural habitats and more and more people develop gardens which provide shelter, nest boxes and winter feeders these wonderful little birds are managing to survive. They are fantastic additions to any garden, with their distinctive 'chup' call and are great fun to watch.  Known as 'Treeps' around the Fens they are often extremely nervous at first, hiding in the bushes and other shelter spots in the garden and then making quick dashes to the feeders, grabbing a few beakfuls before heading for cover again. However these birds are very gregarious and as they become more confident and the winter cold develops you could have a whole gang on your bird table. Tree Sparrows mate for life and, thanks to your nest boxes, could produce two or three broods a year in your garden, each containing up to seven eggs!

Often people don’t realise that they are watching a Tree sparrow as they mistake them for the more common House sparrow which has traditionally been far more associated with man and our man-made landscape.

 Key differences between the two are the plumage on the birds’ heads – Tree sparrow has a chestnut cap with white cheeks and a black cheek spot, whilst house sparrow has grey cap, grey cheeks and a larger bill. Tree sparrow is slightly smaller (14cm), neater and more colourful in appearance – identification of Tree sparrows is also made easier as both male and female birds look very similar.

 

Gardening Blog entry, 7th November 2011 Hogs & Birds

Still no hedgehog! After diligently putting out food for three months, it’s time to give up until next year. I have seen hogs near my house though so there is still hope. Prickly friends across the country are now finding themselves a suitable pile of leaves or hole to hibernate in. This unseasonably mild weather may mean some hedgehogs are late in hibernating this year, but the amount of natural food around for them is declining as the weather gets colder. If you have been feeding a hedgehog over the summer, then now is the time to ease off the amount of food for them and encourage them to hibernate. As the weather cools the number of bonfires increases so please remember hibernating creatures when you get the matches out. Ideally any material should be piled up and burned straight away. If this is not possible, then pile it away from the bonfire site and rebuild the stack before burning it. This will ensure that any creatures have the chance to move away before the flames come.

 

The last week has been a wonderful time for walking in the woods. The trees have turned various rich shades of red, orange and brown and are often dotted with the bright red colour of berries. Most of us don’t have space for a large tree in our garden but there are other ways of providing autumn berries for the birds. A hedge of hawthorn will not only provide berries but will also be somewhere for birds to nest. Hedge trees are relatively cheap to buy, easy to plant and easy to maintain. The best time to plant trees is in the winter when the trees are dormant and not shocked by the disturbance and the ground is damp helping them to survive. A fruiting tree can attract a wide range of birds including redwings and fieldfares so your effort is soon rewarded.  As the berries and seeds in the wild run out, the birds will look to our gardens for food. At this time of year, birds are just starting to use bird feeders more so it is best to offer a little food and often. This will ensure that the food is not left in the feeders for a long time where it may harbour bacteria. Bird feeders should be cleaned from time to time with a mild detergent, this will make them more hygienic for you and the birds.

Gardening Blog entry, 3rd October 2011 Spiders

Spiders are one of our closest neighbours; joining us to watch tv or jumping the queue for the bathroom, they are never far away. Over the last few weeks though there seems to have been an explosion in their numbers. The truth is these spiders have been in our homes and gardens all year but they are now looking for a mate so have become much more obvious. The House Spider is the main offender when it comes to surprise appearances. There are actually five species of house spider but who really cares when its running across the carpet! These visitors have been living in dark corners and under floorboards quietly controlling the flies and other pests that enter our homes. For a couple of weeks a year they are on the prowl for a mate and will soon quietly slip away out of sight. Of course if you cant wait, then a glass and piece of cardboard is the kindest way to remove a spider. House spiders prefer somewhere sheltered so to avoid it returning to your home,  release it 100 metres or so from your house or near another suitable shelter such as a shed or barn.

Hallowe'en is fast approaching so here are some spidery facts. There are a staggering 42,473 species of spider in the world (though more are being discovered all the time). In the UK, there are only 650 species but more than half of these are tiny money spiders less than 4mm long. Some of the British species are known for their size and hairiness however there are others that show a much nicer side. Mothercare Spiders are, surprise surprise, great mothers. Not only do they protect their spiderlings from predators, but they also share their food with them by regurgitating it. It’s not unusual for males of a species to demonstrate their skills and suitability to be a father. Male Wolf Spiders show their fitness by dancing for a female. After a sequence of leg waving and abdomen shaking the male may either be accepted as a mate or attacked by the dissatisfied female.

 

As the climate changes, spiders are moving and expanding their ranges. The wasp spider, that was previously found in the southern counties, can now be found in cambridgeshire. I'm sure some of you will question if we need more spiders however you cant help but appreciate the beauty of this species. The wasp spiders look as you would expect, with yellow and black stripes. They can be found in long grass where they make their webs and create protective sacs for their eggs.

 

Gardening Blog entry, 14 September 2011

The results are in and the numbers have been crunched for this year’s GardenWatch survey. This is a survey of garden wildlife across our Trust’s area. The winning species was the blackbird that was recorded in 89% of gardens. It was closely followed by robins and blue tits and of course the ubiquitous collared dove.

The biggest bird you are ever likely to see in your garden is the Grey Heron and one visited the Wildlife Trust Offices in Cambourne yesterday.

Grey herons often visit garden ponds early or late in the day to feed. Although principally a fish and frog eating bird, herons will take mice, voles and young birds when other food is scarce. Their liking for fish - especially goldfish and koi carp - makes them unpopular with some pond owners who spend much effort trying to deter them. One interesting thing to remember is that a plastic heron is actually more likely attract other herons rather than deter them!

The pond in the Wildlife Trust office garden is quite small and is home to range of native plants and animals. Fish were not introduced as they can severely reduce the productivity of any invertebrates, newts, frogs or toads in the pond by eating beneficial organisms as well as their pond companions’ eggs and larvae. In the photos, you can see a range of vegetation around the pond, some surface plants for cover and lots of marginal plants for the aquatic creatures to lay eggs on, feed on and hide in. At the back of the pond there are the seed heads of yellow flag irises which, along with other tall plants, are beneficial to dragon- and damselflies as they allow the larvae to climb out when they are ready to emerge into their adult form. Close to the pond there are a number of log piles or hibernacula for the amphibians to shelter in over the winter.

Our heron visitor is the likely result of nearly water bodies in Cambourne greenspaces, with our garden and pond providing another stopping point in the heron’s territory. Gardens are playing host to wildlife of all shapes and sizes and are greatly helped by gardeners providing composts, log piles, ponds, feeders and trees for animals. Taking part in surveys such as our Garden Watch is a great way to find out how your garden fits in to the bigger picture (and to show off about the wildlife you’ve attracted!)

The value of gardens reminds me of an interesting article written by one of my favourite online writers, Matt Walker editor of BBC Nature online last month.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wondermonkey/2011/08/welcome-to-synurbia.shtml

The article is called “Welcome to Synurbia” and discusses how wildlife is adapting to our increasing urban sprawl. However, it is not just a case of these species doing well in urban ecosystems: they also thrive in other habitats such as in the wild and in rural areas not yet urbanised. Synurbia more specifically refers to species which “live at greater densities in urban areas than rural ones”, ie are in fact more successful in manmade environments than the perceived natural one.

One interesting aspect of this is that it suggests a clear cut distinction between plants and animals living in the artificial urban environment as opposed to the “natural” countryside. It doesn’t seem to account for the reality that the assumed benefits of “natural” countryside are in some areas rapidly diminishing. In my experience, in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, the countryside environment that has been and still is dramatically shaped by human activity and in fact has in some areas become increasingly hostile for its resident wildlife. The removal of hedgerows to create the huge arable fields which are so distinctive of East Anglia has removed key linear features that help wildlife move around their territories. In terms of habitat loss, birds have been hugely impacted, with areas of the countryside which must seem like a desert to birds, with village/town gardens an oasis of food and shelter.

Gardens, parks, derelict land, veteran trees, canals and rivers welcome a wide variety of species. Appearances can be deceiving - Birmingham and the Black Country is one of the UK’s most diverse areas for wildlife, with more rivers and canals than Venice! Alongside two million people live otters, water voles, peregrines, great crested newts, threatened crayfish and a huge number of unusual plants. No matter how small you may think your efforts for wildlife are in your back garden, window box or work place it all helps!

Gardening Blog entry, 25 July 2011

Turning green

During a recent visit to my parents’ house I discovered a new kind of envy – hedgehog envy. I’m more than familiar with handbag envy or shoes envy and I know what it takes to deal with this. Hedgehog envy however is a whole new ball game. Over the last few months two young hedgehogs have been visiting my parents’ garden and are rewarded with a saucer of dog food. Of course the reward for us is to watch these fascinating creatures close up. I didn’t realize hedgehogs are such noisy eaters!

A few days after this encounter, I met another hedgehog near my own home in Cambridge. It was scurrying along the garden walls on the estate looking for ways in to the gardens. It would slow down by the gates and have a really good snuffle before giving up and carrying on it’s way. The sight of a hedgehog being shut out from so many gardens made me think about my own garden. With a brick wall perimeter and a wooden gate that reaches the floor, there was no way a hedgehog could get in. Some drilling and filing later and I made a hedgehog hole! If you are tempted to make a hole in your gate, it only needs to be about 14 x 14cm.

I’ve followed my mum’s example and put out a small amount of dog food just before dark and waited patiently. The first few nights passed and nothing came but then one morning the food had gone. Had I managed to attract my local hedgehog? Sadly not. What I had managed to do was feed the neighbours’ cat. Still, I shall not be deterred from my mission and now put the food out a little bit later and stand guard to scare those pesky cats away.

Don’t forget, if you are going to feed your hedgehog please don’t give them milk. Hedgehogs are not able to digest milk and it makes them ill. They will enjoy dog food, cooked minced beef, a little bran or muesli, banana and raisins though.

Gardening Blog entry, 11 July 2011

Garden Friends

Over the last few weeks farmers around our region have been suffering from soaring numbers of aphids in their cereal and potatoe crops. Reports say that the pest population has been boosted by a very warm spring and early summer and the limited natural enemy success in the early part of the season.

Now a veg patch in your back garden may not be quite the same as 100,000 hectares of late-sown spring barley being chomped on by hoards of rose-grain aphids but any gardener can empathise with the heartache at watching all your hard work being munched and destroyed.

Just like farmers one of us gardeners’ main priorities is to try and reduce pest numbers without affecting their natural predators – organisms which actually serve our green fingered interests.

Ladybirds our one of our favorites – the larvae like miniature alligators on the hunt. Most species of ladybird are predatory and the 7 spot ladybird, our most common and most probably most recognizable beetle, will devour more than 5,000 during their year-long life. As well as across their natural range in Europe, seven-spots now live wild in North America where they were introduced to help control aphid pests.  Sarah found these 7 spotted ladybird larvae in the office garden last week – they look different as the larvae moult 3 times before they pupate – the two shown are at different larval stages. 7 spotted ladybird larva are active between May and July in the northern hemisphere, are particularly fond of greenfly and black fly, and will also consume mites, scale insects and small caterpillars. If attacked the adults can secrete unpleasant oils from joints in their legs which deters ants and birds from eating them.

By choosing your plant neighbours carefully you can effectively focus the efforts of natural predators. Companion planting of species known to be particularly attractive to a specific natural predator can encourage development of most useful aphid crunching, mite munching populations.

 

Hoverflies can be encouraged by growing attractant flowers such as the poached egg plant and marigolds throughout the growing season. There are over 100 species of hoverfly. The adults feed on nectar and pollen, which they require for egg production however the larvae principally feed upon greenfly, one larva devouring up to fifty a day, or 1000 in its lifetime. Larvae are 8–17mm long, disguised to resemble bird droppings; they are legless and have no distinct head.

 

 

 

Marigolds doubly assist crops suffering from aphids (greenfly among others) as their smell actually deters the aphids themselves. Other plants also repel insects and other pests through their smell, such as alliums and wormwood. Some entirely mask a companion's scent, or the pheromones of pest insects, as with ground ivy and wild oregano so thwarting the efforts for pest population to grow. Studies have been carried out on insecticidal properties of thyme, rosemary, clove and mint and it was found that the essential oils in these plants have a broad range of action against bugs. Some spice-based commercial products now being used by farmers have already shown success in protecting organic strawberry, spinach and tomato crops against destructive aphids and mites. These plant strategies are even useful for much bigger garden pests, such as foxes, dogs and cats. Coleus canine, also known as “scaredy-cat plant”, is an evergreen with attractive violet blue flowers. It omits an odour which, although non offensive to humans, is found to effectively deter foxes as well as dogs and cats. Other strongly scented plants which seem to work include Lavender and Rue.

Clever planting choices can further aid in your battles against pests. “Trap cropping” refers to the practice of planting sacrificial plants next to your crops so they get munched instead of your prize winning veg. Nasturtium are well-known to attract caterpillars, so by planting them around your lettuce or cabbage crops you can reduce risk to your brassicas as egg-laying insects will favour nasturtiums.

One way we can achieve most natural benefit is to ensure that population of resident natural predators is supported throughout the year, not just in the months when we want their services. By ensuring that habitat features, such as overwintering spots (whether a bug hotel or pile of old logs) food (nectar sources from early spring to late autumn) and water sources (from an old saucer to a garden pond) you can ensure protection against next years pest, and probably also entice others into your garden to join them. Whilst it is important to remember the smaller of your local gardening friends, don’t forget that there are bigger pest controllers about too – such as toads, hedgehogs and birds. Just this week Sarah has been watching a group of 5 chaffinches flitting about her garden in search of a feast and has been enjoying very warm glow watching them nibble black flies from around her eagerly awaited globe artichoke heads.

Gardening Blog entry, 27th June 2011

The Great Emergence!

Burnet moths are now on the wing. The papery cocoons that we saw on the grasses are now empty, although you can see the black shell of the pupa that the adult moth has emerged from. These day-flying moths seem to be everywhere in The Wildlife Trust office garden, flying around, feeding from the flowers and...err...mating. Their metallic colouring looks fantastic in the sunshine and makes for some good photo opportunities.

After weeks hiding from predators, basking in the warm shallows and eating most things smaller than themselves, tiny frogs across the country are making their grand entrance. Laura has become very maternal about her froglets as this is the first year frogs have spawned in her pond. From two large clumps of spawn (about 400 eggs), she reckons approximately 20 froglets have developed. Not a brilliant survival rate and, unfortunately, there are many more dangers still to come. Sarah’s cat takes great delight in bringing them in as presents in the night – many a dream has been rudely interrupted by the scream-like cry of poor traumatised frog as it is batted about the duvet. Should she have insomniac neighbours, they will be quite used to her sleepwalking to the bottom of the garden in dressing gown and wellies to return the poor frog to relative safety around the back of her shed. Over the coming weeks, young frogs, toads and newts will be leaving ponds for a terrestrial life until they return to the pond in a few years time to breed.

With the recent dry weather, many water levels in ponds have dropped, exposing the bare liner. On a hot day, young amphibians walking on the liner can rapidly dry out and stick to the plastic. If you can, grow plants that trail over the liner and into the pond to help their exit. Alternatively, you could lay down some pieces of wood as a safe pathway from the water to the surrounding cover of plants. By keeping this wood damp, the amphibians will be even safer on their first steps. Look out for your tiny amphibian friends when you water the garden, move plant pots or turn your compost heap - they'll be there quietly keeping your garden pests under control.

Another great emergence that is underway is that of the dragon- and damselflies. The larvae of these animals live in ponds as they develop until the warmth and sun of summer triggers their final change into the aerial acrobats we see. The larvae have to crawl up a plant stem near the pond to ensure they are in an exposed position. They then burst out of their skin case and quickly expand their wings which harden in the sun. After some initial buzzing of their wings, it's time for the maiden flight.

Dragonflies can be very territorial of their ponds and you may see them patrolling the pond and seeing off any intruders. However, others fly away from the pond as soon as they have emerged to find food, a mate and somewhere to breed. The only sign Laura had that her pond had been playing host to a developing dragonfly, was the case (exuvia) it left behind after emerging. These exuviae can often be found on plant stems and are really useful in showing where species are breeding.

If you find an exuvia and want to know what species it is from, then please do send it to Henry Stanier here at The Wildlife Trust in Great Cambourne. Henry is gathering records of breeding dragonflies for inclusion in the forthcoming Dragonfly Atlas, so please include details of where and when the exuvia was found, and your contact details, so we can tell you about your find. His details are:

Henry Stanier
The Manor House
Broad Street
Great Cambourne
Cambridge
CB23 6DH

Gardening Blog entry, 27th May 2011

PROPER RAIN at last! It seems an absolute age since our last soak and no doubt everyone’s gasping gardens will be grateful for it, even if it is just a brief respite.

Like many around the country, the water levels in the pond have been dropping fast under the glaring sun. This is not necessarily a problem as pond levels naturally fluctuate, and will be topped up again during the winter, however it has caused a little concern over our developing tadpoles.

Ponds and other water features provide important breeding and feeding places for all sorts of pond life from insects through to frogs and newts and provide drinking source and bathing for birds and mammals.

We have been watching bees drink from around the shallow edges and had a crow dunking bread into the water to soften it up.

The duckweed in Laura’s pond at home is determined to cover the water surface over night so she is busy skimming it off and leaving it on the side for any creatures to crawl out (minding the tadpoles of course).

The dried out duckweed is very popular with the local blackbirds who seem to be using it in their nests.

This year’s hot spells and extremely dry conditions have confused many species and garden plants are certainly struggling.

If you are able to install a water butt in your garden, then remember the old saying - there is no time like the present.

Laura’s garden lacks any suitable guttering or down-pipe (not even on a shed) so it is not unusual for her to be out there as soon as the heavens open, moving buckets in the hope of catching at least a few drops.

To prevent damaging your plants, water them later in the day when the temperature has dropped. This will prevent leaf burn from rapidly evaporating water and will give the water a chance to absorb in to the ground.

Using a leaf mulch or wood chips around plants will also help retain moisture where it is most needed.

Wildlife Trust staff were out in our wildlife garden one afternoon last week for an impromptu BBQ (nothing bolsters morale quite like local sausages and homemade relish).

Whilst out enjoying the sun, many people noticed yellow and cream cases on the stems of grasses in our wildflower area, bobbing away in the breeze.

These were in fact the cocoons of day-flying Burnet moths. These delicate cases are constructed by the caterpillars to protect themselves during the metamorphosis stage.

They are well camouflaged on the dried grass stems, which may be one reason that they are constructed there rather than on plants such as the bird’s foot trefoil which the caterpillars feed on. Grass stems are also longer lived and so maybe offer better chance for the insects to develop to maturity.

The red and blue adult moths will emerge in June / July so watch this space for photos.  

Left: Burnet Moth cocoons on a grass stem.

Right: Burnet Moth caterpillar

The rhubarb in Sarah’s garden has been flourishing but other’s crop seems to be having difficulties.

Problems with Rhubarb plants are most often down to management of the growing plant. Although the thought of home grown rhubarb, in puddings or just with lashings of custard, is very tempting it is important to resist harvesting any stems during the first season as this seriously weakens the plant.

By letting the plant grow during the first year you allow it to establish a strong healthy root system. You will need to maintain a level of restraint during the second season too, only pull two stems per plant at any one time and make sure that five healthy stems always remain. From then onwards  you can pull three or four stems as long as three or four remain. The cropping season is early May to July or August, and a healthy plant should allow you to harvest 2 or 3 times.

Select the largest stalks (don’t leave them for too long before you crop else your rhubarb with be tough and stringy).The leaves can go on the compost heap - definitely don't eat them because they are poisonous.

 

Other considerations are to make sure you cut off any flower heads which may appear in early spring as the new rhubarb stalks emerge. Do this as soon as possible - if the flower heads are left to grow and set seed the plant will never fully recover to good strength.

Rhubarb originates from Siberia, is very strong and suffers from few diseases or pests. The only problem will be crown rot - the top of the plant rots badly and it can be knocked off with ease. There is no cure, dig up the infected plant and burn it.

Once your rhubarb patch is established you may find yourself in the fortunate position of TOO MUCH RHUBARB! If so then you can very simply freeze your excess crop and so prolong your harvest. It is preferable to freeze your rhubarb the day you harvest it, however, if you cannot then it is possible keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, wrapped tightly in a plastic bag and with about 2 - 3 inches of leaf on to help keep the moisture in the stalk. Many people recommend blanching the rhubarb first before freezing, or freezing in sugar syrup however it also seems equally successful to just chop the rhubarb into approx 1 inch pieces, bag up, freeze and allow yourself to feel smug at the thought of steaming rhubarb crumble in the darker winter months to come. 

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