Springfield Wildlife Site
Added on 06 March 2011
In spite of the cold weather the working party has continued to meet once at month a the wildlife site. During the winter a large dead alder tree fell down. Tree surgeons from Sedgemoor District Council cut it into pieces that could be moved and cleared the path. Volunteers then stacked the smaller fallen pieces on the woodpile and cleared brambles away from young saplings that had been growing under the tree. The large pieces have been left to rot in situ.
As in previous years the entrance hedge was cut back and tidied and alder saplings around the pond were coppiced. We are trying to keep a balance between providing cover for birds and small mammals and allowing light onto the pond. An elm tree on the east boundary also fell over last year, the small wood has been stacked but again we decided to leave the trunk to rot where it fell.
Brambles are a valuable food source for many moths and butterflies and for small mammals such as wood mice and dormice. Small birds, especially dunnocks and blue tits also like to make their nests in thickets of bramble. However they were starting to overrun the east hedge and have been trimmed back.
In the autumn the central area was strimmed, to help keep it open and encourage tall herbs. We left some of the tall herbs, such as meadow sweet and hogweed to shed seed. These tall plants that flower late in the summer are important sources of nectar for many insects, and are often favoured by dragon flies as hunting posts. The owl box donated by Mr Samways has been occupied, I think by Jackdaws, and the other nestboxes also appear to have been used.
If you would like to help to look after the wildlife site, why not join our monthly working parties. We meet on the third Sunday of the month, starting at 10 am. If you do not feel able to help with practical work why not help to record the plants and animals seen at the sight, you do not need to be an expert, any sightings are valuable. If you have been following Springwatch or the RSPB garden surveys you will know that many conservation bodies are concerned about the fall in numbers of many of the most common species.
