Western Hemlock

Snipes Dene:  20.02.13.

For six or seven years it seemed that Wednesdays – the regular working day for the Gibside Volunteer Conservation Team – could be relied on for fine weather, whatever the season. Something has gone wrong with this trusted weather forecasting system of late; today was yet another cold, grey day.

Snipes Dene on a grey winter's day

From across the valley, two roe deer stopped grazing, eyed us up and wandered off. We were back in Snipes Dene pulling up western hemlock saplings in an area where we have been monitoring regeneration following the felling of non-native conifers a few years back. Removing this successful, invasive species gives nature a helping hand, but it is hard work that will have to be repeated many times if it is not to carpet the area again and push out native plants and animals.

Know thine enemy - Western Hemlock saplings

As we bent to our work, we had the frequent and welcome distraction of flocks of goldfinch and siskin visiting the few spindly birch that remain isolated in the dene. This is a stark environment in winter, but hard fern and an assortment of attractive mosses are doing well, and rosettes of foxglove leaves promise at least some colour in the summer.

Hard Fern

New Growth - Foxglove Leaves Rosette

Moss

A Work of Art?

Wednesday 6th February 2013

Another cold day; 2^o C with a chilling, northerly breeze, just the right sort of weather to be clearing branches and brash. Once again the conservation team found themselves tasked with brash clearing and building of log piles. The area on the outskirts of West Woods must be ready for new tree planting by the end of the month.

The Team at Work

Collecting brash

Some log piles were planned with great precision. After placing a base layer all aligned in one direction a second layer was added at 90^o to the first but leaving a small gap in the centre, then adding another layer parallel to the first layer. This created a small chamber area in the centre of the pile for small mammals etc. Some of the gaps were then filled with smaller brash.

A Work of Art? - A possible Turner Prize contender?
- It's not bad enough commented one wag.

An Adventure Playground for Cherryburn

Wednesday 13th February 2013

With the temperature hovering around zero and strong winds, the conservation volunteers assembled at Cherryburn, the birthplace of Thomas Bewick (1753 - 1828) - artist, wood engraver and naturalist. The forecast snow was already settling on the fields on the other side of the Tyne.

 We were at Cherryburn - one of the four properties in the Gibside group - to create an adventure play area for children in the wildlife garden, a construction job for a change, with or without the approval of the wildlife.

Tasks being alllocated

 

The various tasks were allocated to small groups of volunteers: setting out a "stepping-stone" path of tree trunk discs; digging in larger pieces of tree trunk to form seats; creating bamboo chimes suspended from a wooden A-Frame; and, most imaginatively, planting posts into the ground with side pieces attached to mimic stilts used in Thomas Bewick's time to cross the River Tyne.

The "Stepping Stones" being dug in

The A-Team

Playing a tune on the bamboo chimes

Creating the stilts

Phil prunning

Terry and Mary hard at work clearing the cobble stones of mud.

 

 

The light snowfall of mid-morning became heavier by early afternoon; an early finish was welcomed by all.

 

The job is due to be completed on Thursday, when the weather is forecast to be much better. Families are sure to like the play area, but what would Thomas Bewick have thought?

A Walk Through the Woods

On a recent day off I took the opportunity to enjoy an early morning walk through some of Gibside's woodland's.  As I walked through the renovated Shrubbery Walk towards the avenue I disturbed a family trio of roe deer feeding on some of the recently planted evergreen shrubs.

Common laurel

Common laurel browsed by roe deer

Yew

Yew browsed by roe deer

Along the Avenue and down through the Hollow Walk I came upon another roe deer this one a handsome buck with six-point antlers covered in 'velvet'.  I stood watching him for a little while until he became aware of my presence and quickly made off with bounding leaps and a series of disgruntled dog-like barks.

Roebuck with antlers in 'velvet'

During the summer just gone a 'new' pair of red kites had nested on the estate but unfortunately they failed to raise any chicks due to reasons unknown.  Walking through a belt of conifers close to the nest-site I came upon the skeleton of a kite with wings outstretched and feathers complete and intact.  All feathers of the wings and tail were only partly emerged from the protective sheath which encases them while growing revealing that this had been a fledgling.  Surprisingly the carcass hadn't been found and scavenged by a fox, badger or other opportunist predator and as it obviously hadn't been predated it would appear that it had succumbed shortly after leaving or falling from the nest.

Remains of a red kite

A little further on from where I had found the dead kite I checked an old stone built culvert running under a vista which was in regular use by badgers.  A little fresh soil outside the exit hole showed a little 'spring cleaning' had been carried out and among the debris I found a badger's skull.  The teeth that were present were very well worn suggesting this had been from an old animal and there was also a well developed sagittal crest.  This is a ridge of bone running along the top of the skull which enlarges as the animal matures and it is to this that the powerful jaw muscles are attached.

Badger skull

Following the road up into West Wood I noted one of the roadside ash trees had a large red streak running down one side of the trunk.  This is quite a common occurrence being found on a range of different trees and with colours ranging from yellow, orange and as here red and is simply an alga of the genus Trentepohlia.

Ash tree with red steak caused by algae

As I stood taking a photograph of the 'red' tree a rustling caught my attention among the undergrowth on the opposite side of the road.  Running through the recently planted woodland towards me were not one, nor two but three hares.  These three, a jill (female) and two jacks (males) chased each other around the trees before making off further into the wood.

Hare

Close to this spot I also found in a roadside ditch a cluster of feathers where a wood pigeon had met its death.  Killed and eaten by a bird of prey among the plucked feathers were the spilled crop contents revealing the pigeon's last meal of red berries and the tips of buttercup leaves.

Remains of wood pigeon with crop contents

So you see as you walk around Gibside's woods there are always lots of things to see.


           

Somewhere Under The Rainbow

Wednesday 30^th January 2013

6^o C but it certainly didn’t feel like it in the strong westerly wind. The recent snow had all but cleared. Our planned trip to Craster two weeks ago, to help with some dry stone wall building, had been cancelled because of the snow. Last week a deep covering of snow prevented any conservation work.

Recent snow melt meant streams were in full flow
 

Today the team was given the task of clearing branches and brash from a large open area near the turning circle on the edge of West Woods. The reason for clearing this area was so that it can be planted with hazel trees. The brash was collected and moved to the edges of the area to form log piles. It was backbreaking work. Many of the branches had lain there for some time and were overgrown with grass and brambles. One advantage of some of the branches having been lying for some time was that many were rotten and as such were an ideal medium for the growth of some wonderful fungi.

Some of the team at work

Some of the fungi

Around lunchtime we received a good soaking from a sudden burst of rain. Fortunately it was fairly short-lived, but an added bonus was a lovely rainbow seen over West Woods. During the course of our day we received several visits from a nosey red kite.

Rainbow over West Woods

Phil Coyne

Winter Wildlife

Winter brings about a change in some of the wildlife found here at Gibside.  With summer migrants long gone look out for wintering birds like brambling, redwing, fieldfare and if your really lucky waxwings.  Jays are still visible on the Avenue searching for the last of the fallen acorns and another bird to watch out for is the crossbill.  These are usually seen in flocks either feeding on conifer seeds high in the tree tops or flitting from tree to tree with their twittering calls.  Look and listen for them around the Stables, Bothy and Banqueting House areas.



Redwing


Badgers don't hibernate so are still actively searching for worms and other grubs along with the last of the autumn fruits including here at Gibside lots of yew berries.  In really hard icy conditions or after heavy snowfall food can be hard to find so they may lie up for a day or two waiting for easier conditions.  This month will see the sow (female) badgers beginning to give birth to their new cubs.

Badger cub with two adults

Roe deer are easier to spot in winter when much of the tall vegetation has died down.  These are often encountered in small family groups of  a doe with last years kid(s).   The bucks meanwhile having shed last years antlers are busy growing new ones protected in a covering of velvet.  Occasionally does, usually older ones, may also grow a pair of rudimentary antlers which usually remain covered in hair and are perennial and not shed unlike those of the bucks.

 



Roebuck with antlers recently shed



Roebuck with growing antlers in 'velvet'



Roe doe with 'antlers'

A Return to Reality

Wednesday 9^th January 2013

A sunny day with a light covering of frost.

A Frosted Leaf

A new year and the first task of 2013 for the conservation group was to strim and rake grass and bracken on the bank above the Lily Pond.

The rakers looked on whilst the 2 volunteers with the strimmers set about cutting back the long grass and bracken. Using petrol driven strimmers (oh for the gentle swish of a scythe), they had soon managed to cut enough for the rest of the team to begin raking. Piles of grass and bracken soon built up and were then transported into the adjacent woods (it may be a new year but some things never change!) to form habitat for grass snakes and other wildlife.

Strimmers reflected in Lily pond

Hard at work strimming

 

Good teamwork today ensured an early finish. The team have a week to prepare themselves for next week’s visit to the seaside for some construction work.

 

Common Earthball

Lichen on tree stump (Cladonia sp.)