Do we have Dormice?

Dormice are present in hazel hedges and woodland across East Devon but we don't know whether they frequent Roundball Woods.  Dormice are nocturnal and spend about half the year in hibernation so you are very unlikely to see them. However East Devon is a stronghold for these adorable small mammals. The warden has found evidence of them in neighbouring woodland so there is every chance that they may be resident in our wood. If they are present they are probably hibernating in amongst the base and roots of hazel coppice and will not be waking up until April time when the weather warms up.

There are two main methods of surveying for dormice. The first is a nut search. Dormice leave their own distinctive tooth marks on hazel nuts, so we will be collecting nuts in the autumn to look for evidence. The second method is by placing plastic nest tubes in the woods to see if dormice use them as temporary day nests.  If we find evidence we will be putting up purpose built dormice nest boxes and see if they are used.  Dormice are a protected species and it is illegal to disturbed them and you need to be licensed by Natural England to handle them, so we would request that if you see any of the tubes you do not disturb them. 

One of the Roundball Wardens is working towards obtaining  his dormice handling licence and took the above photo whilst checking nest boxes in woodland bordering Dartmoor last Autumn. If we discover dormice at Roundball we will keep you posted on this blog and hopefully provide photos of one of Devon's most elusive animals.

A Perfect Place of a Picnic?

Roundball Wood volunteer wardens took a break from their labour last Saturday to have a picnic in one of the few dry places in the wood.  We have been had to cancel several work days because of the weather, so a short dry spell and a glimpse of sunshine was welcome. We decided to wait until the ground is dryer before we continued our work on the footpaths and instead concentrated on coppicing hazel near the Woodhill View entrance to the woods.

At Roundball we have a 10 year rotation of coppicing, or cutting down hazel to encourage new growth. There is plenty of evidence that this has happened in the woods for generations, and it is a common countryside practice to cut hazel to provide wood for fencing, bean poles and many other purposes. Our reasons for coppicing hazel in this area is three fold. Firstly, to allow more light in an area which has bluebells and primroses. Secondly, to provide timber for improving the pathways and thirdly to create a hedge alongside one of the main pathways in the woods.

You will notice that we have layered some of the main hazel stems by partly cutting through the base, bending them over and layering them. We have then used the brash or small branches and twigs to fill in the the gaps. We are hoping that this combination of live and dead hedging will be start of a path side hedge and are expecting to see plenty of evidence of new shoots in a couple of months time.

Along with holly, hazel forms the main understory, or lower level of trees in the wood. It does not generally fruit, or produce hazel nuts until the seventh year after coppicing and it is for that reason that we coppice no more that 10% of the hazel annually. Hazel produces an important food source for wildlife in the woods and we need to do what we can to maintain its productivity. 

As well as our resident squirrels and wood-mice, hazel is also a favourite food for dormice. Our aim is that Roundball Wood should become a perfect picnic place for dormice as well as wardens, but more about that in a future blog.

Wardens Day Out

Saturday saw one of the Roundball Wardens having an away-day. The destination chosen was Weymouth & Portland. In particular the Portland Bird Observatory and Field Centre, based in the old Portland Bill Light House.

The observatory is a great place to visit. It was established in 1961 to provide a focal point for anyone interested in the natural environment of Portland. Because of its geographical position, some 6 miles out into the English Channel, it has proved a site of major importance for the study of bird migration. A daily census of migrant and resident birds has been undertaken since its inception, with a programme of bird ringing also carried out there. To date over 180,000 birds of 200 species have been ringed, with subsequent recoveries as far north as Norway and Sweden and as far south as Ghana and Nigeria.

The centre has one of the best stocked shops of new and second hand natural history books in the country, and has caused a considerable lightening of the wardens wallet. The old lighthouse provides accommodation for observatory members and visitors, with some rooms high up in the tower. A tremendous view in unique accommodation, but a somewhat hazardous trip down to the loo in the middle of the night! It is a fascinating place with a friendly welcoming warden and a system of gardens and small ponds all designed to attract passing birds.

What has all this to do with Roundball Wood? Well... the spotted flycatchers, chiff-chaffs  and blackcaps that frequent Roundball Wood and surrounding area in the summer may use Portland as an arrival and departure point. Bird ringing and recovery at the Portland Bird Observatory provides vital records and information that helps us find out more about the lives of our summer and winter visitors. So the next time you are on Portland why not call in.