New woodland owner

[smudge]

Hi from sunny s,devon(joke) last year purchased 5acres of woodland mostly ash with a few beech & oak trees 2 streams (rivers now) border the land quite steep but manageable, long term plan is to make into a wildlife haven so far have put up shed & wood burner built a pond (great fun with mini digger) planted fruit trees lots of berrying plants bird feeders & nest boxes, so peaceful just love it retire in 2 years(can't wait) depends on your mood but you can do loads or just sit back & do nothing so far seen roe deer woodpecker lots of small birds & b....y squirrels so destructive,

[Dexter's Shed]

you sound just like me, welcome to the forum

[TerryH]

Hello and welcome! You are lucky to have streams running alongside your wood. We have a couple of occasional streams fed by water draining off the neighbouring fields... running quite fast and steady these days, of course.
I'd be interested to hear more about your pond project as that is something we were thinking of doing. I'm just hesitant about it as I'm not sure if it would be a positive thing (for nature/diversity etc) or, knowing my luck, I'd just end up creating a stinking swamp full of weeds
Did you dig the pond in a clearing or is it under cover of trees ?

[Dexter's Shed]

another plot holder within our woods, made bigger a small pond/puddle with a mini digger, its clear from overhanging trees, and if fed via seasonal streams, its only been a few months so far, but its getting clearer, did smell a bit but I was on the understanding it'll take upto a year to sort itself our, adding a bale of straw helps, as does planting a few marginal plants

would love one in our woods, but dont know if I could be trusted once ducks start coming in

[Wendelspanswick]

Welcome Smudge, we are not too far away from you as our wood is in Somerset.
We normally have no stream or ponds on our land, but with all the rain some springs have appeared but I am wary of building any catchment system as I only have to see a Midge to come out in lumps. We are going to use rainwater harvesting on our barn/shed and divert the water into an underground tank and pump it back out when required.

[Woodsmith]

Hi Smudge

I am a wood noob too, in Herefordshire. The pond sounds great and also the streams.
Sounds like you are making a big effort to encourage diversity.

Good luck with your projects

woodsmith

[oldclaypaws]

We used to have a 1/3 acre pond several feet deep, the result of 18th Century clay extraction. The previous owners in their wisdom though, decided to fill it with rubbish & hardcore and cap it off with hundreds of tons of scalpings, so its now our parking area and probable shed site- its a wide flat firm area but not much good for growing trees on. The willows and Hazel on it all eventually fall over due to shallow roots. (photo below). I did the road by hand last winter.

Would love a nice pond, but am told that if they don't have good light and are overhung by trees they just turn into a stagnant pool. Our friends have a good stream which was damned to provide water for a large country house, so they also have a small lake. Theres a large old ornamental cherry on one side- when in blossom and reflected in the water it looks like an impressionist painting, very beautiful.

Not too far from Devon, in South Somerset just off the A303 corridor, so if passing drop a PM and will be pleased to show you round our little patch.

[smudge]

Thanks for all your kind comments ( what a great forum this is) Hired the digger for a week mainly to level piece of woodland to park land rover put up shed & small greenhouse (schhhh don't tell planners) am a keen gardener & intend to grow lots of windflowers, built pond as was short of soil & always liked the idea anyway about 5 meters x 3 so very small had to use pond liner as soil quite Stoney slightly shaded but time will tell how it does I know there are frogs there though as saw a few when digging, Was going to dig my own grave as well as like the idea of woodland buriel ( but didn't want to tempt fate) oldclawpaws thanks for kind offer the same to you if your ever down my way,

[oldclaypaws]

Was going to dig my own grave as well

Not the best idea at the moment, that'll be another small square pond then !! Then have to bury you in scuba gear.

Personally, I intend when feeling as if I'm on my way to lie on top of the wood heap with a candle held aloft. When I gasp my last breath and drop the candle, presto ! DIY cremation. Its illegal, but like to see them prosecute me for it afterwards.

Got to admire this guy's style.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XoBX2vfNlo

[oldclaypaws]

Footnote; we have already done two family burials in our wood, all feeds the trees.