Litterpickers and bin bag hoops purchased with a grant from Leeds Together Fund
Today’s work party was a special event to celebrate a grant of £165 which the Leeds Together Fund awarded to Friends of Adel Woods this month to enable us to purchase three new litterpickers and six bin bag hoops. Bin bag hoops hold the mouth of bin bags open and make litterpicking a lot easier.
We had two aims today: first, to use our new equipment on a community litterpick around the Village Green and in Adel Woods; second, at the request of the Parish Ranger, to clear Himalayan Balsam from the woodland on the northern fringe of the Village Green.
We met in the Village Green carpark and had a record turn out of twenty six volunteers including a baby and your correspondent! Alwoodley Wombles also came with a supply of additional litterpickers in case they were needed.
Our happy and excited litterpicking team – brandishing litterpickers and bin bag hoops
Fourteen of our group were there to pick up litter. We furnished them with litterpickers, purple bags and bin bag hoops and despatched them to pick up litter around the Village Green and in the woods.
“Thanks so much for organising the litterpick – the boys and I had a great time…I hope we’ll join you again”.
The rest of us, including your correspondent, set off to pull up Himalayan Balsam.
The Himalayan Balsam team with Mark, the Parish Ranger
Himalayan Balsam is a non-native invasive plant which, left to its own devices, will cover large areas of land and shade out other plants. We discovered this morning that that is certainly the case to the north of the Village Green.
Massed Himalayan Balsam on the northern edge of the Village Green
Fortunately, Himalayan Balsam has extremely shallow roots which meant that in the space of an hour and three quarters we were able to pull up many thousands of plants.
In the course of our work we found a number of piles of dog mess. Your correspondent went to Fetch, the pet supplies shop opposite the Village Green, to purchase some poo bags, and Diane generously donated to Friends of Adel Woods a box of three hundred!
We were due to finish at 11.30 am but more than half of our balsam team enjoyed it so much that they stayed until 12 noon!
Friends of Adel Woods next to a pile of uprooted Himalayan Balsam
Thank you to the Leeds Together Fund for their generous grant, to Fetch for donating some poo bags, to Alwoodley Wombles for their support, and to all our wonderful volunteers who came and made the event a great success.
Come along to Friends of Adel Woods events!
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our activities and would be delighted if you would like to join us.
Friends of Adel Woods were formed in 2009 to help maintain Adel Woods and encourage people to enjoy them. We meet one weekend morning a month to carry out various jobs or ”work parties”, and we also put on educational events such as bat walks, fungal forays and birdsong walks.
Our next work party is on Sunday the 15th June 2025 when we will be litterpicking and working on Adel Moor. You can find out more here.
We are a very friendly group and welcome new members who want to help preserve our special woods, enjoy fresh air and exercise in the woods, and make new friends. If you would like to take part in our activities, keep an eye on our Home Page and come along to one of our work parties.
If you would like to join our email mailing list, please get in touch by leaving a comment on this website – you should be able to see a comment button at the bottom of this page.
Friends of Adel Woods at the Buck Stone in July 2024
We are just about to complete our sixteenth year since Friends of Adel Woods came into being, and the last twelve months have been successful with many work parties and educational walks and talks.
Work parties
Usually, our work parties comprises a team of litterpickers and another team carrying out a task such as path clearing.
In the last year we have had twelve mornings of litterpicking and picked up about fifty bags of rubbish – so hats off to our dedicated band of litterpickers! We haven’t kept a tally, but it seems likely that since Friends of Adel Woods was formed, we have picked up over eight hundred bags of rubbish – in addition to disposing of larger items such as tyres and beer barrels!
Some of the rubbish we have collected over the last year
As well as litterpicking we have completed fifteen and a half mornings on the following tasks:
one morning working on Adel Moor with David Preston removing bracken, brambles and saplings.
one morning clearing bracken from around the Buck Stone
three mornings mowing the orchid meadow
four mornings clearing paths and fallen trees
three mornings working on Adel Bog (1 with David Preston)
one morning dredging Adel Pond with David Preston
one and a half days of nest box cleaning and surveying with Steve Joul
one morning putting tree guards on the orchard in the practice rugby field
Working on the orchid meadow with David Preston
Educational events
Since the last AGM we have had six educational walks – five with Steve Joul, and one with Leeds City Council ranger, David Preston. They were all a great success.
A fungal foray with Steve Joul on 17th November 2024
Steve led a variety of walks:
30th June: exploring biodiversity – a joint event with Alwoodley 2030
20th July: a stream and pond safari
29 September: a fungal foray
17th November: a fungal foray
4th May this year, a birdsong walk
On 28th August David led a guided batwalk attended by twenty six adults and nine children.
A bat walk with David Preston on 28th August 2024
I know from speaking to people who attend, and the messages I get from participants after these events, that people really enjoy them.
The Friends of Adel Woods Blog
If you would like to know more about our activities, please have a look at our blog entries.
Grants
Putting tree guards on the orchard in bitterly cold driving rain
We have received two grants in the last year.
In February we received a grant from Alwoodley 2030 to purchase tree guards for the orchard in the practice rugby field as the trees were suffering damage from deer and rabbits.
This month the Leeds Together Fund awarded Friends of Adel Woods a grant to purchase three litterpickers and six bin bag hoops. The purpose of the grant was to put on a community event during May and on the 31st May we are having a community litterpick.
Improvements to the Stairfoot Lane Carpark and Crag Lane
The Stairfoot Lane carpark after improvements
In December Leeds City Council resurfaced the Stairfoot Lane carpark and created a separate fenced off path through the carpark for the route of the Meanwood Valley Trail to keep pedestrians away from vehicles. This was clearly a big improvement.
In February the council resurfaced Crag Lane from the Stairfoot Lane carpark to Old Leo’s rugby club. This involved scraping off the mud from the surface, laying hardcore and then creating the new surface. This end result is a great improvement to Crag Lane.
Crag Lane after resurfacing work
However, my particular reason to mention this is that one of our regular volunteers, Matthew, contacted me on the 9th February, before the work was completed. He was very concerned because he had noticed that the hardcore used was of poor quality – containing crushed bricks, concrete, white ceramics and plastic piping – which was completely unacceptable in a woodland area. I contacted our local councillors and David Preston and passed on Matthew’s concerns and the result was that the worst hardcore was scraped off, and replaced with better quality hardcore.
So thank you very much to Matthew.
Water Quality in our Local Streams
Possible pollution in Adel Beck
Pollution of our rivers is a hot topic at the moment and in the past it has been raised with me by members of Friends of Adel Woods. One of the problems about looking into this is having accurate information about whether the streams are polluted or not.
In October last year I met up with a PhD student at Leeds who is active in promoting citizen science projects relating to water quality of our local streams. On 10th October, I walked with her along Nanny Beck and Meanwood Beck to look for signs of pollution and in February I organised a meeting of members of Friends of Adel Woods who would like to get involved in a water sampling project. About fourteen people attended the meeting. I am organising a meeting to form two or three groups who will take responsibility for the sampling. While it makes sense for Friends of Adel Woods to help steer this project, I am hoping that this will become a separate self-sustaining project.
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust event
On the 19th November, three of our committee – Steve, Sue and myself – went to an event organised by Alwoodley 2030 when Yorkshire Wildlife Trust gave a talk on the state of nature in Yorkshire.
Thank yous
Working on Adel Bog
So as usual, I would like to thank our committee and volunteers for all the work they have done over the last year. FOAW would not exist without the committee and volunteers. And I am looking forward to another year of fun, laughter and friendship. New members are always welcome!
I would particularly like to thank Judith for all the work she has done as treasurer over the last 16 years, and Stephanie who was our secretary from 2009 until July of last year.
Steve Joul on a stream and pond safari
Thank you to Steve Joul for leading five educational events this year – and helping to raise funds for Friends of Adel Woods.
Thank you to David Preston for the work he has done with us the last year. David is changing jobs to join the Public Rights of Way team imminently, and so we may not work with him again.
Looking to the future
As I and the rest of the committee get older, I get more concerned about how to ensure that Friends of Adel Woods continues for years to come. This is something which we need to consider over the coming year. New volunteers are always welcome!
Roger Gilbert
Chair of Friends of Adel Woods
COME ALONG TO FRIENDS OF ADEL WOODS EVENTS!
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our activities and would be delighted if you would like to join us.
Friends of Adel Woods were formed in 2009 to help maintain Adel Woods and encourage people to enjoy them. We meet one weekend morning a month to carry out various jobs or ”work parties”, and we also put on educational events such as bat walks, fungal forays and birdsong walks.
We are a very friendly group and welcome new members who want to help preserve our special woods, enjoy fresh air and exercise in the woods, and make new friends. If you would like to take part in our activities, keep an eye on our Home Page and come along to one of our work parties.
If you would like to join our email mailing list, please get in touch by leaving a comment on this website – you should be able to see a comment button at the bottom of this page.
Another lovely day, and fifteen of us met up to work on Adel Bog and to pick up litter.
Litterpicking
Four Friends chose to litterpick this morning, and they split into two “teams”.
One team worked their way along Crag Lane, to the picnic area, Adel Crag and the Stairfoot Lane carpark and collected two bags of litter.
The other team focused on the Village Green and around the children’s play area. There was a lot of litter and they picked up two very full bags. They found two sun hats, socks, and woollen gloves in the play area and positioned them on railings in the hope that their owners might return to collect them.
Adel Bog
The rest of us worked on Adel Bog. Despite the period of almost two months of drought, the bog was looking quite green – with wild flowers beginning to appear, and lots of rushes.
Tormentil (potentilla erecta) coming into flower on Adel Bog
We focused on clearing saplings and brambles from the northern boundary of the bog, and using them to make the northern boundary clearer, and to build up the dead hedge we have constructed on the southern boundary.
Inspecting the job: saplings and brambles on the northern boundary of the bog
The removal of saplings was made much easier by our tree popper purchased with a grant from Alwoodley Parish Council.
As we cleared the saplings we came across two nests from last year – a small one, probably a robin’s nest; and a larger song thrush nest, identifiable by its smooth lining of mud [the larger mistle thrush also uses mud to construct its nest, but lines it with grass].
A robin’s nestA song thrush nest – with a smooth mud lining
We finished work at 12 noon and it was a very satisfying morning’s work.
About Friends of Adel Woods
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our activities and would be delighted if you would like to join us.
Friends of Adel Woods were formed in 2009 to help maintain Adel Woods and encourage people to enjoy them. We meet one weekend morning a month to carry out various jobs or ”work parties”, and we also put on educational events such as bat walks, fungal forays and birdsong walks.
We are a very friendly group and welcome new members who want to help preserve our special woods, enjoy fresh air and exercise in the woods, and make new friends. If you would like to take part in our activities, keep an eye on our Home Page and come along to one of our work parties.
If you would like to join our email mailing list, please get in touch by leaving a comment on this website – you should be able to see a comment button at the bottom of this page.
A beautiful but chilly morning to meet at 6.55 am in Alwoodley Village Green carpark for our annual birdsong walk with Steve Joul.
The walk was attended by about twenty adults and three children and we raised £100 for Friends of Adel Woods funds – so thank you to all who attended.
Steve had visited the woods earlier in the week to plan the route and clear any vegetation which might hinder our passage.
Starting from the carpark, we made our way down the cycle path to the bottom of the village green where we could hear a chiffchaff; from there we went through the strip of woodland between the village green to the cricket pitch where we heard woodpigeons and robins.
On the cricket pitch we observed a pair of thrushes foraging for food. From their coloration they were almost certainly song thrushes, rather than the larger mistle thrushes. We often hear song thrushes in the woods.
Approximate route of our walk – follow the numbers 1-7
We then made our way up to Alwoodley Plantation (the area north of Crag Lane) where a group of magpies were making a heck of a racket at the top of a Scots pine. The frenzied activity continued for perhaps half an hour. Steve managed to see more of what was going on than I did. His account of what was going on is:
“I believe I saw a carrion crow in or on a nest in the top of the tree. I only saw this bird when it moved to the edge of the nest when fending off several magpies which it did vigorously. Whether the crow was defending its own eggs, was defending the eggs of a woodpigeon which it was consuming, or was defending itself against magpies whose eggs it was consuming I cannot say for sure. However, the nest appeared to be too shallow for a magpie nest and more like a woodpigeon platform, though the amount of nesting material made it look most likely to be that of the carrion crow.”
Leaving the magpies to continue with their battle, we continued up to the northeastern edge of the plantation to look across the farmer’s field down to King Lane. There we were fortunate to see a kestrel hovering over the field.
The area between the plantation and the hospice woodland (in the background)
We then went westwards towards the Hospice Woodland, before making our way back to Crag Lane and returning to the carpark.
Steve had organised a very interesting route through a variety of habitats – birch woodland, open field, pine plantation, beech woodland and scrub. So thank you Steve!
Last year we saw or heard twenty five species of birds, but today we only recorded sixteen. Nevertheless it was still a very beautiful, and uplifting walk. These are the birds we saw or heard (in approximate order):
Chiffchaff
Woodpigeon
Robin
Song thrush
Crow
Jackdaw
Wren
Blackbird
Blackcap
Magpie
Kestrel
Goldcrest
Dunnock
Great tit
Nuthatch
Blue tit
Red kite
Starling
Additional species which we noted last year (but didn’t see or hear today) were coal tit, goldfinch, great spotted woodpecker, greylag goose, heron, jay, mallard, redpoll, sparrowhawk, stock dove, and willow warbler.
Adel Woods are looking particularly lovely at the moment, with native bluebells in flower in many areas. Here are a couple of photos of bluebells and wild garlic photographed in the woods on the 6th May.
Bluebells in Adel WoodsBluebells by the path down from the Slabbering BabyWild garlic in Adel Woods on the 6th May 2025
Friends of Adel Woods: get involved and make a difference!
Friends of Adel Woods is a group dedicated to protecting, preserving, and celebrating the natural beauty and biodiversity of Adel Woods, a treasured woodland area in North Leeds. Our mission is to ensure that this vital green space remains a thriving habitat for wildlife and a peaceful retreat for local residents and visitors.
Through conservation projects, guided walks, educational events, and collaborative efforts with Leeds City Council we work to foster a deeper connection between people and nature. Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist, a weekend walker, or someone who simply enjoys the calm of the woods, there’s a place for you in the Friends of Adel Woods.
Join us in caring for this special place—together, we can ensure its legacy for generations to come.
Our next “work party” is on Saturday the 17th May when we will be litterpicking and path clearing.
If you would like join us, come along. No experience necessary – just enthusiasm and a love for the natural world.
If you would like us to add you to our mailing list, please click on the comment button on this page.
Another glorious Spring day, and seven of us gathered at the Slabbering Baby entrance to the woods on Buckstone Road at 10 am to litterpick and work on Adel Bog.
Litterpicking
Only one of us chose to pick up litter but in an impressive effort lasting over two hours, she picked up litter around Nanny Beck, the Village Green, along Crag Lane and around Adel Crag.
She picked up two bagfuls of litter, including a lot of bagged dog poo, plastic bottles and paper towels. There was litter in Nanny Beck but she was not able to get to it.
She also found a sunhat which she left on a bench in the hope that it would find its way to its owner.
One of the rubbish bins on Alwoodley Village Green
The two council litter bins on the green were overflowing – which is a good sign that the majority of the good folk of Alwoodley use the bins provided.
Adel Bog
Today six of us continued the work we have been doing with David Preston, our local ranger, to keep Adel Bog in good condition.
Removing a bramble
While the bog looks very dry – which is not surprising after the long period of sunny dry weather we have had in the last few weeks – there was plenty of water underfoot, and there were very many rushes springing up all over the bog.
Today we focused on removing saplings, and brambles from the northern and western edges of the bog.
Working on Adel Bog – with the dead hedge in the background
The bog is a fragile environment and we would like to keep dogs and walkers away from it, so we used the materials we removed to build up the dead hedge which we created with David Preston on the southern and western perimeter of the bog in 2023. A dead hedge is – as the name suggests – a hedge consisting of non-living plant materials.
We were delighted to find a lovely patch of well over a hundred wood anemones in flower in the central area of the bog.
Five happy Friends of Adel Woods
Friends of Adel Woods: get involved and make a difference
Friends of Adel Woods is a community-led group dedicated to protecting, preserving, and celebrating the natural beauty and biodiversity of Adel Woods, a treasured woodland area in [North Leeds. Our mission is to ensure that this vital green space remains a thriving habitat for wildlife and a peaceful retreat for local residents and visitors.
Through conservation projects, guided walks, educational events, and collaborative efforts with Leeds City Council we work to foster a deeper connection between people and nature. Whether you’re a seasoned naturalist, a weekend walker, or someone who simply enjoys the calm of the woods, there’s a place for you in the Friends of Adel Woods.
Join us in caring for this special place—together, we can ensure its legacy for generations to come.
On the 4th May, our expert naturalist, Steve Joul, will be leading a birdsong walk in the woods. Our next “work party” is on Saturday the 17th May when we will be litterpicking and path clearing.
If you would like to make a difference to your local environment, there’s a place for you here. No experience necessary—just enthusiasm and a love for the outdoors.
If you would like us to add you to our mailing list, please click on the comment button on this page.
A fine Spring morning for litterpicking and working on Adel Bog.
Today we had five litterpickers, who between them picked up four full bags of litter from Buckstone Road, around the Village Green, around the rugby ground and along Crag Lane.
Four of us worked on Adel Bog. Although the bog looks very dry in the photograph above, it was in fact quite wet.
Today we were removing brambles and using our tree popper to remove saplings from the northern/top part of the bog, and using the brambles and saplings to build up the dead hedge which we have been creating around the perimeter.
We had a very satisfying morning.
After packing up work on the bog, two of us carried out some repairs to damage to the fence running between Buckstone Road and King Lane.
ABOUT FRIENDS OF ADEL WOODS (ACCORDING TO CHAT GPT)
Friends of Adel Woods is a community group dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of Adel Woods, a picturesque woodland in North Leeds, England. Established in July 2009, the group has been instrumental in maintaining the woods and fostering community engagement.
Formation and Early Activities
The group was founded with the aim of preserving the natural beauty of Adel Woods and promoting its enjoyment among local residents. Since its inception, Friends of Adel Woods has organized monthly meetings to carry out various conservation tasks, including:
Clearing paths to improve accessibility.
Installing bird and bat boxes to support local wildlife.
Removing litter and fly-tipping to maintain the woods’ cleanliness.
These efforts have significantly contributed to the upkeep and enhancement of the woodland area.
Educational Initiatives
Beyond conservation work, the group has organized numerous educational walks and talks, enriching the community’s understanding of the local environment and its history. These events have covered a range of topics, from local flora and fauna to the historical significance of the area.
Community Impact
Friends of Adel Woods has played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of community among local residents. By actively involving individuals in conservation efforts and educational activities, the group has strengthened the bond between people and their natural surroundings. Their ongoing dedication ensures that Adel Woods remains a cherished and well-preserved space for future generations.
Be part of Friends of Adel Woods!
If you would like to be part of FOAW, please come along to one of our monthly meetings or get in touch through this website – you should find a “comment” button below.
In March 2021, Steve Joul, then a ranger with Leeds City Council, planted an orchard of ten apple and pear trees to the north of the disused rugby pitch on Crag Lane. This was part of the Council’s Woodland Creation Scheme in response to climate change. Steve’s son helped to plant the trees and helped Steve to water them over their first Summer.
Four years on the trees are doing well but rabbits and deer are nibbling at the bark which, if not prevented, will kill the trees. All the trees are showing signs of damage.
Bark damage on two of the fruit trees – and to the left a tree guard
At Steve’s suggestion, Friends of Adel Woods applied to Alwoodley 2030 for a grant to purchase ten tree guards to protect the trees and we are very grateful that the request for a grant was approved. Over the last eighteen months, Alwoodley 2030 with the help of ranger David Preston have done work to look after the trees.
This morning, yours truly and Steve went out in somewhat wet, windy, and cold weather to put the new tree guards on the trees. The tree guards are plastic mesh which wraps around the trees and which we secured with ties You can see a tree guard ready for use in the left hand side of the photograph above. We successfully protected all ten trees, just in time for lunch. Interestingly, Steve pointed out two rabbit burrows, just a few yards from the trees!
You can find out more about the planting of the trees and their varieties in our blog entry for the 18th March 2021.
See if you can spot five of the newly protected trees!
About Friends of Adel Woods (according to Chat GPT)
Friends of Adel Woods is a community group dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of Adel Woods, a picturesque woodland in North Leeds, England. Established in July 2009, the group has been instrumental in maintaining the woods and fostering community engagement.
Formation and Early Activities
The group was founded with the aim of preserving the natural beauty of Adel Woods and promoting its enjoyment among local residents. Since its inception, Friends of Adel Woods has organized monthly meetings to carry out various conservation tasks, including:
Clearing paths to improve accessibility.
Installing bird and bat boxes to support local wildlife.
Removing litter and fly-tipping to maintain the woods’ cleanliness.
These efforts have significantly contributed to the upkeep and enhancement of the woodland area.
Educational Initiatives
Beyond conservation work, the group has organized numerous educational walks and talks, enriching the community’s understanding of the local environment and its history. These events have covered a range of topics, from local flora and fauna to the historical significance of the area.
Community Impact
Friends of Adel Woods has played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of community among local residents. By actively involving individuals in conservation efforts and educational activities, the group has strengthened the bond between people and their natural surroundings. Their ongoing dedication ensures that Adel Woods remains a cherished and well-preserved space for future generations.
Be part of Friends of Adel Woods!
If you would like to be part of FOAW, please come along to one of our monthly meetings or get in touch through this website – you should find a “comment” button below.
Despite it being a rather cold and damp morning, we had an amazing turn out of twelve Friends (including a toddler) and a spaniel!
Nine of us chose to do a litterpick and two of us to do some path clearing.
The litterpickers
The litterpickers split into two teams. One team picked up litter along Crag Lane, along the track to the cricket pavilion, and then along Buckstone Road and across the Village Green.
The other team focused on the Village Green, the area around the edge of the Village Green, and the playground area.
Between them they picked up nine bags of litter. A fantastic achievement.
Path clearing
Before (looking down the path towards Crag Lane)…
We two path clearers made our way along Crag Lane and onto the “diagonal” path on the right, just before Old Leo’s carpark. A short way up this path, a tree had fallen and although part of it had been cleared from the path, it was still making the path very narrow.
….and after
Having cleared away the many branches, we made our way further up the path and trimmed back a holly bush which was growing over the path.
Before……and after
We then made our way westwards along the path towards the former rugby field and tackled another large tree which had fallen across the path.
Before….
The trunk of the tree was too big for us to tackle, but we were able to clear away many of the branches.
…and after
Finally, we made our way down to Crag Lane, and towards the picnic area. Part way along we cleared away the branches of another fallen tree.
Whilst on Crag Lane we took the opportunity to have a look at some improvement work which Leeds City Council is carrying out to its surface.
Resurfacing work to Crag Lane, looking in the direction of the Stairfoot Lane carpark Resurfacing work to Crag Lane behind Old Leo’s
Come along to Friends of Adel Woods events!
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our activities and would be delighted if you would like to join us.
Friends of Adel Woods were formed in 2009 to help maintain Adel Woods and encourage people to enjoy them. We meet one weekend morning a month to carry out various jobs or ”work parties”, and we also put on educational events such as bat walks, fungal forays and birdsong walks.
We are a very friendly group and welcome new members who want to help preserve our special woods, enjoy fresh air and exercise in the woods, and make new friends. If you would like to take part in our activities, keep an eye on our Home Page and come along to one of our work parties.
If you would like to join our email mailing list, please get in touch by leaving a comment on this website – you should be able to see a comment button at the bottom of this page.
Last Sunday we started the process of surveying and cleaning the Friends of Adel Woods nest boxes and we completed about two thirds of them. Today, the weather was a bit warmer and thirteen of us set out on our nest box safari to survey and clean the remaining boxes.
Our first port of call was to put back up our best nest box, the two hole Schwegler nest box on Crag Lane near Old Leo’s car park. We took this down last week because it needed a new nail to hold it up.
Having secured the nest box, we made our way down to the Slabbering Baby. When cleaning the nest box there, we noticed what looked like a piece of fabric on the underside of the box. It was not fabric, but the eggs of the vapourer moth – which I had never heard of before.
Vapourer moths are common throughout the UK. The female is virtually wingless, and spends her life attached to the cocoon from which she emerged, She attracts males by releasing pheromones – which is why they are call vapourer moths – and lays her eggs on what remains of her cocoon. When hatched, the very hairy caterpillars feed on a range of deciduous trees and shrubs. Gardeners know them as rusty tussock caterpillars and considered them a pest.
From the Slabbering Baby we made our way to nest box 29A by Nanny Beck. This nest box often provides a home to nuthatches, and we were very pleased to see that nuthatches used it last Spring. We can always tell in advance if nuthatches have used a nest box because they block up all cracks with mud. Intriguingly they make a nest out of chips of birch bark which look like a bowl of bran flakes!
A nuthatch nest photographed in our 2020 survey. Note the different coloured bits of mud used to block up gaps between the roof and the sides
We next surveyed nest boxes 42 and 35 – one of our new Schwegler tit boxes – and then made our way southwards down to the Seven Arches, cleaning our next boxes on the way.
Our nest boxes are not used by birds only for nesting. After the breeding season, they will use nest boxes for roosting – as evidenced by the droppings in the nest material.
Other creatures will also use the nest boxes. A couple of years running we found a noctule bat in one particular nest box – and we very quickly put the nest box back up without disturbing it! Another nest box was originally intended as a tree creeper box but last year, as in others, it provided a roosting place for squirrels.
Many of the nest boxes are used by clothes moths after the breeding season. The larvae of the moths eat into the wood and use it to create a thick fibrous and rubbery cocoon in which they spend the winter.
A tit box containing clothes moth larvae. Note the droppings in the bottom of the box, showing it was used for roosting after the nesting season.
We finished our surveying and cleaning at 2 pm. As usual, it was a very satisfying, if long, morning’s work.
Happy Friends at the end our survey
The results of our survey
We currently have forty two nest boxes: thirty seven tit boxes, four robin boxes and one starling/tree creeper box. In the course of our survey, we unfortunately overlooked one robin box and one tit box so we surveyed forty in total.
The tree creeper/starling box
Steve Joul with our tree creeper or starling box in February 2013
This box was originally intended as a box for tree creepers though we soon decided it might be better as a starling box. Treecreepers like to nest in the cracks behind the bark of trees. As can be seen from the photo, the box is very different from a tit box: it has a rectangular hole on the side, rather than a round hole on the front. It is also a lot deeper than a tit box, though this has not deterred tits from nesting in it! The hole you can see in the photograph was too big and in about 2013 we fixed a metal plate around the hole. Unfortunately, it is still too big and the box has been used several years by squirrels.
This year the box was used by a grey squirrel for roosting – evidenced by a layer of about 15 cm of dry leaf bedding.
The robin boxes
A robin box photographed in January 2019
Robins are well known for finding unusual nest sites – usually low down and well concealed: flower pots, old boots, kettles, toolboxes, farm machinery, hats and coat pockets! They will use nest boxes but rather than a round entrance hole they will only use open-fronted next boxes as shown in the photo above. However, they have not used any of our nest boxes since we put them up in 2009! There are lots of robins in Adel Woods, so they can obviously find lots of suitable nest sites on their own.
Of the three robin boxes we surveyed this year, one was used by a great tit family for nesting, one was used by a grey squirrel for roosting, and one was unused.
Tit boxes
Of the thirty six tit boxes we surveyed, two were unused. Of the thirty four used, one was used by a family of nuthatches, and thirty three by tits. We were not surveying how many nests were used by blue tits and how many by great tits, but we believe that six were used by blue tits, and four by great tits. This is based on hole size of the nest (if the nest hole is 25mm, only blue tits can get through) and size of eggs.
Sadly, not all of the tit nests will have been successful. Two nest boxes contained six skeletons each, one contained three, and one contained one. Eleven nests contained unhatched eggs. Nine of these nests contained one or two unhatched eggs, but two contained five each. It is possible that some of the young fledged from these nests, but it is also possible that the parents were predated and the nests were unsuccessful.
About Friends of Adel Woods
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our activities and would be delighted if you would like to join us.
Friends of Adel Woods were formed in 2009 to help maintain Adel Woods and encourage people to enjoy them. We meet one weekend morning a month to carry out various jobs or ”work parties”, and we also put on educational events such as bat walks, fungal forays and birdsong walks.
We are a very friendly group and welcome new members who want to help preserve our special woods, enjoy fresh air and exercise in the woods, and make new friends. If you would like to take part in our activities, keep an eye on our Home Page and just come along to one of our work parties.
If you would like to join our email mailing list, please get in touch by leaving a comment on this website – you should be able to see a comment button at the bottom of this page.
A very, very chilly morning, but ten of us gathered at 9.45 am for the first morning of our annual nest box survey and cleaning session.
The morning
We took our usual route – along Crag Lane, taking the diagonal path into the plantation, cleaning all the nest boxes around the plantation and then heading south back to Crag Lane, and finishing at lunch time with box 53.
As in every previous survey, we found that most of the tit boxes had been used for nesting. The robin boxes had not been used by robins but one had been used by a family of great tits or blue tits – we can tell by the nesting material.
Blue tits and great tits both build their nests out of moss, grass, fur, feathers and man made materials – it is common to find in their nests orange, green or white material which seems to come from tennis balls!
As usual we found that the nest boxes were homes not only to tits but also to assorted insects – clothes moth larvae, and woodlice – and spiders.
A hibernating comma butterfly in Adel Woods
We also had a new discovery. As your correspondent lifted one of the nest boxes down from the tree, he saw a leaf stuck to the bottom of it. Fortunately, he did not brush the leaf off the box because the leaf opened up to show a flash of orange and turned out to be a hibernating comma butterfly! The photograph above shows how well the butterfly was camouflaged as a leaf, and the photograph below shows its open wings. Fortunately, the butterfly returned to its state of hibernation and we were able to clean the nest box and replace it on the tree with the butterfly still in place.
The comma butterfly gets its name from the white “comma” shape on the underwing – which can be clearly seen in the photograph above.
The same hibernating butterfly, sleepily opening its wings
The caterpillar stage of the comma is spectacular as can be seen in the photograph below. We came across this one back in August 2013 during a FOAW task. The white stripe along its back makes it look like a bird dropping.
A caterpillar stage of a comma butterfly (polgonia c-album) photographed by Steve Joul on 13th
August 2013
After surveying and cleaning box 53, we took a lunch break from about 1.30 to 2.30 pm.
The afternoon session
Refreshed after lunch, we continued cleaning and surveying the nest boxes along Crag Lane to the picnic area and Adel Crag, and then made our way down the Meanwood Valley Trail, finishing at about 4.45 pm.
Blue tits lay typically eight to twelve eggs, but sometimes as many as sixteen, one per day! Great tits are larger than blue tits, but lay a clutch of seven to nine eggs. The eggs of both species are similar – creamy white with brown spots – but the great tit eggs are larger.
A tit nest in Adel Woods photographed in the afternoon. Note the moss, grass and grey manmade material
It is common to find one or two unhatched eggs in the nesting material which probably indicates that most of the eggs hatched and the chicks successfully fledged. Sometimes though, as in the photo above, we may find more, which may indicate that the female was predated before laying all her eggs. Sometimes we find skeletons in the nest, indicating that the parents were predated whilst raising their young.
Having made our way down the Meanwood Valley Trail almost as far as the pond, we decided to call it a day in the fading light.
About Friends of Adel Woods
We hope that you have enjoyed reading about our activities and would be delighted if you would like to join us.
Friends of Adel Woods were formed in 2009 to help maintain Adel Woods and encourage people to enjoy them. We meet one weekend morning a month to carry out various jobs or ”work parties”, and we also put on educational events such as bat walks, fungal forays and birdsong walks.
We are a very friendly group and welcome new members who want to help preserve our special woods, enjoy fresh air and exercise in the woods, and make new friends. If you would like to take part in our activities, keep an eye on our Home Page and just come along to one of our work parties.
If you would like to join our email mailing list, please get in touch by leaving a comment on this website – you should be able to see a comment button at the bottom of this page.
Friends of Adel Woods 