A start to Spring on the wider Estate
The weather this May has finally turned favourable to resemble Spring. The sunshine has raised the temperature which has resulted in an abundance of insects and wild flowers emerging across the Estate.
Wildflowers popping up on the Estate
The dry weather has enabled the Forestry team to access difficult areas of the woodland. A tidy up process of trees that have fallen as a result of storm damage or prolonged wet weather has taken place, mindful of any bird nests. The clearing process is important to maintain access, health & safety matters but also to prevent future flooding where trees act as a dam in ditches.
The retrieved timber is piled and left to dry before being chipped for the biomass. Any higher quality timber is processed by the Sandringham Sawmill to form posts and other products on sale in their retail shop. The Forestry team have also continued to apply mulch to trees to suppress weed growth and safeguard against warmer weather later in the year by trapping in moisture.
Habitats and Biodiversity
As part of the ongoing focus to improve the biodiversity and habitat across the Estate, working with a set of ecological consultants, the team have recently undertaken a range of surveys to record wildlife, soil quality and water quality using various sample methods including camera monitoring stations. This information tracks how changes to land management practices are improving the overall habitat for the environment. The next round of surveys will include breeding bird surveys and insect counts.
Taking soil samples from the wider Estate
Following the arrival of the warmer weather, the Wardens team have released 100 Turtle Doves on the Estate. Data from the release will be valuable to trace their movements and breeding success following a decline in their population since 1960.
You can read more information about the Turtle Doves Trust project here.