Please don't cut back dead seed heads
-
Jon Valters
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:34 pm
- Location: St Giles on the Heath,Devon
- Has thanked: 77 times
- Been thanked: 41 times
Please don't cut back dead seed heads
I know others have already posted on this subject but it can't be repeated often enough - gardeners please don't cut back your plants in the autumn. This goldfinch was photographed yesterday feeding on the seedheads of a Knapweed just outside our front door. The dead flowerheads and stems are also a valuable winter hiding place for insects and their eggs and larvae. They also look stunning on frosty mornings.
- Attachments
-
-
Jane W
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2021 4:17 pm
- Location: Cotes D'Armor, Brittany, France
- Has thanked: 41 times
- Been thanked: 39 times
Re: Please don't cut back dead seed heads
Couldn't agree more Amy, here, we seem to have a whole new population of goldfinches. On first arriving here, I didnt observe any, but since I started leaving the seedheads in the field as long as possible I have noticed many more. Some parts I don't scythe until march so the seedheads are there all winter. Each year its a real joy to see a new family of youngsters.
-
Amy
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:09 pm
- Location: North Devon
- Has thanked: 64 times
- Been thanked: 89 times
Re: Please don't cut back dead seed heads
Jon, Jane, - anyone - What particular overwintered seeds/fruit have you found successful? I'd love to attract crossbills.. and see mistle thrushes closer.
Some years we get flocks of goldfinches on the knapweed heads in the fields, I agree, it's an absolute joy, (and other years nothing, and never any interest in the teasel (?)), and on rare days, bullfinches on the buddleia seed heads, which is a thrill, and wrens and sparrows in tall grass tussocks in the spring, I think after insects.
In autumn the sparrows seem to like or at least peck around the bases of the annual acorn weed and that annual weed with sprays of pretty pinky red flowers 30 cm high, I've heard it called redlash.
(found it = https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/pe ... culosa.php)
We have a hedges of native guelder rose berries, but not much seems interested, just the very occasional blackbird or thrush, and for just 5 magical days some bullfinch pairs, (I think success depends a bit on a sunny spot, and a very quiet sheltered location,) and likewise, the hawthorn,blackberry, holly and cotoneaster berries are never finished and fall, and nothing seems interested in the ornamental cardoon or sea holly seed heads. Bees visited sunflower flowers, but the seedheads just rotted uneaten on the stems. (I do realise mice and invertebrates (and rats?) will eventually eat all these on the ground).
A particularly big-berried native holly on the edge of a wood gets stripped by December, but holly berries in the garden are left. So perhaps there's a glut of food in gardens, especially towns and villages, but birds living out in the countryside have it a lot harder or have different sized territories or move around more, or have less disturbance. In January for 10 days, fieldfares pecked the worms gathering under pony dung and then moved on.
And if I could grow the right garden plants for the birds, it might save a fortune on sunflower seeds (and airmiles/carbon), but I don't want particularly want to spare the space or have the work of putting in an agricultural non native bird seed mix in the fields. Perhaps the bolder seed eaters prefer the easy option of sunflower seeds in seed feeders, and the shy birds prefer privacy, as simple as that.
In March/April, hundreds of spiders are basking on heaps of dried wood club-rush leaf litter. Pigeons and blackbirds gorging on the ivy berries right now (mid April). Something has gnawed it's way out of the hogweed stems.
I wonder about hibernating bees and caterpillars etc when cutting/clearing or rather moving, dead plant litter in late winter, and in early spring I fear injuring hedgehogs, nests of vole young, or frogs and toads.
PS
Do nothing for nature - https://butterfly-conservation.org/news ... his-winter
Some years we get flocks of goldfinches on the knapweed heads in the fields, I agree, it's an absolute joy, (and other years nothing, and never any interest in the teasel (?)), and on rare days, bullfinches on the buddleia seed heads, which is a thrill, and wrens and sparrows in tall grass tussocks in the spring, I think after insects.
In autumn the sparrows seem to like or at least peck around the bases of the annual acorn weed and that annual weed with sprays of pretty pinky red flowers 30 cm high, I've heard it called redlash.
(found it = https://www.first-nature.com/flowers/pe ... culosa.php)
We have a hedges of native guelder rose berries, but not much seems interested, just the very occasional blackbird or thrush, and for just 5 magical days some bullfinch pairs, (I think success depends a bit on a sunny spot, and a very quiet sheltered location,) and likewise, the hawthorn,blackberry, holly and cotoneaster berries are never finished and fall, and nothing seems interested in the ornamental cardoon or sea holly seed heads. Bees visited sunflower flowers, but the seedheads just rotted uneaten on the stems. (I do realise mice and invertebrates (and rats?) will eventually eat all these on the ground).
A particularly big-berried native holly on the edge of a wood gets stripped by December, but holly berries in the garden are left. So perhaps there's a glut of food in gardens, especially towns and villages, but birds living out in the countryside have it a lot harder or have different sized territories or move around more, or have less disturbance. In January for 10 days, fieldfares pecked the worms gathering under pony dung and then moved on.
And if I could grow the right garden plants for the birds, it might save a fortune on sunflower seeds (and airmiles/carbon), but I don't want particularly want to spare the space or have the work of putting in an agricultural non native bird seed mix in the fields. Perhaps the bolder seed eaters prefer the easy option of sunflower seeds in seed feeders, and the shy birds prefer privacy, as simple as that.
In March/April, hundreds of spiders are basking on heaps of dried wood club-rush leaf litter. Pigeons and blackbirds gorging on the ivy berries right now (mid April). Something has gnawed it's way out of the hogweed stems.
I wonder about hibernating bees and caterpillars etc when cutting/clearing or rather moving, dead plant litter in late winter, and in early spring I fear injuring hedgehogs, nests of vole young, or frogs and toads.
PS
Do nothing for nature - https://butterfly-conservation.org/news ... his-winter
Last edited by Amy on Fri Dec 31, 2021 10:41 pm, edited 3 times in total.
-
Jane W
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2021 4:17 pm
- Location: Cotes D'Armor, Brittany, France
- Has thanked: 41 times
- Been thanked: 39 times
Re: Please don't cut back dead seed heads
Its difficult to spot exactly what birds are eating isn't it....a flock takes off when you go into a field and its already too late to see what they were after.
The goldfinches I too have definitely seen on knapweed, so that seems a pretty firm favorite. Last week I saw them on short grass near the house eating dandelion seeds. Like you, I quite often have thistle heads in the garden that go untouched.
Could timing be key here?...they know which seed heads will rot away quickly and eat those first. Coming back to the more well preserved ones later.
This may be the case with ivy too? It appears to be left until last. I am starting to think of it as survival food for so many species through 'the hungry gap'. Here it is inundated with redwings, blackbirds, woodpigeons, thrushes, and maybe more I haven't noticed.
The holly berries disappear quickly here too.
Mistle thrushes are a mystery to me. I see them a lot on short grass around the house and then don't see them for ages. Sometimes in autumn I see groups flying overhead. I guess they prefer shorter grass or bare ground, I don't know, and undoubtedly fruiting hedges like holly, yew, sorbus, rowan, hawthorn must provide many birds including thrushes with excellent back-up food sources in the winter.
I've been interested in old field boundary hedges recently. Here they look like they would have been small trees...all the ones mentioned plus lots of hazel. Providing lots of fruit and nuts for humans and wildlife and nice manageable sized wood for the fire. Sadly they've been left to grow out here, and are taken over by oak now...a lovely tree in its own right of course but not quite the same.
The goldfinches I too have definitely seen on knapweed, so that seems a pretty firm favorite. Last week I saw them on short grass near the house eating dandelion seeds. Like you, I quite often have thistle heads in the garden that go untouched.
Could timing be key here?...they know which seed heads will rot away quickly and eat those first. Coming back to the more well preserved ones later.
This may be the case with ivy too? It appears to be left until last. I am starting to think of it as survival food for so many species through 'the hungry gap'. Here it is inundated with redwings, blackbirds, woodpigeons, thrushes, and maybe more I haven't noticed.
The holly berries disappear quickly here too.
Mistle thrushes are a mystery to me. I see them a lot on short grass around the house and then don't see them for ages. Sometimes in autumn I see groups flying overhead. I guess they prefer shorter grass or bare ground, I don't know, and undoubtedly fruiting hedges like holly, yew, sorbus, rowan, hawthorn must provide many birds including thrushes with excellent back-up food sources in the winter.
I've been interested in old field boundary hedges recently. Here they look like they would have been small trees...all the ones mentioned plus lots of hazel. Providing lots of fruit and nuts for humans and wildlife and nice manageable sized wood for the fire. Sadly they've been left to grow out here, and are taken over by oak now...a lovely tree in its own right of course but not quite the same.
-
Jon Valters
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:34 pm
- Location: St Giles on the Heath,Devon
- Has thanked: 77 times
- Been thanked: 41 times
Re: Please don't cut back dead seed heads
Thank you for your posts and your really interesting observations. I'm no expert but I think in terms of attracting birds (and wildlife generally) its all about having a diversity of habitat and plants, shrubs and trees. I've certainly seen Goldfinches feeding on Knapweed, Teasels and Dandelions and I've also seen Bullfinches feeding on Dandelion seeds so its important people leave as many as possible over winter. I've also seen the declining Marsh tit (pictured) feeding on thistles but I need to check which species of thistle it was. I haven't yet managed to get a photoof them feeding on thistles either! Amy you mention about hoping to attract Crossbills and Mistle thrushes. I don't believe either are that easy to attract. Do you have any Spruce, Larch or pine woods near you as Crossbills are specialist eaters of seed cones? However they need to drink frequently so if you haven't a pond near the house you could think of putting one in! You might then get Mistle thrush coming to bathe if its not too close to your property. Mistle thrush are generally shy and wary. The BTO suggests that Mistle thrushes are keen on Holly, Hawthorn, Cotoneaster and Mistletoe berries and sometimes individual birds or a pair will attempt to protect a particular bush with a rich berry supply by driving other bird away. Mistle thrushes flock together in family groups in Autumn when berries are abundant. They may protect a particular Holly bush that has lots of berries but feed elsewhere on other things as Holly berries will last for months without deteriorating too much.
- Attachments
-
-
Amy
- Posts: 139
- Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2021 1:09 pm
- Location: North Devon
- Has thanked: 64 times
- Been thanked: 89 times
Re: Please don't cut back dead seed heads
Ash
Please also consider not cutting back ash trees more than strictly necessary for safety.
We’ve left dying ash trees where we think they won’t damage anything, should they eventually fall, rather than crumble. Other ash trees have been shortened to around 15’; they looked a bit odd to start with, but the birds like the perching platforms, and ivy and wild rose are climbing rapidly to conceal the sharp cut in the trunk. Some trees have deep black cankerous hollows opening up. The lack of branches provides space for nest boxes.
The same treatment can be applied to old conifers which have been cut back repeatedly in the past and could be eye sores, but are instead living pillars of ivy and honeysuckle.
PS Somerset Wildlife Trust Ash Dieback with First Ecology
https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/living-and- ... sh-dieback
https://www.devonashdieback.org.uk/
https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools ... fraxineus/ extract
"With the exceptions of felling for public safety or timber production, we advise a general presumption against felling living ash trees, whether infected or not. This is because there is good evidence that a small proportion will be able to tolerate H. fraxineus infection. There is also the possibility that a proportion of ash trees can become diseased, but then recover to good health. These, too, would be valuable for our research, although it is still too early to know whether there are such trees in the British ash population.
However, by keeping as many ash trees standing as possible, we can identify individuals which appear to survive exposure to the fungus and which can be used for breeding tolerant ash trees for the future."
Please also consider not cutting back ash trees more than strictly necessary for safety.
We’ve left dying ash trees where we think they won’t damage anything, should they eventually fall, rather than crumble. Other ash trees have been shortened to around 15’; they looked a bit odd to start with, but the birds like the perching platforms, and ivy and wild rose are climbing rapidly to conceal the sharp cut in the trunk. Some trees have deep black cankerous hollows opening up. The lack of branches provides space for nest boxes.
The same treatment can be applied to old conifers which have been cut back repeatedly in the past and could be eye sores, but are instead living pillars of ivy and honeysuckle.
PS Somerset Wildlife Trust Ash Dieback with First Ecology
https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/living-and- ... sh-dieback
https://www.devonashdieback.org.uk/
https://www.forestresearch.gov.uk/tools ... fraxineus/ extract
"With the exceptions of felling for public safety or timber production, we advise a general presumption against felling living ash trees, whether infected or not. This is because there is good evidence that a small proportion will be able to tolerate H. fraxineus infection. There is also the possibility that a proportion of ash trees can become diseased, but then recover to good health. These, too, would be valuable for our research, although it is still too early to know whether there are such trees in the British ash population.
However, by keeping as many ash trees standing as possible, we can identify individuals which appear to survive exposure to the fungus and which can be used for breeding tolerant ash trees for the future."
Last edited by Amy on Thu May 20, 2021 11:58 am, edited 3 times in total.
-
Jon Valters
- Posts: 54
- Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:34 pm
- Location: St Giles on the Heath,Devon
- Has thanked: 77 times
- Been thanked: 41 times
Re: Please don't cut back dead seed heads
Hi Amy,
I agree. One of the few benefits of Ash die back will be more standing dead wood which is an amazing wildlife habitat. Ash die back is quite advanced on our land but I shall only remove trees where there is a safety issue or where I wish to create glades or widen rides to benefit wildlife. Its also important to monitor individual trees to see whether they have been badly afffected or whether some are showing signs of resistance to the disease. My concern is that people are removing Ash just because they expect they'll die. Stress related Ash die back has been around for 70 years and so not all cases may be caused by Chalara.
I agree. One of the few benefits of Ash die back will be more standing dead wood which is an amazing wildlife habitat. Ash die back is quite advanced on our land but I shall only remove trees where there is a safety issue or where I wish to create glades or widen rides to benefit wildlife. Its also important to monitor individual trees to see whether they have been badly afffected or whether some are showing signs of resistance to the disease. My concern is that people are removing Ash just because they expect they'll die. Stress related Ash die back has been around for 70 years and so not all cases may be caused by Chalara.
-
Jane W
- Posts: 73
- Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2021 4:17 pm
- Location: Cotes D'Armor, Brittany, France
- Has thanked: 41 times
- Been thanked: 39 times
Re: Please don't cut back dead seed heads
I read somewhere that a dead tree supports more wildlife than a living one. I don't know if this is true or not, but if it is, I wouldn't be surprised. We have many dead Maritime Pine (Pinus pinaster) and they are full of life. Some of the standing dead trees have 5 or 6 holes up the trunks....maybe Marsh tit nests? The forest behind us, was 'harvested' this winter...can't complain I suppose, we all want to use wood, but there was no tree left standing dead or alive! Just reminds how valuable the kind of projects on this and similar sites are.
Great idea to grow stuff up the stumps too. We have an unused electricity pylon and will try to grow ivy, honeysuckle etc up it.
Great idea to grow stuff up the stumps too. We have an unused electricity pylon and will try to grow ivy, honeysuckle etc up it.