After three decades turning my garden into a true wildlife haven, I turn my attention to a nearby woodland. Find out how I develop Ash Wood into the perfect habitat for wildlife and see how I use hidden cameras to follow the individual stories of the animals that move in.
Building a wildlife habitat
I began the project with a pond. Here on the Yorkshire Wolds there are few natural water sources and so this was the most important draw for wildlife. I also put up new nest boxes for owls and kestrels and rigged these up with cameras so that I could monitor my wildlife visitors. It wasn't long before the animals moved in. Tawny owls, barn owls and kestrels began nesting in the boxes, and badgers, buzzards, badgers and foxes dropped by to drink or bathe in the pond.
Following their stories
The new habitat was so successful, nesting owls and kestrels returned again and again to bring up their broods here - which meant I got to know these individual characters well as I watched them raise their chicks year after year. Among them were the tawny owl pair Bonnie & Ozzy and it was amazing watching their fluffy chicks learning to hunt and bathing at the pond - sometimes they got caught out by the Yorkshire weather! And the kestrel pair Apollo & Athena became internet stars as I shared their stories online - this stalwart pair brought up brood after brood in the same nest, fighting off competition from some marauding jackdaws and overcoming a dangerous illness and the loss of a chick. Amazing experience The number and variety of species that now rely on this stretch of woodland is truly amazing - and it's been so special getting to know these animals as individuals.
