I am back in Dubai and "cut off" again from Oaklands by the twin inconveniences of a ban on direct flights courtesy of the Transport Minister Grant Shapts and 10 days hotel quarantine courtesy of the Home Secretary Pritti Patel. I can rail against the injustice of it and cite the UAE's remarkable vaccination program or our mask wearing culture but it matters not. It looks like I will once more be prevented from seeing the bluebell season again at Oaklands which is disappointing given the efforts with planting we went to last year. It will probably be June before I can get spend any time with Jane at the property.
I have a few small developments to report on from my last trip over Christmas. I asked for "boxes" for Christmas and Jane's brother Mick provided these four handsome boxes complete with metal plates to protect their occupants from marauding squirrels. I also received a fine tool-belt from Jane's other brother, Tim. In the last few days before flying back to Dubai I spent a good afternoon cleaning out the old boxes and hanging up the new ones.
The BTO ("British Trust for Ornithology" - a scientific organisation dedicated to the study of birds in Britain) recommends that you hang around 10 mixed boxes in about a hectare of woodland. Our wood is possibly a little over a hectare which itself is a little over 2 acres. An acre I remind myself is half a full sized rugby pitch. While the BTO is somewhat conservative with recommended densities one of the companies who manufacture "woodcrete" nest boxes suggests that you can hang anything up to 40 in a hectare. My plan is to steadily increase the number until the boxes are not all being taken up. With roughly two hectares to play with I expect we might end up with about 30 or 40 boxes in total across the whole property.
I picked a snowy day for "boxing day" with the promise of more snow to come.
I could not pass our lovely Walnut Trees without leaving a box behind on the way to the wood, As far as hanging boxes is concerned they should face North to East to avoid the hottest part of the sun during the day. They should also be sighted a a couple of metres at least off the ground. Ideally some camouflage is preferred in the form of ivy or other cover to deter predators but I opted here for clear display from the terrace and other areas.
The other boxes were scattered around "Indonesia" - the name we have given to the hallway of the wood that we savagely cleared first of invasive laurel. It is perhaps again a little disappointing that I am likely to miss the first exploration of the boxes by I expect blue and great tits but they should last a few seasons. I need to number the boxes when I do get home and start a record of who uses them.
All of the first two seasons boxes at Oaklands had evidence of use in the form old nests. These I cleared out to rid them of mites. I didn't get as far as washing the insides of the boxes to give them a good Spring-clean for the new season.
One the boxes was complete with a family of voles who came tumbling and scurrying off into the undergrowth as I opened up the sliding panel to clear out an old nest.
As I did my rounds the first evidence of the 1000 bluebells I planted last September (see post here) was on display. I shall have to live vicariously with films and photos from Jane this April and May and content myself with the abundance of the Car Port Potager in Al Barsha. Flights will be restored and this ill thought out ten day "prison scheme" for British subjects will be withdrawn at some point. I can then get back into a normal rhythm of working in the Gulf for a "term" and coming back to Oaklands for a week or two at a time to make a contribution.
We are all more than ready to call an end to the last two year's frustrations. In meantime as I write Spring passage is in full swing oblivious to borders, COVID 19 and politics. The Chiff Chaffs will be singing in Coney Burrow Wood soon enough again,
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