My garden wildlife is more befitting a woodland!

[AshLee]

I have often been puzzled as to why Speckled Wood butterflies are frequently seen in my garden. I was even more puzzled at the weekend when I identified Wood Avens as a self-sown weed. Holly Blue butterflies are commonly seen, even though I have no mature holly, and only one mature ivy. Coal Tits and Goldcrest are very common. Bombus sylvestris was identified by my friend last week. I'm now on the look out for other species that fit this theme.

The only trees are a tall "hedge" of Leylandii with some other species. Apart from this hedge, which runs along the back of the houses (comprising no more than 20 trees and which is severely punctuated by vast open spaces) buildings, roads and car parks surround the property entirely.

I'm not complaining. I think it's fantastic.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by AshLee

I have often been puzzled as to why Speckled Wood butterflies are frequently seen in my garden. I was even more puzzled at the weekend when I identified Wood Avens as a self-sown weed. Holly Blue butterflies are commonly seen, even though I have no mature holly, and only one mature ivy. Coal Tits and Goldcrest are very common. Bombus sylvestris was identified by my friend last week. I'm now on the look out for other species that fit this theme. The only trees are a tall "hedge" of Leylandii with some other species. Apart from this hedge, which runs along the back of the houses (comprising no more than 20 trees and which is severely punctuated by vast open spaces) buildings, roads and car parks surround the property entirely.

I'm not complaining. I think it's fantastic.

The Speckled Wood's typical habitat is woodland glades and margins, and it is these open areas of woodland that have the greatest animal and plant diversity, rather than the areas beneath the dense canopy of mature trees. Even without trees, the patchwork of open space formed by houses, hedges and fences can fairly effectively reproduce the environment of a woodland glade - a sheltered micro climate that is attractive to what otherwise might be considered typical woodland species. Speckled Wood males adopt patrolling lines where they await passing females - the average suburban garden is just the right size for a single male territory.

CM

[AshLee]

Thanks for a very interesting reply, CM. From now on I think I'll imagine I own a woodland glade.

[Susie]

When I lived in Hayes, West London, my garden had plenty of plant species which would have been more commonly seen in woodland. We used to get speckled wood and holly blue too. I assume it was because we weren't far from woodland and before the houses were built, albeit that would have been seventy odd years before, it was woodland and pasture and so the seeds hung on in the soil.

[AshLee]

Interesting idea, Susie. It's nice to ponder what the original habitat would have before houses were built on a piece of land. As far as I can tell, the garden here was farmland. But it could have had woods/copses.

[Susie]

Even with farmland there would have been traces of what was originally there before retained in hedges and the like.

[aeshna5]

Most gardens which are well planted are reminiscent of a woodland glade, so it's no surprise that a lot of garden species are non-specialist woodland edge species.

Speckled Woods have also dramatically increased in recent decades too.

[Brocakat]

Ash Lee I 'm glad you mentioned Wood Avens.

This plant seems to stand out for me as being a 'weed' that has really taken off in the past year or two in not just my garden - but I noticed a lot at Harlow Carr Gardens, nr. Harrogate, the other day.

[AshLee]

Ahh, interesting!

(Luckily I think it's quite a bonny plant, so I think I must be doing something right ).

Ash