Homeless woodpeckers!

The May Bank Holiday Monday should have been one of my days off but a friend called to alert me to a fire in Castlehead Woods – its final extent was about 100m by 75m.  Cumbria Fire & Rescue now have light-weight hoses and we were able to carry them up the hill where the fire could be tackled with water pumped uphill from a hydrant.  It took 2 hours to put it out and by then it had done a lot of damage to the wood.  Somebody had enjoyed a BBQ and then built a fire that had not been extinguished.  The following morning was windy and the smouldering remains were stoked up and the fire took hold.  

Fire built in tinder-dry woodland - slight breeze could ignite the tree and ...

 

One of the tree casualties is an old oak that was used by nesting woodpeckers.  The fire had reached about 15 feet up the oak before it was stopped just before it reached the nest holes.  Later in the week I went to watch the tree for a while but there were no signs of the woodpeckers.  They have probably abandoned the tree.  Other trees will most likely die because of the heat of the fire around their roots.  Responsible camping is a great recreation but these are some of the consequences of reckless fire-building in unsuitable places.

A great day out island-hopping by canoe on Derwentwater.

This week was National Go Canoeing week and we cooperated with Chris Higgins of local providers Shearwater Adventures who provided canoes, expertise and instruction for a group.  We took them canoeing to the unoccupied islands on Derwentwater.  We visited each island and also had a walk through woods at Brandlehowe to see some of the Trust's work.  They had a fantastic day but were disappointed to see that some trees had been cut down for a fire. (It is just a small minority who do such things but they can do long-term damage.)

A tree cut down to burn - one less for birds, insects etc.

                              

Might have been a good time for some but it's an eyesore to be cleared by others.

So, if you decide to camp, have a great experience but please be sure it is a sensible and permissible site, do no damage and always be vigilant about fire risks.