Nature’s Bounty

Blackberry-Picking

… You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it …

                                              Seamus Heaney

There are still one or two berries left on the brambles by the pond, a couple of months since the first ripened. The blackberry is a shrub which poses a prickly problem as it spreads so quickly and outcompetes other plants.

Nevertheless, it’s great for wildlife at the edge of the reserve, providing a home and fruit for birds and small mammals, and flowers with nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, hoverflies and moths. With over 400 micro-species of bramble  in the UK, perhaps these ones are a bit special?

Wild raspberry canes by the pond in June

There are also some summer-fruiting wild raspberries on the South side of the pond, though the fruits are generally sparse and have just a few drupelets (the individually coated seeds). Nearby is an Elder bush.

The beautiful froths of white flowers seen in early June are now fertilised and transformed into luscious purple berries for the birds to enjoy. You might see blackbirds or robins feasting as these are one of their favourites.

Guelder Rose

At this time of year there is also other food for small mammals and birds such as the scarlet berries of the Guelder Rose (loved by the mistle thrush) and the bright vermilion Dog-rose hips by the entrance gate (snaffled by bank voles).