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It’s truly astounding how much life depends on death. Deadwood, whether standing or fallen, plays a pivotal role in the web of life. This female Kestrel, apex predator and everyday visitor in this wildlife garden, is a great sign of a healthy ecosystem.
Deadwood ~ A thread
Deadwood ~ A thread
The female Kestrel rests, observes and hunts here from the top of a tall dead stump, whilst below her feet, the Bank Voles do their best to evade her, scurrying through the network of tunnels they’ve created amongst the piles of decaying logs and bark.
The hungry voles hurry endlessly in search of roots, nuts, and small insects. Here, they can also find a tasty selection of fungi that deadwood abundantly provides. Growth and decay, life and death are universally intertwined.
Some invertebrates are so highly specialised that their very existence depends on just one or two particular species of fungi. The Scarce Fungus Weevil’s larvae live inside ‘King Alfred’s Cakes’ (or ‘Cramp Balls’), a fungus found predominantly on dead Ash or Beech.
In and around the log piles and under the pieces of bark rest elusive Slow-worms. Here, they find plenty of Slugs and a place to bask in the warmer spring and summer months. In autumn and winter, the depths of the larger log piles provide them with the perfect place to hibernate.
Alongside Slow-worms other species of reptiles and amphibians live, hunt and find shelter here. You are very likely to find Frogs, Toads and Newts hiding underneath logs, where they can sit out the hottest weather in this cool and damp environment.
A whole host of other fascinating creatures use the many secret chambers underneath naturally fallen deadwood or piles created with these mini beasts in mind. Amongst them can be found the formidable nocturnal predator - the Violet Ground Beetle.
Stag Beetle and Lesser Stag Beetle need the decaying stumps of trees to complete their life cycles. This habitat is now incredibly scarce, so every stump left in situ should be celebrated. Burying large logs upright in the ground will additionally support these beautiful species.
A bit higher up, above the ground, on the sunny side of the deadwood habitat, Leaf-cutter Bees will take any opportunity to turn custom made holes into neatly partitioned nest chambers, divided into cells, each containing a single egg and pollen to feed the larvae as they grow.
Where there are solitary bees laying their eggs, there will certainly be a range of fascinating parasitic insects hanging around, waiting for their chance to sneak their own eggs inside the bee’s chambers, ensuring a new generation will emerge the next year. Ruby-tailed Wasp
You never know what surprises await you amongst the logs and what you can learn by observing this amazing habitat. This spider had just finished a meal of a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly! 
A Great Spotted Woodpecker visits the garden regularly, attracted to a reliable source of food. Sometimes he can’t resist investigating the standing deadwood. In the nearby woods he will be carving breeding chambers for his family, in turn used by many other birds thereafter.
We can’t stress the importance of deadwood enough, be it in the wider countryside or the humble back garden, whatever the size.
