The Wildlife and Beauty of Traditional Orchards

The hazel dormouse

This adorable rodent, the hazel dormouse, is endangered and depends on hedgerows to reach otherwise isolated areas © Danielle Schwarz/Wikicommons

The lesser spotted woodpecker

Feeding on insects and their larvae, which live in deadwood, the lesser spotted woodpecker is under priority conservation status © Evan Bowen-Jones/Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

The noble chafer

The noble chafer is under priority conservation status, needing deadwood to complete its life-cycle © gbohne/Wikicommons

The mistle thrush

With its distinctive rattling call, mistle thrush is under priority conservation status and is a welcome sight and sound in traditional orchards © Nottsexmine/Wikicommons

Mistletoe and its white berries

Bifurcating leaves and pearl-like berries make mistletoe a beautiful and necessary, albeit potentially dangerous part of traditional orchards © Orchard Origins

Orchard Origins and volunteers

A beautiful orchard from above

Orchard are often planted on slopes to maximise sunlight and avoid frost. This one enjoys a wonderful view © Vjekoslav Domanović/Unsplash

A sheep in an orchard

With an appropriate amount of livestock and during the right time of year, sheep can help wildlife by grazing grasses, or swards, in orchards © Stefan Widua/Unsplash