by Juliet Bailey, in whose orchard the picture was taken, with some additions by David Lindgren
The old orchards are full of wildlife, day and night. Redwings, Fieldfares and other birds, but also rabbits, foxes and deer. Here is a Muntjac feeding on fallen apples before dawn on a frosty morning, seen thanks to a trail cam.
Although it’s often remarked that apples not used to make apple crumble or pressed into apple juice or cider are “wasted”, that’s not the case; windfalls are a valuable source of food for vertebrates and invertebrates throughout the winter and add to the biodiversity value of orchards. Next year, if you do harvest your crop for crumbles, pies, juice or cider, we suggest you make sure to leave some behind for nature to enjoy!
