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A loggery is a group of large hardwood logs with the bark still attached, placed in the ground in a shady area.
A log pile is a wonderful place for a whole range of creatures to live. Not only does it provide shelter, but as it decomposes many plants and wild animals will find it an excellent source of food. These include stag beetles, woodpeckers, shrews, wood lice, and hedgehogs. As well as this, a damp log pile can provide an ideal habitat for amphibians such as toads and newts.
A log pile can take years to rot away, but it remains an important habitat throughout its life cycle.
Stag Beetles
The Stag Beetle is the largest beetle in Britain. The male beetles use their jaws for wrestling over favoured breeding grounds, but they will not normally attack a human, despite appearances. Female Stag Beetles are smaller than the male, and their jaws are in the normal proportion for a beetle. The larvae spend several years feeding upon rotting wood, growing into grubs which, in some large species, can grow as big as a finger.
Great Spotted Woodpeckers
The Great Spotted Woodpecker grows up to 23-26 cm long, with a wingspan of 38-44 cm. The upper parts of the male are glossy black, with white on the sides of the face and neck and a red spot on the neck. The flight feathers are barred with black and white, and on the shoulder is a large patch of white. The under parts are white, the abdomen and under tail hides red. The legs are a greenish grey colour, whilst the bill is black. The female has no red on the neck, and in the young this neck spot is missing, but the top of the head is red. In summer their food is mainly insects which bore into or otherwise damage the timber of trees. The woodpecker normally lands on the trunk, working upwards, from side to side, but occasionally it will sit upright. During the climb, it taps the bark, breaking off small bits, but often extracts its prey from holes with the tip of its sticky tongue. When insect food is scarce, acorns, nuts and berries are eaten.
Shrews
Shrews are small, seemingly mouse-like mammals. Although their outside appearance is generally that of a long-nosed mouse, the shrews are not closely related to rodents. Shrews are creatures that search for seeds, insects, nuts, worms and a variety of other foods in fallen leaves and vegetation.
Hedgehogs
Hedgehogs have hollow spines which cannot easily be removed form the animal, except when young or sick. They often roll into tight balls for protection from other animals. Hedgehogs will eat both meat and plant matter, however the more common species in Britain mainly eats insects. As they are lactose-intolerant, they cannot eat or drink dairy products without getting unwell.
Woodlice
There are 37 native species of woodlice in Britain, varying in colour and size. Woodlice breathe through gills, so live in damp habitats, for example under logs, and are nocturnal. They feed mainly on dead plants.
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