Nature - Sherborne responses
The recent article giving some nature notices got quite a few responses. I thought I'd share them back with you.
- The picture above is a hedgehog, seen on the road between the crossroads and Haycroft. It seemed a bit thirsty, so Anna tempted it to head towards the brook. Pretty rarely seen in this neck of the woods.
- Oak trees. You will recall we planted a series of ancestor oaks, one for every name on the war memorial around the village last winter. Glad to say that so far they're all still alive, despite the drought and thank you to those who have adopted one or two of them to keep an eye on them. Once I'm a bit more mobile, we will get to the important task of fastening a brass plate on the framework around every oak tree. Special thanks also to Amanda who has been tending the remaining fifty or sixty saplings down on our allotment. I hope that we'll plant these out around the local area in the winter.
- Serena reports a series of interesting sightings, or lack of sightings. She responded to my small piece about the Cetti's Warbler flock by saying the following:
Have also had small flocks of little birds darting from tree to tree, more than usual.Sadly we never have hedgehogs because of our badger sett, they steer clear, Haven't seen one for over 30 years. Lots of house martins, this morning before the rain, were flying really high, and the swallows are hunting further down the field and round the muck heap. Luckily the water troughs are self filling from a spring, and provide constant water for wildlife, as well as the ponies. Wonderful fresh scent this morning after the rain, you could sense every living plant, creature and bird relishing the sudden moisture to their beings. Have noticed that our herd of fallow has disappeared, have seen no deer for several months across the brook. No water fowl to be seen on the brook from here, only the occasional egret.
I'll follow up and ask the local deer man, Nigel, what the habit of the deer is and where they have moved to for the hot summer. I can certainly hear the muntjacs quite frequently at night.
- From Windrush, Judith reports her delight in the hummingbird hawk moths. They are indeed quite a sight at the moment. I'm fascinated by their beady eyes!
Please keep your reports coming. The nature in Sherborne is one of the key features of our heritage, but it only works if we know about it. The dynamic nature of creatures coming and going over the seasons and over the years is crucial for us all to understand.
