Country Matters April 2007

The wet weather we have experienced at the beginning of May has meant that Hares have been driven into the garden to avoid the wet field crops.  One evening a very bedraggled, one third grown leveret was eating dandelions both leaves and flower stalks on my weed filled lawn.  Since then we have had both leveret and adult feeding, always on the dandelions.  When young I was always told that Dandelion wine was a tonic and 'good for you' but like many old sayings it usually meant it was unpleasant and usually foul tasting.  To my palate this was a good description of dandelion wine.

Another unpleasant taste I remember was Tic, a medicine for bad toothache.  It had to be taken with a shovel full of sugar but the taste, or the thought of it was still lingering a day later.  It's not surprising that it is no longer sold despite being very effective.  It certainly cured toothache in a small boy looking for an excuse to avoid school.  Another taste that I remember was rose hip syrup.  Rural youngsters collected the hips from the hedgerows in the autumn so that they could be squashed to extract the juice which was rich in vitamin C.  This was spooned into the mouths of children during the Second World War to supplement their diet.  I am sure the theory was that the worse it tasted the more good it did.  Its surprising the number of plants about the house that benefited from my ration when Mum was not watching.

A male Goldcrest has been singing in the garden hopefully its mate's nest has escaped the predation by Magpie and Jay.  The Mallards have lost several nests of eggs in the garden since they started nesting in February.  The Jay has mostly been responsible as I will not tolerate Magpies or Squirrels in the garden at this time of year.  Losing early nests may prove to be good for the Mallards this year as one duck still has 10 young and another only one but the insect and vegetable food is now plentiful.

The Mistle Thrush has fledged three young which they have been feeding in the garden.  They are usually single brooded and so take care of their young.  When feeding, the young often sit under a bush or in a tree and the parent takes food to it.  The young Blackbird on the other hand usually follows its parent around or sits in the open waiting to be fed.  It would appear the Blackbird's behaviour has evolved for its young to be fattened up to be caught by the Sparrow Hawk.  The Blackbird often has two or three broods in a year.

Three pairs of Goldfinches regularly feed in the garden usually on the Dandelion seed heads but they are also, unusually for a seed eater, feeding on the aphids present on our Prunus Pissardi hedge.

Returning home about 10pm one night we had to stop while six Fallow deer hinds crossed the road by Duckend Green allotments.  Having just planted a new hedge nearby and had to suffer the deer grazing much of the emerging new growth may I make a suggestion?  If you are wondering what to purchase for a weekend meal consider venison joint.  If we all ate venison once a week the problem of deer damage in our ancient woodland could be cured overnight.  As an afterthought a starter of fricassee Grey Squirrel would solve another problem.  I had better not mention the addition of the main problem species to the menu as I will upset all of you who are reading this.

Roger

Wildlife Reports for April 2007

Andy Goodey saw his first Swift on 22nd April the earliest date since he moved to Rayne.  David Hearn has since reported that the Swifts have not yet shown an interest in the communal nesting box he has erected on his house, it has eight compartments.  David's house is next to the old Hasler's Granary that housed up to 40 nesting pairs before it was demolished this winter.
Jim Gepp heard his first Cuckoo on the 9th April and also reported two Hares both from along Pods Brook.
Trevor Rippingale Dunmow Road, has Blue Tits nesting behind his house facia board and is planning to put up owl boxes for the Tawny Owl he hears at night.  Trevor also has resident Grey Squirrels.
Roger Martin Duckend Green reported a Mistle Thrush feeding holly berries to one of its young.  Roger comments that it is unusual for a bird to be able to feed on holly berries in May.  Most years all our holly berries disappear by the end of November.

Shirley Moore The Street, had seven goldfish in her garden pond unfortunately they suddenly disappeared.  The culprit was almost certainly a Grey Heron that had young to feed.  They usually come in to fish at first light but on moonlit nights I am sure they fish all night.  They are normally a very shy and cautious bird but when they have young they will often visit during the day.  As they swallow their prey whole they leave no evidence of their visit except an empty pond.  If their prey is too large they will spear it and leave it on the ground with what appears to be a bullet hole in the side.
Anthea Pearson Philips Close, returned home to find a Sparrow hawk tucking into a Blackbird in her garden, another bird with young to feed.

Ken Turner has regularly seen a Kingfisher along Pods Brook.  This is a good indication that it is nesting again this year in the parish. Ken's daughter Natalie thinks she saw a Water Vole swimming in Pods Brook if this is confirmed it will be the first sighting for many years along this stretch of the river.  Mink were responsible for the disappearance of the vole and I know they are still being trapped regularly along the river and on water bodies situated well away from the river.  But perhaps at last the tide is turning and with the return of otters to our river systems perhaps the Water Vole will also return.

Neville Walker had one of my favourite birds, a Spotted Flycatcher looking for insects under the felt upturn of his garage roof and then under the house windowsills.  He also has a male Chaffinch and a male Dunnock that are looking at their reflections in the car door mirror and a Robin taking the lining fibre from a hanging basket to build its nest.  Neville also has Lily Beetles congregating on his lilies, this bright red beetle was once uncommon but the warmer climate has meant it is now the most reported insect to the Essex Field Club.  Another insect identified by Neville is the Drone Fly whose larva is the rat tailed maggot.  This larva lives in unsavoury water holes and breathes by means of an air tube to the air above hence its rather descriptive name.
Andy Goodey has reported Garden Warbler, Lesser Whitethroat, Common Whitethroats, Blackcap and Willow Warbler in the field south of the Dunmow Road and opposite the end of Pods Lane.  This former meadow which is reverting to secondary woodland is a wildlife haven for birds and insects but as it continues its change to woodland its wildlife value will eventually decline.  Andy has also seen a Hobby over the village and has a Sparrow Hawk that hunts around his garden feeders.

Roger Jiggins Tel. 01376 324 311, email r.jiggins@btconnect.com (please put Wildlife as the subject)