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Country Matters July 2004
The grass snake in our compost heap stayed for about 10 days. We do not know if it laid any eggs but we peaked under the carpet covering every few days and there it was coiled up. Then one day all we saw was a cast skin and the snake had disappeared. It may have laid eggs in the compost but snakes about to cast their skins always look for somewhere safe to do so. They are vulnerable to predators while they try to slough off their old skins. A Common Sandpiper made a brief visit to the farm lagoon probably on route to its wintering grounds in Africa.A near neighbour has had a lot of trouble on his allotment with pheasants pecking at his plants. So he netted his allotment only to find that the main culprit a cock bird with time on his wings was still gaining access. One day his son caught the offending bird and was about to read it the last rites before adding it to Sunday’s menu when his father intervened to save it. Dad took the bird some considerable distance away to what he thought would be a more attractive neighbourhood. You can guess what happened next, the bird returned. I have not dared ask about its fate but the tale does show the conservation message is getting through. I am sure that not many years ago the offending pheasant would have been hanging up in the larder without a second thought. When I was young anything edible that I could catch was soon on the family table.
Syl and I recently took a group of schoolchildren for a nature walk. Some of the children showed an amazing knowledge of the countryside and its inhabitants while others had clearly not stepped off of concrete or tarmac very often. When I was a youngster I spent every waking moment in some ditch or hedge. Though I had a good knowledge of the countryside I could not read or write to any standard until quite late in life. School to me was an unnecessary purgatory imposed by adults on the young. It was only in my later schooldays that the necessity to learn something finally sunk in and I knuckled down to passing some exams. I never attended the recent Rayne School reunion, as my memories of that time are the most unpleasant of my childhood. Standing in the corner behind Miss William’s piano, Miss Barneveldts ruler making contact with ones knuckles, being confined to the classroom for retrieving a lost ball from over the fence and scratching letters and words on a slate all seemed rather pointless when one could be in the open countryside. I imagine the teachers also felt the same about trying to teach me.
The group we took for a walk all knew much more academically than I did at their age but some showed not only a lack of knowledge but in some cases a total lack of interest in their own patch which is sad. I am sure the community would benefit if more of its young could have a wider interest than just academic targets. I know this sounds like another old fogey going on about the good old days but I am under no illusion about the past being better. The present offers many benefits to all ages and the past was very difficult and hard on most of its inhabitants.
On the walk we found many signs of badger activity especially where they had dug out wasp and bumblebee nests to get to the developing brood to eat. As the wasps must have stung their tormentors quite badly the brood must be quite a delicacy for the badger. One of the excavations to get to a bumblebees nest was 76 cm (2.5ft.) deep in rock hard ground, which is an indication of how strong a badgers front legs and claws are.
It was heartening that some of the youngsters had a good knowledge of wildlife though I doubt they viewed the wildlife for its eating qualities as I would have done at their age.
Wildlife Reports for July 2004
Valerie Hearn, Station Road had a pair of Goldcrests feeding in the large Christmas tree in their garden and suspects they have a nest of young nearby. At the same time a pair of Wrens were feeding their young in the garden. Valerie had the opportunity to compare the smaller size of the Goldcrest with that of the Wren.Ken Turner, Shalford Road brought us a large bright green caterpillar to identify. It was the caterpillar of the Angle Shades moth. Iris Smith found two large Privet Hawk moths and I later found one on our lawn. All were put on our wild privet and several have now been stripped of leaves. We have not found the caterpillars yet as they are often nocturnal feeders and sensibly hide up in the bush during the day.
Barry Mouser, saw a Yellow Wagtail near the sewage works and over 20 Pied Wagtails. Sewage works are a Mecca for birders as they often attract interesting birds. Barry also reports a number of Whitethroats in the Parish. He later saw a Spotted Flycatcher in the Verberie Oak on the playing field, which was flying down and catching insects on the long grass that had been recently cut. Barry says that in the past there was always a pair nesting at the Swan pub.
Veronica and Phillip Meader, Shalford Road had a nearly fledged pigeon fall from the nest. The parents continued to feed its mate in the nest but totally ignored the one on the lawn. This is common with some species of bird but others will continue to feed young after they have fallen from the nest. The parents of some seabirds will totally ignore young that have strayed from the immediate nest circle, usually having been pushed out by an older and stronger sibling. The unfortunate youngster though only inches from its parents will then starve or freeze to death. The pigeon at the rectory was fed by Veronica and Phillip and hopefully survived.
Bob Chisholm, Gore Road has had Goldfinches on his niger seed feeders and a friend Frank Taylor often gets over 20 birds on his. I have been trying to get them to use my feeder for at least 6 years but have never had one eat the niger seed despite having small flocks in the autumn on teasels in the garden and yard.
Andy Goody, saw 11 Crossbills over the stables in Fairy Hall Lane, one alighted briefly on a Leylandii tree. He has seen Small Skipper, Large Skipper and Ringlet butterflies together with Cinnabar moths flying around the village. The Cinnabar moth caterpillars are vividly striped yellow and black and feed on Ragwort, which they can strip of leaves. Andy has had 2 or 3 male Turtle Doves singing on the Flitch Way west of the new A120 bridge. It is pleasing that they have reappeared in this area in recent years after being absent for so long. Jimmy Gepp on 13th July watched a fox with small cubs playing on the field near the old rectory. This is late in the year for cubs of this age.
Roger Jiggins
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