An invasion
We have been invaded again. Last year it was the ladybirds
which loved our warm walls. This time it is the long-tailed tits. There are only
two of the little birds and they had been collecting cobwebs for their nest,
now that seems to have finished but the birds will not leave us.
They are there on the windowsills looking in. It gets a bit
unnerving to have these little creatures staring at me as I eat my breakfast.
They move from room to room on the south side outside windows. I cannot see
cobwebs in their beaks this time, but I think that they may be catching little
flies, they sit still for a while then fly up just under the wisteria then fly
down again. I have decided to sit back and enjoy this invasion of wildlife whilst
it lasts.
Of course, we all want to encourage nature and ‘No mow May’
is one way to do this. The National Trust and wildlife organisations are
encouraging us to leave our lawns alone for a month. My friend did this last
year and she liked it so much that she extended it to June. All sorts of
flowers came up. Her lawn was a mass of dandelions, daisies, buttercups and
clover. The bees and butterflies came in abundance but eventually the lawn was mowed
again. At least it was a boost for wildlife whist it lasted.
Just down the road here I have been watching a massive
clearing of land for a new development. The Highways encouraged the care of
wildlife when they undertook these road works creating a double roundabout. Between
the two new roads there is now a new pond. I suppose it is for the frogs, toads
and newts. But where will the wildlife go in their lifetime? They cannot escape
and I am not sure that you can put a ring fence around a patch of wildlife and
hope that it thrives.
We have three fields around our house bursting with
creatures most of the time. Oak Meadow and Goose Bottom are cut for hay in
September by a local farmer. Hopefully most of the wildlife is underground as
eggs, larvae, or chrysalises or in the long grass near the hedge. But they can
only live here, our boundaries are ‘no go’ areas of cultivated fields and a
road. I think we need wildlife corridors – wild routes for creatures on the
move.
Mind you it can get to be a bit much. I was looking forward to my first juicy red strawberry of the season today, only to find that the blackbirds had got there before me!
(Taken from my column in the Shropshire Star)
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