Wild Orchids in the Homelands garden!

Thanks to a visiting friend, we were alerted to the presence of wild orchids in our wild flower meadow. Thank you Simon!
It took some time to identify them - we now think we have got it right, and they are 'Common Spotted Orchids'.
Wild orchids are a very good 'indicator species' - my son Richard will write a little more about what that means  soon.
Hereby some pictures, taken on Monday the 28th. June 2010.

Mature willows, wildlife and some new little ones

Trees play a critical role in many aspects of our environment but they are especially important to wildlife attracting many different species to them. At Homelands we have a few mature willows in our garden - they provide food for many different types of insects which then attract birds, mammals and amphibians too who will feed on the insects. Willows are also important for providing shelter and a place for birds and some small mammals to build nests in. If willows have been pollarded they develop their characteristic but unnatural shape we all know – a thick stem, a knot, and lots of small branches sprouting from the knot. Pollarding is the process to cut off the branches at approx 6 feet high every few years.

To attract wildlife to our trees we have to do some pruning. We try to keep hold of any dead wood or twigs as they play a vital role in creating a wildlife habitat for invertebrates and amphibians. Certain lichens, mosses and fungi also rely on wood which is decaying too. Instead of getting rid of any logs, we build several small piles out of it which will attract insects. Even a dead tree stump can be a home to many insects, small mammals and even a woodpecker! The logs can also be used in a shady place to create a habitat which could include ferns, primroses and other shade-loving plants which, in turn, will attract even more wildlife.

As you can see from the picture  one our willows offers plenty of opportunities for birds to nest – in fact it may even attract barn owls, if they prefer an ‘old’ and natural home above our new owl box!

We have recently planted some 14 new little willows in the boggy area of our garden – at least 6 appear to have rooted well and are now showing plenty of new growth. To start  new willow simply cut off a branch and push it deep into the ground!

£300,000 funding for Cleeve Common conservation project

I was delighted to hear the news that £300,000 of funding has been secured for a project on Cleeve Common, which is the largest common in Gloucestershire. The funding is secured by Gloucestershire FWAG (The Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group), Gloucestershire Natural England and the Cleeve Common Board of Conservators - to install a water supply to allow long term grazing management with cattle.

A couple of years ago I worked for FWAG – and I know from experience how difficult it is to put these projects together and to raise the funds. Well done Gloucestershire FWAG!

http://www.fwag.org.uk

When you look out of the window of our breakfast room and KS Double en-suite guest room 'Prestbury' you can just see Cleeve Common to the right- approx 1.5 Miles from here and a 1,000 feet climb. A lovely walk (approx. 45 min. to reach the top of Cleeve Hill) to undertake before breakfast!

Wild flower and meadow pictures

Pollen and nectar

We have recently sawn 2 Kg of mixed seeds 'conservation grade' of a so called 'pollen and nectar' mix. Pollen and nectar mixtures provide flowering plants throughout spring and summer to supply food for insects such as butterflies and bumblebees. Some insects, such as bumblebees, are vital pollinators of crops and wild flowers. Bumblebees have declined as suitable plants, such as red clover, have become scarcer in the countryside.
These, and other insects, benefit from sowing flower-rich mixtures. Hoverflies are especially attracted to flowering plants and will lay eggs wherever there is an abundance of aphids for their larvae to feed on, thus helping to reduce numbers of these pests in nearby crops. The general increase in insects attracted to these mixtures also provides food for birds.

Frogs, toads and tadpoles

By the end of March – early April our pond was suddenly full of mating toads, leaving large amounts of toadspawn. Or frogspawn, as somebody mistakenly called it. They appeared after dark and were very active and noisy. The spawn they left –a jelly like substance- had clear little black cores in each egg, slowly growing into very small tadpoles, kept inside the membrane but wiggling their little tails trying to get out. When the eggs hatched the tadpoles appeared to stay together in a tight space, surrounded by the protective barrier of the spawn. No doubt a strategy to avoid predation. Since early May the pond has been full with little tadpoles – thousands of them- when they finally left the protection of the spawn and started swimming around.  They appear to ‘graze’ on algae from the side of the pond. The photograph with this post shows the shade of the author in the water of the pond, while taking the picture.

A toad is an amphibian characterized by dry, leathery skin, brown coloration, and wart-like parotoid glands. A distinction between frogs and toads is the characteristic feature of toads to adapt to living on dry land.

Toads cannot transmit warts to people through handling or skin contact. The bumps on a toad's skin help the animal blend into its environment visually by breaking up its outline. They are present on healthy specimens and are not a result of infection.

Common toads secrete an irritant from their skin that prevents most predators from wanting to eat them. Unfortunately for the toads however, a few predators, such as grass snakes and hedgehogs, don't seem to be deterred. If they avoid getting gobbled by a snake or hedgehog, toads can live for up to 40 years.

Common toads appear to be able to sense an impending earthquake and will flee their colony days before the seismic activity strikes.

When they are tadpoles their diet is vegetarian, but once grown up they switch to mainly insects. Therefore toads in the garden are considered very beneficial by gardeners.

Muntjac deer in our garden

Muntjac, also known as Barking Deer, are small deer of the genus Muntiacus. Muntjac are the oldest known deer, appearing 15-35 million years ago, with remains found in Miocene deposits in France and Germany. A small family (one male, two females) shows up in our garden most evenings, to graze on the lawn and drink from the pond at Homelands bed and breakfast.

The present-day species are native to Southeast Asia and can be found from India and Sri Lanka to southern China, Taiwan, Japan (Boso Peninsula and Oshima Island), India and Indonesian islands. They are found in the eastern Himalayas. They are also found in Myanmar. Inhabiting tropical regions, the deer have no seasonal rut and mating can take place at any time of year; this behaviour is retained by populations introduced to temperate countries.

Muntjac has been introduced to England, with wild deer originating from escapes from Woburn Park around 1925. Muntjac have expanded very rapidly and are now present in most English counties south of the M62 and have also expanded their range into Wales. The British Deer Society coordinated a survey of wild deer in the UK between 2005 and 2007 and reported that muntjac deer had noticeably expanded their range since the previous census in 2000. It is anticipated that muntjac may soon become the most numerous species of deer in England and may have also crossed the border into Scotland with a couple of specimens appearing in Northern Ireland in 2009 also they have been spotted in the republic of Ireland in 2010, almost certainly with some human assistance.

Males have short antlers, which can re-grow, but they tend to fight for territory with their "tusks" (downward pointing canine teeth). The presence of these "tusks" is otherwise unknown in native British wild deer and can be discriminatory when trying to differentiate a Muntjac from an immature native deer although Chinese Water Deer also have visible tusks but are much less widespread.

Muntjac meat is the finest type of venison available in the UK. There is no specified closed season for hunting  because of their ability to breed at any time of year. In addition to that they are considered an ‘invasive species’ and ‘pest’ by the conservation organisations, due to the enormous damage they can cause to crops and woodlands.