Conservation in May

OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVERSIDE

To find Nature Notes and Records for Wildlife - click on

HILLS FARM WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Our meet in May was on Sunday 19th May, brought forward to avoid the Bank Holiday - but May is always a very busy month, with a variety of conservation activities taking place throughout the month. Most of this is observation only as no activities that endanger or disturb nesting birds takes place whilst birds are nesting. This includes wildlife in general. 

Apart from everyday (yes!) litter and rubbish removal in various locations, checks on new growth of invasive species took place and were reported.  Checks on tree protection (both young and old trees) were made and  unseasonable works reported. Group members replaced stakes on young trees where recently broken or damaged.

May has been a spectacular month for wild flowers - see HILLS FARM WILDLIFE CONSERVATION 

The daisies and dandelions here covered swaths of grass on the riverside and were allowed to flourish

for a while longer than usual before scheduled tractor mowing took place. We hope that new wildlife protection and pollinator-protection schedules and extents for contractors will soon be drawn up and agreed. 

Brilliant Blossom in April

OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVERSIDE

To find Nature Notes and records for Wildlife - click on:

Hills Farm Wildlife Conservation

Our Meet for April 2019 was held on Sunday 28th, an overcast, cool day, in good conditions.

There were no supermarket trolleys or bicycles in the river for a change, and the amount of litter and rubbish was surprisingly small. We have been watching the riverside bursting into blossom, first with early Blackthorn thickets, then Hawthorn blossom taking its place, together with a succession of fruit tree blossoms. This sequence is perfect for early pollinating insects and for birds attracted to the insect life.

Blossom buds on the riverside on 15th April 2019, about to open, attracting pollinating insects.

Later in the year, well into the winter, birds will feed on the fruits.

Butterflies seen on the day of our meet were restricted to Speckled Woods which still fly in overcast weather and shady locations. Drake mallards were seen and common whitethroats  (summer migrant warblers) were heard singing. Two very persistent song thrushes were singing very loudly in Ash trees just coming into leaf and a great spotted woodpecker flew over into an old Oak.

Early Spring Flowers thrive in the sun

March has generally been a warm month with plenty of sun although nights have been cold under clear skies.

By 11th March, the first Dandelions were flowering and the first of this months spectacular Blackthorn blossom was flowering too. By 24th March, with most trees just showing leaf buds, the woodland floor was bright and sunny, encouraging Wood anemone to flower. On sunny verges and banks Lesser Celandine was flowering profusely mixed with Wood Anemone in places. It is especially good to see both species appearing in new places along the riverside. With Wood anemone - an indicator of ancient woodland-  this means that the plant roots have probably been there for hundreds of years as the roots spread exceptionally slowly. 

WOOD ANEMONE flowering under a tree on the river bank

Unlike the Wood anemone, Lesser Celandine roots spread and the tubers break off and spread the plant all along the riverside and ditches. As with the Wood anemone, the flowers only open in the bright light of the sun on banks and the woodland floor.

LESSER CELANDINE under trees with a mix of bramble, nettle and others.

The morning of our Meet on 31st March was however overcast but the day gradually brightened up.

There was a cold easterly wind too but chiffchaffs and wrens sang loudly.  It was a day to remember as the first common whitethroats were heard singing on the bank…. They've arrived - it must certainly be spring!

What's New?

On Sunday 24th March, a brilliant spring day,  there was work going on at Highwood near the bridge which connects the North and South sites.

A sculptor, Jon Edgar was working on a stone-carving. You can find out which days he is there:

Go to the Horsham District Council website - year of culture - horsham sculpture.

This photo was taken on 25th March, another fine day.

The carving will be moved to the Landmark Square on the new Highwood Village when finished.

May weather in February

OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVERSIDE

To find Nature Notes and Records for Wildlife - click on:

Hills Farm Wildlife Conservation


Our Meet on 24th February 2019 was productive, with the trolley experts in action again hauling up a long abandoned one from a less accessible location on the bank. After a cool start the day warmed up and it became quite hot in the sun although the landscape was a winter one, with few indications of spring. Just as well, as we are expecting another visit from the Beast from the East which took everyone by surprise in March last year. 

Hazel catkins on mature trees have been brightening the riverside here on the Arun for weeks now. They vary but grow equally well on trees old and young (see previous post) and there were a few more signs of spring today with Willow catkins appearing fast and an extending clump of snowdrops on a bank, close to the Arun:

Flourishing on the steep bank just above water, these are really winter flowers. There hasn't been any significant snow so far this winter but there's still time…

Winter wind chills the riverside

OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVERSIDE

To find nature notes and records for wildlife - click on:

HILLS FARM WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Our January Meet was held on 27th - in a cold wind but spared the forecast rain. It remained damp from overnight rain, the river fast-flowing but not high. It was good to see chaffinches amongst the Guelder Rose and Dogwood as they have become quite scarce in recent years.

Hazel Catkins have been visible on all the young Hazels for some

time. This young tree is one of several planted in a sheltered place on the meandering river bank where erosion could have caused bank collapse. New roots quickly bind the earth and stabilise it, allowing natural vegetation to grow up around the new trees.

Nuthatches Observe Us

OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE ALONG THE RIVERSIDE

To find Nature Notes and Records for Wildlife - click on

Hills Farm Wildlife Conservation

Our Meet for December took place on Sunday 16th, leaving rather a long gap until the next scheduled meet which is on Sunday 27th January 2019.

A list of our scheduled meets for 2019 is now on  the 'NEXT MEET' page.

Fortunately some of the group will be out and about before then. 

On 16th December, the river was higher and faster after rainfall the previous day and night which actually helped three of our group with the difficult task of hauling a large supermarket trolley up the steep banks of the Arun. It was quite cold, with shallow standing water on riverside land and ponds iced over.

Several nuthatches observed us from oaks near our meeting point and called out loudly on our approach. They are birds which establish their territories early in the winter and often commence cavity construction work on adapting chosen sites well before they are needed.

After a few more days of rain, the Arun Valley started to fill and 

water levels rose in rivers in the upper catchment - a good sign of normal

winter weather here.

This is the Arun looking upstream on 21st December 2018.