Reconnecting with nature in the spring
Bluebells, buzzards and butterflies, Charles Wilsher urges us all to take time to reconnect with nature.
Living in Wealden, an area recognised as being of outstanding natural beauty, we are incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by stunning countryside packed with a rich diversity of plant and animal species. It can be easy to take for granted the rich plethora of life on our doorstep. Just take a second to stand back and really look at its beauty, really listen to the cacophony of bird songs and animal calls that fill the air. Smell the rich scent of the blooming flowers. Take time to reconnect with nature.
The Wealden countryside has varied landscapes of ancient woodland and stunning heathland, idyllic rolling countryside with endless walking and cycling routes. I have created a fact file of just a few of the species I spotted on a walk early in Spring. The walk runs from Burwash Road round the back of Tottingworth Farm back up to Cade Street near the Jack Cade memorial. I take this walk around springtime every year.
The walk runs along the edge of the light woodland adjacent to open farmland where sheep punctuate the green fields like white woolly dots, filling the air with the constant sound of bleating. Further downhill, the path enters the wood via a stile. The canopy of trees provides a welcome relief to the unexpectedly warm weather. By late morning I had descended further into the wooded area to reach a small hollow in the wood. The woodland floor was carpeted with a blooming mass of bluebells, a truly magnificent visual spectacle. The late morning sun streaming dappled light through the canopy of leaves above, warming the damp morning dew and creating a humid atmosphere full with the sweet, fragrant scent of the bluebell carpet. The intensity of the smell was incredible! I sat for several minutes breathing in the aroma, whilst watching a small grizzled skipper take nectar from one of the blooms and listening to the sound of a small stream trickle its way downward through the wood.
FACT FILE 1: BLUEBELLS–
Bluebells - (Latin name: Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
Living in Wealden, an area recognised as being of outstanding natural beauty, we are incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by stunning countryside packed with a rich diversity of plant and animal species. It can be easy to take for granted the rich plethora of life on our doorstep. Just take a second to stand back and really look at its beauty, really listen to the cacophony of bird songs and animal calls that fill the air. Smell the rich scent of the blooming flowers. Take time to reconnect with nature.
The Wealden countryside has varied landscapes of ancient woodland and stunning heathland, idyllic rolling countryside with endless walking and cycling routes. I have created a fact file of just a few of the species I spotted on a walk early in Spring. The walk runs from Burwash Road round the back of Tottingworth Farm back up to Cade Street near the Jack Cade memorial. I take this walk around springtime every year.
The walk runs along the edge of the light woodland adjacent to open farmland where sheep punctuate the green fields like white woolly dots, filling the air with the constant sound of bleating. Further downhill, the path enters the wood via a stile. The canopy of trees provides a welcome relief to the unexpectedly warm weather. By late morning I had descended further into the wooded area to reach a small hollow in the wood. The woodland floor was carpeted with a blooming mass of bluebells, a truly magnificent visual spectacle. The late morning sun streaming dappled light through the canopy of leaves above, warming the damp morning dew and creating a humid atmosphere full with the sweet, fragrant scent of the bluebell carpet. The intensity of the smell was incredible! I sat for several minutes breathing in the aroma, whilst watching a small grizzled skipper take nectar from one of the blooms and listening to the sound of a small stream trickle its way downward through the wood.
FACT FILE 1: BLUEBELLS–
Bluebells - (Latin name: Hyacinthoides non-scripta)
- Over half of the world's population of bluebells grows in the UK.
- Ants help to spread bluebell seeds, so if you live near a bluebell wood you may find them popping up in your garden.
- It takes several years for a native bluebell seed to grow into a bulb and subsequently flower.
- Bluebells are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. If you dig up a wild bluebell you can be heavily fined.
- Bees enjoy bluebell’s pollen and nectar. Sometimes they ‘steal’ it by biting a hole in the top of the flower. The skipper butterfly also takes nectar from bluebells, as do several moth species. I photographed a grizzled skipper (see fact file number 2)
- Bluebell bulbs contain a starch that, in Elizabethan times, was used to stiffen ruffs.
- Bluebell juice was said to cure snake bites, but is chemically very potent and can be toxic in large doses.
FACT FILE 2: GRIZZLED SKIPPER
Grizzled Skipper - (Latin name: Pyrgus malvae)
Continuing on my walk, further into the hollow I cross over the small stream using a wooden bridge, where directly opposite hangs a tyre swing suspended from a sturdy branch. I like to just sit on the swing and close my eyes to listen to the cacophony of birdsong ringing out beneath the wooded canopy of trees. It’s amazing how closing your eyes heightens the other senses, the birdsong seems amplified and the scent of the bluebells even stronger. I count the number of birds in the birdsong orchestra: blackbirds, wood pigeons, pheasants, thrushes, cuckoos, robins, a distant nightingale and the distinctive call of the chiffchaff.
FACT FILE NUMBER 3: CHIFFCHAFF
The chiffchaff - (Latin name: Phylloscopus collybita)
After replenishing my energy reserves with a packed lunch, I continue on the second part of the walk which ascends a steep bank out of the woody hollow up onto open glass land. Just off in the distance I spot a small herd of fallow deer grazing on the brow of the hill. I try to snap a photo but they quickly run off down the other side of the hill and out of view. I continue on over another stile and up a gentle incline on the edge of farmland, where the cattle are busy munching on fresh grass. Above me a large common buzzard circles and I manage to catch a short video of it as it glides effortlessly on its outstretched wings above, silhouetted against the blue sky. The perfect end to a perfect morning.
FACT FILE NUMBER 4: FALLOW DEER
Fallow deer – Dama dama Cervidae
Fallow deer facts:
Habitat: Deciduous woodland and thick, low-lying vegetation.
Distribution: Found throughout Britain, particularly in England, with numbers rising.
Behaviour: Live in both single-sex and mixed groups.
Diet: Prefer grasses but will graze young shrubs.
Breeding season: Late September to October.
Shoulder height: Up to 94cm (females up to 91cm).
Weight: Up to 94kg (females up to 56kg).
Lifespan: Up to 16 years.
Fun Fact: They are the only British deer with palmate antlers (meaning a similar shape to hands or feet).
FACT FILE NUMBER 5: Common buzzard
Common buzzard – Buteo buteo
The Common Buzzard is a bird of prey that once suffered from severe persecution and pesticide poisoning, it has made an amazing comeback to most of the UK and are now the most frequently seen medium-sized birds of prey.
Length: 54cm
Wingspan: 1.2m
Weight: 780g-1kg
Average lifespan: 12 years
Appearance: They have broader wings and shorter tails than the harriers or red kite. Their plumage can vary from a uniform dark brown to much paler shades.
Habitat: soars in high circles over grassland, farmland and woodlands. Listen out for its cat-like,'kee-yaaa' calls as it soars in high circles.
Diet: buzzards eat small birds, mammals and carrion, but will also eat large insects and earthworms when prey is in short supply.
Did you know?
In the spring, male buzzards perform a 'roller coaster' display, soaring up high and then swooping down over and over again to attract a mate. Once paired, buzzards construct their bulky nest in the fork of a large tree, often near to a wood. The female will lay between two and four eggs, which take just over a month to hatch.
Charles Wilsher, Y7
Grizzled Skipper - (Latin name: Pyrgus malvae)
- The grizzled skipper is a small butterfly with a characteristic chequered pattern on its wings that appears to be black and white.
- It is found throughout Europe but is common in central and southern regions of England.
- The butterfly can be found in three types of habitat: woodland, grassland, and industrial.
- Their eggs are laid on plants that will provide warmth and proper nutrition for development. As larvae, their movement is usually restricted to a single plant, on which they will build tents, unless they move onto a second host plant. Larvae then spin cocoons, usually on the last host plant they have occupied, where they remain until spring.
- Upon emerging as adult butterflies, grizzled skippers are quite active during the day and tend to prefer blue or violet coloured plants for food, (such as bluebells).
- They also possess multiple methods of communication. For example, vibrations are used to communicate with ants, and chemical secretions play a role in mating.
- Males exhibit territorial behaviour, by using perching and patrolling strategies to mate with a desired female.
Continuing on my walk, further into the hollow I cross over the small stream using a wooden bridge, where directly opposite hangs a tyre swing suspended from a sturdy branch. I like to just sit on the swing and close my eyes to listen to the cacophony of birdsong ringing out beneath the wooded canopy of trees. It’s amazing how closing your eyes heightens the other senses, the birdsong seems amplified and the scent of the bluebells even stronger. I count the number of birds in the birdsong orchestra: blackbirds, wood pigeons, pheasants, thrushes, cuckoos, robins, a distant nightingale and the distinctive call of the chiffchaff.
FACT FILE NUMBER 3: CHIFFCHAFF
The chiffchaff - (Latin name: Phylloscopus collybita)
- The chiffchaff may be one of the most recognisable birds in Britain, not by virtue of its looks, but because of its song. It is definitely not the most tuneful of all the birdsongs however, it is memorable since the bird is named onomatopoeically – chiffchaff.
- The chiffchaff is one of the so-called 'Leaf' (Phylloscopus) Warblers.
- They flit between branches looking for insects, frequently low in the canopy.
- It is a compact species the size of a blue tit with typical plumage ranging from dull olive-brown on top to buff off-white below.
- The chiffchaff is a member of the extensive warbler family, of which there are thirteen species breeding regularly in the UK.
- The chiffchaff is almost always the first migrant bird to sing, (usually arriving early in March); a precursor of the mass of birdsong that arrives in spring. They spend the winter in the Mediterranean although without a doubt they are a bird that benefits from climate warming as a proportion now stay here through the winter.
After replenishing my energy reserves with a packed lunch, I continue on the second part of the walk which ascends a steep bank out of the woody hollow up onto open glass land. Just off in the distance I spot a small herd of fallow deer grazing on the brow of the hill. I try to snap a photo but they quickly run off down the other side of the hill and out of view. I continue on over another stile and up a gentle incline on the edge of farmland, where the cattle are busy munching on fresh grass. Above me a large common buzzard circles and I manage to catch a short video of it as it glides effortlessly on its outstretched wings above, silhouetted against the blue sky. The perfect end to a perfect morning.
FACT FILE NUMBER 4: FALLOW DEER
Fallow deer – Dama dama Cervidae
- Britain’s deer populations are expanding, of the six species of deer found in the British countryside, only roe and red deer are indigenous to Britain. Fallow deer are thought to have been introduced during the Norman period, while muntjac, Chinese water deer and sika deer were introduced in the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Deer are woodland dwellers, they are seen much more during the autumn rutting season when the males can be heard barking and their antlers clashing.
- Deer eat grass, leaves, fruits, berries and woody plants, they can cause some damage to trees when they eat the bark or shoots of trees.
- The fallow deer is a medium-sized deer that has palmate antlers, (antlers shaped like a hand). Their coats vary in colour, from black and caramel to the more common tawny and white-spotted coat.
- They are not a truly native species, as they are thought to have been introduced by the Normans in the 10th century.
Fallow deer facts:
Habitat: Deciduous woodland and thick, low-lying vegetation.
Distribution: Found throughout Britain, particularly in England, with numbers rising.
Behaviour: Live in both single-sex and mixed groups.
Diet: Prefer grasses but will graze young shrubs.
Breeding season: Late September to October.
Shoulder height: Up to 94cm (females up to 91cm).
Weight: Up to 94kg (females up to 56kg).
Lifespan: Up to 16 years.
Fun Fact: They are the only British deer with palmate antlers (meaning a similar shape to hands or feet).
FACT FILE NUMBER 5: Common buzzard
Common buzzard – Buteo buteo
The Common Buzzard is a bird of prey that once suffered from severe persecution and pesticide poisoning, it has made an amazing comeback to most of the UK and are now the most frequently seen medium-sized birds of prey.
Length: 54cm
Wingspan: 1.2m
Weight: 780g-1kg
Average lifespan: 12 years
Appearance: They have broader wings and shorter tails than the harriers or red kite. Their plumage can vary from a uniform dark brown to much paler shades.
Habitat: soars in high circles over grassland, farmland and woodlands. Listen out for its cat-like,'kee-yaaa' calls as it soars in high circles.
Diet: buzzards eat small birds, mammals and carrion, but will also eat large insects and earthworms when prey is in short supply.
Did you know?
In the spring, male buzzards perform a 'roller coaster' display, soaring up high and then swooping down over and over again to attract a mate. Once paired, buzzards construct their bulky nest in the fork of a large tree, often near to a wood. The female will lay between two and four eggs, which take just over a month to hatch.
Charles Wilsher, Y7
