Highclere Society Wildlife Group
Great crested newt
We aim to promote the appreciation, enjoyment, and conservation of Highclere's wild plants and animals. We will do this by:
- Involving local people in wildlife projects, such as surveys and censuses
- Organizing wildlife rambles in the parish, and guided tours of local nature reserves
- Holding workshops, such as for nestbox building and wildlife-friendly gardening
- Engaging experts to speak on relevant and topical wildlife issues
To join the Group or learn more about our activities contact Sue Roberts 01635 255101.
In The News
House sparrows vanish
The humble house sparrow is the latest in a long list of once-common British species to suffer a sudden and catastrophic decline in numbers. But its disappearance from cities up and down the country seems more puzzling than that of farmland birds, which have suffered mass starvation as a result of changes in farming practices.
Instead, chemicals in unleaded petrol, namely MTBE and benzene, are thought to be behind the problem.
Poison peanut danger: what can I do?
Adverse weather conditions during this year's growing season in all peanut-producing countries have resulted in high levels of aflatoxin contamination. Click here for more information about aflatoxins in peanuts.
If you're worried about feeding your garden guests potentially lethal peanuts, either:
- Make sure your supplier can guarantee that the nuts are aflatoxin-free when sold to you, not just at the point of export aflatoxins often develop in transit.
- Switch to a safe alternative, such as black sunflower hearts or nyjer seeds.
- Try the CJ Wild Bird Food Shop online, at http://www.birdfood.co.uk/shop/index.htm. This site has lots of information about feeding and encouraging birds and other wildlife into your garden.
Keep death off the toads
Wet evenings in late summer/autumn will often see large numbers of toads on our local roads. Unfortunately, this is usually their last journey. On one short stretch of road I counted seventeen dead toads over two successive evenings. Most were tiny, but a few were 'old stagers' of considerable size.
If you're out and about on mild, wet evenings, remember that we are not the only road users. Please slow down, not just for your own sake, but to give small creatures more time to get out of your way. You'll feel better about yourself - trust me!
Global warming: can we square the circle?
The weather is hitting the headlines again. Tornadoes, typhoons and floods are making life not just difficult, but downright dangerous for many rural commuters. Treasure Hill, for example, has seen large volumes of water cascading across the carriageway over the last couple of days, and at least one large oak fell across the Andover Road.
All the experts agree that increasingly violent and frequent storms are a result of global warming, but individually and collectively we seem unable to accept that our use of fossil fuels is drastically altering our country's climate (and our world's).
Confronting these issues is unpleasant, but unavoidable. On the one hand we have the fuel protesters, who seem to enjoy substantial public support, demanding big cuts in fuel duty. This can only result in increased UK omissions of 'greenhouse' gasses. Will we insist on cheaper petrol in the short term, even if it means irreversible climate damage? It's a stark choice.
Highclere Highlights
Here are some of my favourites from our local flora and fauna. All can be found within the parish boundaries, and many can be seen all year round. How many can you spot over the course of the year?
| Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
Adder Badger Brambling Brimstone butterfly Buzzard Cowslip Fox Ramsons Violet |
Chiff-chaff Clouded white Comma Common helleborine Grass snake Green Woodpecker Hornet Nightjar Pipistrelle bat Short tailed vole Silver-washed fritillary Slow worm |
Brown hare Cep, or 'penny bun' mushroom Chanterelle mushroom Common toad Muntjac, or 'barking deer' Shaggy ink cap mushroom Smooth newt Sparrowhawk Tawny owl |
Bullfinch Great spotted woodpecker Jay Kestrel Marsh/willow tit Redwing Roe deer Siskin |
Nightjar
Have You Seen One of These?
I'm interested in sightings of the following. If you've seen one please contact me, either by phone on 01635 255101, or by emailing sue.msrassociates@tiscali.co.uk.
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Coming soon...
Watch out for our new Wildlife Gardening section! This will be packed full of useful tips on how to turn your garden into the first line of defence for our increasingly beleagured wild animals, and links to great Web resources, such as the Postcode Plants Database, which tells you which wild plants are local to you, and should therefore do well in your garden.
Links to Local Wildlife Trusts
- Hampshire Wildlife Trust
- Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust
- Wiltshire Wildlife Trust
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