Tuesday 30 July 2013

Giant Clocks

The wildlife meadow at Townfields has turned out better than was first expected. I was particularly pleased to see not just one plant of Goat's Beard, as I expected but several, with their massive (double size dandelion) "clocks", there. A number of yellow Hawkweeds or Hawk's-beards (I shall have to look more closely at these) also appeared as well as Knapweed which is such a good butterfly plant. There is a plan to sow poppies as part of a national campaign to comemorate the Centenary of World War One next year. This is a fine idea although I doubt they will grow in the turf. They may well do best in the abandoned scruffy bits around the edge, since they are plants of disturbed ground such as cornfields (and battlefields) rather than hedgerows. - George

Monday 13 May 2013

Springing up!

Two surveys to show parties from Sandbach Town and Cheshire East Councils in the last week or two have found Brook Wood in lovely condition. Today we found the Large Bittercress colony in full flower. The grassy areas have sadly been mown (arrangements are in hand to manage this better) but otherwise the Wood is in fine fettle with much vivid green to be seen, Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps singing, the new paths looking a treat and Bluebells (some true wild but also a few garden escapes) in flower.
All records of wildlife seen in the wood will be gratefully received at the email address of this blog. - George

Thursday 28 March 2013

Spring (and orchids?) cometh!

After a long gap - extended by the bitter weather of late - spring seems near. The first sign was of yellow-jacketed people working in the Park, where relocation of some of the mossy turf (hopefully holding common spotted orchids) from Waterworks Farm was underway. A very enthusiastic group from the Park Friends, SWWG and A Rocha moved turf blocks to both ends of the Park "valley, with more to go around the pond. A few chunks were also inserted into the Morris Homes slope in Brook Wood, where the concrete rubble should be liked by the orchids.
The path through Brook Wood is now looking great at both ends thanks to the efforts of Careforce and others. It was therefore too tempting not to take a walk and look for other signs of spring. See picture below! Below Mill Hill Lane the very first Lesser Celandines were in flower (Pic 1)
as, in Beech Wood was some Gorse and the first Coltsfoot Pic 2). Right by the orchid plantings, a flock of Siskins was feeding. In St Mary's Wood the snowdrop colony is flowering through the carpet of Ivy. And, of course, there's the path (Pic 3)
  - George