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Countryman Diary - September 2009
That tiny gem of a bird, the goldcrest – weighing in at less than a 10p coin and not much longer than a farmer’s little finger – is one of the big winners to emerge from the latest British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) bird survey.
It is estimated there are now around 1.5m goldcrest in the country, the highest level since records began in 1994. A run of mild winters is thought to have helped the goldcrest but the survey was completed before the 2008-09 winter which was more severe.
Kate Risely, organiser of the Breeding Bird Survey at the BTO, says: “With the declines in some of our summer migrants featuring in the Press recently, it is great to be able to report some good news, particularly when it concerns some of our most charismatic birds.”
Goldcrest regularly cross the North Sea to spend winter in the UK. It used to be thought it was too small to make the journey unaided and one old name for it was ‘woodcock pilot’, given because people believed it hitched a ride in the plumage of migrating woodcocks.
Two other small birds, the long-tailed tit and chiffchaff, also increased between 2007 and 2008 by seventeen and fourteen per cent respectively.
Tree survey
A three-year survey of more than 40,000 ancient trees, including Newton’s apple tree at Woolsthorpe and the yew tree which overlooked the signing of the Magna Carta at Runnymede, will reveal the full extent and condition of the ancient trees cared for by the National Trust.Ancient trees provide an extremely valuable habitat, hosting rare fungi, lichens and deadwood invertebrates, many of which are totally dependent on ancient trees for their survival. By surveying these habitats and their locations, the trust will be able to ensure that there are enough replacement ancient trees for the future.
The research will be carried out by an Ancient Tree Advisor and the records will also be added to the Woodland Trust’s Ancient Tree Hunt. Cadbury are supporting the trust in their maintenance of countryside sites.
Ray Hawes, Head of Forestry at the trust, says: “Ancient trees can be thought of as the cathedrals of the natural world. This new survey will provide us with the opportunity to understand more about these special trees in our care and map their exact locations. “Trees play such an important part in shaping our landscapes and reflecting our history that we need to make sure that the ancient trees in our care and the next generation to follow them can be enjoyed by everyone.”
Rates help for pubs and shops
Village pubs and post offices are falling by the wayside at an alarming rate yet one scheme designed to help such businesses is being drastically underused. Under the Rural Rate Relief scheme small businesses are entitled to fifty per cent help with council rates, and local authorities also have discretionary power to grant up to 100 per cent rate relief.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says that up to forty-seven per cent of businesses could be missing out on the relief. Linda Walton, Rural Affairs and Tourism chairman at the FSB, says: “Every week we hear of the death of village shops and pubs yet the Rural Rate Relief scheme, which was specifically set up to help these rural businesses, is being chronically underused. Village shops and pubs are at the heart of village life and the failure of such a business can devastate local communities. The Treasury must ensure our village shops and pubs do not go the same way as the Royal Show [which ended this year] by enabling our local authorities to give 100 per cent rate relief during this downturn.”
From my blog
I receive a great deal of correspondence from readers who think wind turbines are a batty solution for energy problems. Bats aren’t too enchanted with them either. As with many birds, bats are being killed by the huge blades through collisions or by experiencing sudden depressurisation when near the blades. There are currently 206 windfarms (2,381 turbines) in the UK and with plans for another 444 sites being looked at, these ‘Triffids’ could have a far greater effect on our bat and small bird population than any introduced predator could ever have.
I hear now that scientists at Aberdeen University, funded by the People’s Trust for Endangered Animals, are hoping to help the bats by creating a sort of portable radar beam to steer them clear of danger. Maybe we need more scientists working on better forms of energy? See my weekly blog online.
It’s only a game
Village cricket is a serious business, as we who have participated all know. While I’m out walking I’ll always stop and see a few overs if I’m passing a local game. I’d just sat down at one pretty ground in Lancashire when the batsman struck the ball straight back towards the umpire at the bowler’s end. It struck his head and the ball plopped straight into the bowler’s hands.
A heated discussion broke out about whether the batsman was out or not; rule books were scanned and great discussion took place amongst the small gathering of spectators. Meanwhile, the umpire, whose son happened to be the batsman in question, was having blood wiped from his furrowed brow by his concerned wife and tea-maker.
I didn’t hang around to see what happened but I can only assume the discussion continued well after the evening meal in one particular household.
Paul Jackson |
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