Response to 'Jackdaws and Insects'

Tue 1 Jul 2008, 18:07

NOT DRAINING - reducing the level A BIT! One can play around a bit with the hydraulics without stuffing the wildlife and improve amenity without damage. Now, more generally, following last summer's deluge - and we are going to get more like that, for sure - one obvious solution they seemed to have missed out on is a couple of 6 foot drain pipes run through the embankment stationwards of the bridge. In Canada we'd never dream of building an embankment like that without emergency relief drains of that sort, but then 3 or 4" in one hit isn't uncommon in Southern Ontario just north of shallow and warm Lake Erie (once had 6" down in 90 minutes about '67 - now THAT was rain! One could hardly breathe outside). Britain's changing climate means that sort of deluge is going to become almost commonplace, alas.

Tue 1 Jul 2008, 17:38

The mill field is owned and managed by Charlbury Town Council,and in the past when we had local farmers with cattle it was indeed grazed, and as for Mr Blackmores idea of draining Water Lane, makes me think what planet he is from! does he want the next flood to reach Bull Corner, this it a very important flood plain in the Evenlode Valley, and there is me thinking he cared for mother nature.

Tue 1 Jul 2008, 17:17

Harry has made a most considered contribution - and its not personal anecdotes of what people see that makes the statistics, its the overall patchiness of numbers, strong in some areas, weak in areas where 3 years ago it was strong (like my wildlife friendly front garden!). However, I particularly liked the idea of some school projects, having a 6 yr old there (the 11 yr old is off to Chippy, all the toffs seem to be sending theirs to Burford but we can't afford the bus fare!!). Turns out that BBOWT have got a school nature club project they are trying to start up, my wife mentioned to me, I hadn't seen the mailing, will see if I can find the relevant details. But Harry is right - Mill field is a bit of a desert and dog latrine (the latter point could make grazing it a bit difficult tho' a few skewered Jack Russell corpses from long horned cattle might learn the little wretches some manners... err yes, I don't like JR's...nasty little ankle biters one notch up from chiggers, but only just puts on tin hat and dives for trench). But seriously, what is the status of Mill Field - is it a common land, in which case it can be grazed can't it?

I just wish they would drain Watery Lane just a little bit to make it passable to younger kids, and a small footbridge thrown across the bottom just by the road and car park would make for a nice circular walk without having to go along up the footpathless road, be easy to do with a couple of telegraph poles and a handrail and chainlink fencing, be all that was needed. Improve the amenity no end for the area.

Tue 1 Jul 2008, 15:36

ive been sat in the bear garden at the plough there are lots of lovely red an black butterfiles.lovey to see as ive not seen many this year so far.

Tue 1 Jul 2008, 13:10

I think they are probably 'humming bird' hawk moths. Even so they are very large for moths.

Tue 1 Jul 2008, 11:10

I've just seen two moths on our path. They were joined end-to-end for some time. One is a very light brown the other a darker brown. Their bodies must be nearly two inches long with a wing span of at least two & a half inches. Does anyone know what sort of moth they are?

Tue 1 Jul 2008, 10:56

Harry's ecological observations are interesting, but there are still flycatchers nesting not that far from the Mill Field. And although some people seem to be able to see them, there are still plenty of jackdaws nesting in the Ditchley Rd area--indeed, one is outside my window right now. Plenty of birds, in fact, in my garden, although blackbirds seem to be the most common.

Mon 30 Jun 2008, 23:27

Perhaps you would like some of Leafield's jackdaws? Plenty up there.

Sun 29 Jun 2008, 19:29

I think Malcolm has put his finger on something important, but I don’t think it’s something that’s happened suddenly. There’s been a great deal of change in Charlbury’s ecosystems over the last ten or fifteen years. Much of that is just part of changing patterns, or the consequence of big…

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