country life
Island Life - April/May 2011
Pignut
Yellow Hammer
A member of the carrot family, and as the
name suggests, sort after by foraging pigs.
However they were also a free snack for
children, before the discovery of crisps!
Commonly found in wood, hedgerows and
heathy grassland during late spring, their
starch rich tubers are buried about 15 cm
(6”) or more deep.
Resident all year round, with their
numbers increasing in March and April
because of summer immigrants, many
from Scandinavia. The brightly coloured
male will sing all day from his perch, on
top of a hedge, bush or fence post. In
gardens they will prefer to feed on the
ground, eating grass seed, grain and, in
the summer, invertebrates.
The
Island’s
Newest
Nature
Reserve
Brading Down has become
the seventh Local Nature
Reserve to be designated on
the Island and the first since
1993. A local nature reserve
is somewhere that’s important
for both wildlife and people.
They are places with wildlife
and geological features that
are of special interest locally
and give people opportunities
to study and learn about
them, or just simply enjoy
nature. Brading Down, is free
for all to use, has spectacular
panoramic views, and is one
of the Island’s most popular
sites for recreation, picnicking
and wildlife watching. With
almost four miles of footpaths
and bridleways, it is well served
by access and offers a wealth
of habitats to explore and
opportunities for everyone
to enjoy the countryside. In
addition to it’s nationally
important chalk downland
habitats, there is an ancient
field system, which is the finest
of it’s kind on the Island and a
Scheduled Ancient Monument.
www.iwight.com/countryside.
May (hawthorn)
Regarded as the ‘King’ of the hedgerow, it is possibly our most common
countryside hedge plant. The stem and
branches are covered in thorns all over
and was used for retaining livestock
before the invention of fences. Dense,
cluster of white flowers, blossom in May.
Individual specimens create wonderful
windswept shapes on our downlands
and along the coast.
Wildlife Adventures
As well as off W&