Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2013/January 2014 | Page 43
COUNTRY LIFE
K eep a n eye out
Red squirrels under threat
A report recently published describes how red squirrels in Britain
are dying as a result of human activities. In a study lasting 10 years,
post-mortem examinations were performed on red squirrels; over 60
per cent of deaths were due, directly or indirectly, to human activities.
Road traffic accidents were the single most common cause of death (42
per cent). The second most common cause was attack by domestic cats
and dogs (9.2 per cent).
Other human activity-related deaths were caused by rat traps, rat bait
poisoning and electrocution. Helen Butler, who manages the Wight
Squirrel Project, said: “Red squirrels benefit from supplementary
feeding and many people enjoy watching them in their gardens.
However, care is needed in positioning feeders to reduce the risk of
attack by cats and dogs and in the deployment of rat traps and rat
poison.” Visit www.wightsquirrel.co.uk
It is hoped hundreds of Islanders will take part in the
RSPB’s annual Big Garden Birdwatch on January 25-26.
The Big Garden Birdwatch, which has been running for
35 years, provides the RSPB with masses of information
about changes in numbers of garden birds in winter, and
helps to alert conservationists to significant declines in UK
garden species.
To take part, people are asked to spend just one hour at
any time of Big Garden Birdwatch weekend noting the
highest number of each bird species seen in their gardens
or local outside space at any one time. They then have
three weeks to submit their results to the RSPB, either
online at rspb.org.uk/birdwatch or in the post.
Richard Bashford, RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch
Manager said: “Thousands of people have been giving
nature a home in their gardens across the country and
Big Garden Birdwatch is a great way of reaping the
rewards by seeing what creatures are finding a refuge
there over the winter. From December 16 you can
register to take part in Big Garden Birdwatch 2014 at
rspb.org.uk/birdwatch.”
A cou ntry ma n's dia ry
With autumn melting into winter, our busy season appears
to have started with a canter. High winds in late October
provided us with a couple of weeks work, clearing up
some fallen trees and making safe a couple more left
standing precariously.
Last year’s season never really got going because of the
bad weather, but there is a genuine sense of enthusiasm
and expectations for this winter. Hedge planting has
already begun, with over 1,000 metres of new hedges
already under our belt, and lots more on the way.
A couple of small copses are lined up to be created and
we have been selling lots of fruit trees from our nursery,
with many people wanting to plant three or four in their
garden creating a mini orchard, not just for themselves but
also for over wintering birds. Don’t forget, where you can
leave some windfalls on the ground for the black birds,
thrushes, fieldfares and with luck redwings.
Working in woodlands takes up a large portion of our
winter time, and it’s always nice to get started before
Christmas and complete a chunk of this work ahead of the
New Year. We are currently in a damp woodland, which
has some very flora species rich tracks running through it.
Over time, these become shaded out and their habitat
reduces. Our work is part of an ambitious and somewhat
experimental plan to reduce the tree cover in this
compartment by 50 to 75 per cent. It will then be fenced
and cattle introduced at certain times of the year. They will
control the course vegetation and understory re-growth,
while spreading the species rich flora on their hoofs.
www.visitislandlife.com
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