Paul Smith's Bugs 'n' Bees

 

2005-2007

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January 2005-Starlings are now losing their winter spots and  individuals try out some mimicry tricks. Some remember the telephone ringing, the car alarm or even a doorbell. Others mimic other birdcalls - such as the Golden Oriels. Song thrushes are singing early this year and from one high Winsham ash tree a very strange song had been heard. Not a British bird but something perhaps heard at some zoo or a jungle film on the telly. On each occasion, after a time, a lone starling as flown out . A bright red bracket fungus has been reported to have been seen  growing  on a Winsham Whitebeam tree.   Could be a specimen of 'Trametes Cinnabarina'.

With Sparrow Hawks becoming more common some people find them difficult to distinguish from Kestrels as they fly quickly overhead. The former has wide wings of a true hawk while the Kestrel is a species of Falcon with thin wings.   
With the long series of comparatively mild winters continuing the first spring flowers - a Celandine and a Primrose - were reported before Christmas. As usual several single plants of Hogweed graced our roadside verges. On the fungus front a fine growth of Chanterelle were growing in a garden corner where beech leaves are often discarded.Bird watchers report a regular visit from a pair of Firecrests.
 A new report is of a Corn Bunting which picks up the droppings on the grass beneath fat balls put out for other smaller species especially the Winsham flock of Long Tailed Tits.

 

February 2005-There has been a report of a very large 'furry' BUMBLE BEE feeding on the nectar from many wild flowers (including primroses, pink campion, cowslip and hedge parsley) before seeking a nesting site. The similar shaped hairless bee will be seen later in the season.This is the CUCKOO BEE that lays its eggs in the Bumbles nest.

Now in full flower under a bird-feeding site is a good specimen of HEDGE PARSLEY (T. japonica) that normally flowers after the rampant roadside Cow Parsley had died down. There was a case (some forty years ago) of a spectacular plant that grew from under a Winsham bird table.It turned out to be CANNABIS. It was promptly destroyed.

Just after the War (1946) some cheap grass seed was used to reseed a small arable field in Winsham. For many years this yielded a wonderful display of wild flowers including wild mignonette , poppies, wild pansies , cranesbills and fumitory.

Bird sightings include Song and Mistle Thrushes feeding on ivy berries. Also both GOLDCRESTS and FIRECRESTS have been closely observed towards the top of the Village.

 


January 2006-A tour by bike and car around most of the Parish lanes just after Christmas revealed no wild flowers this year. The few frosty nights and the slight fall of snow destroyed the single specimens of Celandine, Groundsel and Hogweed that had bravely just appeared. Garden birds have been profuse. Chaffinches, Greenfinches and various Tits (nine Long tails) , even a Gold crest but only a single Siskin and Brambling so far. A cock blackbird is already nest building. There is a report of a blackbird with a white tail feather.
Now (end January) the view has little changed. The garden finch flock numbers over sixty. A Mistle Thrush sang only a few notes. A few Primroses and Snowdrops are just reported in flower. Also another Groundsel, some Violets, a Dandelion and a lone Celandine. There is a National Bird Census this weekend. 

 

February 2006-The wind change in February brought us a flock of Siskins and a few Bramblings. Many of the cock Siskins were in breeding colours (bright yellow and black) and readily fought with the Greenfinches on the nuts. One strange specimen is extra large and appears to be carrying baby fluff. There is a Chaffinch, seen for several years, that has yellowish furry legs. The Great Spotted Woodpecker has started his hammering call and a Song Thrush has a few notes of song. Wild Snowdrops are in the hedges (Western Way) and Primroses are appearing.A lovely specimen of the bright red Cup fungus has been handed in. There are many varieties of this species. They grow on fallen dead wood, usually twigs, and bear such English names as Elf Cup or this one, Eyelash Cup. They are inedible. 

 

April 2006-Spring was about a month late this year. So the early wild flowers - from snowdrops,
-wild violets-and primroses to bluebells, dog''s mercury, wood anemone and cowslips will not be swamped with early grass or nettles.
The fast mild day was 24th March and since then many of the colourful cock siskins
seem to have gone, blackbirds and song thrushes are singing, a brimstone butterfly
and a large bumble bee are reported. A tiny dark butterfly, seen in Western Way, was
probably a small-copper ( which lives on docks) The rare small-blue is too early .
Garden flowers are often profuse.
Now for a mystery! 

A small bag of eating potatoes was left on a Winsham table in a closed room one evening. At some time between about midnight and five am. the bag was torn open and a number of potatoes partly chewed up so that the pieces were apparently not eaten but deposited in and around the bag. As if the creature spat then out in small mouthfuls. A mouse was apparently too small and a rat would have left some droppings. Any ideas? 

 

May 2006-The warm weather towards the end of the first week saw the real arrival of Spring. The Siskins suddenly left and our Blackbirds went into full song. This is a poor year for song for most birds are too busy catching up with nesting.It was the insects that suddenly got busy as the weather warmed up on 5th May.A swarm of Honey bees first settled on a Churchyard gravestone before settling into the tower near the church clock. Two interesting swarms of flies filled the area between the trees. The first were blue flies with their long legs dangling. The circled from above the garden plants to up beyond sight over the trees. Among these was a swarm of tiny white Gnat -like flies, also circling.
At this time our Swallows and Martins were feeding high over the village UNTIL a Hobby suddenly appeared and for a time they had to circle the houses. 

 

Late May 2006-A very noisy period this year. The sound of Wild Boar in a Davies Close garden turned out to be Three hedgehogs trying to perform their courting ritual. A protracted sound down Court Street like some ten tom-cats fighting after
 midnight only stopped when someone shouted to them to be quiet. That turned 
out to be three large badgers fighting. As they dispersed in various directions one
 was still heard muttering to itself as it joined  the footpath at the base of Broadenham Lane.

One of the 29 species of Bumble Bee seen this year has been the 'yellow skirted'variety known as the CARDER Bee . These nest above ground.
 The toadstools growing were thought to be the species St. George.ut they were later seen to have a collar and were identified as the species 'Horse Mushroom'. These are normally an Autumn species.

 

October 2006-Due to the mildest season ever witnessed the leaves are still on the trees, which , like all plant life, are 'dripping with fruit. Gardens are practically deserted of wild life. Our Blackbirds and even Robins are still in the woods. Hedgehogs are still around and a litter of baby foxes were seen and heard playing in late September. Last week dragonflies and butterflies were about, especially near, waterways ( Rivers Parrett and Sid), and many Hummingbird moths seen earlier. 
Our unusual sightings (two independent reports) are of a large bird (seemingly larger than a buzzard (could have been a Red Kite) being attacked by a group of jackdaws and then by a single crow. In each case there was a much smaller hawk-like bird (thought to be a sparrow hawk), joining in.

Although the milder weather may tend to upset the balance of Nature it is also the length of daylight hours that determines our seasons.

 

December 2006-Recently a rare WRYNECK has been feeding on fat balls in a Winsham garden. Of the woodpecker family it is said to be very distinctive and unmistakable. Unlike the reported   'glimpse ' of a Yellow-browed Warbler seen recently. The Asiatic version of our Willow Warbler it is just one of some forty similar looking Warbler species. The mixed-finch flock from the Nursery area - mostly chaffinches - now numbers over thirty. A flock of twelve Long-tailed-Tits is seen every day. A Goldcrest is reported from the Court Street area. On 25 Nov. a large Grey Heron was seen circling the Village and pitched in an Ash tree overlooking a pond. There is a rescued baby Hedgehog growing well.Despite a couple of short night frosts earlier there are a few reports of late butterflies, dragonflies and the odd bumble-bee. 

 

Late December-2006 Despite the exceptionally mild spell (52C) only a few wild flowers are reported. The Marsh Marigold is on its third flowering and the Celendines are out.Pair of Jays has returned to a Winsham garden.
A  Song Thrush was singing at full pitch not here, but over the Lym river into Lyme Regis. A male Kestrel was seen perching on a roof and being mobbed by two blackbirds and other small birds. We usually see the Sparrow Hawk when every bird disappears. Wild bees have been reported buzzing from a Winsham garden
 

 

February 2007-A disappointing season, for most of the features of winter are missing. The Siskins and Bramblings are absent from the gardens; just a flock of Green finches and Chaffinches in the Nursery area.. Only small flocks of Redwings and Fieldfares are seen in the area. Snowdrops, without much competition, grace the hedges and insects are rare.
The only unusual bird reported was a Stonechat ,seen in Western Way.
A second baby Hedgehog , called Harry, has now grown to full size, like Spikey , but is bad tempered and growls if handled. They will be returned to the wild when real spring arrives. The rescued baby hedgehog (SPIKEY) is rapidly gaining, in weight and now full size but will have to remain indoors until being released in the true spring. Two synthetic House Martin nests are now available for siting on the Jubilee Hall when required.

 

Paul Smith died on the 22nd March,2007.It had been apparent for some time that his health was failing, but he remained active until the end, going off on his electric bicycle on expeditions into his beloved countryside when many wanted nothing more than to sit by their firesides . His love of the countryside, and the plants, animals and birds that inhabit it, is no more clearly expressed than in the drawings that were his delight to produce.

 

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