253 October 2015 - Gryffe Advertizer

www.advertizer.co.uk october 2015
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The past month has seen our second brood of swallows underneath the
tower leave the nest (fledge). The chicks flew around the front of the Visitor
Centre for the first couple days, before venturing further afield. Other wildlife
highlights included an Osprey fishing in the Aird Meadow Loch, a Kingfisher
and a very late Swift. Our work on the reserve in September centred around
the mowing of the vegetation on the Aird meadow, with a view to keeping
good conditions for the many flowers that grow there!
The month of October see’s a number of exciting events at the Reserve.
The school half-term break sees the return of Make Your Own Monday’s
and Funtime Friday’s on the 12th & 16th respectively. The Reserve will also
host a Wildlife Explorers event on 17 Oct, Bat Night on Fri 23 Oct and a
visit from Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue on Saturday 31 Oct. Come and learn
about the wonderful work done by the local Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue
Centre, meet some of their patients and hear about the different things the
staff deal with there.
Finally, our ever popular annual Fright Night will be on Friday 30 Oct (6 –
9pm). This is the highlight of the year for many in and around Lochwinnoch,
including our own staff and volunteers! So if you fancy a guided walk like no
other, book now while there are still spaces!
For more details or to book on an event, please contact us at: 01505 842
663 or email: lochwinnoch@rspb.org.uk
Trees can pose a hazard at any time of the year due to poor tree
surgery in the past, root damage from ground works, decayed and
dying limbs or even lightning strikes!
The reason why October is a great time to inspect them is because
this is the time of year when some of the tell tale signs are most
easily spotted.
Early leaf fall or discolouration compared to other trees of the same
species can be a sign of ill-health.
Most pertinently, October is the best time to observe the fruiting
bodies of Fungi some of which are great to eat, some can make you
see fairies and some are poisonous. Most of us already know this,
but did you know that some can kill your trees?
They have a range of exotic and tongue-twisting names like the
pictured Honey Fungus
(Armillaria mellea), Brittle
Cinder (Kretzschamria
deusta) and Artist’s
Bracket (Ganoderma
applanatum), but on
a serious note, they
can have catastrophic
consequences if not
identified early.
If you own trees you have a
legal duty of care to ensure
they are safe to the public
and property.
Furthermore, the best
way to avoid unnecessary
removal of a beautiful
Birch or the disfigurement
of a grand old Oak is to
have them inspected by a trained and experienced professional.
Contact David Treanor (Certified Arborist) of Tree Wise Tree
Surgeons for more information on 07969 306 387 or 0141 887 8125.
www.TreeWiseTreeSurgeons.co.uk