Devonshire September October 2018
We pay a visit to Honiton and Ashburton. Devon's Countryside, Wildlife, History and Events
We pay a visit to Honiton and Ashburton. Devon's Countryside, Wildlife, History and Events
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Before the drought<br />
You guessed it, the drought - ground parched<br />
me right, a good crop of swedes<br />
is some forty tons to the acre,<br />
(showing my age!) not 40 plants<br />
to the acre as I saw in one field<br />
I walked recently. The issue of<br />
increasing world temperatures is<br />
of grave concern and maybe we<br />
all need to think very carefully<br />
about how we need to change our<br />
modern lives to ensure we pass this<br />
planet on to our children in a better<br />
direction than we are presently<br />
going. I could go on relentlessly<br />
about how I have noticed, all totally<br />
unscientifically, as to how things<br />
seem to have changed in my life<br />
time but there are so many reason<br />
to believe the actual facts now.<br />
Enough, it is not my intention to put<br />
you off reading this, but I believe<br />
it is now time to think about our<br />
legacy to future generations. So<br />
to the more unusual things I have<br />
noticed over this summer.<br />
Though only one swallow retured<br />
to nest this year in the small barn,<br />
it successfully fledged all itʼs young<br />
and soon huge flocks of young<br />
Countryman's Diary<br />
<strong>September</strong> and <strong>October</strong><br />
Foraging well worth getting out to see what<br />
you can find.<br />
1. Field mushrooms, blackberries, sloes will<br />
be plentiful this autumn.<br />
2. Any prolonged rise in river levels will<br />
bring Salmon and Sea trout into rivers.<br />
If not fishing for them the River Lyn<br />
can be a great place to see them in<br />
migration.<br />
3. Large flocks of swallows and martins<br />
gathering for their migration south<br />
through <strong>September</strong>.<br />
4. Many winter migrant birds arrive<br />
through <strong>October</strong>, any estuary in Devon<br />
there will have plenty to see.<br />
5. Last few days of <strong>September</strong> and the<br />
Red deer rut will start, any cold evening<br />
near woodland close to Exmoor and you<br />
should hear the Stags.<br />
The humble hedgehog, an increasingly rare sight these days<br />
A Fritillary butterfly<br />
gathered over the house from<br />
mid July on. Even better another<br />
couple have now started on a<br />
second brood. Both used old nests<br />
sites as the mud they require to<br />
build afresh has been in short<br />
supply. Recently 40 odd house<br />
martins have been exploring the<br />
gable end of the house. Often<br />
they place the odd spot of mud<br />
in an attempt to build, but never<br />
complete a nest. However lack of<br />
mud has lead to these resourceful<br />
characters trying a new tactic. On<br />
extending the cottage 25 odd years<br />
ago I cut a small hole under the<br />
barge boards for bats should they<br />
wish the roof as a roost. The bats<br />
continued page 33<br />
Butterfly hunter!<br />
15<br />
15
Change language