Odiham Biodiversity Group - Newsletter December 2007

Do you have mistletoe in your garden?

On his visits to Odiham, Tony Mundell (the north Hampshire Flora recorder) has been impressed with the amount of mistletoe that he has seen and the different species of tree that it appears on. On Odiham Common mistletoe grows on ash trees and this is rather unusual.

To investigate this and add to Tony’s county records, we have decided to do a survey. Now the leaves have fallen it’s much easier to see the mistletoe but less easy to identify the host. Please let us know if you have mistletoe in your garden. We need to know the species of the tree that it grows on and a grid reference for your garden or your post code will suffice. Any other records in the wider countryside, if you can supply the same information would also add to the picture.

Churchyard Small Mammal Survey

On the 8th and 9th of November with the help of Amanda Bassett from the Hampshire Wildlife Trust we carried out a small mammal survey of the Churchyard. Eight traps were set and next morning we found that three were occupied. All three occupants were wood mice – 2 males and a female. Not much of a variety but at least we know that there is life there!

Churchyard and Cemetery Surveys

We are now coming to the end of the surveys and would like to thank all the people who have helped over the last year, particularly Wendy, Carol, Liz and Julie who have been doing the bird surveys. We are now collating our findings and will write our reports which we will submit to the Churchwardens and The Parish Council in due course. It has been a fascinating year for discovering what lives in these special places – from Red-legged partridges in the Cemetery to the Fiddle dock in the Churchyard! The numbers of cowslips, primroses, ox-eye daisies, scabious and knapweed on the south side of the Cemetery were particularly stunning.

Sofa birdwatching

We were lucky with the weather – a cold sunny morning and the birds duly obliged. Blue tits, Great tits, a Robin, Chaffinches and Goldfinches all appeared on the feeders.

Winter Birds

Many people have noticed the Fieldfares and Redwings that have now arrived. These are winter visitors to our shores and are members of the thrush family. Redwings are slightly smaller than a Song thrush and have distinctive red colouring under their wings, whilst Fieldfares are a little larger with a grey crown. Both have the thrushes’ speckled breast. Mistle thrushes are also making their presence felt – or rather heard – they have a very distinctive call like a football rattle, as they defend a favourite berry-laden shrub.

We are arranging a winter bird walk with Peter Hutchins in January – more details in next month’s newsletter.

Paul’s Talk

I think that all those who attended would agree with me that Paul’s talk was quite fascinating and we now know that Ratty no longer lives in the canal (except maybe in the western section), the shrub with distinctive pink berries and orange seeds is the Spindle and the cygnets once grown are driven away by their parents and probably end up on Tundry Pond. Thanks to all who came to this very successful evening and we now have our insurance money for next year!

Tree Trails

Following our tree trail walks we are now producing two leaflets – one concentrating on the Churchyard and Chamberlain Gardens and the other on the Cemetery, King Street and Buryfields. More details next month.

Buryfields

On 6th November Paul Hope, the canal ranger, and Carol Gibbons visited Buryfields infant school to talk to the children about the canal and local animals . Paul explained the need for managing the trees by the canal and dressed up volunteers in his safety gear to illustrate his work. He then showed everyone the skulls of a badger, fox and deer: animals many of the children had seen in the area. The audience was enthusiastic and asked interesting questions and Carol and Paul had a very enjoyable morning.

OTHER ORGANISATIONS EVENTS

Hampshire Wildlife Trust Walk at The Vyne Sunday 9th December

Ruth Cairns will lead a walk around the fascinating and beautiful grounds of this National Trust property, keeping an eye open for wildlife along the way. Meet at 10.00 am and park at The Vyne car park, Morgaston Road, Sherborne St. John (Map ref. SU 637 576). For further details, please contact Ruth on 01256 326364.

Hampshire County Council Guided walks

Hampshire County Council produce a little booklet (free) of guided walks in Hampshire. They range from weekly 1 hour ‘health’ walks in and around Basingstoke to a 12 _ mile walk on the 27th December around Greywell via Tunworth, Mapledurwell and Upton Grey. There are many other walks throughout the county including some on the coast.

The booklet is available from Odiham library – as are the Parish Council’s footpath maps.

For more information about the group please contact Sheila Bates on 01256 701187 or e-mail at smbates@btinternet.com