Field And Stream

Field & Stream We’re surrounded by wildlife wonder

The Blackmore Vale and areas on its periphery offers outstanding scenery and havens for wildlife all with easy travelling distance and is a dream for naturalists. To the east is the New Forest with its mighty oaks, which affords sanctuary in the busy south of England to roe, sika, muntjac, fallow and the mighty red deer which I consider king of the UK’s mammals. Ober Heath being the generations old location for October’s rutting grounds for the red deer stags. Watching two stags viciously clashing antlers in dawn light for the right to mate has to be one of the wildlife events of the year. Heading south is the rolling chalk downlands of Cranborne Chase roamed by my favourite animal, the hare. The earth pocket marked by ancient man’s and Roman earthworks looked

THE FIELD with Tria Stebbing With the sheep happily grazing it is time to turn our attention to the security and maintenance side of the field. We plan to keep the ewes on autumn grazing in the next village as long as there is good grass. This gives us time to look carefully at the hedges in our own field. How boring… but it’s nice work in the wintery sun, and far better to have it sorted before they come back. Him indoors, or in our world “Him outdoors”, has been working hard laying the hedges on our boundary. Hedgelaying is a craft that has been practiced for hundreds of years. It allows the hedge to slowly increase in size and keep healthy as well as providing a stock barrier and down upon by the red kite soaring in the skies, a recent newcomer to the area not seen here just 20 years ago. Many of the Chase’s great land-owning estates now actively protects wildlife, replanting trees and hedgerows to entice and regenerate wildlife onto their vast tracts of land. Sandwiched between the chase and sea are the great dense habitat for wildlife. If you see a hedge that looks as though it has been plaited or woven at the bottom rather than harshly cut across the top, the chances are that it has been laid. When you lay a hedge, you bend or partially cut through the shrubbery and arch the stems without breaking them so they can be intertwined, forming a dense base from which shoots will form future height. Pleaching is the term used to describe the partial cut stem, which is laid over, sap will continue to rise through this small piece and will force the plant to regenerate, and shoot new life from its base. Its nature’s own mindfulness, to sit in the sun, pleaching and weaving the “Liggers” knowing that you are making a hedge secure, thick and a haven for nature. In different parts of the country there are even different

PLAIN TO SEE: A Great Bustard on Salisbury Plain and, inset, David Bailey’s latest book Wildlife Wanderings heaths of Dorset, famous for rare reptiles such as the smooth snake and sand lizards. Bordering the heaths to the east is Poole Harbour where during the summer months ospreys are seen due to a reintroduction program. Flowing through the heart of the Vale is the mighty River Stour, classed as life blood to the area, as all life requires water, here river life styles of laying. This is not to be confused with the huge machinery currently flailing the hedgerows next to the roads. These can only be cut back at not allowed between March and August to protect nesting birds. It looks barbaric at times but needed to maintain light and to prevent the hedges from growing out too far into the fields or roadside. It is not practical for a farmer to sit abounds, otters, kingfishers, the list is long. How long will it be before the beaver is reintroduced? The Somerset Levels can be found to the northwest, well known and loved by the bird twitchers of this world with the spectacular starling murmurations and home to the successful introduction of the crane. Heading east once again to complete a full 360 degrees we stumble on to Salisbury Plain, home of the British Army, affording a discreet and safe location for the highly successful Great Bustard project. You can book a hide in advance with the project, to be driven on to the otherwise off-limits MoD land, with the months of April/May affording the best time of year to witness their DAVID BAILEY

Hedge laying to curb flock’s wanderlust

80 certain times of the year – it is lek (display) season. basking in the sun laying his hedge, hence those big tractors crawling along with their huge arms spread out – usually when you are in a hurry! A quick word of warning: if you are out walking don’t step on the freshly cut hawthorn. A good friend did this recently, we had to cut her welly boot off to release the thorn from the bottom of her foot, it was a painful experience. The stock fence will need tensioning, one of the lambs had a fascination for putting her head through it last spring, the grass always being greener no matter if it is on the other side of a fence. The field will be safer for this essential maintenance and when I am walking the perimeter in the dark and mud next spring trying to put the sheep to bed I will at least be confident that they can’t escape….I hope!

Amazing autumnal almanac

The clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in and photographer Paul Dibben has captured the glorious autumunal and reflections around Sherborne castle