RSPB AYLESBERE COMMON cont’d/…

from July 2023

OBSERVATIONS OF A BLUE TIT FAMILY AT WEBBERS MEADOW cont’d/...

June 2023

The cows will be back on Aylesbeare Common for the summer and there are ponies grazing Manor Common and Withycombe Raleigh Common. We are able to graze the whole of Manor Common for the first time in many years because we have fenced it. During March, we put in about 800m of fence along the roadside, and we’ve put a temporary electric fence around the rest of the perimeter. There was a smaller electric fence loop but this is now dismantled. We use traditional breeds that are hardy and well-adapted to the heathland environment for conservation grazing. These include Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies. These animals help us to manage the heaths by keeping on top of more vigorous grasses and scrub, allowing the heathland specialists to thrive. Historic grazing has shaped the heaths that we see today and we now use it as a management tool to maintain the best environment for the rare and vulnerable species found here. This June we’ve had a long hot and dry spell, and we’ve been anxious, especially over the weekends, about the risk of wildfire. There were wildfires in Scotland and at a Devon Wildlife Trust site (not locally) and it’s just something that we as heathland managers have to be prepared for. We prepare our sites as much as possible through fire breaks from mowing, tracks and vegetation clearance. The grazing animals have helped by reducing molinia – the dead brown leaves are a tinder in the spring before it’s all come up green again. Remember that barbeques and fires are not allowed, and do not leave glass bottles around which could cause fires. Just a note on dogs on the heathland. Most of our sites, and the Pebblebed Heaths, are open access land, and we graze them all, at varying times of the year, with cows or ponies. Please bear in mind the following which is taken from a press release from Devon and Cornwall police.

“All land is owned, and access is not a given right, so it is important that users of the countryside understand specific designations of land and ‘rights of way’. For example, on land which is designated as ‘access land’ a dog must be on a lead between the 1 March and 31 July and at all times when livestock are present.

Allowing dogs to chase or attack livestock is a criminal offence. Take notice of local signage, respect wildlife and any livestock around you, keeping your dog on a lead to protect livestock and ground nesting birds.

If you witness an attack on livestock, do not intervene, keep yourself safe and call 999. All other information relating to attacks on livestock should be reported to the police online or by calling 101.”

With regard to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) which provides for “right to roam” across common land it does indeed require you to control your dog near livestock, but it also requires you to keep it on a short lead between 1 March and 31 July to minimise disturbance to groundnesting birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Research has shown that birds avoid nesting in land where they are constantly put to flight by dogs roaming away from footpaths. If your dog simply follows you along the tracks, then there is no reason why you should keep it on the lead, but if it strays away, no matter how well mannered it may be, it will disturb the wildlife. Please help us by setting the right example to fellow dog walkers –this is often as useful as anything else and we do appreciate it. We are a nature reserve that’s what our work is all about. The nightjars have begun breeding now, churring every evening. The silverstudded blue butterflies are on the wing and the damsel and dragonflies are hawking about. We’ll be looking forward to Heath Week soon enough, at the end of July. Enjoy the heaths this month and thank you for supporting and valuing the work we do to maintain the habitat for you to enjoy.

Fiona Daggett, Warden

WOODBURY GARDEN CLUB

TUESDAY 11 JULY, 19.15

WOODBURY VILLAGE HALL

Peter Cantrell: Favourite Herbaceous Plants. Visitors welcome - £3.

Weather Report For May

The first eleven days of the month continued the rather wetter than average spring of 2023, 56mm of rain being recorded here at Ebford. On the afternoon of Tuesday 9 May, 15mm fell in a very short time, including some hailstones, producing some locally serious flooding.

From the 12th, summer began with three dry weekends, warmer temperature and fine conditions generally in a consistent easterly air stream. So the total rainfall for the month of 58mm(2.3 inches) was a little more than the average over 23 years of 51.4mm (2.0ins). However, the distribution was a little unusual.

Norman Cann

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The Mobile Library In Woodbury

7 July. 4 August. 1 & 29 September. 24 November.

The van stops near The Arch bus stop on the opposite side to the garage from 14.00 to 15.30.

Contact the Devon Libraries Service at info@librariesunlimited.org.uk or by phone at 0345 1551001 for more information.

Note To Contributors From The Editorial Team

We are most grateful to all contributors for sending in copy and photographs for inclusion in Woodbury News. Without your efforts, our monthly publication simply would not exist. However, please may we remind you to help us by sending in your contributions by the closing date, and even more importantly, before the deadline of 19.00 on that day.

If you are not yet on the list of people who have already provided me with their email address so that I can send you a reminder each month, please do so now. This arrives in your inbox one week before the deadline. Emails go out bcc, so no-one knows who else is on the list.

Sue Bury (Editor), suebury@aol.com

Forthcoming Events

30 June Summer Picnic/live music. The Goosefield, Exton. 18.30-22.00.

1 July St Swithun’s Church lych gate stall. 09.30 to 11.00.

1 July Woodbury School Summer Fair. 11.00-15.00.

7 July Mobile Library. The Arch bus stop. 14.00-15.30.

8 July Tennis Club Open Morning. 10.00-13.00.

8 July Cream Tea and Family Walking Quiz. 14.30-16.30. The Glebe Field, Woodbury Salterton.

9 July Tennis Club Annual Tournament.

11 July Woodbury Garden Club, 19.15, WVH. Peter Cantrell Favourite Herbaceous Plants. Visitors welcome - £3.

13 July Woodbury WI High Tea, Imperial Hotel, 15.00.

14 July Summer Concert. 19.00, St Swithun’s Church.

15 July St Swithun’s Church lych gate stall. 09.30 to 11.00.

15 July St Swithun’s Weekend. 10.00-16.00.

22 July Cream Tea with Pimms. Greenside, Greenway. 15.00-18.00.

22 July Toys of Innocence & Experience, Exeter Phoenix, 11.00-17.00.

4 August Mobile Library. The Arch bus stop. 14.00-15.30.

5 August St Swithun’s Church lych gate stall. 09.30 to 11.00.

10 August Woodbury WI Glass and Design. WVH, 14.00.

19 August St Swithun’s Church lych gate stall. 09.30 to 11.00.

1 Sept. Mobile Library. The Arch bus stop. 14.00-15.30.

2 Sept. St Swithun’s Church lych gate stall. 09.30 to 11.00.

2 Sept. Plant Sale and Cream Teas. Exton village hall. 14.30 - 16.00.

2 Sept. Exton Garden Club Plant Sale/Cream Tea, 14.30-16.00. EVH.

7 Sept. Woodbury History Society, 19.30, WVH. A talk by Jan Betteridge of Topsham Museum, Topsham as a Maritime Port.

10 Sept. FoSS Cream Tea from 15.00 at 5 Escott Cottages.

14 Sept. Woodbury WI, WVH, 14.00.

16 Sept. St Swithun’s Church lych gate stall. 09.30 to 11.00.

24 Sept. Woodbury Living Advent Calendar information meeting. 16.30, Woodbury Church Rooms.

29 Sept. Mobile Library. The Arch bus stop. 14.00-15.30.

1 Oct. Exton Apple-pressing festivities at the Goosefield.

7 Oct. Exton Garden Club. Creative Gardening with Bulbs, Lady Skelmesdale. 14.30 - 16.00. Exton village hall.

12 Oct. Woodbury WI, WVH, 14.00.

31 Oct. Exton Annual Halloween Walk.

2 Nov. Woodbury History Society. 14.30, WVH. A talk by Simon Dell

The History of Dartmoor Prison. NB this is an afternoon talk.

3 Nov. Jeremy Wilson, The Scented Garden, Exton Village. 14.00.

9 Nov. Woodbury WI, Christmas Decoration, WVH, 14.00.

18 Nov. Christmas Craft Fayre. The Church Rooms. 10.00-14.00.

Woodbury News Advertising Rates

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The Woodbury News accepts no liability for:- i) Any claims made by the advertiser; ii) Any errors or omissions in the advertisement as submitted by the advertiser; iii) Any legal action as a result of the advertisement.

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