BROADSTONE WILDLIFE

For an area that has seen massive development over the past 50 years, Broadstone is still remarkably rich in wildlife. From humble garden insects to exotic visitors from Scandinavia and Russia. Here I am referring to Bramblings that regularly visit a Broadstone garden in winter, where they are assured of being fed. Some of the larger mammals arouse mixed feelings among the residents. Usually their beauty is acknowledged, but gardeners do not appreciate prize blooms or vegetables having survived the attentions of slugs in early life, disappearing overnight after a visit by deer. From a comprehensive report on the state of wildlife in Broadstone, compiled for the Association with great thoroughness by Terry Elborn (a greenkeeper at our local golf course) I have extracted the following nuggets. If you would like to see the complete report, give the Editor a ring on 603569 and I will send you a copy.

Have you seen any of the following dragon or damselflies visiting a pond near you? Emperor Dragonfly, Southern Hawker, Common Darter, Blue, Azure or Large Red? They have all been seen locally.

There are apparently four species of Bats winging their way around Broadstone. The most common are the Pipistrelle and the Noctule. Over the heathland the Longeared and Daubenton' s also occur.

You will have to stay up late to see the secretive badger. There are several setts in and around Broadstone including some with very little in the way of green land surrounding the sett. Of course they rely on gardens for foraging and depending on your viewpoint you may wish to encourage regular visits by leaving some peanuts or dried fruit for them.

Bird life is fairly abundant but in decline. You could do your bit to provide nesting boxes which help to replace lost natural nesting sites. A breeding species which is doing well is a magnificent bird of prey called the Common Buzzard. It only spread to East Dorset over the last ten years, and is now a common sight soaring effortlessly over the town (or should it be village?)

The Nightjar is a summer visitor from Africa. As the name suggests, it is nocturnal and during the day it lies motionless on the ground. If you go out at dusk you may hear its unusual song known as churring. Footpath 5 is a good place to observe this species. You would be lucky to spot the rare Dartford Warbler which is our only resident warbler. Its habitat is the heath and numbers have increased considerably since the cold winter of 1962/1963 which decimated their numbers. This improvement is in the main due to conservation work and protected status of heathland.

There isn't space in this extract to reflect on the activities of moles or hedgehogs and not everyone will recognise Grayling or Green Hairsteak as varieties of butterflies. I'm assured that they are out there and you can only marvel at nature when you learn that the Grayling is a master of concealment. When its forewing is retracted it blends in with the stony earthy ground, and then tilts to one side to conceal its shadow, hiding it from predators. May your shadows never grow shorter!

Archive Summer 2002 | next

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