All sorts of goings on on the old jetty by the lake!
Author: Land Matters (Page 1 of 4)
– report by Jools Roszkowski
Members of the Samatha Land Group, Cambrian Sangha, local community, Wildlife Trust and Powys Biodiversity Information Service (BIS) gathered on a sunny morning, Weds 26th March, to carry out a Bioblitz at Greenstreete.
A biolitz is where you choose a patch of land and set a window of time in which to survey all the flora and fauna you can spot. It’s a snapshot of the biodiversity present, and recorded findings are fed into county records. Over time, repeated surveys give a picture of the changing ecology of a place.
Everyone was enthusiastic and astounded by the richness of what we were finding, even this early in the Spring.
Here are 2 intrepid lichen, moss and liverwort experts scaling the quarry by the river hut:
By the new ponds, we found a tiny snail with a golden shell – imagine that!
We got up close with our powerful magnifying lenses to inspect the tiniest plants and extended our hearing far and wide…….
….. to hear birds in the trees, Red Kite and Buzzard above and Canada Geese who have taken a liking to the pond:
We tracked the signs of animal movement through the woods and along the river.
Interesting discussions were had about meditation and nature on our way back to the house, where we finished up with tea, cake and biscuits.
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Spring is a time of abundance and hence predation.
Twelve videos here from the wildlife cameras, earlier in March, show lots of the Greenstreete wildlife taking advantage of frog spawning season, when frogs return to water bodies in great numbers and are easy prey.
A heron and otters can be seen munching, and in the polecat video you can see the bright, reflective eyes of two frogs in ‘amplexus’ towards us as the polecat makes off with another.
We can see the heron rotating the unfortunate frog or toad to orient it for swallowing but the frog or toad’s legs are stuck out which prevents this. The heron dips it in the water a few times and re-catches it. We can’t see what happens in the end.
Also the new camera location on the track has shown us a badger for the first time, and we also see the badger at the old camera locations on the crossing, and the jetty. Perhaps the badger also is out at night looking for frogs.
Last of all, the new camera on the island shows us two happy otters.
In the video of three otters, this explanation was given us by Will, the local Otter expert:
Kind regards, Will
The two otters on the bank are a mum and a nearly fully grown cub – the cub, on the right, squeaks a few times. The otter in the water is clearly unwelcome and is probably a male. It’s hard to be sure but the aggressive/alarm call is probably coming from the mum while she is partly hidden behind the jetty. The mum won’t be ready to breed again until a few months after the cub has left – the male otter is hoping that time will come sooner rather than later!
A new meditation platform has been made, located in the field through the gate by the oak tree, to the left of the ‘flexible space.’
Throughout the land, these platforms provide private places to meditate in the natural environment; feeling and hearing the air and elements and space and life all around one’s body while sitting there.
| Part of this post is reproduced from RWT’s latest update, where our new Black Poplars are featured: |
| Radnorshire Wildlife Trust recently planted four Black Poplar trees at Greenstreete Farm, run by the Samatha Trust. These trees were bred by Herefordshire based farmer and lifetime River Lugg advocate, Tony Norman. Once a common sight in Britain, the majestic and rare Black Poplar (Populas nigra) is now one of the UK’s scarcest trees. Many were historically felled for their fire-resistant wood, while others were removed because their fluffy ‘cotton’ seeds were said to block lambs’ noses and annoy farmers’ wives by sticking to washing! Another challenge? They easily hybridise with other Poplar species, making the survival of true Black Poplars even harder. |
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| How to spot one? Look for shiny, heart-shaped green leaves with long tips and a light balsam scent. Young leaves are covered in tiny hairs, which disappear by autumn. If you know of any other true Black Poplars in Radnorshire, we’d love to take cuttings and preserve local genetics. Let us know if you’ve seen one by contacting Dan@rwtwales.org |
Here are ours:
The black dots on the map below mark the locations of the new Black Poplars. They will still need to have some extra protection from grazing cattle.
It seems Otters spend quite a lot of time on the island, so this camera has been set up on the island:
Also, a track has been found in the grass leading towards the road bridge and a camera has been left there too, to find out what’s making it. This camera is set to only operate at night time.
A large number of old spraints (Otter droppings) were found on the island, suggesting Otters spend quite some time there. Will, the local Otter expert, thinks they probably visit the pond looking for food, then rest-up on the island before returning to their overnight quarters.
Frogs and toads will be spawning in the pond in the next few weeks and this will attract the Otters who eat the frogs and toads. We can expect many more visits from the Otters in the next few months.
The presence of Otters on the island probably explains why there are few, if any, ducks on the pond.
Here is some more footage from the other cameras of Otters, Fox, Polecat and a Heron, sent to us by Mary from Radnorshire Wildlife Trust:
Absolutely magical!
Please enjoy these images of a frosty Greenstreete taken by our joiner, Blue.
The Wildlife Trust have kindly sent us some more clips from the cameras on the land.
As well as more Otter footage, it’s very nice to see a Bullfinch so close to the camera, and first appearance of a Polecat!
Polecats are part of the same family as otter (the mustelids,) are native
to the UK and were almost persecuted to extinction in the past. They are
now a protected species since 1981 and come under the UK priority
species for biodiversity. Numbers are increasing in rural Wales, and it’s
great to have one as part of the diversity of species in our local
habitat.
We had a lovely Land weekend at Greenstreete, exploring the 6 Pairs from Abhidhamma through planting trees in the Badger Hut field, coppicing in the quarry in the Larch Wood, clearing paths amongst the trees on the bank behind the house and pulling up brambles on the edge of Greenstreete Wood.
We were blessed by rainbows!
As you know, we work closely with our local Wildlife Trust to manage our land at Greenstreete for greater biodiversity and resilience, so that it continues to be a nourishing environment for meditators. Tomorrow is the start of the Wildlife Trusts’ annual celebration of the incredible bond between people and nature, Hope Week 11 – 12 November – a reminder to spread good will and kindness as we face the climate and nature crisis together.
As a spokesperson from the Wildlife Trust says, “While it’s vital to stay informed about the challenges facing our planet, it’s equally important to step back and recharge. Eco-anxiety is real, and it can leave us feeling overwhelmed. Let’s take this week to remind ourselves to stay hopeful and celebrate the amazing progress happening in nature and conservation.”
On Sunday 17th November there is a livestream for young people on Youtube: “Hope is in Our Nature”, an exciting 2 hour interactive show to bring young people together to celebrate nature.
Find out more about #HopeWeek and sign up for the livestream: Hope is in our Nature | The Wildlife Trusts
Please forward this to any young person who might be interested.