Animal Life

Some animals that were expected to appear only in uncultivated areas are now more likely visitors to our human habitation. Squirrels are regularly seen, skilfully extracting nuts from bird feeders in gardens; a 20th century requisite for the garden is a squirrel-proof feeder!

In at least one garden, grey squirrels regularly bury horse-chestnuts with the result that young trees appear everywhere in the following spring. Foxes and rabbits have been sighted in the Chalky Road area. During the evenings our garden friendly hedgehog has visited, as have pipistrelle bats, seen swiftly flying at dusk. In early spring damp corners of gardens, such as compost heaps, have revealed a toad, a frog and a slow-worm – probably hibernating. In June/July a mass of slow-worms was found under an old carpet at the bottom of a garden in Knighton Lane. Predators such as foxes, kestrels and herons have been reported from the Conygar area, whilst there is evidence of badgers and deer in the peripheral parts of the village, such as Watergates Lane and Martel Close.

Ruth Small - Co-ordinator