As Spring flies by….
Farming
On the farm crops are developing rapidly as the spring flies by. The weather has turned from very wet to very dry in a matter of weeks and at the time of writing some meaningful rainfall would be well received. Crops established in the autumn have a reasonable root structure and are holding up, but spring crops are struggling with such little moisture since they were planted. We’re also waiting to plant both pollen and nectar and wild bird seeds mixtures but these will wait until we do get some rain.
We’ve just completed our first round of surveys on our owl boxes and we have a number with barn owl chicks, kestrels and the odd stock dove. Barn owls primarily eat small mammals such as voles and mice which are found in rough tussocky grassland, so it’s vital these areas are not disturbed. We ask walkers to please keep their dogs on leads so these vital feeding areas remain undisturbed.
Biodiversity and ‘messy’ areas of the Estate
Every summer we receive feedback from neighbours or members of the public describing untidy, unkept or ‘set aside’ areas on Yattendon land adjacent to gardens or roads, that the Estate ‘doesn’t do anything with’. These areas are deliberately left slightly wild and unmown as they have been allocated to improve the biodiversity of grassland areas and benefit flowering plants, fungi and other wildlife, such as insects, birds and bats. These areas have strict guidelines set by DEFRA about what we can and can’t do, including when and how often they can be mown and we face fines if these rules are not followed. An area of multiple species, even if some of those species are considered weeds by many, is a better habitat and environment than a monoculture of mown grass. Stinging nettles alone support over 40 species of insect including butterflies like the Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral as well as numerous moths, aphids and ladybirds. Avoiding a monoculture of grass also applies to gardens and is what the national campaign No-Mow-May is based upon, which we hope many of you will have observed. Please remember ‘messy’ areas act as ecological refuges and are crucial in connecting fragmented habitats for a wide variety of plant and animal species.
Supporting the RDA
The fundraising plant and cake sale in the village square was as popular as ever this year raising over £3,200 for the Newbury Branch of the RDA. Despite the rain showers the sale was well attended and the RDA volunteers had been working hard baking and growing more plants than ever. Thank you as always to the staff in the Yattendon Village Shop who helped make the day a success including Alan who donated £117 that he had raised from a Grand National Sweepstake earlier on in the year.
If you would like to see the good work that the RDA does and where the money goes, please attend their open day on Saturday 13th June between 2pm and 4pm where there will be a BBQ, tack sale, musical ride display and a chance to meet the wonderful RDA ponies. For more information please visit the RDA website.
