October Focus

What we have been up to

As the season changes and we are past the autumn equinox we are all preparing for cooler and wetter weather and starting to plan for next year.

Wilder Hook have been scything the wildflower meadow in Mitchells Field and raking up the cuttings. This slow speed method of removing the long vegetation allows insects and mammals time to escape safely. Taking away the old growth lowers soil fertility over time and helps the delicate wild flowers thrive instead of coarse grasses. The flowers have had time to set their seed and the uneven cutting height continues to give shelter to insects and other invertebrates. We were kindly assisted in the scything by the team from Wilder Bramley.

The scything and raking complete the yearly cycle of management of the meadow. Another task we undertook after the Bioblitz was to remove the seed heads of the Common Knapweed which was showing signs of taking over. Next year we will repeat our surveys of plants and animals including the Bioblitz to keep track of changes and judge how well the conservation measures are working. Do let us know of interesting sitings or comments you have on the area.

Bird feeding advice

Birds are feeding in our gardens to stock up for autumn and winter and the RSPB advice now recommends we can restart the full range of bird foods including seeds and peanuts from the end of October. It is still important to clean bird feeders regularly to help prevent spread of bird diseases.

Hedgehogs

Hedgehogs are busy eating to build up their reserves for hibernation. The Holt Park Tiggywinkles project has been keeping hedgehogs fed and watered during the hot and dry summer and animals have been seen regularly in the cameras. Last year some habitat areas were created and these have been well used. Due to holidays and work commitments, we are looking for some extra volunteers to join our small team that looks after and feeds hedgehogs in Holt Park. It takes about 10 minutes per night and we will show you what you need to do. If you are interested, please email Wilder Hook at the address below or join the Holt Park Tiggywinkles Facebook group and contact Tony via Messenger.

Remember to take care to check for hedgehogs in logs and bonfire materials as we approach Bonfire Night!

Hook Allotments

Wilder Hook volunteers enjoyed greatly meeting the many visitors to the Hook Allotments NGS Open Day in the summer and chatting about wildlife friendly gardening methods. We are very pleased to have formed links with the Hook Allotments and we look forward to making plans with them to enhance some of the unused area next to the solar farm at the bottom of the Allotment site. Watch this space for news!