Nature Notes March 2024
Nature Notes March 2024
We are very fortunate to live in an area with many local walks which can have interesting wildlife along the way. One of our favourites is along the Marriotts Way as far as the track crossing from The Moor, then back along the road. At this time of year there are Primroses flowering on the banks of the old railway and a carpet of fresh green where Dog’s Mercury leaves have pushed through the leaf mould. It will not be long before the darkly blotched leaves of Early Purple Orchids appear on the bank under the trees near the crossing. On a recent walk we were delighted to hear a Yellowhammer singing from the hedge and a Linnet also claiming a territory from the top of tree. As we turned down the track towards the metalled road, we were surprised to see two Meadow Pipits perched in a small oak beside the track, as these are birds which spend most of their time foraging on the ground. They flew back into the waterlogged field behind the young hedge, only to fly away to the east with three others, so presumably they were part of a flock working their way back to their breeding grounds.. Having passed Moor Farmhouse, we could hear a Great-spotted Woodpecker ‘drumming’ from the direction of Booton Common. The bird was striking a hollow branch extremely quickly and repeatedly with its powerful bill, to produce the sound which is its spring ‘song’. Further on, a Nuthatch was calling vigorously from a large oak and a Stock Dove sailed overhead doing its stiff-winged display flight, then a Tawny Owl hooted, at 4.45pm! Another favoured route is down to Eade’s Mill, on the other side of town. Again there are Primroses, and Celandines too at this time of year, and in the summer there is a big patch of blue Meadow Cranesbill, which is unusual in this part of Norfolk as it is a chalk loving plant. The mill stream itself can also produce surprises, in that on one day in October, when the water was very clear, we were amazed to watch two crayfish interacting on the downstream side of the bridge. The largest was at the mouth of a plastic pipe projecting into and under the water, while the second appeared to be trying to oust it from its home. There was much waving of large claws and we could clearly see their lobster-like bodies as they circled and feinted. Sadly they were not the White-clawed Crayfish but the much larger Signal Crayfish which out compete our smaller native species.
Muriel has also been seeing and hearing interesting birds, having seen a Great White Egret in the flooded Wensum valley, as well as hearing Common Crane calling as it flew over her house in the early morning, which was tremendously exciting!
Do let me know if you see any interesting wildlife (rachel.42rr@btinternet.com)
