Nature Notes May 2022

Nature Notes May 2022

Now that the weather is warmer and there is more sunshine, it is much easier to observe the wildlife around us. Jane had a couple of amazing encounters during her walks round Kerdiston. One day she came across a pair of Hares actually mating in the lane she was walking on. They made off across a field, stopping for more action on the way! On another occasion, when on the Marriotts Way, she looked down a slight embankment to see a female Muntjac suckling her dappled calf! The adult deer knew she was there, but ignored her and carried on caring for her fawn. Rufus has discovered that Corn Salad is growing in many cracks in pavements and walls in Reepham this year. It is an inconspicuous plant with many pale blue flowers on flat heads. As a child I knew it as Lamb’s Lettuce, as its leaves used to be eaten as salad at the lambing time. Muriel had the most unexpected sighting of all, when she saw, and was able to photograph, a Jack Snipe in her garden at Whitwell Common! Jack Snipe are smaller wading birds than the Common Snipe, with two straw-yellow stripes over the back. It would have been migrating from southern Europe, or even North Africa, to Scandinavia or Russia where they breed, which was incredibly exciting! My most exciting find this month so far, has been a mass of Subterranean Clover growing on the banks and lawns of the bungalows in Station Road. It has extremely small, whitish flowers which nestle amongst the leaves and these creep over the ground. I had not seen it in Norfolk before, so was very surprised to find it and just how much of it there was. It will only grow in very sandy soil and I remember Lorna telling me that when she was young, Station Road was a sandy track! So it will have been in the seed bank ever since!

Do let me know if you see anything of interest. Rachel Tel. 871000