Evening stroll with the toads

Been rather busy of late so time to catch up with the world.

Enjoyed a lovely evenings stroll on the beach at Holme a few weeks ago on an organised walk looking for Natterjack Toads. Given going to Norfolk coast fish and chips from Hunstanton was a compulsory add on of course and very nice they were too.

Sat eating them looking out over the reserve at Holme listening to birdsong and a few early common frogs calling. The walk itself had been organised by the resurected Cambridge and Peterborough Reptile and Amphibian group otherwise evening and night time access to the reserve is a no no.

Walked slowly into the reserve and we were met by a lovely churring call comprising a number of Natterjack males calling at the same time, very reminiscent of Nightjar it was. Closer to it was obvious where the calling males were located around a pond and eventually one was seen, one of not many that evening to be honest, best guess the cooler weather has held them back.

A pretty little fellow with the characteristic yellow back stripe. They are very rare in east anglia Holme being perhaps the best place to see them if you are lucky. Their love of shallow temporary ponds and pools to breed in is there undoing, they need them to reduce competition from other amphibians and predators of their tadpoles. There are references to them being found much closer to me in old county flora and fauna and even in the occasional story; Polly Howats story of the old horsemen, but what with drainage etc all we have left is Holme and a couple of other small sites in this part of the world.

While we were listening though for a short while we also had that other reclusive night caller the Bittern booming away from the reedbeds. So a very pleasant and enjoyable evening out.

varied week

Why?

Well I actually I got some paying work in this week.

Its been too cold as far as I am concerned to go traipsing over folks gardens. Even started work in a new garden and have more new ones to see, Buy with Confidence is starting to pay off. Could have too many gardens afore long but I have a plan for that. he said crossing his fingers.

Ecology work has started allbeit slowly again because of the weather, have set up a couple of sites for reptiles and got an initial bird survey in so far. Newts will have to wait a little bit longer in my book, just a few more degrees at night please.

Then some storytelling a couple of nights ago to a really good and numerous audience that produced some great comments afterwards.Not one of my usual groups but a possible new angle to follow up on.

Finally a bird sighting this week that I thought would never happen, Waxwings in Cambridge, nothing too surprising there you might say they have been all over. over the years though I have always seemed to miss them, not this time. Visiting another new garden and I hear there are there, I smiled they will have left by the time I get there and yes they have, but then, look there they are 31 of the little beauties feeding on mistletoe berries and apples put on the ground and bathing in a bird bath. Lovely views of lovely birds in a new garden. An omen perhaps?

found some bits of paper and the memories they invoked

So I was doing a bit of tidying up yesterday, I know surprising, and I came across some bits of paper all folded up and scruffy looking. Whats this I says, stopping myself from throwing them to have a look at what they were instead.

In June 2005 I went to a workshop in Thorndon Country Park in Essex with Joseph Cornell, not the american artist who died years ago, no, this one is an american but one I have long respected. This Joseph Cornell wrote a very influential book about and called Sharing Nature with Children that was published in the early 1980's, that book was first shown to me in 1989 by my first boss in the world of countryside management Mike Stagg, another man I have long respected. This was at a time when environmental education was trying to move away from what felt like rigid school based scientific activities to a looser more open style, that style accepted that everyone is different and might not want to be involved in outdoor learning but why not try and get environmental messages across in different ways and perhaps have fun in the process. This was the approach we used with children a lot often mixed with other more scientific but still loose activities.

There were two newish approaches doing the rounds then, there are undoubtedly more now, Joseph Cornell's and another which I won't name but which to me appeared to be too restrictive and prescriptive. Cornell's approach appealed to me and still does, its more flexible, doesn't mean I didn't use bits of the other approach, the Cornell approach just feels better.

Anyway there I was with these bits of paper from the workshop, it was a practical day spent outdoors on a warm spring day in the woodlands that make up Thorndon with a small group of people all appreciating that it isn't often that Joseph Cornell comes to this country to talk and show his ideas off. It was a magical day a day of taking part in activities designed to get children involved in the natural world and seeing them through their eyes by taking part in them. I read my notes and my activity sheets and the words I had written in pencil on them in 2005. Did I really write those words, I must have been completely immersed in the day and the activities and smiled to myself cos I know I was. It was a day that gave me hope, filled me again with enthusiasm for working with children and trying but not too hard to enthrall them with the magic that is the natural world.

I looked at the bits of paper, could I throw them away, no couldn't do it, not yet anyway too many memories of good times past and good people.

taint that bad is it

Not too much work for this this last week, too cold as far as I am concerned to go cutting lawns or cutting back plants. Don't want to upset my clients in the long term.

But there are blessings, if I am not earning I perhaps don't buy as much food certainly dont pay as much tax, for some livestock farmers they are losing there livelihoods with the loss of hundreds and hundreds of sheep and other animals

Mind perhaps it pays not to worry too much about the weather, spoke to my Mum Monday morning who couldn't believe what the grounds maintenance contractors were up to outside the bungalows where she lives. What were they doing, cutting the grass with snow laying on it. Must have looked very colourful and you can bet its a case of the contract says but!

Did get an ecology job in Norfolk last Friday, it was planned for Saturday but it got done Friday thankfully before the snow fell. Meant I drove up the A11 and could see the route of the new road as it runs from Barton Mills to Thetford. For much of its length its following the existing route only going away from it to go round Elvedon rather than through it as it does now.

As I drove I couldn't help thinking about my Dad and what he would have said about it, he worked a lot that way laying gas mains many years ago. I know there were concerns about Stone Curlew nesting areas being disturbed on the original proposed route and just hope the final route is as good as possible, if you haven't heard the call of Stone Curlew in the dark, you've missed a treat when it comes to scary calls easily on a parr with Little Grebe.

more learning

Not sure yet if my mind has stopped spinning from all the workshops and lectures last week, then I go another day of lectures last weekend. Still this was at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge. As I have said before I went to an agricultural college near there a long long time ago and its a place that is special for me.

 It was good to see the site again this time without the overhead wires which have always marred the views of Mrs Pretty's house. First saw it over twenty years ago when you used to walk along a public footpath to get to the mounds. Can still remember seeing a group of students etc working on a mound all those years ago and cant help thinking what else we are going to learn about our Anglo Saxon ancestors that reafirms yet again that they were not the dark ages.

Came across this group of ladies and a lot of their friends having their breakfast as I wandered around the burial mounds, a light mizzly rain falling, skylarks a singing on high and a pair of oystercatchers telling me off as they flew away. 

Then during the lunch break another wander around the sutton hoo estate and a strange creature emerged from the rain soaked woodland, I had obviously disturbed its sleep as it lay on the ground thinking none of them people creatures will be here today cos its wet. Then blow me That Malcolm comes stompin along, cant a dragon get her sleep these days.

Another lovely day in suffolk.

mind a whirr

Over the past few days when not ranting I have been to a great workshop and fantastic lecture.

The workshop was on storytelling as part of the breavement process, led by Janet Dowling a lovely lady who has been doing this for a fair time and she knows her stuff. I came away with a great deal of respect for her and for anyone able to do it effectively enough to help people struggling to come to terms with death.

Then the lecture, the Trumpington Cross in Context, new light on the 7th Century. I had heard about this last year when there were bits in the local paper. It had me thinking then about what it meant. A young, 16ish, girl buried on a bed with a gold and garnet cross at her throat. Lots of speculation then about who she was, what was she doing in Trumpington. So the story has moved on and has further to go yet. Have a look at bed burials on wikipedia and other sites and follow the clues yourself.

not going to let it drop just yet

So the horsemeat story is calming down but behind it all is the state of farming in this country, and the state of this countrys wildlife. Will it get better, not so sure, and yes europe is involved in this but not as the bad man.

Is there a link, of course. It all comes down to money and influence. Supermarkets put pressure on suppliers who put pressure on suppliers who.... it goes on. British farmers lose out because people are scared they dont know what they bought recently yet alone years ago which might turn out to be the case, and who really knows where any of it came from other than a horse.

So where is the europe link then, well amid all the words we hear about europe being a waste of money it has without a doubt done massive amounts for wildlife in this country and across the member countries, the protection afforded by the birds and habitats legislation for starters is immense, then there is the agricultural policy.

The birds and habitats legislation protects wildlife it protects habitats and it stops development that does not take account of wildlife. Guess what there is a campaign of words against this notably from well heeled folk and not from the govt of course (unless I missed it) they get others to start the rumours then listen, try putting great crested newt or bat together with stop development in a search engine.

The common agricultural policy, yes it has supported farmers to farm to excess but it has importantly helped protect farm wildlife. Nice story yesterday of the agriculture minister going to a farm to see how environmental stewardship is helping farmland birds and if it helps them it helps other forms of wildlife, shame then that at the recent budget meeting, one thing that we supported was a reduction in funding for wildlife initiatives that are part of the agriculture policy.

Note to self; I must stop ranting.