Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group

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April 2023

With brighter, longer and warmer days the signs of Spring are now all around us.
There are a whole bunch of firsts about to appen - bluebells will soon be adorning our local woods, the swallows will soon bearriving (do let us know when you see your first),
various butterflies will be on the wing, the first leaves will be unfurling and much more.

Our Volunteers
You will be able to see many of these ‘first’ sights along the riverside path, helped by the conservation work our volunteers have een doing over the past years to create a wider range of habitats.
A very big thank you to all our volunteers.
Come late Autumn the conservation working parties will resume.
We hope to see you there.
The final task of the volunteers this season was to plant about 30 trees of various species alongside the path by the school and Souls Moor.
These trees should form an impressive avenue in years to come and add to the variety of natural habitats locally.
The trees were grown from seed gathered locally.
The crucial importance of helping to stop insect decline A lot has been said about the decline in insect population.
We get excited about butterfly sightings but they are a minute percentage of the insect population.
Moths and beetles are in incredible decline.
These little creatures are at the bottom end of the food chain.
We have heard and read a lot
about the importance of having bee friendly plants for pollinating insects.
However, in our gardens we mustn’t forget the other part
of insects’ life cycle – in particular small holes in soil banks and walls left undisturbed and a small pile of rotting wood which can be home for small beetles and other small insects.
There plenty of information on the internet on how to plan this.
Also of course bee hotels with appropriate sized holes for them to nest in.
Note pictures of Blood veined crimson moth and Hoverfly Volucella zonaria.

Contact Us
If you would like to know more
about the work of the Wildlife
Group or to be included on our
mailing list, please contact:
T o n y B a t e s a t
tonybates19@gmail.com / 01929
471563 or
Mike Gee at mike.n.g@outlook.com / 0775 988 4942.

A message received by this website from a villager, thank you

Apparently polecats are gradually re-establishing locally after years of persecution in the previous century and earlier. Our home is near the top of Rye Hill and you may interested that, on Saturday 20th November, we saw a polecat within yards of our back door at about 7:15 a.m. Previously on 19 July 2014 we had a sighting of a family group of a mother and two three quarter grown youngsters which stayed around our garden for most of the morning that day disappearing from time to time into shrubs only to emerge again later. We've had no further sightings until this recent one so we were very pleased as it suggests the re-establishment is continuing successfully.

We had reported the earlier sighting to DERC at the time and have reported this latest sighting to them and the DWT with the latter body being especially interested with the development (if that is the right word) of the Wild Woodbury project which is only half a mile away. Unfortunately we were unable to get a photograph as the creature was constantly on the move hunting in and out the shrubs.

I hope this is of interest - feel free to pass this information on to the local wildlife group and the editor of the parish magazine if thought to be appropriate.

Regards, Jan and Chris Nother.

September 2021

Despite the somewhat indifferent weather and the ‘restrictions’   we   do   hope   you’ve   enjoyed   your Summer, whether it was spent locally or away.
As we now   enter   Autumn   and   the   season   of   mellow fruitfulness, we can take pleasure in the rich colours of ripening fruit in the hedgerows and maybe enjoy picking and eating some blackberries! Enjoy them, but do leave some for our wildlife.
There are also many other fruits, seeds and nuts to be found in the area, sustaining wildlife.
You’ll see plenty of hazel nuts shells on the ground, but be lucky to find any nuts ripe enough to eat
yourself - the mice and squirrels always seem to get there first!

Souls Moor
Take a walk through Souls Moor and you’ll see a mix of areas of short grass that have been nibbled
down by the ponies, areas that have been trampled by their hooves and areas of longer vegetation.
This mix of habitats is excellent - just what is needed to sustain a rich variety of wildlife.
This becomes very clear when watching birds within Souls Moor.
Some birds, particularly larger ones, will be ferreting around on the ground for bugs, grubs and seeds while generally smaller birds will be flitting from stalk to stalk within areas of longer vegetation feasting on the ripening seeds.

Hoverflies
As well as bees, the most prolific pollinators   are   hoverflies,   aptly named as they
hover motionless sometimes in front of you and then dart rapidly from one flower to another.
There   are   283   different ones in the UK and vary from minute black ones to large ones that
can easily be mistaken for bees.
Here are 2 examples photographed in the village. One of the largest is the rather   ferocious looking, but harmless, Volucella zonaria, and the second, the charming small Episyrphus balteatus, commonly known as the Marmalade Fly.
Shown here on knapweed in Mays Wood.
To encourage them, the larvae of many of them grow in wet rotting wood, so it is good to keep a small pile of damp dead wood   in   the   corner   of   your garden!

Conservation Working Parties
Over recent years our volunteers at    the   conservation    working parties   have   really
helped   to improve the wildlife value of the natural habitats alongside the stream and at Souls Moor. For obvious reasons they have not taken place over the past 18 months. However, fingers crossed, they will recommence in October.
More details will appear in next month’s Parish Magazine, through the village Facebook page and
via our e-mail contacts (if you are not on our list and would like to be, please e-mail
mike.n.g@outlook.com).

Contact Us
If you would like to know more about the work of the Wildlife and Environment Group or to be included on our e-mailing list, please contact:
Tony Bates at tonybates19@gmail.com / 01929 471563 or
Mike Gee at mike.n.g@outlook./com / 0775 988 4942

July 2021

Orchids

The numbers of Southern Marsh Orchids (see first photo taken by Roger Bates) have noticeably increased at Souls Moor over the past few years as a result of the grazing regime, although they still number just a few dozen.
As their name suggests they favour damp ground (as found in parts of Souls Moor) and are found in the south of the UK.
They can vary in colour, from pale to dark pink, and grow to a height of 30 to 50cm.
The leaves tend to be unmarked whereas the lips of the flower tend to be.
They flower from June through to late July.
We are fortunate to be able to find other varieties of orchid in the area.
The first to appear locally is the Early Purple Orchid – a group of about 15 were to be seen on Black Hill this year, flowering at the same time as the bluebells.
They are an indicator of ancient woodland.
They grow to a similar height to the Southern Marsh Orchid, but have a darker tone with splodge markings on the leaves.
There are some wonderful common or folk names for them including - blue butcher, adder’s meat, goosey ganders, kite’s legs, and dead man’s fingers!
There has also been a good show of Pyramidal Orchids (see second photo taken by Linda Lamon) in various locations including along the A35 verges next to the cycle path between the Affpuddle and Bere Regis turn offs.
Unsurprisingly, this orchid is distinguished by the pyramidal shape of the flower head.
The flowers are generally purple in colour, but white ones can also be found.
It is naturally a flower of old, semi-natural chalk and limestone grasslands.
However, it has taken advantage of more artificial habitats with colonies appearing on derelict land, roadside verges and canals.
Yet more orchids may be seen at Bladen Valley, Briantspuddle where a number of front gardens are awash with them.
All orchids produce a mass of incredibly fine seed which is distributed on the wind.
However, few germinate and grow to become mature plants.
This is because orchids need a specific type of mycorrhizal fungus to be present in the soil – the fungus enters the roots of the plants and helps convert nutrients into usable form which enables the plant to flourish.

July 2021

The meadow areas at May’s Wood are now at their best, so do take a look.
There is a wonderful show of Knapweed and other wild flowers such as Ox-eye Daisy. Knapweed can be identified by its thistle-like purple flowers which bloom from a spherical blackish bud.
Knapweed is a firm favourite of pollinating insects, be they bees, butterflies or beetles, the flowers being a source of good quality nectar.
Later on its seed heads provide plentiful food for many birds. On a sunny day you are likely to see clouds of butterflies, including Common Blues, Small Heath, Meadow Browns and Marbled Whites.
Knapweed has many local names around the country, such as Hard Head, Bachelor's Buttons, Blue Bottle and Iron knobs.
Some annual flower meadows have also been created at May’s Wood (above the school and at the far end of Shitterton).
They should be ablaze later this month with the varied colours of traditional cornfield flowers.
They include poppy, corn marigold, corn cockle, scentless mary and common toadflax.
Do go and take a look at these areas and see what you can find.
And, if you have a garden, why not create your own meadow area next year – the insects will really appreciate it.

Souls Moor Ponies and their Conservation Work
On Souls Moor, the ponies are back and doing a great conservation job once more, helping to create a more diverse and wildlife friendly meadow.
Do say “hello” to the ponies when you pass, but please do not feed them or approach them and keep dogs on a lead.
For those of you concerned for the ponies’ welfare, be assured they are regularly checked and they have a plentiful supply of water from the pond.

Orchids
One of the plants that has benefited from the grazing regime at Souls Moor is the Southern Marsh Orchid.
Their numbers have noticeably increased at Souls Moor over the past few years, although still number just a few dozen.
As their name suggests they favour damp ground (as found in parts of Souls Moor) and are found in the south of the UK.
They can vary in colour, from pale to dark pink, and grow to a height of 30 to 50cm.
The leaves tend to be unmarked whereas the lips of the flower tend to be.
They flower from June through to late July.
We are fortunate to be able to find other varieties of orchid in the area.
The first to appear locally is the Early Purple Orchid – a group of about 15 were to be seen on Black Hill this year, flowering at the same time as the bluebells.
They are an indicator of ancient woodland.
They grow to a similar height to the Southern Marsh Orchid, but have a darker tone with splodge markings on the leaves. There are some wonderful common or folk names for them including - blue butcher, adder’s meat, goosey ganders, kite’s legs, and dead man’s fingers!
Further afield there has been a good show of Pyramidal Orchids along the A35 verges next to the cycle path between the Affpuddle and Bere Regis turn offs. Unsurprisingly, this orchid is distinguished by the pyramidal shape of the flower head.
The flowers are generally purple in colour, but white ones can also be found. It is naturally a flower of old, semi- natural chalk and limestone grasslands.
However, it has taken advantage of more artificial habitats with colonies appearing on derelict land, roadside verges and canals.
Yet more orchids may be seen at Bladen Valley, Briantspuddle where a number of front gardens are awash with them.
All orchids produce a mass of incredibly fine seed which is distributed on the wind.
However, few germinate and grow to become mature plants.
This is because orchids need a specific type of mycorrhizal fungus to be present in the soil – the fungus enters the roots of the plants and helps convert nutrients into usable form which enables the plant to flourish.
There are a wide range of other orchid species locally and across the UK – keep your eyes peeled, recent spots include a very delicate Fragrant Orchid and a Bee Orchid on the coastal path.
Orchids are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, making it illegal to uproot the plant. Enjoy seeing them in their natural environment, but please leave them undisturbed for others to enjoy and for you to be able to enjoy again in future years.

White Tailed Eagles
White Tailed Eagles, or Sea Eagle, is Britain’s largest bird of prey with an incredible eight foot wingspan. Adults are predominantly brown, with a pale head and white tail. In flight it is marked by its long, broad wings and a short wedge-shaped tail.
On two consecutive days in mid-June a White Tailed Eagle was spotted flying over Bere Regis.
They   were   once   common along   the   whole   of   the southern coast   of   England, but by the late 1700s had been driven to extinction, as they were in other parts of the UK.
There    has    been    a successful   reintroduction of the bird to Scotland where there are now 130 breeding pairs. The Eagle seen over the village is almost certainly one from a project to reintroduce them to southern England, which started in 2009 with six juvenile birds released on the Isle of Wight.
The birds have been fitted with satellite tracking devices which enables their flights to be traced.
In their early (pre-breeding) years White Tailed Eagles tend to journey far and wide.
That has been exactly the case with the Isle of Wight reintroductions.
They have travelled the length and breadth of the UK along with trips across the channel to France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
If you would like to know more about these wonderful birds and to see exactly where they have flown do go to the web link below.
In the meantime, keep an eye on your bird table and do let us know if you have any sightings of this or any other unusual birds!
https://www.roydennis.org/category/sea-eagle/isle-of-wight-sea-eagles/

Contact Us
If you would like to know more about the work of the Wildlife and Environment Group or to be included on our e-mailing list, please contact:
Tony Bates at tonybates19@gmail.com / 01929 471563 or
Mike Gee at mike.n.g@outlook./com / 0775 988 4942.

14 Apr 2021
Bere Regis Wildlife & Environment Group Update
It is now 9 years since the Parish Council bought, with the help of a nature conservation grant, the Souls Moor/ Bere Stream SNCI (Site of Nature Conservation Interest) in order to create a village nature reserve.
Time has moved on and much has changed which has benefited wildlife.
It is worth reflecting on how our nature reserve has developed and what has been achieved.
Ponies have been grazing for the past 4 years and created close cropped grass in the wetter boggy areas where important plants such as the Southern Marsh Orchids are now flourishing.
They are not so interested in the drier parts nearer to the school where longer grass and other plants grow.
This is the best habitat for insects such as grasshoppers and crickets.
We dug a pond within the wet area for a water source for the ponies.
This has added another habitat for dragonflies and still water aquatic insects and plants which are different to those that live in the stream.
We deliberately fenced off the western end of Souls Moor to retain a wild area where birds nest and small; mammals live. A Buzzard is sometimes seen hunting over here.
The wildlife group have regularly coppiced and cut back the scrub along the streamside walk – the result is a splendid display of March Marigolds and other plants.
In the stream, 4 years ago gravel was added to the stream bed at several sites to create berms to benefit spawning areas for fish. Little Egret, heron and Kingfisher are frequent visitors.
It is good to see the village enjoying this area which provides a great opportunity to appreciate our local wildlife.

March 2021
BERE REGIS WILDLIFE AND ENVIRONMENT GROUP

Spring is Springing the days are brighter, lengthening, and (hopefully)
warmer – the signs of Spring are now all around us. We can enjoy so many signs of Spring such as pussy willow, hazel catkins, primroses, early butterflies (look out for Orange Tip and the butter yellow coloured Brimstone in particular) and of course listen to the wonderful sound of the dawn chorus.
You should be able to see and hear all these sights along the riverside path, helped by the conservation
work our volunteers have been doing over the past years to create a wider range of habitats.
Hopefully, we can soon be back doing further conservation work – in the meantime stay safe and enjoy the vital uplift to our spirits that nature provides.

Bird Sightings
Have you seen a Blackcap? There have been a number of recent reports of sightings in the village.
So, keep your eyes peeled.
The Blackcap is part of the warbler family of birds, They are mainly grey in colour and about the size of a robin. You might expect the Blackcap to also have a black cap - indeed the male does, although the female sports a chestnut coloured cap.
Traditionally, Blackcaps have been a summer visitor to the UK with winters spent in the warmer climes of south Europe and north Africa. However, over the past 25 years Blackcaps from elsewhere in Europe have increasingly spent more time in the UK during the winter months.
Why has that been so?
Possibly, a further sign of climate change.
Our winter visiting Blackcaps come from Scandinavia,the Baltic countries and central Europe.
Gardens in the west of Britain are particularly favoured by Blackcaps during winter, owing to the milder conditions in these areas.
Mildest of all is southwest England, where Blackcap visitations exceed those of any other region.
The benefit to those Blackcaps is a shorter migration - they are able to cope with our relatively milder winters. There is also evidence that the increase of our garden bird feeders has had influenced the Blackcaps’ stay in the UK over winter.
Interestingly, there is also evidence that those Blackcaps that have adopted this change in migratory behaviour yield a greater number of eggs than their cousins that migrate further south – so, a good survival strategy for the species.
Do keep your bird feeders topped up and let us know what you see.
Conservation Working Parties
For obvious reasons the regular Conservation Working Parties have been cancelled for the time being.
We hope to be able to resume them in the near future.

Contact Us
If you would like to know more about the work of the Wildlife Group or to be included on our mailing list, please contact:
Tony Bates at tonybates19@gmail.com / 01929 471563 or
Amy Yates at AmyEyeats@hotmail.com
Mike Gee at mike.n.g@outlook.com / 0775 988 4942

4th January 2021

Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group

Now in the depths of winter is the time to take a look at mosses and lichens.
Both of these plant forms thrive in the current damp cool conditions.
There are a vast number of both plant types – 12,000 species of mosses and 17,000 lichens worldwide.
We see them together everywhere and often don’t notice them, particularly in woods, on dead and living branches; old stone walls; and even garden benches.
Mosses are true simple plants that have basic root systems and small leaves as can be seen when magnified as shown in these pictures. Lichen are a mix of a fungus and algae.
They have no root systems. Some particularly on stone such as gravestones grow radially very slowly at only about 1 cm. every 10 years.
So have a look at them closely; they are like a miniature enchanted forest!

Photos: Tony Bates

20 October 2020

The wildlife group have recently put a fence across the small pond on Souls Moor.
The pond was dug to provide water for the ponies.
However the pond also has interesting aquatic plants which are different from those that grow in the flowing water of the stream.
To stop the ponies disturbing them when they come to drink, a small part of the pond has been fenced off and here is the work party in action with the help of the ponies!

Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group
Conservation Working Parties
We need more volunteers for our Conservation Working Parties as many hands make for light work! The first Conservation Working Party of the Autumn season will be held on the morning of Saturday 3rd October. We will meet at the stream bridge near to the Scout Hut, Elder Road at 10am. We normally finish about 12.30. We can and will observe social distancing at all times.
Our main task at this working party will be to erect some fencing around part of the pond on Souls Moor. The fencing will continue to allow access for the ponies to drinking water, but protect part of the pond and its surrounds from trampling by the ponies thus enabling pond vegetation to flourish. If you have a spade or hammer, please bring them with you. If not, spares will be available and other necessary tools provided.
All are welcome at our conservation working parties (under 16s should be accompanied by an adult). No experience is required, there’s a friendly crowd, it is great fun and good exercise too!
Further Conservation Work Party will be held on Saturday 7th November and Saturday 5th December. Further dates in 2020 will be announced nearer the time.
If you require any further information, please email mike.n.g@outlook.com

Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group – Nature Notes
We have mentioned in previous posts the swarms of Caddisflies and Mayflies that can be seen over the Bere Stream at this time of year and that they are an important food source for birds.
Well, here is the proof – wonderful photos taken recently in the village of a House Sparrow and a Black Cap with beak loads of Caddis Fly ready to take back to their nests and feed to their young.
The insects are rich in protein, essential for the growth of the young birds’ bones.

Photos: Roger Bates

Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group – Nature Notes

We are fortunate to have such a wonderful number and variety of birds within and around the wooded areas alongside Bere Stream.
They include the three birds recently photographed there – Spotted Flycatcher, Blackcap and Goldfinch.
The Spotted Flycatcher is a migratory bird, spending our winter in sub-Saharan and southern Africa.
It returns to the UK for the summer months to breed and raise its young.
As its name suggests it feeds on flies and other insects.
The bird sits looking for prey, flies out to grab a passing insect and returns to its perch to await the next passing tasty morsel.
There is a long list of other birds that have been seen near to Bere Stream, including Kingfisher, House Sparrow, Hedge Sparrow, Starling, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Robin, Chaffinch, Buzzard, Tree Creeper, Song Thrush, Blackbird, Starling, Little Egret, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Coal Tit, Bullfinch, Goldcrest and Wren.
Do please let us know what other birds you have seen.
Photos: Roger Bates

Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group – Nature Notes

Brown trout can be seen at various favoured spots along the Bere Stream.
At up to 18 to 24 inches / 500 - 700mm long it is likely to be the largest fish to be seen locally.
The brown trout has a golden-brown back marked with darker spots and a creamy-yellow belly and has a lifespan of 15 to 20 years.
The brown trout is highly predatory feeding on insect larvae, small fish and flying insects, such as mayflies and damselflies.
It favours rivers with a gravelly bed into which it lays its eggs after spawning between January and March.
It is part of the salmon family although is a wholly freshwater fish, unlike its sea trout and wild salmon cousins who migrate and spend most of their lives at sea.

Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group – Nature Notes

Water Crowfoot can now be seen flowering in Bere Stream.
Its white with yellow centre flowers break the surface of the water, with long trailing foliage submerged and often seen swirling in the river currents.
It is a member of the buttercup family and favours shallow, oxygen-rich, clean rivers with a gravel bed such as we have at Bere Stream.
The long strands of the plant provide valuable cover for young fish, insect larvae and water invertebrates.
Most of the plant dies away during the winter, but survives beneath the stream bed and forms a new plant in the spring.

Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group - Nature Notes

Plants and flowers have to be neither rare or large to be worth looking at. Germander Speedwell is very common and the flowers out now are just a few millimetres across, growing on low spreading plants.
As the photo shows, they are well worth a close look.
The plant is often found in gardens (regarded as a weed), along roadsides and in hedgerows.
Travellers have traditionally seen the plant as a good luck charm, the bright blue flowers 'speeding' you on your journey.
Some alternative names for the plant include Bird’s Eye Speedwell and Cat’s Eyes.
Ironically in German it is called ‘Männertreu’; apparently the name derives from the habit of the flowers wilting very quickly upon picking and which translates into English as ‘men's faithfulness’!

Photo: Tony Bates

Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group

The bee-fly is a member of the fly family, although it mimics and is commonly mistaken for a bumblebee (but a little smaller).
It is commonly seen in gardens at this time of year, either hovering in mid-air before darting to another hovering position or feeding on flowers.
It feeds through a distinctive long thin tongue or proboscis upon the nectar of a range of spring plants.
Favourites flowers include forget-me-nots, pulmonaria, primroses and violets.
They are important pollinators.
They do not sting and are harmless to humans.
The same cannot be said for solitary bees, wasps and beetles as the bee-fly lays its eggs into the surface of soil near to their nests, the hatched bee-fly larvae then parasites upon the bee, wasp or beetle larvae.

Photo: Tony Bates

Bere Regis Wildlife and Environment Group – Nature Notes

The dawn chorus is one of the great wonders of the natural world and the real voice of Spring.
Open your bedroom window, wake up early (or even better, if you are able to, go out for your bout of exercise) and listen to this natural symphony.
The best time is from around 5am to 6am.
With the much reduced levels of traffic noise at present, now is the time to really enjoy it.
The lower light levels around dawn make foraging by birds for food difficult. So, birds are in full song to defend territories and impress potential mates during the breeding season.
This is a good time to try and recognise the differing songs of the various birds.
To build your skill and confidence, concentrate on one bird to start with, perfect that and then move on to another.
A good starting point is the blackbird, pictured.
It tends to sing from a high perch, a tree or telegraph pole, with a strong repetitive call.
Other birds worth starting with include the robin, great tit and chiffchaff.
To help you out, try listening to bird songs at www.british-birdsongs.uk

Photos: Tony Bates

March 2020

At the March wildlife...

group volunteer work party we tidied up the rest of the coppiced area along the originally very shaded part of the stream between the Jubilee and Shitterton bridges.

Then we continued clearing an area which was previously an open area between the pathway and the stream. In keeping the undergrowth in check along this very wet area we plan to maintain a balance between creating more open areas for wildflowers to flourish and leaving denser areas for small mammals and hedgehogs.

Where we cleared some now flooded areas near the pathway there has been a marked improvement in the flowering of marsh marigolds and blach pondrush.

The last working party of the season will be held on Saturday 4th April.

We will be fencing off part of the pond at Souls Moor.

The pond was dug for two reasons.

One – to provide the ponies with a constant source of water;

Two – to establish a new wildlife habitat as the still water of a pond is beneficial for plants and amphibians that cannot survive in the moving waters of the river.

The pond has been a success on both counts.

However, the surrounds to the whole pond are being trampled by the ponies, which means that marginal plants are having difficulty in establishing.

To overcome the problem we intend to fence off part of the pond and its immediate margin to prevent trampling by the ponies when they return in the summer.

Easy access will still be available to much of the pond to allow the ponies to drink.

Do join us on for the working party on Saturday 4th April.

We meet by the stream bridge near to the Scout Hut, Elder Road at 10am or you can find us on Souls Moor.

We normally finish about 12.00. All are welcome – young (under 16s should be accompanied by an adult).

If you have a spade, fork, hammer or sledgehammer please bring them with you – if you don’t, no problem we’ll have some spares along with other necessary tools.

Spring Migrations It’s the season for migration with lots of birds either leaving our shores to breed in the Artic (eg Brent Geese – they love our warm winters!) or arriving for the summer having spent the winter months in Africa (eg Swallows – they hate our cold winters!).

The first swallow is typically s early April.

Do look out for the first Swallow along with other migrants – such as Swifts, House Martins, Cuckoo and Chiffchaff.

Let us know about your local wildlife sightings so we can get a better idea of what’s around in our area.

Plant Viruses It is not only humans and animals that can contract viruses.

Plants do too.

The virus Xylella fastidiosa is one of the biggest risks to the UK horticultural industry and the wider garden and natural landscape.

It infects a wide range of plants including many species which grow wild and in our gardens, such as cherry, hebe, lavender, oak and rosemary.

The bacterium causes symptoms including leaf scorch, wilt, dieback and plant death.

Unfortunately these symptoms are easily confused with stresses such as frost damage and drought, or other plant diseases and thus not easy to spot.

Xylella is spread between plants by insects such as froghoppers and leafhoppers which feed on infected plants but cause no damage in themselves.

However, long-distance movement of the disease is most likely to occur through international trade in infected plant material.

Xylella is native to the Americas where it causes disease in many crops including citrus, coffee and grapevine.

Until recently Xylella was absent from Europe but in 2013, Xylella was identified as the cause of death of olive trees in Italy.

Since then it has been found in France and Germany (on oleander and polygala), on numerous ornamental plants (including cherry trees) in the Balearic Islands, and has been confirmed in an almond orchard in Alicante, mainland Spain.

Fortunately, Xyella has not been identified in the UK to date.

As a gardener, the most beneficial action you can take is to ensure that any plants you buy have been sourced and grown in the UK.

When buying plants, check the label and if in any doubt ask the nursery or garden centre.

Contact Us If you would like to know more about the work of the Wildlife and Environment Group or to be included on our mailing list, please contact:

Tony Bates at tonybates19@gmail.com / 01929 471563

Amy Yates at AmyEyeats@hotmail.com or

Mike Gee at mike.n.g@outlook./com / 0775 988 4942.

Join us on our Conservation Working Parties

Our first Conservation Working Party of the Autumn season will be held on the morning of Saturday 2nd November.
We will meet at the bridge near to the Scout Hut, Elder Road at 10am.
We normally finish about 12.30.
Our main task will be to carry out some scrub clearance in the wooded areas alongside the stream.
This work is carried out on a rotation over three / four years.
It allows light to reach the woodland floor and for a wider variety of wild flower plants to flourish.
With support and guidance from Dorset Wildlife Trust, our work is helping to conserve the best of what is already there and make the stream and its environs even more wildlife friendly.
Our work over past years has certainly enhanced the riverside area for plants, birds and animals.
Please come and join us.
Many hands make for light work; all are welcome (under 16s should be accompanied by an adult).
No experience is required, there’s a friendly crowd, it is great fun and good exercise too!
If you have some clippers, loppers or a hand saw please bring them with you.
If not, don’t worry – we’ll have some spares.
A further Conservation Work Party will be held on Saturday 7th December.
Further dates in 2020 will be announced nearer the time.
Contact Us If you would like to know more about the work of the Wildlife and Environment
Group or to be included on our e-mailing list, please contact:
Tony Bates at tonybates19@gmail.com / 01929 471563 or
Mike Gee at mike.n.g@outlook.com / 0775 988 4942.

Environment Group Reorganisation

We have now split our Environment Group into 2 smaller groups, to help give better focus to specific areas.
The Wildlife Conservation Group will consist of Amy Yeats, Councillor Tony Bates and Mike Gee, with a new Parish Amenity Group formed, consisting of Councillors Robin Pitcher and Laurie Fairhurst, to focus more on the Park, Rights of Way and Street Furniture around the village, and to provide support to the Lengthsman.
We always welcome more volunteers though, so if you wish to be involved with either of these groups, please contact the Clerk, Amanda Crocker, for further information.

Autumn 2019
Autumn and the season of morning mists and mellow fruitfulness is now upon us.
It’s a time when swallows and other birds prepare for their migration to warmer climes and nature generally slows down as it prepares itself for a rest over the winter months.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of birds that over winter here and mammals that are active throughout the winter season.
It is vitally important that they have a good food source.
So, please don’t be over tidy in your gardens – leave some seed heads and dead foliage.
This will provide food for birds and refuges for various insects like ladybirds.
Also, if have you have a bird feeder keep it topped up and if you don’t, why not consider getting one – the birds provide a great spectacle.

Brown Trout
We are very fortunate to have a healthy population of brown trout in the Bere Stream.
They can often be spotted from the bridges ‘hanging’ in the water with their heads up stream and on the lookout for prey, darting to safety under the bridge if they spot you.
Their title ‘brown’ doesn’t do them justice as they are a beautiful fish with golden yellow-brown appearance, yellow belly and many black and red spots all over the body.
Their attractive appearance belies their predatory nature always on the hunt for prey – be it insect larvae, small fish and insects – and they sport a fearsome row of teeth.
Brown trout can grow to over 50cm (18 inches) in length and can have a lifespan in excess of 15 years.
That said, it is estimated that in excess of 95% of young fish die or are predated within their first year.
You may ask what is it that brown trout like about Bere Stream. Two things – one, the water is relatively clean and, two, the stream has a gravel bed.
Trout are dependent upon a gravel bed into which their fertilised eggs are buried in the early months of the year.
The young fish, called 'fry', hatch and feed on the nutritious yolk sac before moving on to feast on insects.
It is vitally important that the cleanliness of the stream is maintained or, ideally, improved.
Run-off from fields and roads can lead to a build-up of silt in the base of the river, covering gravel and preventing the fish from burying their eggs; over-use use of fertiliser can introduce nitrates and nutrients into the stream which will led to excessive weed and algae growth chocking the water course; and incorrect connections of such as washing machines into surface water sewers can pollute the water course.