Sherborne National Trust estate falls largely into three habitats – tenanted arable farmland, water-meadows and woodland/wood-pasture. Having walked round the second of these last year, eleven of us met to walk around the wooded part; given Storm Darragh the previous week, we wondered what we might find.
The walk started at the top of the hill with wood-pasture and a mixture of Beech, Lime species and Ash grouped in shelterbelts and an avenue of mature trees. There were small flocks of Redwing and Starling moving around, and skulking Wren and Chaffinch. We’d already heard a Green Woodpecker from Ewe Pen car-park without managing to locate it. At a larger open field we came upon a loose herd of Roe Deer numbering about 20, coming into and out of view from the dead ground as we passed by.
When we moved into the wooded Pleasure Grounds, Yew and Elder became more prevalent, also some Box, and we found Jelly-ear fungus and Nectria (Coral Spot). Later. other fungi included Witches’ Butter, Velvet Shank and King Alfred’s Cakes. Nuthatches were occasionally heard as were Goldcrest, and, briefly, a Bullfinch.
A large fallen Ash showed some of the damage the storm had done. The tree was otherwise healthy but had been snapped off close to its thick base. Further on an even larger Beech had been uprooted and had brought down a nearby conifer; although the Beech was sheltered in the woodland interior it had a noticeably shallow root system.
Sherborne Broad Water lies at the bottom of this hill. It was originally ornamental but now left wild and eventually feeds into the Windrush. Here we found about 60 Wigeon. These were difficult to count as a large flock was spooked by something and wouldn’t settle – normally the Sherborne Wigeon will graze on the grass and then lift off only as far as the water if disturbed. We were alerted to two Little Grebes by their call, and then saw a Kingfisher perched by the weir.
The walk back produced a Marsh Tit in a village garden and a plantation of Larches in Ragged Copse. Surprisingly for this area it was a morning without a Red Kite.
Andy Lewis
Blackbird Turdus merula | Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus | Bullfinch Pyrrhula pyrrhula |
Buzzard Buteo buteo | Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs | Coot Fulica atra |
Little Egret Egretta garzetta | Goldcrest Regulus regulus | Great Tit Parus major |
Green Woodpecker Picus viridis | Grey Heron Ardea cinerea | Jackdaw Corvus monedula |
Kingfisher Alcedo atthis | Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis | Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus |
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos | Marsh Tit Poecile palustris | Moorhen Gallinula chloropus |
Mute Swan Cygnus olor | Nuthatch Sitta europaea | Pheasant Phasianus colchicus |
Raven Corvus corax | Redwing Turdus iliacus | Robin Erithacus rubecula |
Rook Corvus frugilegus | Starling Sternus vulgaris | Wigeon Anas penelope |
Wren Troglodytes troglodytes | ||
Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis | Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus | |
Ash Fraxinus excelsior | Beech Fagus sylvatica | Blackthorn Prunus spinosa |
Box Buxus semprivirens | Cedar of Lebanon Cedranus libani | Elder Sambucus nigra |
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna | Hazel Corylus avellana | Larch Larix decidua |
Lime Tilia spp | Pedunculate Oak Quercus robur | Privet Ligustrum spp |
Candlesnuff Xylaria hypoxylon | Coral Spot Nectria cinnabarina | Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae |
King Alfred’s Cakes Daldinia concentrica | Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare | Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes |
Witches’ Butter Exidia glandulosa |