The sticky buds on the Horse Chestnut tree outside my bedroom window are showing no sign of opening yet, but the dozen or so Rooks who call it home have started building their nests. Only one nest survived the winter. That is being quickly restored and the other five have been rapidly rebuilt during the last three or four days.
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| Rooks Rebuilding. Photo. John Elliott. Click to enlarge. |
Along the very muddy path a the back of the Manor House a few Dog Violets poke up through the greenery. Their old Dorset name was Snake Violets, goodness knows why.
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| Dog Violets. Photo. John Elliott. Click to enlarge |
This is a very early date for this violet which is said to bloom in April to June. The uncommoner Pale Wood Violet, which is very similar, appears from March to May, so am I mis-identifying or are we seeing yet another indication of climate change, as with the Daffodils. When I first came to the village fifty years ago we were lucky if a few came out for St. David's Day. Now they have been out long enough to look a bit straggly. And another change, the Gypsies don't come and pick them anymore.
(Since writing the above I note that Durston Country Park have Dog Violets in bloom, also a month early)
Here is the latest news of my cuckoo from the BTO.
Meanwhile Cuach Torc has also departed his wintering area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and crossed into the Republic of the Congo. He is now in dense rainforest approximately 50km (30 miles) south-west of the town of Pokola.
, Among the early flowers to appear, along with the ubiquitous Daisy which is with us all the year round, is the Butterbur. The flowers appear well before the very large leaves, which in olden days were used to wrap butter as the name implies. There is a flourishing patch just east of the pumping station on the Weymouth Road, and a much smaller one at West End near the sluice which controlled the flow to the former water meadows. It's Dorset names include Early Mushroom, from its appearance when it first pushes its way through the soil, and Snake's Rhubarb. The dried roots, powered and mixed into wine, were taken against fevers, especially the plague, to provoke perspiration and 'drive from the hart all venomwere taken against fevers, especiall the plague, to provoke persperation and 'drive from the hart all venom'
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| Butterbur. Photo. John Elliott |
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| Manor Farm Close houses are reflected in the reborn village pond in the old cricket field. Once a permanent feature with an infeed from the South Winterborne, it now only arises when ground water levels are above normal. The western half of the original pond has been filled in and built on as part of the Close. The second village pond, originally on Mallards Green, has also been filled in recently . | | |
The latest BTO bulletin on my sponsored cuckoo, and one of his companions.
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| Cuach Torc. |
Over the last week or so Cuach Torc flew 260km (160 miles) north-west from his last location, towards the border between the Republic of Congo and DRC. He has since flown a further 135km (84 miles) east, deeper into DRC and is close to the Busira River approximately 10 miles north-east of the town of Ingende. Cuckoo Joe is also close to the Busira River, some 30 miles upstream as the crow (or Cuckoo) flies of Torc
The butterfly success of the year must be the Red Admiral, which has been numerous throughout the summer and lasting, unusually, well into November. This is true nationally as well as locallyt
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| Red Admiral. Photo: John Elliott |
