Nature Notes for May 2009

The Council have arranged to sort out the cricket outfield, which has got worse over the years from drainage of natural spring water. They intend to reinstate the ditch and install land drains that will connect to the drains in Charborough Road car park; they were hoping to start work at the end of April but did in fact start work on Fri 8th May. A trench was taken out by machine, the pipes laid and filled in all in a day. The job was finished the following morning Sat 9th prior to a cricket match that afternoon. There is still some more work to do in continuing the ditch further but have had to stop because of tree roots, but they will continue as soon as they get the go ahead.

The start of the 2009 cricket season here in the recreation ground has seen more cricket matches than I can remember, all evening games, mostly youths and even girls, taking up the sport. It's nice to see the cricket ground being used for what was intended for and not for playing football on or beer drinking sessions.

On the environment side e.g. Nature Notes 15th May Sand lizards are showing themselves on Dunyeats Hill, no smooth snakes have been seen yet but plenty of slowworms. Saw my first dragonfly of the year, a four-spotted chaser and several green tiger beetles. The first hobby has arrived, I watched him/her hunting over the heath. I was informed that Smooth snakes have been seen on Corfe Hills heath by Amy Shuring (Area Warden - Central of the Urban Heaths Partnership). Let's hope the recent fires elsewhere on other heaths didn't cause too much damage. The fire we had on Dunyeats Hill at Christmas time did in fact burn the area used for many years by Dartford warblers for nesting. While I was checking the tins for snakes I came across by accident a beautiful baby Roe deer, which I managed to photograph and I sent a copy to Anne Jefferies and Jill Floyd. I did pay Corfe Hills heath a visit on Tuesday 19th May and recorded two smooth snakes, one slowworm and two Roe deer buck.

Keith Clements - Parks, Nature Reserves & Heathland

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