During the Summer we just keep an eye on the amenity conditions on the Common and control some of the invasive plants which might come to dominate mainly the grassland areas. We had the grassland cut by the Chiltern Rangers who helped us decide which areas to cut and which to keep. This is all about our continued search for a routine in which all the grassland would be cut but not every year. We want to maintain a variety of grassland conditions for a variety of wildlife. But we do always keep the flat and dry area on the eastern side in a condition so that children can run and play on it. But to be honest, I think the rabbits do most of that for us.
The bird boxes were modestly successful: we had three nests and one containing glis-glis. Curious creatures. If discovered they don’t run, they play dead but don’t be fooled and try to pick one up, they have a savage bite!
This autumn and winter, members of the Common Management Committee will be doing the usual maintenance tasks - the footpaths and some perimeter margins - but extending one of these tasks to improve the condition of the roadside verge down Windmill Hill.
So firstly, before weather conducive to the germination of grass seed is past, we will be improving the verge opposite the entrance to Windmill House where rubble and compacted soil from contractors has left the verge in an unsightly condition. We will have to do some soil preparation and improvement to help the grass seed generate.
We will also be doing more to improve the view onto the Common through the elms by selectively cutting ‘windows’, having seen that last winter’s work was inadequate once the trees had come into full leaf. The elms which we left are still looking healthy.
Then later we will be clearing the heavily leaning and contorted blackthorns which are growing out over the road, though some of the trees will need professional attention. When we have seen what the authorities have achieved with the drainage at the corner of Magpie Lane and Chalk Hill we will add our improvements and continue on round Chalk Hill cutting back the oak and willow which is growing out over the road. We would appreciate a few extra hands to help us as these tasks will be heavy. The dates will be posted on the village website (and provisional dates can be seen on page 9).
We have also been considering planting some hedging plants. There are two reasons for this. The elms that have been felled will regenerate. If you can’t beat them use them, keep them trimmed to develop a low hedge to provide some valuable wildlife habitat. I suspect that elms have become disregarded as hedging due to the infection of Dutch elm disease but maybe people have forgotten what a fine neat hedge it makes and if kept low will not become infected and die. There are several hedges of elm around the village. It is the food plant of the white-letter hairstreak butterfly. Also the blackthorn will regenerate. They are the larval food plant of the brown hairstreak butterfly. Again instead of treating this as a problem we will tend them into a hedge which will shelter the woodland interior. Small woods benefit from a shelter belt of vegetation as it keeps the interior conditions favourable to the species of flora and fauna that have evolved to inhabit them.
We have left the Village Pond alone for the summer when it is not good to stir up the silt. But now that the water level has dropped considerably we can continue the work of last autumn to utilize the silt within the pond to build up mud flats on which vegetation can be planted which will enhance the pond for its general appearance as well as benefit wildlife.
Graham Thorne
SPOT THE DIFFERENCE!
Left: Brown hairstreak butterfly on blackthorn leaves; Right: White hairstreak butterfly on elm leaf
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