It has been quite depressing to hear that there have been sightings of dead frogs. Let us hope that this has not been caused by Chytridiomycosis, which can devastate populations. We had been worried at the lack of mating activity in our pond but some did eventually turn up albeit about three weeks later than usual, doubtless put off by the recent icy conditions.
Even more depressing is the news that some large clumps of Payhembury Daffodils have been dug up at Lower Cheriton. The Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 makes it quite clear that whilst picking wild daffodils is generally not illegal anyone doing so needs the landowner’s permission. On the other hand, digging them up is illegal carrying a penalty of possible imprisonment and a fine of £5,000. Even if picking wild daffodils is not strictly illegal, it’s generally considered unethical to do so, even where they are abundant and they should never be removed from any public place, including parks, nature reserves and sites of scientific interest. Similar restrictions also apply to bluebells, snowdrops, primroses and wild orchids.
After all, our Payhembury Daffodil occurs nowhere else in the county, or even the country. It is considered to be an endemic plant, being a true sport from the native daffodil making it special, so please leave them alone for others to enjoy.
On a much more positive note something rather wonderful happened on a lovely sunny morning in mid-March. Hearing buzzards calling I looked skywards to witness at least six individuals presumably fully occupied in a mating display. All were calling loudly, soaring upwards and then eastwards until they disappeared from view. My mind immediately returned to a time when I was researching my family history and had travelled to Wester Ross. I soon found the isolated farmhouse where my ancestors had lived and there circling low overhead were a pair of buzzards. Nothing remarkable there you might think, except that the species had been brought back from the brink of extinction and were rarely seen outside of Wales. Buzzards have remained a favourite bird ever since.
