I’ve
often thought, that if I inherited a castle, I would know exactly
what I would do with it. I would devote the grounds to wildlife
conservation and invite the public in, to inform, enlighten, educate
and enjoy. It seems as though I’ve been beaten to it. The
Pennington family have done exactly that with Muncaster Castle, here
in Cumbria. So, join me if you will, for a little walk around their
garden.
One
of the first things you notice is a slight dearth of manicured lawns,
formal gardens and the like. Pheasants and Herons pop up like
Jack-in-the-boxes from swathes of wild grasslands instead. There’s
a reason for this, and the reason is owls. The more astute
ornithologists among you will have noticed that the Great Grey Owl in
the picture is not a native British species, they
live in the more northerly latitudes of America, Europe and Asia.
Muncaster Castle is the home of The
World Owl Centre,
dedicated
to the conservation of owls and their habitat, worldwide. So, out
went the formal gardens to be replaced with aviaries, flying areas
and hay meadows. Owls like to eat small, furry mammals and small,
furry mammals like to live in hay meadows and
we haven’t got so many of those these days. There’s an awful lot
of us in the UK now, all demanding our daily bread, so agriculture
has had to intensify to feed us all. Hence, fewer hay meadows, fewer
small, furry mammals and less owls.
Hay
meadows are also a haven for insects, a valuable food source for the
small, furry mammals. Insects,
and their relationships with plants and predators, is my area of
special interest and I’d love to get in there, catalogue them all
and document what’s going on. Today though, I’ll have to content
myself with watching from the sidelines. I’m
pleased to see an old friend, the Marmalade Hover Fly, as I’ve been
helping to monitor the migration patterns of these amazing little
insects for a number of years; firstly in Crete and now here in
Cumbria [see To
The Village of Orino]. We also have a little Flea Beetle, a
tribe of beetles within the Leaf Beetle family, Chrysomelidae, which
I’ve often come across in bushes and woody shrubs in my
peregrinations around the Cretan countryside.
And finally, a Dark-winged Fungus Gnat which
is totally new to me.
There
are loads of little hidden paths with sudden, amazing views and an
absolute plethora of plant life. One plant that I certainly wasn’t
expecting to see was this one down at our feet, Oregano. I’ve
always thought of it as a Mediterranean herb but, apparently, it has
become widely naturalised across the UK, particularly in recent
decades. Definitely one to add to the foraging list for Steve's
Wild Kitchen. Not
today though, after all this is someone’s private garden, even if
it is open to the public.
It’s
nearly 4 o’clock; Heron feeding time. They’ve been feeding wild
herons here for decades, from suitable kitchen scraps, but before we
get there, I just want to bring your attention to this Sweet Chestnut
tree. In silhouette it looks like a mediaeval court jester looking
down and laughing at us. Could it be that Thomas Skelton,
the 16th
century court jester at Mulcaster, is still playing his tricks? After
all, this sinister [and allegedly murderous] clown is said to still
haunt the place and this tree was his favourite place for sitting
under. He also used to direct people, that he didn’t like the look
of, into nearby quicksand, according to legend. Ah, but they were
different times and humour was different then.
On
a personal note, I am close to purchasing my flat in Cockermouth.
I’ll try to keep up a weekly post but events may overtake me. So,
until next time, stay safe and be happy. Steve.
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All
you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or
snail very simply and find out more about it.
Yvonne:
This
was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what
they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to
use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that
gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
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The
Eggs of Saramova
A
science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction.
A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and
it starts right here in Crete).
Too
new for reviews yet!
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A
light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex.
Janet:
If
you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into
long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides
readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly
entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it.
Helen:
A
very good read! Well written and entertaining!
Margaret:
Each
quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an
often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more.
Yvonne:
These
days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so
this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes
a good gift.
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See
sample pages of all my books and latest blogs, and keep abreast of
latest publications here:
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Crete
Nature Catch-up
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LINKS:
Share
your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists
(the
facebook page that accompanies this blog)
Explore
the region with the #CreteNature interactive Hiking
and Nature Map
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