Hope and experience

September 2018

At the lower turning circle close to where Snipes Dene meets the River Derwent, we came across three Comma butterflies. For us it was an exciting find – perhaps not a rarity, but not an insect we see often. We mentioned our sighting to Ranger Phil at the end of the day. “Was that down by the lower turning circle?” he asked. We have come to expect such a response: there is very little that this man of nature does not know about the flora, fauna and landscape of Gibside Estate. He knew, too, about the Holly Blue feeding on the nipplewort the week before in an otherwise near desert of felled trees in West Wood.

Comma butterfly

Holly blue butterfly

Speckled wood butterfly

The daunting task of clearing the leftovers from the felling in West Wood continues in preparation for planting native species come winter. Close to half has been cleared, but it seems unlikely that the whole area will be ready. It’s hard work, and tedious.

Brash before the great clear-up in West Woods

Hard at work

After the clear-up

A well earned break

By way of change from the toil of removing the West Wood brash, some went off to thin out trees by the Octagon Pond; others cleared the blocked drainage channels on the nearby track. We two, along with Terry and Mary, set about an end of season visit to our grass snake monitoring sites. At each we made a final check under the ACOs (That stands for Artificial Cover Objects. Artificial cover objects are bits of corrugated iron), and stacked them out of sight until next year, then sorted through the nest heaps for any evidence of grass snake activity. Of course reader, as you will have worked out for yourself by now, they are not really nest heaps because nothing ever nests in them – well, certainly not grass snakes. Still, we live in hope even if experience gives us no reason to do so.

Hunt the ACO at the Lily Pond

There were other creatures making good use of our tins though. The ACOs often shelter toads, ants and field voles. They’re not what we’re looking for but seeing them is its own reward, and brings a little excitement to our day. It would be nice, though, if someone were to slip in a few grass snakes. Reintroduction we would call it.

Steve Wootten & Phil Coyne