From Steam to Dream -draft3

From Steam to Dream

This is a draft working copy

Page left blank

Introduction

Very close to the dual cariageway of the A303 busy with holiday traffic travelling to Devon and Cornwall there is an inauspicios patch of land which through the vision of one man has become a wild life haven.

Daily walking his two dogs, he monitored the wild life in the area around his country town of Martock including scraps of remaing nature and concieved the idea to turn this area back to nature. After several years of fruitless appeal a chance meeting with someone in authority at The Highways Agency, who manage the area, brought agreement to attempt to deliver his vision. With a group of local enthusiats they nutured this patch back from, neglect, pollution and past exploitation into a small reserve.

Where once oil polluted waterway, industrial waste and remnants of railway ballast and artifacts littered the area, Barn Owls, Orchids, Moon moths, Kingfishers and much more now have a permanent home.

This little booklet records through artistic sketches, made by that organiser, the life that has returned to this small patch of Somerset. It is a tribute to the dedication of the volunteers who have shown what can happen to a waste and derelect area of land if through the care and hardwork of an enthustic group the “doors are open” and nature is invited to return.

The Triangle with restored pond

Where trains once passed steaming here and there

No butterflies of flowers but no one cared With Beeching ’twas all swept away Nature left bare, bereft , along that way

Then and now - Between Yeovil and Martock,

But now it’s different so good to know Where once was concrete rare flowers grow Tufted Ducks on pond, dragon flies dart To watch it all uplifts the heart

Martock Junction

My sketches all things there I’ve seen Where no longer go machines of steam Yellow necked mouse, blood veined moth Orchids, shepherds purse once lost Now returned to where they belong Could I but sketch that wrens’ song

A page of the recordings made of the ever evolving species of plants and animals of the reserve.

By 2021approximately 1000 recordings

Dion’s description of how he made his recordings.

E.G. Standing, listening and watching. Binoculars in hand. Sometimes having to return several times to ensure thhings were

Short-fruited Willowherb.

Black Berry

Hedge Bedstraw Great Willowherb (Codlings and cream). Smooth Hawksbeard

Pendulous Sedge

Common Spotted Orchid

Square-stemmed St Johns Wort

Common Ragwort.

Lungwort

White Violet

Flag Iris Reed Mace

Woody Nightshade

Hemlock Flag Iris

Bind Weed

Goats Beard Jack goes to bed at noon Common Cinqfoil

Water Plantain

Great Tussock Sedge

White Clover

Ragwort

Common Spike Rush

Flag Iris Yellow Rattle

Lesser Celandine

Water Crow Foot

Hoary Plantain

Narrow Leaved Plantain

Daisy Whitlow Grass

Lords and Ladies (Cuckoo Pint, Jack in the Pulpit, Wake Robbin)

Common Poppy

Snow Drop

Garlic Mustard Bush Vetch Primrose

Cowslip

Common Vetch

Bougle

Jew Berry Herb Robert

Red Clover

Ladies Smock Hairy Tare

Hairy

Shepard’s Purse

Chickweed Red Campion

Common Vetch

Sticky Mouse Ear

Crab Apple

Field Forget Me Not

White Comfrey

Way Faring

Hawthorn

Hedge Parsley

Tufted Ducks

Fieldfare

Yellow Hammer (male)

Reed Bunting (male)

Linnet (male)

Grey Wagtail

Chiff Chaff

Reed Warbler

Blackcap (male)

Lesser Whitethroat

Kingfisher

Buzzard

Sparrow Hawk

Wood Pigeon

Woodcock

Mallard pair

Wood Sandpiper

Pheasant

Moorhen

Snipe

Herron

Jay

Stock Dove

Barn Owl

Long Tailed Tit

Carrion Crow

Magpie

Common Rat

Grey Squirrel

Pigmy Shrew

Bank Vole Yellow Necked Mouse

Fox Rabbit

Common Shrew

Wood Mouse

Water Shrew

Badger

Mole

Roe Deer Family

Smooth Newt (male)

Common Frog

Palmate Newt (male)

Three Spined Stckleback (male)

Great Diving Beetle (male) (female)

Larvae

To be continued