Nature Notes from Bourne Woods- October 2018 I think that buzzards have bred again in the woods this year. Although I have not seen their nest (or nests) this is not unexpected as they can be well camouflaged in the tops of the trees. However I have seen them on many occasions, flying through the trees and feeding on the ground. I have also heard the calls of the young frequently resounding through the foliage, particularly loud and clear in the last few weeks. I do sympathise with the adults as they attempt to meet the increasing demands of the young (does this sound familiar?). Our supplies to our children are different though as we do not often deliver them parcels of worms! Ospreys can feed for an hour or more on a larger high protein trout and then perch quietly for several hours digesting their food. I guess that the food of the buzzards- mostly small mammals, carrion, worms and insects is not so sustaining- so that the young buzzards are constantly calling for more. Hence the adults have busy lives. They will soon be soaring high in the sky again, circling in the thermals with the young seeming to enjoy the experience as they mew perhaps with excitement? Back down to earth and the bracken is dying back, transforming from a green thick verdant mass of foliage to a brown/bronze forest with passageways between the stalks. These may be highways for the small mammals of the woods as they scurry about, hiding from the gaze of aerial predators. The colours will soon be ripening and we should have those wonderful autumn coppers and golds to enjoy. We might get some muddy puddles back, much to the satisfaction of my dog, visiting Newfoundlanders and any other canine individual who likes to paddle up to their armpits. Of course they then have to transport the mulch home to deposit it on the kitchen floor- which must be part of the fun as their owners brandish buckets and mops again! Our October event is a Fungi Foray on Sunday October 21st, 2pm in the main car park, led by Dr Vin Fleming, who will be able to help us identify our finds. More information on www.friendsofbournewoods.org.uk or 07760468052.
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