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| Vine planting at Upper Bush... |
..and so it begins...
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| Bush Valley ploughed... |
At least it wasn't deep-ploughed and turned into a desert like Luddesdown was. Footpaths have also been preserved. Perhaps Vineyard Farms have learned a bit since first arriving on the scene...
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| Church Hill, nettles cut down... |
Unfortunately, the lack of wildlife concern is not confined to Bush Valley. I appreciate that land has to be managed to stop becoming a bramble and hawthorn-choked wilderness, but I just wonder if the same ends could be achieved without purging the grasslands of any wildlife, particularly insects, which are having a hard enough time as it is. Last year we had the hawthorns cut back in March, thus eliminating the blossom for that year and and scaring away the nesting thrushes and blackbirds. The grass was also cut back in June, right at the height of the butterfly season, thus destroying the colonies of Ringlets, Blues and Browns. This year, they have cut the nettles down in May, just at the time when the Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks are laying eggs. This is particularly grievous as the Small Tortoiseshells are becoming rare and were barely hanging on on the hill as it was. Maybe they could just do the hack-backs in September/October instead...?
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| Peacock larvae on a patch of nettles the mower man missed... |
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| Cuxton from Upper Church Hill... |
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| Female Silver-washed Frittilary... |
I saw a male in Mays Wood on the 19th (see last post). I hope they can establish a colony there.
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| Underside, showing the silver bands that give the species its common name... |
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