Nature Table Archive 2024

September 2024 update:

March 2024

16th March a pair of toads appeared in my pond, the smaller male plastered on to the larger femaie’s back. From here he fertilised the ribbons of black eggs as they streamed steadily from her backside… during which process she climbed around the twigs in the pond, creating a cats-cradle of spawn as she went. I had deliberately put several twiggy branches into the pond for this purpose, as well as to provide hand-rails to help Mrs Toad grapple her way up for air now and again – no easy task with your husband sitting on your back. 

As I was watching them a newt – also newly returned to the pond from his winter’s sleep in the garden – surfaced to take a lightening gulp of air. He will be picking off a few of the tadpoles when they hatch, as will the larvae of the dragonflies which live in the pond. Everything eats tadpoles; it’s just lucky there are so many of them. Go Mrs Toad!

2024 SPRING!! February 

As the snowdrops turn to seed the blackbird begins his rolling contralto song at dusk and dawn… Cattistock’s birds are beloved by us all, and we eagerly await the arrival of the summer migrants. House martins have increased dramatically in the village thanks to the abundance of man-made nest boxes on the houses and cottages on the east end of Duck Street. Now it is the turn of the swifts…

A marvellous project for creating more nesting spaces for these iconic and enigmatic birds has been initiated by Liz and Nathalie – entitled Swift Action! The project aims to install 10 new nest boxes for them in an around the roofs of the village, and has identified sites where they will be installed. This will happen by early April, before the swifts return here to breed from their long stay in Africa. If you would like your roof eaves to host a swift box, or indeed a house martin nest box, contact me, Merrily on merrily@harpur.org and i will pass on your details.