Ancient Woodland Ancient Woodland

4/1/20 Siskin in garden, Cologne Rd.

12/2/20 Brimstone exceptionally early sighting.  Cologne Rd.

16/2/20 Bullfinch Garden Cologne Rd. RMP


































Ancient Woodland

WILDLIFE OF WOOL

Other special sites for wildlife being particularly important or interesting are as follows:  organic farmland, scrubland, Bovington Middle School grounds, the Watercress Beds and the Old Withy Beds.

Organic Farmland provides a high percentage of farmland in the Parish. Robert Hyde’s farmland was registered in 1991 as part of the River Countryside Stewardship Scheme.  The land is kept free of pesticides and fertilisers and is therefore providing the kind of farmland habitat mainly gone from England today – a farm landscape rich in species.  Sides of the fields have a wealth of wildflowers such as Corn Marigolds, Centaury, Poppies and Heartseaze.  Apparently sheep can safely eat Ragwort, although
this may be less well tolerated on farmland these days.  It is seriously harmful to horses.  50-60 Lapwing (one of the casualties of present day agri-business) were recorded in February 2008 in one field.  The hedges, not frequently cut, are left with natural top growth.  Cutting is done in February and a wealth of small birds benefit from it – Corn Buntings, Goldfinches, Yellowhammers and Skylarks are found throughout the farmland.
Snipe and Partridges run along on the ground and Sparrowhawks and Buzzards are seen frequently.  Fieldfares are regular winter visitors.  Badgers, Foxes, Moles, Toads and Frogs are frequently either seen or signs are left such as the musky smell of the Fox.  The farmer records seeing Hares boxing nearly every year in the area of New Buildings, and took great pleasure in viewing a family of Roe Deer with mother and twin kids at very close quarters.  This is sustainable farming.

Scrubland.  This is sadly underrated in our over tidy-minded society.  The reduction in Cuckoos may well be because our summer warblers choose just this sort of area to raise young, but with its decline there are fewer host species including the resident Dunnock.  When surveying Wool’s hedges one particular area of scrub proved a veritable birds crèche.  It was the wasteland near the old Ministry of Defence Forester’s Store and east of Bovington Farm.  Here family groups of Chiff Chaffs, Goldfinches, Blackcaps
and (in the Pine) Goldcrests, were moving around constantly calling, and the many hedges provide ideal nesting places.

The Old Watercress Beds.  Feeding on the seeds of rushes are Reed Bunting, Bullfinches and Goldfinches.  Lesser and Common Whitethroat have been recorded from this area, as have Kestrels, Buzzards and Sparrowhawks - all the latter aware of a good place for finding a meal.

The Withy Beds.  Out beyond Cowleaze to the east of the Parish an area of Willows thriving on seepages were cut in times past and baskets made.  This is a remnant of  ancient woodland with Wood Anemones and Bluebells.  It is a favourite haunt of Adders – beware! - probably feeding on numerous newts in the wetter areas and basking on the drier wood banks.

Former Bovington Middle School Grounds.  This area provides the parkland not found elsewhere.  The wide areas of  cut grass are favoured by Thrushes and Blackbirds for providing ample supplies of worms.  Worms are also fed on by the many moles who like digging in the sandy but rich light soil.  This soil is also ideal for ants – including Yellow Meadow ants and small Black ants - and hence pupils at the school can often look out of a window and spot the lime green and red of Green Woodpeckers that regularly probe the anthills and eat the ants, which they extract with long sticky tongues.  The rough
areas of grass are full of voles – good hunting ground for Tawny Owls from the adjoining wood.  There are mature Beech trees and a spectacular non-native Judas Tree (rich pink in Spring), and a Tulip Tree with its strangely beautiful green flowers which come as a surprise every so often. In all there are thirty mature Birches.  These reach good heights such as the lovely tree outside the Dining Hall.  They are almost certainly hybrids,
which gives them greater longevity.  A semi-wild area where several young trees have self-seeded may provide a reservoir for replanting of a tree eminently suitable for school grounds as it is not liable to drop heavy limbs.  The bark attracts Tree Creepers whereas the roots provide an amazing number of Fungi including Fly Agaric, the Panther Cap and False Death Cap with its yellow cap and smell of potatoes which are associated with Beech, whereas other Agarics, including the Blusher, Tawny Grisette and olive green
coloured Death Cap, are found with Oaks and other deciduous trees.  The list is long, including many Brittle Caps and Wax Gills.  There is a huge swathe of brambles in one area.  In late summer and autumn it is thick with Blackberries, attracting Red Admirals and Commas which feed on the fruit. It is also a good area for birds’ nests.

This site is a veritable habitat mosaic and a few years back a pond was dug and, earlier still, a stretch of native trees planted with Wild Cherries, Lime trees, Maple and Guelder Rose, all now fruiting. 

CONCLUSION

From this account of Wool wildlife it should be clear how important interconnections between different species are to allow feeding and breeding.  Also clear is the importance of abutting habitats, with often quite different animal and plant communities, and the linking by wildlife corridors of one habitat with another, allowing for migration and therefore viable reproductive populations of species.  Wool at present is still an
amazing mix of habitat mosaics.  If any of these or the links between species are severed, it will result in decline of its extremely rich biodiversity – our natural heritage.  This heritage includes, north of the Frome, an area not unlike the New Forest with similar natural drainage advantages (problems for would be developers!) and ancient woodland abutting heathland.  South of the Frome is one of the richest of ancient working
landscapes with the River Frome and its water meadows thrown in.  It is a record of real local sustainability from the past.  This outstanding juxtaposition in one Parish should be jealously guarded and handed on in as complete a way as possible to succeeding generations.