January 20th, 2020
The Ivy League: Promoting Biodiversity
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Common Ivy[/caption]
On a cold January day Richard Chandler and I were at Moor Farm to plan a farmland bird training event for members of the Rother Valley Farmers Group.
Given the subject of our visit, I was delighted to see the variety of berries on offer in every direction.
All around us were trees, bushes and plants carrying the food that helps support birds through cold and wet winter months.
In particular, I was struck by the plethora of berries covering Common Ivy growing in many field hedgerows.
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Ivy berries[/caption]
Mature ivy, which has oval leaves rather than the better recognised juvenile pointed ones, flowers in late autumn when it is visited by a wide range of insects; including late-season butterflies, bees and hoverflies.
It even has its own bee, the ivy bee (Colleteshederae) that feeds almost exclusively on its flowers.
Then through the winter Ivy becomes even more valuable as one of the few wild native plants to supply berries at a time when food supplies start to dwindle.
Long after the other berries such as hawthorn and rowan are gone, ivy berries offer some of the last available food for hungry birds before temperatures start to increase and other food sources reappear.
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Great tit eating winter berries[/caption]
According to the RSPB ivy berries contain nearly as many calories as Mars Bars, gram for gram; do birds leave the best for last perhaps?
In our training programme, Richard and I stress the importance of sensitively managing hedgerows allowing this unsung ‘winter diner ‘to prosper and thrive for the long term.
January 14th, 2020
Sussex Angler Breaks British Record
A ‘monster’ Barbel has been landed in Petworth and Bognor Angling Club’s waters by member Colin Smithson, breaking the 13 year old British record.
Colin thought he had hooked a big Mirror Carp says...
December 4th, 2019
Joining The Dots!
A room full of landowners, farmers, anglers and conservationists, retired Environment Agency and water company managers – and a snail expert. That’s a typical ARRT management meeting. You’d think...
December 4th, 2019
School Helps Raise £2000 for Fishes
Barnham Primary School’s Eco Team joined up with environmental charity, the Arun & Rother Rivers Trust (ARRT) to raise nearly £2,000 towards its river protection programme.
The money comes...
October 11th, 2019
Little And Large
My fishing addiction began when barely six years old. A net on a cane and a jam jar was all I needed. Wellies on and mother in hand I’d go in pursuit of abundant (little) sticklebacks in the...
June 15th, 2019
Dealing With Diffuse Pollution – An Act Of Faith
From my upbringing in Scarborough on the east coast, then during service in the Royal Navy and latterly as an NFU environment adviser, I’ve lived on and with water all my life and care deeply about...
May 15th, 2019
Fishing For A Smile
I saw the tail first. It waved momentarily above the surface then disappeared instantly below the ripples. The rod jerked and dipped alarmingly towards the water; the reel screamed.
“Keep the rod...
May 14th, 2019
Chairmans View
As the recently appointed chairman of the board of the Arun & Rother Rivers’ Trust I am writing to set out my aspirations for the coming year.
I took over from Sebastian Anstruther the inspiring...
April 2nd, 2019
ARRT at the heart of the South Downs National Park
Ten years ago, a few of us decided to form the Arun & Rother Rivers Trust (ARRT), one of a nationwide network of trusts set up to protect our rivers and streams. That same year, the South Downs...