Among the green

The foliage of the woods is expanding into the full canopy of summer.
Bird song and green leaves.
You’ll maybe hear them, and yet, spotting the birds in the canopy…not so easy.
Can you match sight and sound? Hear the song and know the bird?

Walking through the woods with John, he’ll point in the direction of the song of a blackcap or a chiff chaff. Me? barely a clue. If your bird song recognition is more like mine than John’s then the BBC can give you a few clues. Listen. Tweet of the Day on Radio 4. On the website, photos to go with the sound. Here’s the link. See. Hear.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01s6xyk

Kirkwood

Walking from Hyde Bank, along the canal and then following the path through Kirkwood, there’s the freshness of new growth. Green. The fresh green of spring.

Higher Kirkwood Photo: Artemisia

Higher Kirkwood in May Photo: Artemisia

The slopes of Kirkwood in May Photo: Artemisia

In the next few weeks…

Sunday 26th May at 11.00 am Scarecrow Making in the Walled Garden.

Saturday 8th June at 2.30pm Plant Sale in the Gardens at Chadkirk.

Thursday 4th July at 7pm Friends of Chadkirk Meeting to discuss the Chadkirk Festival which will take place on the last Sunday in July.

Saturday 1st June Friends of Chadkirk will be gardening.
New volunteers are very welcome to join us in the Walled Garden after 2pm.

On Thursday June 6 at 7pm Friends of Chadkirk meeting.
Walking the talk. Following the route of Lesley’s Heritage Walk around Chadkirk.

The trees of Kirkwood

Taking the flight of steps up into Kirkwood, visitors are able to see a variety of trees and the wildlife they support.

There are oak, beech and sycamore.
Some of the sycamore have been topped. This allows light to penetrate to the woodland floor and encourages the growth of a ground layer of plants, providing food and cover for invertebrates. The stumps are left standing as these also play their part in increasing biodiversity.

Look carefully. Can you see the work of the woodpeckers of Kirkwood?

On the left is an area where beech seeds have germinated and grown into small trees. If left, they will grow tall and thin, blocking out the light. The plan for management of the woodland means that they will be thinned. Perhaps 30% will be removed and replaced with saplings of other native trees – silver birch, rowan, oak. Later they will be thinned again. At each stage action taken to allow in light and encourage biodiversity.

Beech re-generation in Kirkwood

To the right of the path, a damp area has been planted with Alder. These young trees have catkins which are attractive to Siskins. As the trees grow, they will provide more food for these migratory birds and perhaps make it easier for visitors to Chadkirk to see them.

Planting for biodiversity : Alder glutinosa

Over the crest of the hill, towards the river, a stand of beech trees shows why this management strategy is helpful. Here below the beech trees there is no undergrowth. This provides much less opportunity for colonisation by wildlife and is vulnerable to soil erosion. In this part of Kirkwood, future work will be undertaken to introduce light by felling 3 fire damaged trees.

Annual General Meeting

This will take place on Thursday 9th May in Chadkirk Chapel 7-9pm.

May

The first day of May.
March came in like a lion and went out…like…a polar bear? Arctic adjectives continued to be attached to descriptions of the weather here for the early part of April as well. Today, some welcome sunshine and a little warmth. With the weather pulsing between frosts and freezing winds only a few weeks ago, how might the wildlife of Chadkirk have been affected?

In and around the walled Garden, flowers are later to bloom. Maybe 3 or 4 weeks later than last year?

In the walled garden, a peacock butterfly.
Photo: Artemisia

As keen gardeners note these changes, animal watchers see other signs. Birds are nesting. Amphibians make their way to the ponds to spawn. In the first days of May, frogs will have already laid their spawn. Toads visit later. Perhaps they may be emerging from the woods and fields to breed this week.

In previous years, John, the resident Countryside Officer, has rescued many of the toads crossing the road en route to the ponds. He tells of collecting buckets full over a period of 10 days. His services have not been required in the spring of 2012 or 2013. What does this suggest? That the pattern of weather for each of those springs had an adverse effect on Toad populations in the area? Possibly. Last year March was warm and dry.Too dry for toads maybe? This year all those frosty nights and Siberian winds…

Later in the year, if there’s an opportunity to go pond dipping with the Friends of Chadkirk and friends from CAN, we will be curious to see how the populations of these amphibians compare with previous years.

Today there were plenty of butterflies on the wing. And plump queen bees foraging. The woods were busy with birdsong: chiff-chaffs, blackcaps, blue tits, great tits, jackdaws.

Spring is sprung…

By now you might be tired of jokes about Spring.
Officially, the Met Office has Spring starting on 1st March.
There are those who say it starts at the vernal equinox…and that was last week.
Or you might think that Spring begins when we move from GMT to British Summer Time.

All of these ideas might be challenged by recent experience of our weather.
After the odd warm day earlier in the month, the Siberian winds and prolonged spell of cold weather mean it feels more like winter. Nevertheless the clocks spring forward on Saturday night/Sunday morning – the last Saturday in March. This is also the Easter weekend.

For those looking to get out and about, things will be happening at Chadkirk over the weekend. Wrap up warm and join in the service in Chadkirk Chapel on Easter Sunday at 3pm.The service will be led by Bernard Sword. The collection at the service will be donated to the chosen charity. This year it was decided to donate to Christie’s via BBC Radio Manchester appeal to raise money for a mobile screening unit.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radiomanchester

http://www.christie.nhs.uk/the-christie-charity/get-involved/corporate-fundraising/our-current-supporters/bbc-radio-manchester.aspx

Over the weekend there will be an Easter Egg Hunt. The kiosk in the chapel will be open. Mary and Pat will be selling chickens and teddy bears. (Knitted toys only)

On Thursday April 4th there will be a meeting to discuss the constitution of the Friends of Chadkirk. This will start at 7pm in Chadkirk Chapel.

On Saturday 6th April volunteers gather to garden 2-4pm.

Meanwhile the consultation process about the way Stockport’s Green Spaces will be managed continues. You have until May 31st to make your views known. http://www.stockportgreenspace.org.uk/

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BBC Radio Manchester
The Christie charity is delighted to have been selected as the first ever charity of the year partner for BBC Radio Manchester.

With your help the partnership aims to raise One Million Pounds to benefit cancer patients in Greater Manchester through a new mobile chemotherapy unit that will take Christie care closer to patients’ homes.

We will also be following the stories of Christie patients, staff and volunteers throughout 2013 and there will be a host of fundraising events and activities for you to demonstrate your support.

Stay tuned to 95.1fm to hear how the presenter and listeners of Radio Manchester are taking part and how your support will make a vital difference to the lives of cancer patients and their families throughout Greater Manchester.