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Thurlby Churchard November/December Report

We have had a work party this month making a start on the Autumn tidy up but also giving the grass plots a mow.  With the damp weather there had been quite a bit of growth and it needed 2 goes.  A light rake and it is set up now until the spring.  We also started tidying the flower beds but a lot is still flowering or has seed heads.  We will have another work party in the New Year to continue tidying up and do any cutting back.

Winter seems to be on the horizon but November has mostly been extraordinarily warm which is nice for us but confusing for wildlife with species that should be hibernating still out and using up their food reserves.  Numbers of Fieldfares and Redwings are building up and areas of open water now have good numbers of wintering waterfowl. Areas such as Penfield and Deeping Lakes may also have good displays of starling Murmuration’s which are worth looking out for. Please put out food for the birds, both proprietary feeds fruit and selective kitchen scraps.  Check the internet for advice.  Hedgehogs in particular will appreciate specialist food in mild spells.  Don’t forget to also have water available in freezing conditions. Please remember that untidy corners, leaf piles and rotting material all provide valuable shelter for small creatures which in turn are food for birds and mammals.

Photo: Paul Wade

Spring is slowly gathering pace helped by a spell of warm weather early in the month.  We had a busy morning in the churchyard adding to the Dead Hedge, planting shrubs in the gaps along the eastern hedge and tidying up the flower beds.  The churchyard was also cleared of Xmas wreaths.  We also marked out the grass plots again and may need to give the ones at the back another cut before leaving them until the summer. 

WE WOULD RESPECTFULLY ASK WALKERS TO PLEASE KEEP AWAY FROM THE MARKED AREA OF THE FRONT PLOT BY THE CARR DYKE.

There was a good turnout for the talk by Nick Williams, raising funds for Penfield Reserve and the disabled access on the reserve is now completed. 

Our first migrants have arrived Chiffchaffs are around and Sand Martins as well.  A change in  wind direction may bring the first Swallows and House Martins and then during April others will return.  Warm days have brought out Brimstone, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma butterflies. These will have overwintered as adults but we can now expect Holly Blues as the first brood of the year.

Please think about what you can do for wildlife in your garden.  Grass areas can be left to grow until a summer cut providing shelter and food for insects.

We will be running the photo competition again this year so time to start taking those photos.  More details in the next Link.  Don’t forget to look at our website naturehoodsk.uk and follow us on Facebook.

We really need more people to join us to help take the Naturehood  forward in the village.  Whilst some knowledge of natural history is an advantage your time and enthusiasm are more important. Please get in touch if you are interested. naturehood.sk@gmail.com

Photo: Paul Wade

Writing this in mid February Spring seems far away with persistent chill and lack of sunshine. Despite this it has been noticeable in the last week or so that the birds are singing more and many will have territories established and be ready to start nesting.  We had to postpone our planned work party in the Churchyard for better weather. It will be a good tidy up with plenty of fallen wood to add to the Dead Hedge.

Snowdrops are well out and even some Primroses. Crocuses,  Daffodils, Pulmonaria and Mahonia  are all really important early sources of nectar for insects flying on warmer days. Later in the month nature watchers will be listening for the return of our first migrant the Chiffchaff setting off the return of our summer visitors.  Spring is a wonderful time to engage and learn about nature.  Sit in our churchyard or visit a local nature reserve.  Join the local Wildlife Trust or other conservation body and get involved.                                                                              

In the garden if you have left dead stems over the winter it will soon be safe to cut them down.  They are a really important habitat for overwintering insects and their larva.  They can look untidy so I reduce their height and pile up the cut stems in a sheltered spot.

What can you do to help nature in your garden?  Even small changes can really help. There is lots of information on the internet and you can also look at our Wildlife Gardening page for more information. 

This year’s Open Gardens will be encouraging wildlife gardening and supporting garden birds. 

Look out for information in the link and on social media.    

We had a work party in early December to start the winter jobs.  We added to the dead hedge with fallen wood around the churchyard and some willow from one which die in our garden.  Native species are best as they will rot down quicker but we feel it is better to put the fallen Sycamore wood in the hedge rather than burn it.  We also started to tidy the beds by the church.  We have decided to cut down one of the Buddleias by the seat as they have grown so big. The back path was weeded and the Eastern hedge tidied on the field side.  Leaves were raked off the front plots so they don’t smother the grass. 

We will need another work party to finish winter jobs and fill some gaps in the Eastern hedge.  As always we are very grateful to our volunteers.  Do please get in touch if you can join us and help make our churchyard a place for wildlife and for our community to enjoy.

In December we had a Naturehood meeting in Langtoft village Hall when we once again enjoyed hearing about the wildlife in Penfield Nature Reserve and watching the wonderful videos and photos taken by Kim Lupton.  This was also an opportunity to present trophies to the winners of the Photographic competition. The weather in early January has been a challenge for wildlife and as winter continues please remember to feed the birds but more importantly keep your feeders clean.  If you have apples or other fruit the Fieldfares and Blackbirds will be very grateful.  We have large flocks visiting our garden and they are great fun to watch.  Even now some birds are preparing to breed and you may notice Rooks and Crows in the top of trees building nests.  Herons too are early nesters.  Warm days may  see bees about which is why winter flowering plants such as Mahonia and crocuses are so important.  Perhaps you can plan to do more for wildlife in your garden this year.  See our Wildlife Gardening page for more information.

22/08/2024 After a quiet spell we are now busy!  Our grass plots were cut in late July thanks to John Oliver and his helpers from the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust.  The cuttings were raked and removed and the plots were then cut over with a mower.  The next job is to spread green hay and seeds that have been collected all of which will hopefully boost the number of plants in the plots.  The hay is then raked off and depending on growth the plots will continue to be mown into the Autumn. This is all labour intensive and we do need volunteers to help us. 

We have also tidied up our flower beds but there will be more cutting back to do as we get into the Autumn so please look out for notices on Facebook and come and help.

Our main news is that we now have a set of twelve information boards round the churchyard explaining what you can see and what we are doing. Our thanks go to Russ Luck for making the frames and Mike Trumble putting them up for us.  Do go and look at them. Leaflets will be available so you can follow a route round to see them.

The main focus of activity in Thurlby has been the St Firmins Churchyard. For the latest news and updates the Thurlby group have a St Firmins Churchyard Facebook page.

16/07/2024: In early July the Churchyard was subject to an incident, when, without warning or signs of distress, a large branch from a tall sycamore tree, split off and fell to the ground.  Following a closer inspection of the tree, it was deemed unsafe, and a contractor has come in since and cut it down (in sections), to remove it.

Workwise, the churchyard is ready for a cut. 

Next month (2^nd Sunday in August) a series of information boards are going to be installed in the churchyard to create a nature trail.  The Thurlby group are currently looking for someone to make the wooden backing and frames for the boards that have been created by Greytones.  The boards will be angled so they can easily be read when walking round.

Following initial surveys we identified different habitats and features in the churchyard and are working to improve these to benefit wildlife.  We have drawn up a management plan and have achieved a lot over the last year.  Work to date has been:
GRASSLAND 
There are several  areas where the grass is left to grow, flower and set seed before cutting in the summer.  This will encourage wildflowers and support insects and small mammals.
HEDGES and TREES 
A new hedge has been planted and infilling an existing one using native species. Some trees have also been planted. An established boundary hedge is being managed to improve its structure and allowed to grow to provide food and shelter.
INSECT FRIENDLY BEDS 
Two beds have been established to provide nectar sources for Bees and other insects – a herb bed and garden plant bed.  Two benches provide somewhere to sit and enjoy wildlife in the beds and the churchyard.
INSECT HOTEL  
Sited by the beds and facing south this provides a place for solitary bees to nest and other insects to overwinter.
NEST BOXES  
There are many nest boxes around the churchyard to encourage hole nesting birds and we also have an Owl box.
WOODPILES & COMPOST AREA
Rotting wood is an important home for certain insects and fungi while many other animals visit for food and shelter.  Compost heaps which also help recycle green waste back to the soil are also attractive to wildlife. 
INFORMATION BOARDS  
Helping to explain more about the wildlife in the Churchyard and  what we are doing.

We hope the local community will both enjoy the wildlife in the churchyard and come and help us in our regular work parties. Updates can be found in the Village Link, on our facebook page and here.  St Firmins Churchyard.