Wildlife Magic

At the end of September, the national press announced the death of Tony Soper, at the age of 95 years, a naturalist, who I guess was not known to many people today. Together with four children from the Primary School, I met Tony in the Natural History Unit in Bristol where the BBC TV Programme ”Animal Magic” was being filmed. We were to spend most of the day with him and lead presenter Johnny Morris, in the studios. Tony was just a wonderful personality, who was so gentle and calm, and great to be around. He was a natural with children, and his knowledge of the natural world immense. As the programme was presented live, the children were to experience lots of things that day, including being interviewed live on TV, and seeing several animals and insects, close up and live in the studio.

Tony had joined the BBC as a 17 year old trainee, and later co founded the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, and had taken part in many programmes such as Look, Birdwatch, Discovering Birds, Discovering Animals, Beside the Sea, Wildtrack and Nature. He was the author of many books on natural history, and was awarded the Peter Scott Memorial Award for his services to Nature. He is pictured below with the children appearing in the programme. Awards were being presented for the Save the Village Pond Campaign, and Christleton had been awarded 2nd place nationally for our project and conservation work on The Pit.

A kingfisher is regularly being reported being seen on the canal, so keep a look out. There may even be two pairs from the places they are being recorded. Latest butterfly sightings in the village are red admiral and comma, whilst I spotted a hawk moth on buddleia at Rowton Bridge, and a female brimstone butterfly near the River Dee. We’ve also spotted migrant hawkers and common darter dragonflies. There are lots of spectacular rose hips to be seen, together with patches of a colourful vivid orange flower, called fox and cubs* members of the daisy family. * I’ve also known this plant called” fire weed” I’ve spotted the single mute swan on the canal and have had the opportunity to record it drinking, feeding, bathing, preening and spreading waterproofing oil from a gland, onto its feathers. The pair of adult swans have now flown from Walk Mill lake, and left the five surviving cygnets to fend for themselves. They are probably just at the stage of flying for the first time, so could fly away very soon.

After all the wet weather, fungi is becoming prominent in many places and amongst the photographs this month are, birch knight, small staghorn, bracket, chicken in the wood which is a yellow bracket species, and several shots of oyster mushrooms, which I understand can be edible, but I wouldn’t advise it.