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Rangers View - November

November Fires

November was known as “Samain” in the Celtic calendar and was associated with the cult of the dead. This was because it was the time of the year when leaves die back and fall off the trees. The days became much darker and so large bonfires were lit not only to give light and warmth but also to encourage the sun god to come back quickly so that the world would come alive again in the spring.

Guelder Rose

In this month the farmers will be ploughing and drilling their seed where needed. This is also the month where farmers set about mending fences around the farm. They will, in some cases, be laying hedges. This is a good time because the sap is going back down into the tap roots. The hedge, when laid, becomes a good barrier to keep livestock in too!

Beech Leaves

If the farmers can leave as much stubble in the fields for as long as possible then this will enable birds like yellow hammer and skylark and mammals such as mice and voles to find seeds. Also, if they can leave buffer strips along the ditches and stream margins, this will help reduce erosion problems.

Dogwood

Up on the Downs there is a variety of trees and shrubs that ensures a good range of colour as the month progresses. There are the beautiful orange leaves of the beech (Fagus sylvatica). The red leaves of the Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) and the purple of the Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea). The Dogwood has black berries this month and these berries used to be used as oil fuel for lamps because the juice is very flammable. The Dogwood derives its name from two traditions - firstly the berries are bitter and are inedible and it was said “they were unfit even for a dog to eat” and the other comes from the fact that the wood is very hard and was used to make skewers and were known as “Dogs”

Heath in November

On our heaths the heathers have died back and will be dropping their seeds. There will be little colour to be seen, however there may still be a chance to see or hear late-mating Mottled Grasshoppers and Oak bush crickets.

Sweet Chestnut

In the woods there are some late Sweet Chestnuts (Castanea sativa) to be found on the woodland floor for mammals and birds to eat. Sweet Chestnuts were introduced to this country by the Romans. They brought them to make porridge that they named “Pollenta”. Since then the nuts have been used as stuffing or just simply roasted. Another source of food for the birds are sloes and hawthorn berries known as “haws”. Many of the small birds can be found flocking together with the colder weather coming on because it is safer to be in numbers looking out for predators like the Sparrow hawk when searching for food. Territorial rivalry is put on the shelf until the spring. Another thing you may hear this month is the blood-curdling shriek of a fox giving its mating call.

Sparrow hawk

There may not be too much to see in our meadows but in our gardens there will be wildlife to look out for. The Robin and the Wren remain solitary birds during this period and can be heard singing - letting us know that we are in their territory. The Spindle is often found growing in gardens largely because they are very colourful with orange/pink berries. Another thing to be aware of, when tidying up the garden and burning that heap of rubbish at the end of the garden, are the hedgehogs and other small mammals that will be looking for somewhere to hibernate. So to be on the safe side, check your heaps for small mammals before you burn them.

Southern Hawker

In the wetter areas there may still be the late dragonfly to be seen like the Southern Hawker (Aeshna cyanea). However, the most noticeable thing about marshy areas is that on frosty evenings the pond and lake edges may have ice forming. The wetland areas may have less plants and cover but areas that are not frozen are sought-after by birds and mammals for water and so become potentially dangerous areas where they can be predated on by hawks and foxes.

Haws

Next month is December and it is not only the darkest month of the year but it is a time of celebration with Christmas just around the corner.