South Downs VIC A Rangers View

Winter landscape

The New Year weather certainly turned colder and the downs looked wonderful with a covering of snow. I have noticed that a number of last summers visiting birds have stayed here for the winter like Whinchat, Chiffchaff and the Blackcap. For some reason these birds have chosen not to migrate and with the cold weather ahead will be forced to feed at bird tables and other places where food is more readily available for them until the spring..

The Robin (Erithacus rubecula)

The Robin (Erithacus rubecula), easily distinguished by its red to orange breast can be seen almost anywhere. The male bird will be already protecting its chosen winter territory and a female will be looking for a suitable male to pair up with. By March the pair of them will be nesting and have young.

With the snow, frosts and ice the ground freezes and the wild birds and animals will be attracted to hunt and forage in the more sheltered areas and where the sun light and warmth rests longest. Farm animals like sheep also take advantage of these slopes, especially after a snowfall, because these are the first areas for snow melt to occur, revealing the turf below.

Sheep grazing a south facing slope

These areas are usually heavily grazed as a consequence and the animals trample the ground. Over many years plants have adapted to grow in these warmer areas, usually south facing slopes and many insects have adapted to these specific microclimates. For example, one of our rarest butterflies the Adonis Blue, is dependant on the plant Bird's-foot Trefoil (which prefers the southern face on the downs) as its food source. The Adonis Blue caterpillar, then takes advantage of the bare patches of chalk to warm up and carry out its courtship as an adult. So the effects of winter grazing on the south facing slopes as the snow melts is helping prolong the life of many insects that we will not notice until the summer.

Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis)

Flowers are a good early source of nectar for the insects that feed at this time of year. This month look out for the early flowering plants like the Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) which has a pretty yellow flower. It originates from south-east Europe and is a widely naturalised garden-escapee, especially found in church yards. Another garden-escapee that is becoming an invasive problem on many of our roadside verges and streamside margins is Winter Heliotrope (Petasites fragrans). The pink flowers of this plant can be seen as early as November and will continue until March. It is a plant that gives a pleasant smell that resembles vanilla mixed with almond.

Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus)

Another to look out for on the Downs is one of our less common native woodland plants, the Stinking Hellebore (Helleborus foetidus). It is a green plant with green flowers that has a red margin on its petals. The leaves of this plant when crushed give a rotting foetid smell, which gives this plant its name. This smell is emitted in oil that coats the plant seeds. The smell although unpleasant to us is very attractive to snails. The snails eat the oil but disregard the seeds,but the seeds become attached to the slimy coating that protects the snail, only to fall off later, helping this plants distribution throughout the woodland.

Next month, February, I will talk about Snowdrops and catkins.

Every month South Downs Ranger Bruce Middleton gives us an expert's view on on the ever changing landscape of the Downs. As the seasons come and go the Downs undergo dramatic changes. Keep track of the Flora and Fauna, agriculture and wildlife throughout the seasons, here.