Thursday, Sunday, August 19th, 22nd

The Goat Pen

Very little bird life to report on on Thursday, however I'll soon be able to observe the goats!  This is a truly mad-cap scheme, supposedly to improve the habitat of the Gully, aka Walcombe Slade, and return it to the grassland that it never was. Because goats have been introduced in various other locations, the Downs Committee and its Natural England advisers,  think they can do the same in Walcombe Slade.  Firstly, it will cost a lot of money, at the BCC meeting to approve this scheme BCC were noticeably coy about the cost.  And that was before the present financial crisis.  Secondly,  all the other schemes are in areas about 100x the size of Walcombe Slade, so this will be a pen rather than a free area for the animals to roam.  Thirdly, we all know (or at least those who are followers of Sean the Sheep) that "goats eat anything", so they will surely munch on the many beautiful Whitebeams in this area - some very rare.  Thus in Cheddar the N.T. are somewhat worried about the fact that the goats there are already chewing on a newly discovered Whitebeam species which is unique to Cheddar Gorge;  a recent BBC feature showed one of the botanists, busily going around taking cuttings of the rare ones! A safety precaution! Fourthly, as if they didn't have enough to do with clearing litter, the Downs Rangers will have to keep an eye on them most days - also the fencing.  Maybe someone will find a Heidi to do the job!  Fifthly, the goats are very close to a large population area, they may prove a tempting tasty morsel;  having eaten goat myself I can vouch for it as a pleasant meat.  Sixth. Looking at the "temporary" fencing being instated, it is unlikely that the goats will escape - unless someone damages the fencing - but they are highly intelligent and have a great curiosity.  When goats escaped on another conservation site they had to be shot.  Seventh, weasel words were used to assure everybody that the said fencing was "temporary", so how long is that?  Five years, ten years?  And what plans are there for the time when they are removed - if ever!  Remember that the "temporary" Zoo car park has been around for 40 years!  Enough said, but I'll be reporting about anything I learn about our coming  capra aegagrus hircus or maybe plain capra aegagrus.  


On Sunday I cycled through Bristol and onto the Portway, this was another day when the traffic was excluded.  Heavenly!  I could not see any Peregrines on the cliffs below the Peregrine Watch, though it is plain to see where they roost from the guano patches below various pinnacles on the rock faces.  Neither were there any Peregrines in the quarry.  At Sea Mills I watched as a flock of twenty or more Redshank gathered on some patches of seaweed - and went to sleep!  Elsewhere numerous Ducks and Gulls sat beside the river, and Martins dived around above the river catching flies.  Occasionaly they scooped water from the river surface.