Oxhill News |
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www.oxhill.com / www.oxhill.org.uk |
South Warwickshire, England. |
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The Oxhill News September 2003 |
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This months News |
Contents
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Nature Notes September, the month of Harvest, Hops and Apples. The seventh month of the Roman calendar. The Buzzard’s latin name Buteo buteo
is imitative of its mewing call. Over
the past month on hot days I have been alerted by these distinctive mewing
calls, and on most occasions saw through my binoculars three buzzards
soaring on the thermals. The
can gain great height incredibly quickly, but continually keep in touch
with their mewing. Buzzards have successfully bred in a small wood very close to Oxhill. They are impressive birds with a wingspan of four feet and standing 20 to 22 inches in height. They feed on a variety of prey from rabbits, rodents, small birds, insects, even earthworms. Ten to fifteen years ago you wouldn’t have seen one in Warwickshire; at the beginning of the twentieth century they were virtually extinct due to persecution, and in the 1950s and 60s declined again, probably due to myxomatosis in rabbits. Now this magnificent large bird of prey is, after the Kestrel, one of the most commonly seen hawks. Did you know that those hugely expensive and desirable residences in London known as Mews were once the site of medieval buildings where falcons and hawks were kept especially while they were moulting, and the name Mews in this case comes from the old French “muer” – to moult. Towards the end of the month
Michaelmas daisies come into full bloom.
This garden flower was introduced from “If you eat roast goose at Michaelmas Day, you will never want money all the year” – The English Housewife, 1683. Grenville Moore |
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Last modified: January 02, 2004 |