| The three acre field, has until this year, been largely left alone. Consequently, it was well on the way to becoming a woodland again with oak, wild cherry and hawthorn saplings springing up all over the place and large areas being taken over by blackberry brambles. On three sides of the field are thick thickets of tangled bushes and trees often accompanied by nettles some of these thickets cover large rabbit warrens and provide hiding places for deer. I cut a path around the edge the field to make it easier to walk or jog around and I walk most days around it several times. | |
In a bid to reclaim the field from the woods, I decided I would cut down the thickets on the south side which I did in March. I decided to leave half the field in its wild state just to see what would happen. Then I cut the grass short on the north side and in the first half of the field. I let some of this grow back so the grass is now about a metre long in about two thirds of the field. The species I have identified so far are couch, rye and cocksfoot. When the wind blows the grasses bend and turn in unison sometimes quickly sometimes slowly - the field reminds me of the sea in perpetual motion. Interspersed with grasses are weeds like nettles, thistles and cowslip and occasionally small flowers.
| I notice there are many more wild flowers along the north side where I cut the grass short in March. Most days I go for a walk around the field to see what animals are using it. I see lots of rabbits and birds, including a hawk that uses the pylon and transmission cables as a look out post and the occasional fox or deer. If I walk through the long grass I sometimes spot a field mouse scurrying away. Today I heard grass hopers, saw a lady bird and some butterflies and I'm hoping that we will get more over the summer. | soundscape |
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