Leicestershire County Council organised a guided walk around Buddon Brook Meadows in Quorn on Saturday 3rd September.
The walk started at 10 am and as usual for the group it was somewhat overcast, but all importantly it was dry. Fingers crossed for the sun to emerge, the 30 strong group, led by Peter Gamble, headed off to the meadows which lie between Buddon Brook and Buddon Wood.
Some of the wet meadows form part of Buddon Wood, Site of Special Scientific Interest, (SSSI), and others are designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, SINC. Wet meadows are increasingly rare as they are either drained to improve the land for agriculture or development or become covered in scrub and trees. Either way the habitat is damaged, sometimes beyond repair.
These meadows have been safeguarded by the protection they are given by their status. This is also helped by an existing agreement between the Landowner, English Nature and Leicestershire County Council which assists the Landowner to manage the meadows in a sensitive way and therefore preserve the rare habitat. There is currently a 5 year plan of works in progress which has a balance of grazing with tree and scrub removal. The aim of this current work is to restore the meadows to a more favourable condition similar to its state in 1984 when it was last designated as a SSSI.
Despite the walk being in September there were still plants in flower, particularly on the drier points. Harebell, Musk Mallow and Devils-bit Scabious were all seen in the first meadow which also contains the ground remains of a Moated Gate House to one of the areas Medieval Deer Parks. Other meadows showed us Water Mint and Creeping Jenny in flower and Guelder Rose and Blackthorn in fruit.
We got to try our taste buds on Water-pepper, which in appearance is like a slender form of Red leg. Initial reaction was nothing much to speak of, but then the pepper burn really hit home, quite a kick.
Speckled Wood butterflies flitted by and the group got fantastic, but brief, views of a Peregrine as it soared over. The sun dared to show itself when the group reached one of the more sheltered meadows which in turn brought out the dragonflies and the group were given a great aerial feasting display by 4 Migrant Hawkers – a relative newcomer of the dragonfly family to Leicestershire.
One or two other birds were either seen, heard or both, including Great Spotted Woodpecker and Kestrel, although Peter did demonstrate quite well that one sure way of getting a bird to stop singing is to point it out to someone else! Once again we were enthralled by Peter’s knowledge of the natural world and the tranquility of the meadows.
This was the last organised walk on the meadows this year, but there will be another two in 2006.
