Conderton Orchard

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I’m lucky that around the area where I live there are many old orchards, often containing heritage strains of apples and perry pears. It was interesting to attend a FWAG meeting about orchard conservation, with a tour around an old and very large orchard in Conderton, Worcestershire. Lots of tips on how to care for your apple tree, and in my case, to prune them so I actually get some fruit! The orchard was full of birds; too early for fieldfares, but a large group of mistle thrushes, (my regular wintering one is also back in the garden this week), and a little owl living in one of the gnarly ancient hollow trees .

Counting skylarks on Bredon Hill

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Undertook a site survey on the Overbury Estate for the local FWAG (Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group).  Happy to report there were plenty of skylarks and other farmland birds on the hill, where the fields are managed very sensitively: low grazing levels, wide field margins, minimum spraying. Lots of butterflies and wild flowers too, including white campion, grass vetchling and common rockrose.