The Gamekeepers Memorial Fund.

                                                                   The Keepers Memorial.

I am taking this opportunity to introduce to my readers a memorial fund that is collecting money for the commission of a Bronze War Memorial dedicated to all of the Gamekeepers, Stalkers and Ghillies that went to war to serve in the Armed Forces. The most famous being those who served in Lovat's Scouts.

Most people know about what a Gamekeeper is and what he does for a living and if they are asked to explain they will make some sort of comment like: he looks after pheasants, shoots vermin or they think all he does is walk around his shoot with a gun over his arm all day long or some other comment. Well I have another description about the Gamekeeper that not many people outside the profession know about, did you know that we owe our lives to many Gamekeepers, Stalkers and Ghillies.

                                                                 The Forming of The Scouts.

In 1899 on the 12th of December Lord Lovat, 22nd Chief of the Highland Clan Fraser approached the War Office for permission to raise two companies of Scouts, one was to be mounted and the other on foot. Each company was made up of 236 men, eighty of them were selected for Stalking and Spotting skills, some were to be specialist marksmen ( Snipers ) and the reminder to be riders and signallers etc. These proposals were excepted and by January 1900, 1,500 men had volunteered their services to this country and most of them were all Gamekeepers, Stalkers, Ghillies and Shepperd's from many of the Highland estates.

                                                                      Fighting the Boers.

The first contingent of men arrived into South Africa later that month ( January ) and remained there until August 1901, the second and third contingents arrived in May 1901 and remained there until August 1902. They suffered many casualties and hardships but they proved themselves more than a match for the Boers, beating them at their own game.

In August 1914 the Lovat Scouts were mobilised again and went to Huntingdon for training and were then sent to Skegness and Sutton On Sea in Lincolnshire to prevent any invasion form Germany landing on the beaches there. They remained there until 15th of April 1915 before travelling to Hunstanton, Houghton, Harplay and Great Massingham on the Wash. On August 21st they received their orders to set sail to the Mediterranean, landing at Gallipoli on the 26th and 27th of September to fight against the Turks. Again their tracking and spotting skills and the special teams of Snipers took a heavy toll on the Turks, however sickness also took a heavy toll on the Scouts, Dysentery almost killing Lord Lovat himself. The Scouts remained at Gallipoli until their final evacuation with Major Cambell until December 20th 1915. After Gallipoli the Scouts remained in the Mediterranean fighting in Egypt and then in Macedonia until June 1918 when they left to join Lovat Scouts ( Sharpshooters ) on the Western Front in July. Lovats Sharpshooters were most unusual as they were all in advanced years of their lives the youngest being 42 through to the oldest 2nd Lieutenant CB McPherson at 62 years of age, 481 Scouts lost their lives in WW1 their names can be found at Edinburgh Castle.

                                                                               WW2.

Until the start of the Second World War the Scouts remained as a T.A Unit until the 1st of September 1939 when they were again mobilised. They went sent to Sutton On Sea in March 1940 and they were the last Horse Reconnaissance Troop in the British Army.  Later that year they arrived on the Faroe Islands where they remained until June 1942 seeing action several times when the Islands were targeted by the Luftwaffe, it was on one of these air raids on an attack to the harbour they shot down a Heinkel 111 with a Bren gun, the crew from the plane when picked up were convinced that they had been hit by accurate flak.
They returned again to the UK for further training and became part of the 52nd Lowland Division, while also guarding the Royal Family at Balmoral. The Scouts went on to do many more battles around Europe and their many skills used for Top Secret assignments, they hunted down many high ranking Nazi Party Members hiding in Austria trying to escape back into Germany, they taught their skills to the
SAS, the Commandos and other specialist units of the British Army.

                                                                         The Memorial.

With so many deeds carried out by these soldiers I have decided with help from other like minded friends that a War Memorial befitting their service to this country should be commissioned and placed in the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas so that they are never forgotten for the service they gave.

This is an artists sketch of what the memorial
might look like.

Please visit the web site where more information about the Gamekeepers Memorial Fund can be found
at: www.thegamekeepersmemorial.yolasite.com

Spring Time Cometh.

Well at last the weather has changed and it's getting a little warmer and the countryside is slowly drying out. This winter has seen the longest wettest period in over one hundred years or more, it started to rain just before Christmas and with only an odd day here and there we had persistent rainfall until early March. The wet weather has caused many problems for people living and working in the countryside, many farmers will face bankruptcy as a result due to the floods. Many thousands of acres of arable land has been under water for many weeks seed that was sowed last Autumn has been under water for more than three weeks and has died off due to the lack of oxygen and the sun.

My team of stalkers have struggled to get out to carry out our Deer management duties, the rain has kept the deer under cover for most of the time only venturing out for food or to dry out when there has been some sunshine. It has been very difficult but we have managed to reach the cull figures required by our clients in all of the woodland we cover. This is an essential practise that we have to carry out and it is in the interest of the deer as well in that we select carefully the animals that need tone culled after spending many hours observing them.  The selected deer will be a mix of all ages and will include a percentage that has been worked out of the numbers of males and females that are to be culled as well as any infirm or injured deer we come across.

Now that the weather is on the change things will start to grow in the areas that have survived the onslaught of the winds and rain we have suffered with through the winter months. One such example of this is these two fields of oil seed rape in the Winshill area of Burton, I first spotted them in the first week of this month and could not believe my eyes, they were both in full bloom from hedgerow to hedgerow, a lovely and welcoming sight to see.

Oil Seed Rape.

Oil Seed Rape.

The photos I took are not the best but at least they give you an idea of what they looked like. A few days later I was traveling down south through several counties and whilst doing so I was looking for more fields of this crop and I never saw any wherever I looked, these two local fields have done very well. I am sorry for leaving it so long since my last blog but I have been very busy with other things that I will tell you about next time.

Seal Watching.

                                                                    The Grey Seal.

Earlier this week I went to look at one of the largest Grey Seal colonies on the East Coast, in Lincolnshire. What greeted me took me by complete surprise. The first thing you notice as you step out of your car in the parking area is the noise of the seals, then as you walk the short distance to the viewing area, as you go over the brow of the dunes, you see before you a sand bank strewn with hundreds of bodies. As most of the seals are just lying there,  you might just compare it to one of the war torn beaches of the aftermath of Dunkirk. I have like many Midlanders have holidayed at Mablethorpe and Skegness and I have seen seals just off shore when the tide is in but I was completely taken back by the sight before me.
The colony started to take up residence here in the late seventy's, at first they numbered only a hundred or so but now they number in excess of 3,000. They are there all year round but it is only from October through to early December that they invade the sand banks to give birth to their young and come so close that you could reach out to touch them ( touching them is not allowed ) but the opportunity to take close up photos with your camera is a must.
The Grey Seal population here is one of the largest to be found in the U.K. the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust have seal monitors to look after them and make sure that they are not disturbed but with the thousands of visitors that come from all over the U.K. and  from Europe and I spoke with a couple of Americans, I don't think the seals are bothered.

A Large Bull Seal.

Give Us A Hug.

Heading Back Out To The Sea.

The Latin name for the Grey Seal is Halichoerus grypus which means "Hooked - nosed sea pig" they are a large animal, the Bulls can reach 8ft - 10ft  8'' long and weigh as much as 370lb to 680lb, the Cows are much smaller reaching only 5ft - 6ft 6'' long and only 220lb to 420lb in  weight. The seals feed on a variety of fish but are attracted to this part of the coast because  of the large numbers of Salmon and Sea Trout that are trying to make it to the Humber Estuary to breed in the upper reaches of the Rivers Dove, Derwent and the Trent.
The pups when born are covered in a white dense, soft and silky fur and they rapidly fatten up on their mothers extremely fat-rich milk. Within a month they have tripled in size, putting on large amounts of fat to live on as they have to fend for themselves, as the mothers return back to sea to mate with the Bulls. The pups remain on the beach living on these fat reserves for another four or five weeks before making their way to the sea to join the rest of the colony.

Pup Covered In White Silky Fur.

Pup With Mother.

Who Loves You Baby.

A Burton Albion Supporter.

Having A Sing Song.

I Wanna Get Out Of This Place.

The Colony.

Latest News.

Since visiting the colony, the high tides created by the bad weather on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, dispersed the colony. The seal wardens cut down the fencing to allow the young pups and their mothers access on to the dunes, this action saved many of the young pups from a disaster but the wardens say that there are at least fifty or sixty unaccounted for. It is hoped that they were able to take refuge in the dunes and that they will be found safe. Pups have been found on the beaches around Mablethorpe and Skegness where they have been taken to the Seal Rescue Centres, these could have come from any of the smaller colonies found on the East Coast.

Phasianus colchicus ( The Pheasant )

                                                                        The Pheasant.

The shooting season is well under way now with some shoots now shooting in the main blocks of woodland as well as the drives around the game cover crops and on the stubble's. The main quarry on all shoots is the Pheasant the biggest of our Game birds.
Although the Pheasant has been around for hundreds of years and most people would think is is a native species it was in fact introduced to this country by the Romans when they invaded our shores. It was brought over as a food source for the Roman Armies as was the Dormouse. According to legend the first record of an introduction into Europe relates to the story of Jason and the Argonauts who, in their search for the Golden Fleece entered into the valley of the river Phasis in the Colchis region of Georgia, east of the Black Sea coast - hence the Pheasant's name Phasianus colchicus.
The pheasant is one of our most easily recognised birds seen in the countryside, the cock pheasant in his multi-coloured plumage stands out where ever he's seen be it on a gate post or in a field of stubble he stands out for all to see. The pheasant is a ground feeding bird and roosts at night in trees. The males are polygamous and are often seen with a harem of several females during the breeding season. They nest on the ground, producing a clutch of eggs of eight to ten over a two - three week period from April through to June. It is not unknown however for nests to be found with many more eggs in than this, as the hen birds often forget where their nest is and you can find that more than one bird is using the same nest, the incubation period is about 23 - 26 days.
 Since it's introduction many new strains have been developed. This is because keepers and shoot owners try to present the guns with a sporting bird so faster, higher flying birds have been developed this of course has seen smaller and lighter strains with types like the Kansas, Michigan Blue Backs and the strain from Poland the Bazanty. Some of these bird strains have also been developed for their tendency not to stray, a big problem with some.
The Pheasants that we all know and recognise are those mentioned above but there are many other types of pheasant that are to be found and most of these you might see in Zoos and Private collections, there are others that can only be seen in the wild, here are a few photos of some of them.

The Golden Pheasant.

The Reeves Pheasant.

The Lady Amherst.

The pheasant has been responsible for the way our lowland landscape looks today, many of our woodlands were designed to accommodate this birds requirement and to make the sporting features on many big estates the success that they are. The shooting industry generates about £1.6 billion to the UK economy a year has created thousands of jobs and the pheasant makes up approx' 80% of the gamebirds shot, it offers a lean, tasty free range food source, what else can you say about this bird.

The above birds are the ones you are most likely to see when out walking in your local woodlands and hanging up at your local butcher/Gamedealer.

Trees In Our Landscape.

                                                              Trees In Our Landscape.

The importance of the trees we see around us is often overlooked.Today most of us take them for granted with little or no knowledge of their importance. Trees for thousands of years have been a major influence in our lives ever since the human race was created. They provided fuel for our fires as they do now, early man made many weapons from them, throwing sticks then spears and eventually the bow. We made crude shelters from them, then as time progressed houses made from wattle, mud and straw, we hollowed out large tree trunks to make canoes and progressed to  large sailing ships and boats, timber was put to use in many forms.

An Early Dwelling.

A Much Later House Built Using
The Same Methods.

Making A Dugout Canoe.

A Galleon.

 

 When early man started to live in small Hamlets and Villages the site chosen for them was often near to or in wooded areas so that they could harvest the timber to build their homes, to provide fuel for their fires and for fences to protect their stock and to stop them from running away. As early carpenters began to build furniture they found that different trees had different properties, so it was that some types of timber such as Oak and Elm was used to make good quality chairs and tables etc while others were used for something else.

A Selection Of Oak Made
Furniture And Other Items.

I could easily write a book on this subject but lets get back to today. We are still dependent on trees in many ways be it for building, for fuel or even for the many fruits and nuts they supply that we eat. Most importantly they absorb the pollution in our air by removing the carbon dioxide and turning it into the oxygen we need to survive a process called Photosynthesis.

 Many of us like a tree in our garden or to be able to see them nearby, we love to go a walk in the woods, we take pleasure in their beauty. So the next time you see a tree take time to remember where would we be without them! Do as some people do and hug a tree.

Tree Hugging.

Trees.

The Salmon Run.

                                                                   
                                                                                    Salmon.

I spent a couple of hours on Saturday morning earlier this month at a weir on the river Dove hoping that the recent rains would have raised the river level enough to spur the Salmon waiting in the deep pool beneath the weir into action. Although one or two fish were seen trying to get over the weir, there is not enough water for them at the moment. It is around this time of the year that the Salmon run on the river begins in earnest but without a heavy rain fall, the fish can not get over the many obstacles that this river system has in place.

Salmon Leaping.

The Salmon have been making there way up the river system for several weeks now and they will be waiting for heavy rain falls to raise the river level to enable them to complete their journey from the North Sea to the upper reaches of the river Dove to the spawning grounds or the Redd's as they are referred to, an area of fine gravel beds where they can spawn. The Salmon having travelled through the North Sea to the Humber estuary near Goole, will make their way up the river as far as they can travel and then they will lay their eggs in a depression made in the gravel on the river bed with their tales. The hen fish will lay her eggs into the depression first and then cock fish will then try to cover the eggs with his Milt ( sperm ) in an attempt to fertilise as many eggs as he can. They will then cover the eggs over with more gravel, where they will remain until they hatch around 5 to 7 months later. When the eggs hatch they are known as Alvin's. As they grow and develop, the markings on their sides become more prominent and they are then referred to as Parr. During this growth stage many of the thousands of eggs laid will have already been lost to predation by birds, other fish and larvae of dragon flies and other predators. The young salmon will remain in the river system until the time comes for them to make there way out to the open sea, on there way they will be met with many more obstacles that will reduce even more the number of young salmon on this long and treacherous journey. Over the next year or two they will live in the sea and put on weight and grow into adult Salmon when they will then start their perilous journey to return to their birthplace to start this cycle of life all over again. Once the cycle has been completed the Salmon normally die as a result of having lost nearly all their body weight during their spawning activities and the fact they do not feed once they return to fresh water from the sea. It is believed that of every 8,000. eggs laid only 2 fish will survive to return back to continue the breeding cycle.

The above chart refers to the Atlantic Salmon but the life cycle of the fish in our rivers and the North Sea are the same.

The recent rain over the past few days has seen an increase in movement on the weir since my last visit. Rain entering the river system from the hills in the Peak District has swollen the river water and pumped in plenty of oxygen giving the fish a chance to get over the weirs and get through the fish passes like the one at Tutbury, boosting their chances of reaching the spawning areas further up stream.

September Sunshine.

                                                

                                                                             September Sun.

What an absolutely beautiful late Summers day, this is the last Sunday of September as I set off with my dog for an afternoon stroll over the fields to some ancient woodland. The sun was at its highest, the heat felt on my head and neck. The breeze was most welcome as I walked out in the open. My little Cocker Spaniel was searching through the cover as we crossed through the pasture and the new plantation, his nose to the ground searching for the scents drifting over the ground of any passing Rabbit, Hare, Pheasant or Partridge.
Overhead a Buzzard or two circled on the thermals created from the warm air as it rises upwards from the ground. A rabbit shot out as my dog entered some ground cover, I called him, he had a smug look on his face as if to say aren't I a clever boy dad.
As I carried on along the track towards the wood through the new plantation I noticed several Fairy Rings. They were once believed to have been made by Fairies or caused by lighting or where an animal, such as a horse, was tethered to a stake in the ground but the explanation, although more scientific and less superstitious or romantic is caused by the additional nitrogen that is released by the fungal underground mycelium of the network of fine threads that the fungi produce. According to country lore it is taboo to interfere with a fairy ring in any way, for fear of being struck dead and any young boys wishing to avoid being enticed into the ring to dance with the fairies, must wear their hats back to front as they walked by them.



A Fairy Ring.

With no further ado we entered the ancient woodland reckoned to be over 300 years old. A Tawny Owl called out from a nearby tree and a Jay flew into the trees disturbed by my dog, as it was collecting acorns. As I walk along I wonder if I am perhaps walking in the footsteps of Robin Hood or where Kings and other nobles once hunted the deer and wild boar that once lived here.
Many years ago it was thought that these woods once had herds of wild cattle in them that were hunted for their meat. It is said that Earl De Ferrers a Norman Knight who came over with William the Conquer herded up some of these cattle and put them in the Great Park he created at Chartley Castle, where you can see the remains from the road as you travel to Stafford from Uttoxeter through Loxley, where Robin Hood is said to have come from. Walking on through the fallen acorns and the newly fallen leaves, signs that Autumn is now with us, as I walked on through the wood I looked at the different trees that are there. The Old Ancient Oaks that still survive after hundreds of years, the Beech Trees and Ash that make up this truly amazing beauty spot. I walked through the wood and out into the old pasture, an open area where even now cattle graze and feed on the fallen Crab Apples from the trees that have been there forever. The cattle that once grazed here were the Aurocs and the descendants of these cattle that were herded up and driven to Chartley can be seen grazing around the old castle ruins. These cattle became to be known as the White Park.

 A Chartley Bull.

A Herd of White Park.

Wild Boar.

I sat down on the seat that looks out across the little Brook and over the valley, I took in all the sights the view presented me loving every breath I took as several Dragonflies dashed backwards and forwards around me. I had seen a few days earlier here a Red Tailed Kite circling overhead but it was not to be seen today.
Having rested for a while I set off along the footpath beside the wood for a short distance before taking the path back into the wood again and out on to the fields that took me back to the car park. My walk over, we got back into my vehicle to take the scenic route home. It was an enjoyable afternoons outing.

Oak Wood.

Oak Wood.