| Home | History | Contact Us | Church | Wildlife | Landscape | Towne Family | Corpus Christi College & Bishop Richard Fox | The Village
Wildlife and Nature
Braceby Past & Present

SPRING 2008 IN A BRACEBY GARDEN

Daffodils and other spring bulbs in bloom.  Wild and windy March weather is the feature.   The recent earthquake (5.2 on the Richter scale) was felt strongly in Braceby, but there was no damage.

daffodils in a Braceby garden
daffodils06web.jpg

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)

Wildlife

BIRDS   Tree planting has helped wildlife in the area. Small birds benefit from it. 40 species of birds have been observed in the Parish over the year. There is a long established rookery behind Manor Farm. Skylarks, lapwings and some other species are less seen due to incompatibility between their feeding and breeding habits and current farming methods. Recently the tree sparrow numbers have increased, possibly due to villagers putting out more wild bird food. Barn owls roost in the buildings of Manor Farm.  Long tailed tits in groups of six regularly visit the bird feeders.

MAMMALS  The most prolific are rabbits, a constant nuisance to the farmer and gardener, but attractive to watch. Hares are common in the fields, coming into the village during the winter. The occasional fox can be seen, but the gamekeepers keep their numbers down. Hedgehogs are well established, though not often seen. There is a large herd of fallow deer. They come right into the gardens, particularly during the winter, most frequently seen early morning or late evening. Fieldmice and voles keep local cats busy, and rats are not far from anywhere. Secretive stoats and weasels are occasionally seen.

Protected Roadside Verge No. 41
earlypurpleorchidsweb.jpg
On the boundary between Braceby and Sapperton

PLANTS   The verges each side of the road by Sapperton North Wood have been designated by the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust as a Protected Roadside Verges since 1993. This road is part of the southern boundary of the historical Braceby parish. The list of species extends to 250 plants. Most notable are Early Purple Orchids, Common Orchids, and Cowslips. Early Purple Orchids also grow at the east of the east-west section of Moor Lane.

A VILLAGE IN ENGLAND