Today during my regular lockdown walk the early morning mist added another visual permutation to a now very familiar landscape. A background of electricity pylons and other urban paraphernalia, together with the busy M1 motorway were magically masked away. Suddenly a mature common ash tree (see attached photo) stood proud of all the urban tangle albeit for a short while only, but perhaps just long enough to give a glimpse back in time to its early life when the future of this species was more assured. Sadly, this arboreal, landscape and wildlife treasure is threatened by ash-dieback. This is a highly infectious fungal disease originating in Asia and first recorded in England in 2012, although it may have been in the UK since 2002. The fungal spores can spread in the wind and also by human transportation, especially by unknowingly moving infected young plants ready for planting elsewhere. Current estimates suggest we may lose around 50% to 80% of the UK’s ash trees in the next few years. At the moment scientists are working to discover genes with resistance to ash-dieback and this may offer glimmers of hope for ash trees in the future.
ash tree at Brandy Carr
Much more heartening this week on the same walk has been the sighting of a tree sparrow. This is a very scarce bird although there has been some signs of a recovery in the UK in recent years. It has a brown cap and black cheek spots, unlike the house sparrow. See attached grab photograph taken at Lindale Lane, Wrenthorpe.
tree sparrow at Lindale Lane Wrenthorpe
On 24 November 2020 I watched two red kite methodically surveying the fields between Wrenthorpe and Brandy Carr and Kirkhamgate. This species almost became extinct in the UK, but has now made an incredible comeback thanks to reintroduction programmes and legal protection. See attached photo taken from my image stock.
Red Kite