Little Green Space

LITTLE GREEN SPACE

Originally published in the Peak Advertiser on 16 November 2009

Carsington Water – home of the mysterious beast?

LITTLE GREEN SPACE

We have always been concerned about the safety of our chickens. Because the hens are free ranging, it’s impossible to guarantee that the fox won’t get them. We do what we can to minimise the risks: the birds live close to the house, have their own fenced-off area and we shut them in well before dusk and let out well after dawn.

Now, though, it seems there may be another risk to our chickens. The sighting of a big cat – and I’m talking panther here, not over-fed Fluffy from next door – in Darley Dale in October was just a little too close for comfort.

It’s not the first time that a big cat has been spotted around here. In fact there are sightings of black panther-like creatures in the Peak District every year.

There is some debate about where all these cats are coming from. Are they surviving offspring of the many abandoned exotic pets that were popular fashion accessories in the 1960s and 1970s? In 1976 keeping big cats without a license became illegal and many animal owners could not afford the licenses. The animals were released and left to their own devices.

These days there has been an increase in the number of big cats kept illegally as pets, so it’s possible that the animals seen roaming the countryside are escapees.

There were so many sightings of big cats in the Carsington area during the 1990s that a new legend was born: the Beast of Carsington. The sightings sparked concerns amongst farmers, worried about the safety of their livestock. Often the “beasts” were seen stalking lambs or even cows – and I’m sure they wouldn’t turn their noses up at a chicken.

Alien Invasions

It isn’t just large ferocious animals we should be worried about – there are many smaller creatures that are just as unwelcome in the British countryside.

We are all aware of the plight of the red squirrel. Once widespread across the country, it was forced into remote corners of the UK by its larger cousin, the grey squirrel, introduced from America during the 1880s. Red squirrels were once common in the Peak District, but there have been no confirmed sightings here for nearly ten years.

Although not an endangered species, the red squirrel population is decreasing. Besides the threat from grey squirrels, red squirrel numbers are in decline because of disease and habitat loss.

Ladybirds are another species under threat from invaders from across the pond. There are 46 different species of ladybird in the UK – and there seem to have been an enormous number of them around this autumn. We have had swarms of ladybirds crawling over our walls and windows, searching for a place to hibernate before the cold winter weather sets in.

Some of these could well be the Harlequin ladybird. Arriving in this country from North America in 2004, it has become so successful that our native ladybird species may soon go the same way as the red squirrel.

Harlequin ladybirds eat far more insect pests, such as aphids, than any other ladybird, so surely their arrival is not such a bad thing? Unfortunately it is, as they will also eat other ladybirds as well as beneficial creatures such as hoverfly and lacewing larvae.

On the spot

Harlequin ladybirds are quite hard to identify, as they come in a wide range of colours and patterns, but if you spot a larger-than-usual orange-coloured ladybird with lots of elongated black markings, it may be a Harlequin.

The UK Ladybird Survey is tracking the spread of the Harlequin across the country and has a useful identification sheet to help you recognise the differences between Harlequins and native species. Visit www.harlequin-survey.org. If you think you’ve seen a Harlequin, you could be helping towards a very valuable survey.

Also originating from America is the signal crayfish, an escapee from crayfish farms. It is competing with our native white-clawed crayfish, a lobster-like creature which lives in rivers and streams in the White Peak .

The signal crayfish is a carrier of the crayfish plague, which is killing off our native crayfish. Volunteers have been called in to remove signal crayfish from some Peakland rivers, to help give our native species a fighting chance. Keeping our rivers and streams clean and free from pollution will also, of course, help the white-clawed crayfish.

Pesky Plants

Invading plants, such as Japanese knotweed and Himalayan balsam, have long been causing problems in the Peak.

With roots that can spread up to 14 metres, Japanese knotweed damages the foundations of walls and houses, and is so difficult to get rid of that there are now specialist companies on hand to help deal with the problem. It is illegal to plant the weed – although I can’t think why anyone would want to – and if you find it growing on your land you must take steps to try and sort it out. Regularly cutting the plant down will weaken it, although this could take years.

Himalayan balsam, also known as policeman’s helmet, is another pernicious weed which spreads like wildfire. It was introduced to this country in the nineteenth century, as an attractive addition to the herbaceous border. It is easy to see why: growing up to two metres tall it is a striking plant with pretty pink flowers.

Jumping Jack is another nickname for Himalayan balsam, because the seed-pods burst open when touched, dispersing the seed within to be carried away by wind or water.

Himalayan balsam prefers a moist soil and can often be seen grown alongside river banks. It grows so densely that it suffocates other plants, leaving river banks bare in winter and more susceptible to erosion.

So next time I’m out for a walk I shall be scanning the hedgerows for Himalayan balsam, Harlequin ladybirds, and of course the Beast of Carsington. Hang on a minute, is that a panther in the garden? No, it’s just Fluffy from next door …

Penny at Little Green Space

www.littlegreenspace.org.uk