Stefan Drew - writes on behalf of Sid Valley Biodiversity Group

Stefan Drew writes for the Herald on behalf of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group.

It’s true, one swallow doesn’t make a spring or even a summer. But swallows are being seen in January here in Devon. And December was a bumper month for Devon swallow sightings. So how many do we need? I know we are told that swallows migrate to Africa in autumn. That they fly nonstop, sleeping on the wing, on a journey to sub–Saharan Africa each year. And that the spend our winter flying the blue skies in places such as South Africa and Namibia. And most do. But not all of them. In December 2021 there were nine sightings of swallows in Devon recorded on the birdwatcher’s site, BirdGuides. And whilst that’s the highest number recorded in December for the last 10 years, they aren’t isolated cases. December swallows have been recorded in Devon in all but two years in the last 10. It might be a sign of global warming but it certainly points to a lot more than the presence of swallows. Swallows weigh around 19-20 grams. And they eat a lot of insects. Some sources claim they catch around one insect a minute. So there must be a lot of insects flying for swallows to survive into December. And insects generally fly when it’s warm enough. Various bird organisations claim the first swallows appear in the UK on, or around, March 20 each year and that they start breeding in April. They also claim that they leave again for Africa in September or, at latest, October. That was probably true until recent years. But isn’t totally true any longer. The experts also claim that swallows have three-four broods a year, all packed into the few short summer weeks they are here. But can we be sure of this any longer? Might they now have more broods? What is clear is that BirdGuides only recorded two sightings of swallows during December in the previous decade. Link this fact with the increased numbers in the last decade, plus the much higher number this year, and clearly more research is needed. When only a few birds of a given species are present in an area as big as Devon it’s easy to miss them. Of course twitchers and birder watchers are always on the lookout for unusual sightings and they are recorded on BirdGuides and other online sites. But they can’t see everything. That’s where you can help. And not just with birds. We need to record all the plants and animals in the Sid Valley. Anyone can take part in Citizen Science projects and record sightings of plants, birds, butterflies, and other animals. It’s not difficult as there are numerous books that illustrate species and apps that will use any photos you take to identify them. Last year local people helped us record the flowering plants in the area and we were able to establish what was flowering each month. This year we are continuing with this plus recording grasses and birds. Later in the year we will also be recording butterflies. So why not take part?

Where’s the most biodiverse place in the Sid Valley?

Could the River Sid be the shortest river in England? It's only six miles long, so it's not impossible. But there are other pretenders. For example, the River Bain in North Yorkshire makes the claim as being the shortest river in England, at just two miles long. But let’s consider that claim. The Bain is just a two-mile-long tributary of the River Ure and is little more than a conduit from a lake to a larger river. And though that fits the dictionary definition of a river, it barely makes sense to me, as it has no real beginning, middle and end. The Sid however has a real source high in the hills at the top of the valley. It rises in Crowpits Covert, near the Hare & Hounds pub, and grows as it rapidly flows down the Valley. Further down the valley, as it matures, it slows and meanders across the landscape where several streams and brooks feed it. The Roncombe, the Snod Brook and the Woolbrook, evocative names that feed a biodiverse river. As it enters the lower reaches it becomes a mature river that flows alongside the tree-rich Byes, until it finally enters the sea at the Ham. That’s my definition of a true river. A complete river. One that rises, flows and enters the sea at its end. Not a channel that joins to other bodies of water. But of course, there are those further north that will disagree with me. And perhaps they are right. But what I also know to be right is that The Sid, as well as having a beginning, middle and end (and being the only complete river to run its full length in this way within one parish) is a biodiverse river. That’s not up for argument. I’ve mentioned how tree rich the lower reaches are. Indeed many of these trees are mapped by Sidmouth Arboretum and are splendid examples of what the Victorian plant hunters (such as Veitch and their 22 recorded plant hunters), brought to our shores. Upstream the range is decreased but they are examples of rural England at its best. And let’s not forget the wildlife. Dippers, kingfishers and otters are to be found if you know where to look. And there is a good fish population consisting of sea and brown trout, salmon, eels, lamprey, bullhead etc, though it has to be said that the various weirs do little to help migratory fish. As for vegetation, Sidmouth Arboretum has recorded and mapped many and diverse trees on the lower reaches. Higher up the river the number of species is smaller, but numbers are high with a range we’d expect in farmland and meadows bordering a river. Access to the river is good, with miles of riverside walks, not only in the Byes, but also below the packhorse bridge in Sidbury and at Sidford Millennium Green in Sidbury. To ensure water quality local volunteers regularly monitor the river and streams for pollution. The water is checked for turbidity, phosphates, total dissolved solids, temperature, wildlife, vegetation and signs of pollution. The results are coordinated by the Westcountry Rivers Trust and contribute nationally to river quality research. I still believe the River Sid is the shortest river in England. But whether that is disputed or not, it is rich in biodiversity and needs to be looked after so it can give its best. There’s more about biodiversity of the Sid Valley at https://sidvalleybiodiversity.org.uk

Though often referred to as if they are the same, churchyards and cemeteries aren’t the same. It's about location and ownership. Whereas churchyards are attached to and belong to the church (or other religious community), cemeteries are usually separate and owned by councils. No one rightly knows how many churchyards, cemeteries and burial grounds exist in the UK. English Heritage says it's between 12-20,000 in England and Wales alone. But what is certain is that many have been with us for millennia and the number is growing. And with so many of them the area of land covered is huge. And that is important for biodiversity, because not only are they places where we bury our dead, they are home to a great number of wild flowers, wild animals and more. For example, if you wanted to look for lichen, what better place to start than on a gravestone. Burial grounds are great levellers. Rich or poor it makes no difference. When we arrive we are all the same. Steve Jobs understood this when he said “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn't matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we've done something wonderful, that's what matters to me.” And cemeteries give us all the chance to do something wonderful for they are a place where, as we respect those residing there, we can also respect nature. Our cemeteries are places where the dead can dwell amongst nature. Where they can see the barn owl hunting mice, the omnivorous fox hunting lizards, rabbits or blackberries and endearing dormice climbing the hazel and bramble in the surrounding hedges. Of course we don’t want our cemeteries to become overgrown. That’s disrespectful to the dead and to their loving relatives wishing to visit the graves. It's also unlikely to provide a biodiverse habitat for wildlife. We need good pathways for people and wildlife where graves are visited and tended. But in areas where no one visits we can let the flowers bloom and wildlife enjoy the area undisturbed. That's not to say these areas should be left to their own devices as they would soon return to woodland. But with careful management and a management plan where they are cut once or twice a year we can ensure a biodiverse environment that respects the purpose of a burial ground. In recent years natural burials have become more popular. Six years ago a friend of mine planned his own funeral and burial as he died of cancer. He chose a natural burial ground and didn’t see uncut grass and wildflowers as disrespectful. It was his dying wish to be buried amongst nature. And that’s an important consideration in managing churchyards, cemeteries and other burial grounds. They are not gardens. But neither are they wild countryside. Stefan Buczacki (botanist, broadcaster and author of Earth to Earth amongst other books. You may recall him from when he chaired BBC Gardeners’ Question Time) reminded me of this recently when he contributed an article to the SVBG website (https://bit.ly/Churchyard). As Buczacki wrote, “churchyard management for wild life is principally about conservation – conserving what is there, not generally trying to create something that is not.” I understand how cemetery management is an emotional topic. But I believe we can respect the dead, respect the living and conserve a biodiverse environment. It’s not about saving money by letting cemeteries go to wrack and ruin. A good management plan isn’t going to save money. But it is going to give people pleasure in seeing wildlife. And it's going to respect those that want to visit graves. Getting that balance isn't easy. But it's not impossible and we owe it to the living and the dead to get it right. I hope the cemetery I finally lay my head down in has the right balance and everyone is happy.

Connaught Gardens are a horticultural delight and an encapsulated history of Sidmouth. But as Bob Dylan sang, the times they are a-changin'.