Marden Local Branch

About us

Monthly talks held on the first Tuesday of every month from March to December at Marden Community Centre at 7.00 pm plus other activities during the year, including a quiz, reserve visits and fund raising at parish events.

Chair: Jessica Tidball; Programme Secretary: Mary Mackay; Treasurer: David Tidball; Minutes Secretary: Fiona Shutler; Committee member: Cheryl Skyrm

Contact us

If you'd like to get involved or find out more please come to a meeting or get in touch

Email or phone Jessica on jessicatidball60@btinternet.com or 01568 797227

The Wildside of Marden by Jess Tidball

The cuckoo, I heard him at the end of the first week of April in the evening, the earliest I have ever heard him. Keep your ears open, as will it be resident here or just passing through travelling northwards. Close by the chiff chaff sings. This little warbler comes to breed here in the UK. Due to climate change and our unpredictable weather the chiff chaff is become less, as the food sources of caterpillars, are not here at the right time when he comes to raise his brood. The red kite in our area is now seen daily and has become established as a resident. The blackbirds seem to be thriving and the quantity of worms close to the surface are helping this species. Gold finches and green finches and wrens have survived the winter well and are a common sight in our neck of the woods. Down by the Lugg, goosanders, a large and beautiful duck, have been flying about trying to find a nesting place as well as many species of duck that seem to frequent the nearby lakes and the river Lugg.

The wood anemones, primroses, bluebells, daisies and dandelions have been out and the celandines have flourished well this year possibly due to all the wet and the buttercups will spread like mad. All good news for our pollinators. Go and count how many different wild flowers you can spot this May in the woodlands and on the verges. It should be over 30! The hedgerows are flowering, the first was the early blackthorn which has given us a splendid show of white blossom, the cherries are also nearly over but the hawthorn often called May, is taking over and spring has arrived in spite of the temperature fluctuations and the persistent wet.

Hedgehogs have been spied in many local gardens and one wildlife watcher saw 3 in his garden. There are certainly plenty of slugs and snails about but don’t put poison down to kill them as it kills the hedgehog and many other animals such as toads, and birds. Rabbits are beginning to appear in slightly more numbers and I have spied many a weasel making a dash across the lanes.

Unfortunately, in March, what was a healthy looking otter was found dead in Bodenham by a small road. It had run into a passing car. Otters do roam quite a way and their holts (homes) may have been flooded due to the prolonged flooding on the lakes and river Lugg making them travel further afield. To my delight I watched, in a field between Marden and Sutton, 2 hare chasing each other but no displays of boxing, although when seen is a remarkable spectacle. So good to see these mammals return in numbers to our area.

Please let me know what you see or hear, it helps us to monitor what is happening to our local wildlife.

Visit our local reserves Bodenham Lakes, Oak Tree Farm once it is completed for visitors and at Queenswood, the HQ of Herefordshire’s Wildlife Trust, where you will find fun things to do and great things to buy.