I am sure a lot of us will feel a degree of trepidation and sadness with the impending excavation of the gravel pits, not only bringing about the increase in heavy lorries whizzing up and down the by pass (as if there aren’t enough issues with that stretch of road), but also the loss of a wildlife habitat that has evolved over this summer and bought with it a plethora of wildflowers and butterflies..
Since the start of lock down I have been enjoying my daily walks with my sons dog Trigger, a Springer Spaniel, who is in his element sniffing out all the smells abounding at Watersplash Farm.
Twice a day we complete a full circuit of the farmland and I have noticed, with the chang-ing seasons, that the wild flowers and weeds have completely taken over. The land was ploughed back in April and grass sown, presumably for silage, however there is now no sight of the grass, just a mass of various types of greenery that have colonised the land. Initially there were many types of Mallow, enjoyed by the bees. More recently I have seen Cornflowers and Raged Robin growing. In total I have counted 10 types of what I would call wild flowers.
In addition to this the large number of butterflies that have been attracted by the flora. My tally so far is 12 different species. I was particularly pleased to see Peacock and Red Admiral butterflies and last week a Yellow Brimstone. I lost count of the number of Cinnabar caterpillars destroying a patch of groundsel.
Sadly I have also seen several dead Shrews. The other delight was a Skylark rising from the middle of the field, hovering for a short while then swooping down. This is the first Skylark I have seen in many years.
It will be a great shame when this is lost to us, but I look forward to the day when the pits will be full of water, the lorries, noise and pollution long gone and we can welcome a new genre of wildlife and still have some wild flowers to enjoy.
Editor: Worth mentioning here the proposed diversion/loss of the ancient footpath across Watersplash meadow when gravel extraction starts. The pathway was the main route between Shepperton and Walton before the bridge was built in 1750, with a ferry or ford for crossing. There is a plan to divert the footpath right around the field and residents are up in arms. If you would like to make your objection know please email anne.woods@surreycc.gov.uk