Chidham and Hambrook Village - everyday

Chidham and Hambrook - Our Environment

Environmental News
June 15th
Transport Group Walk
A great Father's day midsummer walk around the village in company, enjoying our beautiful countryside...and ending in 'The Old House at Home'.
Lucky with the weather, too.

I came across a stag beetle crossing the road near Harbour Way. I helped it across the road .....and didn't think to take a photo!

Kicked myself all the way back to 'The Old House at Home'
Charlotte (ex Chidham Primary School) came over for the day and came on the walk.
Isn't Father's day great!
Thanks to Clare Smith and Nicky Bell for the idea, and for arranging it all.
Sustainability Network
Astronomy Evening - report.
Community
Carbon
Footprint
Audit
Do your own audit



Follow the story of a migrating Osprey from Africa to Scotland
(via Heathrow!)
Osprey's also pass through Chichester Harbour on their migration
Community
Carbon
Footprint
Audit

Launch Sat April 19th - report
Despite rather dismal weather over sixty people came. If you weren't there you can still join in.
Go to the 'Act on CO2' website
and do your own audit.
First (local) Cuckoo claimed - April 14th. Can anyone confirm, or claim an earlier hearing?
'Lambs at Cobnor'  
see more Photos 
April 6th - (Snow Sunday) Lambs at Cobnor:
Photo/report

Could there be Otters in Chidham?
From Lynda (18/8/07)
Hi there, re your country diary this month, John makes a comment about otters being extinct in Sussex (to his knowledge). I felt I must tell you that, a good few years ago, must be at least 4-5 years ago, driving along the main road at cut mill, opposite Newells  Lane, my husband and I stopped our car to allow what we were gobsmacked to see, was an Otter crossing the road! We sat and watched and waited for it, got a real good look, and it was definitely an Otter, sure as eggs is eggs, I'd stake my life on it.
Where it had come from, and where it was going to, is still a mystery. But it was there, large as life, moving like it had a purpose. I will never forget it, it was such a strange sight.

Advice about Fireblight (From Robin Yeld)
I had a visit from Paul Barnett recently. Paul is a tree grower and very knowledgeable person on all aspects of tree breeding, growing and pruning. He showed me the poster he received this week and also went on to show me the infection in my own garden. Fireblight is a bacterial disease that has been made a serious  problem this year by the unusual weather.
Initially he has recommended pruning each infected piece off and  burning the waste. Secateurs MUST be cleaned thoroughly inbetween  each cut.
Link to RHS advice on Fireblight

4000 trees to be planted in Chidham by the Chichester Harbour Conservancy over the winter.

2000 trees will be planted in the Chidham west tidebank area over the weekend Dec 9/10, with the rest in January. part of a 10,000 tree planting project..

Full story

Rangers Richard Townsley and Alastair Hearmon getting ready to plant thousands of new trees in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty


The Joan Edom Bird Walk (Contributed by Gillian Edom)

This coming Sunday, 19th November, is Chichester Harbour Conservancy's third Joan Edom Bird Walk. Joan Edom was my mother-in-law and as far as mothers-in law go she was the absolute best!

Joan was a very educated and knowledgeable person. She was also very private and content with the company of family and close friends. In the middle years of her life she took up birdwatching and became great friends with Joan Spurgin, best known as the writer ‘Meon Minnow' in the Hampshire Chronicle. Through all the years that I knew her (and it was a great many!) she spent many hours of her time counting the wildfowl and waders of Chichester Harbou . I particularly remember her ‘guarding' the Little Terns that were nesting on North Stakes Island. The little hut that she used to shelter in is still on Cobnor Point. In fact, her Grandson Daniel thought she actually kept her beloved birds inside it.


Chichester Harbour Conservancy was formed in the 1970's. In 1976 it bought Nutbourne Marshes and it was designated a Local Nature Reserve. The Conservancy was very limited in its staff in those days and so Joan volunteered to warden the Reserve, which she did until 1987. In 1977 she started to lead regular Sunday morning birdwatching walks along the Nutbourne Marshes shoreline.
North Stakes Island where the Little Terns used to nest.

These walks continued until her retirement and were then lead by Anne de Potier, the Conservancy's Conservation Officer and another very good friend of Joan's.
The walks eventually became part of the Conservancy's official Activities Programme, and commemorated now by the annual bird walk mentioned above.

Joan made a massive contribution to the collective knowledge of the Harbour with her ongoing data collection (still being referred to today) and also in creating a small nature reserve on her own land that would enhance the Harbour environment. In 1987 she was awarded the Freedom of the Harbour for her contribution, and this was richly deserved.

One of my first lovely memories of Joan when I stayed at Cobnor Cottage as a teenager was of early mornings on a rainy day. She had built a new pond and in order to get as much water into it as possible, she would go out onto the Cobnor Drive with a stick and direct the rivulets of rainwater into the ditch that flowed into the pond. She called this ‘pogging'! Last year, the pond was restructured for the third time in its history. A new domestic sewage reedbed system has been constructed and the water from this discharges into the pond. History sometimes repeats itself - I found myself cutting up bits of hosepipe so that I could also redirect the rainwater - off the roof, through the waterbutt and into this very same pond…

The Joan Edom Bird Walk takes place this Sunday, 19th November at 10.30am. It lasts for 2 hours and the meeting place for the walk is by the footpath next to the gate in Farm Lane, Nutbourne (off the A259).



Litter Blitz - Saturday Nov 4th - Good turnout!
A dozen or so people turned out and collected a similar number of bags of rubbish from around the village, making a difference to how the village looks.
Volunteers needed - if you would like to see less litter in our village, you really can make a difference. Join the Litter Blitz team and get a litter grabber (saves the bending down, makes the job practical.) Contact Michael Gladwin by email or phone 573915 or turn up on the day


Equinoctial Springs High Tides at Cobnor
It's early October and we are facing another run of the very high tides which tend to occur around the equinox.  The first series was over full moon in September when, happily, the weather conditions were good, with  high pressure and little wind, so there was little risk of flooding.  This time it has been different: gale force winds, rain, and low air pressure, which combine to raise the sea level at the top of the tide far higher than the predicted 5 metres. 

The children had an INSET day at school and were at home, so we donned wellie boots and headed for the shore here at Cobnor, just before high tide.  It was a relief to find that the water was only lapping at the top of the seabank, and not cascading over!  And with better weather due for the next few days, we may escape problems again, as we have for the last few years.  A deep depression combining with a high tide, and exacerbated by a southerly gale, could raise the water level by up to a metre, which would result in a Niagara Falls effect over the seabank, quickly eroding it and even causing a breach. But this time there was no damage, so we just enjoyed the gale, with the children "sailing" on the bank with their jackets held high. 

Then Kate suddenly decided she wanted to leap into the water from the bank, so ran home to get her wetsuit.  Here she is, geariing up for her run and jump.  Go for it, Kate!



'Beach Watch' clean up

There was a good turn out of volunteers for "Beach Watch" on a  Saturday morning in September, along the Cobnor and West Chidham harbour edge.  It was run by the Conservancy and involves a major clear-up of litter round the harbour edge, plus an analysis of every single little bit, for research and monitoring purposes. 

The kids loved using the nifty pick-up sticks that Nicky, AONB officer, handed out!  Many black binbags were filled by the gang of locals and "Friends of Chichester Harbour" in the baking heat of September.  Kate's best find was a balloon from a balloon race in the Isle of Wight, so she has posted the card back and hopes to get a prize!
What a difference it makes to have such a clean and wilder-looking coast-line again! 

When you're out walking around the village here, try to pick up even 1 or 2 of the most obtrusive pieces of ltter - it's satisfying and such a positive thing to do.

Does it annoy you to see litter along the paths in the village? You can make a difference!
Contact Parish Councillor Michael Gladwin michaelwheatfields@hotmail.com

Here are a couple of gorgeous photos of the recent family of swans on the catch pond, taken by John Lumbard, who recently stayed at Canute Cottages for a holiday. 
Picture of the year contender? - a Chidham Catchpond cygnet tries some weed
Chidham Catchpond Cygnet
Did you hear the rumours of drama and tragedy about the cygnets?  By Saturday June 16th five beautiful cygnets had hatched from the nest on the island, after weeks of patient sitting by the parents.  Then, a couple of days later, there were no cygnets to be seen - just a flurry of white feathers near the island and a pair of swans in residence, with not a baby between them.  Had they been brutally murdered so soon after birth?  Which predator was it?  Rumours and conjecture were rife, and one witness saw only two cygnets at one point, suggesting that the others were dead.
Five Cygnets
 But a more positive story has emerged.  It is certainly true that in previous years the parents have taken their young over the seabank to the harbour within a day or two of hatching.  A Harbour Way resident saw all 5 being taken over this year, and she affirms that it was a different pair of swans which then took up residence at the pond shortly after, with a smaller male than the original one.  So, hopefully, the family is still flourishing and enjoying the greater scope that the harbour offers.


DUMPING IN THE DELL!

Sadly the Dell is still being used as a place to dump garden and other rubbish.
This is such a shame as people have put so much time and effort into trying to
improve it. 
The flow of the stream has also been inhibited by pieces of old
wood that have been thrown into it. This has caused a stagnant pool to form -
an ideal environment for the mosquitos that are now breeding in it!

The good news is that the trees and shrubs that were planted at the end of the
winter are thriving and there are a greater number of plant species growing
than were there before.


Volunteers - Litter Blitz - Sunday April 23
From Parish councillor Michael Gladwin
I took about 16 bags of rubbish to the tip this morning, plus your collection.  Eight brave souls faced a damp day and a considerable area was cleared, mainly the main thorough ways of Broad, Main, Scant roads and Cot and Chidham Lanes.  Hope to cover this again in early June, though grass height could have some impact.  Cigarette packets, plastic drink bottles and cans being the favourite objects for litter louts. 
We have also highlighted some second hand car wheels, a second hand fridge and a number of mattresses that I will arrange to be picked up.
Will be in touch.
Michael
michaelwheatfields@hotmail.com


Detox for the Dell

On Sunday morning a very willing and cheerful crowd turned up at the Dell to do a massive ‘rubbish clearout’ before the tree and hedgerow planting takes place.

For many, many years the Dell has been used as a place to discard all sorts of junk. In the past it was common for people to throw their rubbish into a midden pit, that archaeologists now delight to poke around in to try and find out how people used to live.

The Dell has now been rescued from this fate and can begin a new lease of life. For the record, amongst all the usual litter-sort-of waste that gets thrown away, the following list of things have also been removed – several lawn mowers, garden roller, water tank, garden tools, fridge, many large pieces of rusty metal, asbestos, broken glass, 4 beds, a car, 2 motorbikes and 19 pushbikes!

Many thanks to Mark and Tracy Covell for organising the workparty, providing hand and welly-washing facilities, sausage sandwiches and giant mugs of mulled wine!!

Gillian Edom 15.01.06
 
 
 
 


Volunteers make improvements to Cullimers pond
On Monday morning a stalwart group gathered at Cullimers Pond (which borders the footpath by the Activities Centres at Cobnor) to continue the programme of pond improvement started many years ago by Cobnor Estate in partnership with the Harbour Conservancy.  The digger had been in already: a big thank you to Mick, from B and M, who did a wonderful job improving the slope and setting in a wheelchair path. Blue skies and hot sunshine as we raked and prepared the soil around the pond for seeding with wildflowers and grasses that are good for wildlife.  Willows were coppiced back (cut down low to grow again), brambles were thrashed, old rubbish was pulled out of the pond. It's going to be gorgeous, and already there are dragonflies and a kingfisher fishes there. The next plan is to build a "dipping platform "so that the pond can be used for environmental education, especially by the kids at the Centres here .... so, lots of happy hours ahead finding all sorts of "mini-beasts"

If anyone is interested in joining our winter conservation working parties at Cobnor Estate, then do contact Diana Beale on 572123 or email taylorbeales@yahoo.co.uk.


WORK STARTS ON SEA DEFENCES

Work has started on the new tidebank on the west side of Chidham.

More on this story shortly.

see also the Parish Council environment page
DEER IN CHIDHAM

The photo shows Roe Deer in the field with Chidham School in the background.

OK, so they were a long way away for the photo.
Have you got a better photo of deer in Chidham?
If you do, please send it to us

Roe, Fallow or Muntjac deer?

Check our Village environment pages

DELL IMPROVEMENT SCHEME SECURED

The Harbour Conservancy, the Harbour Trust, the District Council, local residents and the Parish Council have worked together to secure a scheme for the improvement of the Dell to return it to a state where it is a important environmental habitat and a valuable leisure amenity for residents.