Wed 29th Aug 2007 - Skinner's Meadow.

This week saw us helping Wight Nature Fund again, baling hay at Skinner's Meadow. They have still not been able to get into the marsh proper due to the peat still holding the moisture. A section of the field had been cut and turned, so all we had to do was rake the rows, feed the bailer and then stack the bales at the bottom of the the field. Although there was only 10 of us (including John - the warden) we still managed to bale three quaters of the field. They cut at this time of the year so that the wild flower seeding is easier and once this is completed then the cattle are brought in to graze the grass to around Christmas time. In the spring the meadow is full of wild flowers with the peak time for them being May and June. A fairly new plant to the meadow (although it is found in Newtown) is yellow rattle - this is a parasetic plant which keeps the grass down by attaching itself to the roots. Not so many butterflies as last time although we did see a common darter - this one was a female as it was brown - appartently the males are red.