Waterside Natural History Society goes in search of Snowdrops
If someone asked you what flower looks like a flake of snow then you would immediately think of a snowdrop. Snowdrop or ‘Galanthus’ meaning milk flower was also a slang term for US military police in WW2 but everyone knows what a snowdrop looks like. Garden Centres have them in small pots, town gardens have small groups, older country gardens may have a larger patch; but nothing can compare to seeing large drifts of them in a winters landscape.
Hampshire is lucky to have several locations where you can see snowdrops in large numbers and we chose to visit Ovington village near Alresford which we had heard was a particularly impressive sight. When we arrived at the Bush Inn in Ovington we did not have to look far as snowdrops spread in every direction. When outdoor events are arranged months in advance it is always a matter of luck whether the plant or wildlife is in season but snowdrops are very predictable. Global warming or any sort of weather does not seem to affect them and you can guarantee a good sighting every February.
Our short walk consisted of a round trip to Itchen Stoke and back to Ovington so we set off alongside the Inn towards a bridge over the river Itchen. The river here was broad and shallow so you got a sense of being surrounded by water especially when we walked between the river and the drainage channel running alongside.
Turning away from the river we went up towards Itchen Stoke along a narrow lane with several old houses on either side. The houses were built using flint stones which are common in limestone areas. One house had a small front garden full of a variety of spring flowers. The sweet smell of Daphne at head height was complemented by sweet violets on the ground. Snowdrops, winter Aconites, daffodils and crocus were all in flower together with the purple and pink flowers of one of the Borage family. It would have won first prize at any time of year.
The church in Itchen Stoke was well worth a visit. Although not in use St. Mary’s church had been expertly renovated by the Church preservation society and was an excellent combination of the new and the old. This was typified by the new font inside the church and the old font which was found in pieces around the gravestones. It had been rebuilt and placed just inside the church door. The church’s design was based on that of ‘La Sainte Chapelle’ in Paris. The new and old aspect was reflected in the plants outside. The old represented by the snowdrops and the new by crocus and daffodils. No old church would be complete without an old Yew tree and this was no exception. Further on we came across a carpet of cyclamen that had naturalised on the roadside near an old farm gate.
Walking alongside the road towards Alresford one of our members noticed an animal at the far end of one of the fields which was identified as a deer. Some moments later it was thought to be a donkey as it had big ears. As we all gathered to give our individual opinions it was suggested it might even be a kangaroo. Two passing locals were asked if any strange animals had been seen in the area. When the animal moved it was again thought to be a deer and this was confirmed later when three Roe Deer bounded away across the field. It is easy to be critical of anyone’s identification skills in this age of instant information on the television but in the wild identification is often a matter of several opinions and time to think.
Birds were evident more by their sounds than their sight. Nuthatch, Great tit, and Blackbird were all heard but the most striking were the drumming of the Woodpeckers. One was of a deep bass sound and thought to be a Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Another of a higher pitch was supposed to be a Lesser Spotted Woodpecker although actually seeing the bird was difficult.
Returning back to Ovington alongside a stream we saw great swathes of snowdrops highlighted by the green fronds of Harts tongue ferns and reflected in the clear water of the stream. Spring was definitely on its way.
