Winter work in the parkland

A walk through Tatton's parkland will reveal several areas covered by Rhododendron bushes, which in recent years have been found to be susceptible to a plant disease called Phytophthora.  Imported from Europe and America, Phytophthora are virulent fungal infections which attack the plant through its roots, often in wet ground, causing the blackening and wilting of leaves, as well as cankers and lesions in the bark of some species. Phytophthora can be transmitted to other plants through ground water, wind and even on people's clothes and footwear.  The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) class Phytophthora as a notifiable disease. 

It is important that Tatton takes measures to protect itself from this disease and especially the important plant collections in the gardens.  In this respect the Ranger team are being pro-active: we will receive training on how to identify the disease and begin to remove some areas of Rhododendron, particularly those areas closest to the gardens.  This will be labour intensive and we are happy to recruit a team of volunteers to help with this and other tasks on the estate.  Should you be interested in volunteering, please contact the Ranger team on 01625 374414.

Take a walk on a cold frosty morning and look in the rushes and long grass. Amongst the foliage are strings of crystal droplets sparkling in the early morning light.  No matter how cold it is, the spiders living in the estate spin webs to catch their prey all year round. On a frosty morning they hang like festive baubles, glittering.  They show perfectly intricate designs the arachnids produce.  An average spider in warmer months will produce a new web every 24 hours and they are constantly updating and repairing them.  To do this they eat the old web to recycle silk for the new one.

Winter deer feed   ©Peter Spooner

The Red and Fallow deer herds are given supplementary feed daily through the winter.  This consists of carrots, haylage and mineral enriched dairy nuts.  The feeding starts once the cold weather sets in and garzing becomes limited.  Normally we would be feeding by the end of November, but due to the prolonged mild weather this has not been necessary.  The daily deer feed is an excellent opportunity for the ranger team to assess the condition of the herd.  The long line of carrots put out ensures the smaller and less dominant animals are able to feed and enables us to carry out census work accurately.  This winter there is opportunity for the public to witness the feed and observe the deer from the relative comfort of a passenger trailer.  The dates offered are 20th and 21st December (now sold out), 14th and 15th February.  Please book in advance on 01625 374428 as places go very quickly.

There will also be the opportunity to see some of the numerous species of wildfowl that visit Tatton during the winter.  Come along to the Allen Hide between 11am and 1pm on Sunday 15 January - there will be members of the Knutsford Ornithological Society present to give advice and to help you identify the various species with the aid of a telescope.

Darren Morris, Ranger Team