Church Farm (2) - Nature notes and the East Rhoden Stream

The East Rhoden stream lies just outside the recording area for my blog, but only by about 10 metres. Since this stream also forms the boundary of the Church Farm site and may well be affected by future development plans, then I felt it was important to record the physical qualities & any wildlife along this stream.

This stream carries far more water than the West Rhoden stream, which I struggled to decide if it could best be described as a stream or field ditch. The East Rhoden watercourse is definitely a stream and more like the Tudeley Brook on the west of the town (see post 2^nd Jan – Whetsted Wood).

Two views of the East Rhoden stream

Like the Tudeley Brook, the stream is prone to rise and fall greatly, as water volumes change during rainfall events. The next photo shows the flattened bank vegetation, where the stream flowed in full spate, when it was roughly about 1.2 – 1.5 metres  higher than the level of the water shown on this photo.

The high tide mark !

There are a number of points along the stream where the local wildlife crosses the stream. At first I thought the tracks I could see crossing the stream, were as a result of foxes and many probably are, although as people walk around the site with their dogs, a canine involvement cannot be discounted.

Fox or dog?

However at one point I came across a less used, but muddy path , down one bank across the stream and up the other side, in which the footprints in the mud look very much like badger prints. The paw print is very wide and the claw marks deep.

Badger track

Badger prints

I have since read a report, written in 2011 by a professional ecologist, indicating that signs of badgers were noted in this area. So my guess is that at least one badger is still traversing the area, although I could see no signs of a badger set or latrine, so I suspect that Church Farm is just part of the badger’s territory and not it’s main living area. I will keep an eye on this area for further signs, as the year progresses.

The hedgerow which runs along the east bank of the stream harboured the usual array of common birds (robin, blue & great tits, dunnock, blackbird,  thrushes &  finches etc) and I will undertake a more in depth survey later this year.

On the other side of the hedgerow is more open (but not ploughed) farmland, plus a small orchard. Redwings and fieldfares were seen and heard in the orchard.

Looking east across more farmland

In the south east corner of the Church Farm site, close to Church Road, the area contains far more trees and scrubland, which again will warrant further investigation. I noted that the area was being surveyed by professional ecologists, for sign of Hazel Dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius). 

Dormouse tube (at an odd angle!)

I am aware that these European protected mammals can be found in the south west corner of my blog area, in Foal Hurst Wood (& Brick Kiln Wood), but am unaware of their presence in the Church Farm, or nearby Mascalls Court Farm areas.  I will await the ecologists report with interest.

Speaking of protected animal species, the northern boundary of the Church Farm site, which borders the railway line, is an area scrub, which I know contains both Slow Worms (Anguis fragilis) and Viviparous Lizards (Zootoca vivipara), both of which are protected under UK wildlife legislation, but not European legislation, as is the dormouse. 

Viviparous lizard

Slow Worms

The presence of both reptile species is not surprising, for the slight bank leading up to the railway line is south facing and so warms up quickly in early spring, making it a good basking area for reptiles coming out of hibernation. The scrub habitat additionally provides both food and protection, so all in all good reptile habitat.

I am also aware that both reptile species are known to exist in the adjacent railway land and I will write a separate post about this area in due course.

To be honest, much of this railway lane, as it crosses Kent, provides good reptile habitat and from one of my voluntary duties with the Kent Reptile & Amphibian Group I know of many potential development sites adjacent to the railway line, where reptiles are known to exist.

Searching for reptiles will have to wait until the spring, but on the day of my visit I did see about half a dozen rabbits in the area, grazing and warming themselves in the morning sun.

Grazing rabbits

A bit further along from the area containing the rabbits, but still adjacent to the railway the scrub disappears to reveal a more open rough grassland area with one or two pioneer oak trees, probably planted by a passing jay,or possibly grey squirrel, some years ago.

A few oaks in rough grassland

The last area to discuss in this post and that’s the larger area of rough grassland close to Church Farm.

Looking south west towards Church Farm, from the 'dog leg' in the stream.

Unmanaged, the area has far more wildlife potential than much of the Church Farm site. Such areas often contain good populations of mice and vole species, additionally attracting foxes and kestrels to hunt of these small mammals. It will be interested to see what else can be seen in this area, plus the adjacent pond and the line of poplar trees. Bats must surely use the poplar trees to feed along in the summer and newts and other amphibians probably can be found in the pond area and rough grassland.

So there you have it, a quick winter tour of the Church Farm site, spread over two posts, with many possibilities for additional comments about the wildlife to be explored in this site, as the year pans out.

Oh one last thought about nature and development :

‘I do not think the measure of a civilization

is how tall its buildings of concrete are,

But rather how well its people have learned to relate

to their environment and fellow man’.

~ Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe ~

Time will tell if the developers will allow nature a space in the Church Farm site and whether subsequently the new inhabitants of this part of Paddock Wood will have the desire to honour and relate to the nature it once held, and may still do so, if developed and managed in a nature friendly way. I do hope so :- ).