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Nature & Wildlife
Nature Conservation
at Dittiscombe
This is a very important aspect of Dittiscombe as we, and our guests, can enjoy over 20 acres of conservation valley. Our land was farmed up until 1982, but within just a few years and with special management, nature has taken over. The woods, ponds and meadows now provide a diverse range of habitats for plants and animals to thrive in.
The main woodland, planted about 11 years ago with native trees, is making really good progress with some species almost to full height; the orchard above Dovecote Cottage has been re-instated with several local varieties of eating, cider and cooking apples, many of which may have been entirely lost.
There are several ponds of various depths providing excellent habitat to different kinds of insects, amphibians and wildfowl.
Some of the old stone barns and walls have been left in place as these provide shelter and nesting sites for Little Owls and Barn Owls, Jackdaws, Bats, Pied Wagtails, bees and many other insects.
The meadows are cut once or twice a year to prevent them from turning into scrubland and to allow the native wild flowers to seed; and the hedgerows are either laid and trimmed, or cut back every three years in late Winter leaving berries for the birds at a difficult time of the year.
A Wildlife Audit, carried out by South Hams District Council under the Wildlife Wonders Project provides a full report on the wildlife which can be found in our valley. View the Wildlife Wonders report here.
Wildlife for the next Generation
To encourage our young visitors to understand and enjoy the wildlife around them we provide a wildlife pack in each cottage called ‘Dittiscombe Wildlife Detectives’. If they take a stroll around our ponds and woodland here is a sample of wildlife they might see:-
- Butterflies and Moths from as early as April through to September. Some live here, but others, like the Clouded Yellow butterfly and Hummingbird Hawkmoth, come from other countries to spend the summer here.
- Tiny Frogs and Toads emerge from the ponds into the long grass in May and June.
- Mushrooms and Toadstools can be found under trees and in the long grass from the Spring onwards, but especially in the Autumn.
- Ducklings, Moorhen and Little Grebe babies hide in the rushes in the ponds from May to August.
In early May the fox cubs are out playing with each other and learning to hunt. Early morning and evening are good times to look for them. - From April onwards you may be lucky enough to see the Barn Owl hunting over the long grass at dusk. They won’t come out in wet weather as their feathers are not waterproof. Large white splashes in the trees and in the grass below the branches can tell you that a Barn Owl has been perching there.
- In June Badger cubs are getting quite inquisitive and like to wander away from their parents, looking for worms and tasty things to eat. Dusk is the best time to watch for them.
- On a warm evening Bats emerge around dusk and feed near trees and over the ponds. A good area to watch bats is in the hedge ‘corridor’ at the back of the cottages. These are usually Pipistrelles and Noctule bats.
- Little Owls can be seen during the daytime around the old long barn, and perching on the stone ruins and apple tree guards in the orchard – as they are small and grey so are well camouflaged!
Birdwatching
Bird life abounds in South Devon. We have a wonderful supply of garden and woodland birds on our doorstep at Dittiscombe, also migratory birds such as Fieldfares, Firecrests and Pied Wagtails. Birds of prey do well here too with Buzzards, Little Owls, Kestrels and Sparrowhawks all making regular appearances, especially during the breeding season. We have been lucky enough to have had breeding Barn Owls too although sadly numbers have declined due to recent wet summers, but we are hopeful of a return soon!
There are numerous other sites for birdwatching in the area: East Prawle is famous for the rare Cirl Bunting; the Kingsbridge to Salcombe estuary with its creeks and marshes is a magnet for waders such as Little Egrets, Sandpipers, Curlews and Greenshanks and a delightful way to watch them is on the Rivermaid boat which plies the estuary from May to October www.rivermaidferry.co.uk.
On the Plym Valley Trail there is a viewing station with telescopes to watch Peregrine Falcons nesting in the tree tops; and the freshwater lake at Slapton Ley (just 2 miles from Dittiscombe), with its complex of reedbeds, is home to overwintering birds such as Cetti’s Warblers, Great Crested Grebes and the rare Bittern. Lots more information can be obtained from the Field Study Centre website: www.slnnr.org.uk.
Spring Hedgerows
Always a surprise to the first-time visitor is the height and depth of our hedgerows which border the lanes and fields. This natural network is home to many mammals, birds and a huge variety of wildflowers. Early Primroses and Celandine give way to Alexanders, Hedge Parsley, Red Campion and Bluebells, and by summer Red Valarian, Foxgloves and Ox-eye daisies are in full flower. A green lane walk at this time of year means that you can stop and just enjoy the flowers that normally whizz past in a blur when you are in the car.
The Coastline
The coastline is a perfect place for wildlife watching, whether it’s from a rocky outcrop, a sandy cove, a clifftop, or an estuary creek, and the water around South Devon is a haven for all manner of wildlife. Seals are regularly seen in the estuaries and around the rocks near Great Mattiscombe; sea-birds include Kittiwakes , Cormorants and Oystercatchers; while the sand dunes, shingle banks and windswept headlands are home to Pink Thrift, Viper’s Bugloss and Yellow-horned Poppy.
This is just a small selection of the wonderous wildlife on show to our visitors in South Devon and in order to keep it intact for our guests and for future generations to enjoy, Dittiscombe Holiday Cottages are taking part in the Green Tourism Business Scheme, and are members of the following charities:-
Devon Wildlife Trust
www.devonwildlifetrust.org
Barn Owl Trust
www.barnowltrust.org.uk
Marine Conservation Society
www.mcsuk.org
Compassion in World Farming
www.ciwf.org.uk
Friends of the Earth
www.foe.co.uk
National Trust
www.nationaltrust.org.uk