The Oxhill News

Oxhill

This months News
January 2003
February 2003
March 2003
April 2003
May 2003
June 2003
July 2003
August 2003
September 2003
October 2003
November 2003
December 2003

Contents

Editorial
Nature Notes
Whats an AED?
Care in the Community
Letters to the Editor
Christmas Pudding Sales
W.I.
Carol Singing
Garden Club

Nature Notes for January

January: the midwinter month, named after the double-faced Roman God Janus, who looks back towards the Old and forward to the New Year.

Well no sooner had I mentioned seeing a Barn Owl and what a rare occurrence that is, than Tom Heritage mentioned that he had seen what he thought was a family group of no less than five Bam Owls hunting the fields between Oxhill and Tysoe. A Bam Owl has on average four to seven young and this may have been a second brood hatched at the end of August to September. They take eight to ten weeks mature to flight. The other morning while walking my dog in the dark, I heard at least three screeching (they are often referred to as screech owls) across the field to each other.

On the subject of birds of prey, while walking down Back Lane , I heard the continuous "kew-kew-kew" of a Green woodpecker and saw a female Sparrowhawk, pursuing the woodpecker round Mrs Rodwell's field. A Sparrowhawk is a very fast. skilful flyer, but the woodpecker was leading it a merry dance round the field. Several times the hawk made a lunge, only to be out-jinxed by the woodpecker. I wondered how long the woodpecker could outwit the superior flying skills of the hawk when suddenly the woodpecker popped over the fence and flew up the road directly at me with the hawk in hot pursuit. I remained motionless and the woodpecker skimmed past my shoulder. The hawk on the other hand seeing 'man' stood on her air brakes, veered off, and losing her concentration called off the attack. The question is did the woodpecker use it's cunning to involve man in it's escape, or was it just down to luck?

This takes me back to summer a year or so back when we were leaning on our fence talking to Bill Gardner when we heard a terrible cacophony of bird alarm calls and a bundle of flapping wings from over by the beehives in the far corner of Bill's field. With Bill's permission, I hopped (a middle-aged struggle would describe it better) over the fence and made my way across the field to find a male sparrowhawk (male sparrowhawk bright grey underpants with red-brown barring, about 12in (30 cm) high; female darker brown and duller, but up to 25-30% larger standing 15in (38 cm) and a wingspan 4-6in wider) clutching on to the back of a similar-sized Green woodpecker who in turn was hopping about unable to take off and furiously attempting to peck at the hawk. Green woodpeckers are very fond of bees and their larvae, so it had obviously been pounced on while investigating the hives. At my approach the startled Sparrowhawk released the woodpecker and flew off, and the woodpecker ruffled it's feathers and also flew off unharmed. Perhaps I am destined to become the saviour of Green woodpeckers -Saint Grenville ofWoodpeckers!!

On the 18th January tradition has it that you must greet the first new moon of the New Year, and the days will now be growing noticeably longer. But remember- As the days lengthen, so the cold strengthens (Digby 1669). On that note, I wish you all the best for the New Year.

Grenville Moore.

This site is maintained by villagers of Oxhill for the benefit of the community and those interested in the history, news and activities that make the village such a pleasant place to live.

Last modified: August 30, 2003