The Rangers Page for February
“If I were a bear and a big bear too, I shouldn’t much care if it froze or snew.
I shouldn’t much mind if it snowed or friz, I’d be all fur lined with a coat like his”
Winnie the pooh
What is out and about?
Well love is in the air, I’m not just talking about the card shops! The 14th has always marked the time of year when our birds and animals start to pair up. The Blackbirds are much louder, singing their sweet music to each other. The woodpeckers are on percussion with their rhythmic taps, and the rooks are starting to hold their noisy parliaments in the tree tops. Their nests from last year are being repaired while our smaller breads are creating new homes in some of the many bird boxes we have around the site. Love is also underground this month, have you seen areas of green resembling a mine field overnight, the moles are looking for love!
This month also sees the snow drops a welcome site and a reminder that spring is on its way. We are lucky at the museum as there is a lovely display of the little white flowers just outside Abbots Hall.
Before I get carried away with the idea that spring is but a few weeks away, and the flip flops might see the light of day, the 2nd of this month has historically marked the middle of winter as far as the weather is concerned. A wise farmer will always ensure he has half his supply of feed left by this date as cold strong winds and rain is still to come over the next few months.
I have saved the best news till last. At the start of the month Jane, one of our regular dog walkers, spotted two otters along the river walk. This is fantastic news as there have been no sightings for a few years. Needing to see this for myself I went to the sight early the next morning and sure enough they were there, not for long but they were there, it must have been the huge grin I had that scared them off!
One of my favourite things is to follow the progress of the many edible plants fruits and berries around the Estate. One fruit is just about to finish its season, the Medlar. We have one Medlar tree on site, it’s been here some time, they are not native to Britain but are from Turkey and due to this they don’t always fruit well. If however you do have a good harvest you can make a number of great things. I would recommend the following;
Medlar Jelly (great with meat or game)
450g Medlars, ripe and soft
300ml water
350g sugar
Clean and chop medlars, place in a pan with the water, simmer till a pulp, don’t stir.
Strain overnight through a jelly bag into a pan, don’t squeeze.
Add sugar and simmer gently until a jelly forms
Pour into sterilised jars, leave to set then cover