Island Life Magazine Ltd December 2015 / January 2016 | Page 76

COUNTRY LIFE Countryside news with Tony Ridd What to look out for... The Bay Coastal Community Team O ver the last couple of months The Bay Coastal Community Team (The Bay CCT), have been holding Campfire Sessions at Shanklin, Sandown and Lake. They involved storytelling, live music and cooking marshmallows over open fires whilst young and old were encouraged to share their ideas by filling out the ‘What if?’ postcards, on how they would like the bay to develop in the future. A public exhibition to display as many of the cards as they can pack in will be held early next spring. To download a postcard and to find out more about the Bay team’s programme of events go to: www.arc-consulting.co.uk/2015/04/upcoming-events/ Bullfinch Privet Berries The male Bullfinch is unmistakable, having a bright pinkish-red breast and cheeks, black cap and bright white rump. They feed on buds of trees in spring and were once a nuisance to fruit tree crops. Their numbers have since declined and are now classed as Amber on the RSPB ‘endangered list’. In severe cold weather lookout for them on bird tables. Wild Privet is ideal for our windswept island. Being semievergreen, it will lose its leaves in exposed locations as winter goes on. One benefit it has over the ‘evergreen’ garden variety is that the wild Privet has an abundance of attractive white flowers, albeit they are often unpleasant to smell, but this does mean that they are followed by blackberries, ideal for birds in the winter. Staghorn Fungi Also called the Candlesnuff Fungus, it can be found throughout the year, but is particularly noticeable over the winter months when it tends to turn black. They are small (3-5cm) upright finger-like spikes with many looking like mini antlers, called stroma’s. After other fungus’ have visited the host, this is one of the last fungi to attack rotting wood. 76 www.visitilife.com Winter Heliotrope If you get close enough to the flowers of the Winter Heliotrope you will find they are richly scented, and smell a little like cherry pie. Non-native it was introduced from the Mediterranean region in the 19th century, being planted in large gardens. With a very vigorous rhizome it has become a rampant weed and tends to dominate where it has escaped in the wild.