Stratford sub Castle Village Website
Salisbury, Wiltshire UK

On 31 August we reported that to support 'Asian Horne t Week' 2-8 September, Wiltshire Council had included in its regular update to...

Can you identify these wild flowers in the image below? Knapweed Oxeye Daisy Field Scabious Lady's Bedstraw Hedge Bedstraw Ragwort Mallow...

Update 28 May. Five surviving chicks fledged today. It had been a difficult time for the hard-working adults who had to find food for the chicks during frequent heavy rain showers. The chicks had been attempting to leave the nest box for several days and an adult bird was often seen to be blocking the entrance/exit. News from 22 May "No! We don't want to leave home today - it's raining out there!" 'Home' is a birdbox with a spy-camera installed. At least six blue tit chicks

Jim Platt took these images on Friday evening.

... is worth a load of hay." [*] A swarm was collected from Gradidge Lane this morning, destined for a local garden. [*] A (17C?)...

The website was delighted to receive this message from a local resident today: "Walking along the east bank of the Avon Valley Nature...

On 31 December, 2023, a double rainbow was visible over Old Sarum. How do the two spectra differ in a double rainbow and why is the arc...

Image taken near Mill Lane in 2019 - see * below Sadly it's goodbye to the swallows in the stables for this year. Following a mass gathering on the telephone wires in Shelley Drive on 6 September, all was quiet in the stables and skies at the farm and we realised they had left us. (Perhaps they were taking advantage of the fine weather to cross the Channel.) Their departure is very early this year compared to previous years but I have seen that this is not an indicator of wha

The Parsonage Farm swallows are still around. This morning some of them have been exploring the thatched roof of Old Sarum View, perhaps a source for flies and insects. There has also been increased 'gathering' activity as small flocks of swallows line up on the telephone wires for a few seconds before being joined by others (up to twenty at one stage). One bird then flies off with the others following, swooping above their 'homes' at the stables, and around the surrounding f

I started my last update on the swallows by saying "Really good news on this front." I can begin this one by saying "Even better news this time!" as we now have four second broods. There is a live nest in each of the four stables, one with five, one with four chicks in and definitely chicks in the other two, but can't give numbers yet as the nests are in dark places. One chick fell out this afternoon but was carefully replaced with his siblings so we hope he's learnt his less

Dutch Elm disease wrought havoc on elms in copses and woods. Survivors are often solitary trees in hedgerows that kept socially distanced...

A short video of the 5 chicks from stable one at Parsonage Farm, exploring the world outside their nest-site with an adult alongside. (Click the play button to play the video.)

Swallow chicks 22 June 2023 Janet Brownlie has provided an update on the Parsonage Farm Swallows. She writes: " Really good news on this front. We have three nests with chicks in and two other nests where we're fairly certain there are chicks but it's difficult to see because they're up in the eaves in the dark but definitely adult swallows are going in there. 5th chick at the back? In the first stable the nest has five chicks which have just fledged. The latest photo was t

Update 25 May The chicks have fledged this morning. The first one to leave the nest box was caught on camera below. The parent bird's...

English Heritage has announced plans for 100 wildflower meadows to be established over the next decade to mark the coronation of His...