The scene has changed dramatically! Gone are the grasslands that were home to many ground feeding / nesting birds. Seeing Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Linnets and other seed eaters being flushed by the plough was a sad sight more so in these troubled times. The trap / ringing area is saved but now an island surrounded by a sea of ploughed earth. Access paths have been ploughed. The permissive paths that gave access to the "inland" areas south of the trap have been ploughed out of existence. The signs and mapping indicating access have gone. The top part of Hoddy Cows Lane, north of the SSSI, has seen large agricultural vehicles tear at the gorse hedges that line the public right of way. What was a pleasant, remote area has now lost its atmosphere. When the wind blows hard, the soil is blown like sand. Loose vegetation spin over the soil like old western movie sets. It is saddening for wildlife. Is this the future? RIP wild Buckton you will be missed.
Hoddy Cow Lane (north of SSSI)
The "Grasslands"
The Permissive Path South of the Trap
The Permissive Path East of Buckton Cliffs (Near Jubilee Corner)
I truly hope that there is the spirit of a Phoenix on Buckton Cliffs. Time will tell.
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