Flora, Fauna, Wildlife
By Richard Moyse

Doddington and Newnham sit within a patchwork landscape of woodlands, arable fields and orchards. Hedges line many of the roadsides, and some of the steeper valley sides still support areas of old grassland.

It is a great area for woodland birds, including Coal Tit, Marsh Tit, Tawny Owl, Nuthatch and, in the winter, Siskin. Less common species include Lesser Spotted Woodpecker and, in open areas of newly coppiced woodland, Tree Pipit.

Coal Tit	Marsh Tit	Tawny Owl	Nuthhatch	Siskin

The farmed landscape supports Skylarks, Yellowhammers and Meadow Pipits, which are joined in winter by flocks of gulls, Lapwings and sometimes Golden Plover and the odd Curlew. Old orchards and parkland are well used by Little Owls, whose presence is often revealed by their yelping calls.

Lesser Spotted Woodpecker	Tree Pipit	Golden Plover	Skylark	YellowHammer	Lapwing

This area was one of the first parts of Kent to be recolonised by Common Buzzards after an absence of some 200 years, and these large birds of prey are now commonly seen. Kestrels and Sparrowhawks are fairly common, and Hobbies can also be seen during the summer months. Peregrine falcons visit the area occasionally, and Red Kites are increasingly (though still rarely) spotted.

Most of the woodlands around Doddington and Newnham are ‘Ancient Woodlands’, that is they have

been continuously wooded for at least 400 years.

Springtime displays of wildflowers are therefore superb, with a good show of Bluebells and Wood Anemones, as well as large numbers of Early Purple Orchids in some of the woods.

Among other wild orchids in the area are Pyramidal Orchids, which occur in some numbers in Doddington Churchyard.

The Churchyard, which is managed for its wildlife, provides a colourful display from the Snowdrops and Wild Daffodils of early spring, through stands of Ox-eye Daisies in early summer, and finally masses of Common Knapweed in August.

The Churchyard is also very important for its lichens, which cover many of the gravestones and, indeed, much of the Church itself.

Of the more interesting mammals, Dormice are probably the hardest to see, being entirely nocturnal. Stoats and Weasels hunt the fields, but again are hard to spot. However, Brown Hares, though in decline nationally, are still found here in some abundance, and a walk through the fields in spring (while the crops are still short) will often turn up one or more of these handsome animals.