OVER the years I have often mentioned the value of wildlife watchers close to home and how good town parks are.

This is especially true of those parks which have lakes. Some of our parks have become neglected but local people have come to the rescue.

They have formed groups called friends of the parks and they have done a wonderful job.

This is the time of year when parks look at their colourful best and it is also a good time to do a “heron watch”. Herons breed in colonies and they start their season early.

From June onwards the young birds are starting to become independent and once they have learned to catch fish they move about the countryside.

They are attracted by large stretches of water such as our local reservoirs and especially town parks. Herons have learned to be very wary of people but if you stand still and be patient there will be plenty of opportunities to photograph this tall and very stately bird.

All this proves that each and every one of us has wildlife on our doorsteps and town parks are wonderful places to stand and stare at a variety of birds.

SPARROWHAWK VISITOR

This week I sat on my patio and was given a bird-watching treat. Suddenly a male sparrowhawk appeared but the little birds knew he was coming and made themselves scarce.

Male sparrowhawks can be distinguished from females because they have red on their underparts. In females the underparts are blue.

No sooner had the sparrowhawk gone off in search of his breakfast when a male great spotted woodpecker visited one of my bird feeders. The males can be distinguished from the females by having a red spot at the nape of the neck. I know that my bird table offers lots to see in the colder months but two sightings like this in the last week in June was an unexpected treat.

PLANT OF THE WEEK: COMFREY

Very few plants have been as important from a medical point of view as Comfrey. Its scientific name is symphytum officinale and the last word indicates that it was officially recognised by early apothecaries.

Comfrey has been called knit bone and was used to set broken limbs in a similar way to how we use plaster of Paris. It was also applied to reduce swelling and to ease the pain of cuts and bruises. This accounts for its name symphytum, from the Greek word Sympho, to unite.

Comfrey is in bloom from now until well into September and grows to a height of between two and three feet (60-90cms). It grows especially well in damp places, its leaves are lance shaped and the flowers vary between pink and purple. It is the leaves which, when fresh, are full of juice and which have the power to heal.