Falmer

SUMMER AT LAST: Outside my kitchen door I heard such a racket, and on investigating disturbed a rook taking a shower in a large dog bowl I still keep handy for visiting dogs. I have renewed the water and cleaned the bowl but he hasn't yet returned. There are quite a few watering points around the garden, it is so important not to just feed the birds, unnecessary this time of year, but to provide water for them and other animals.

WILDLIFE: Last week Sue reported the story of the duckling that was rescued from the pond by Sussex Wild life Rescue Ambulance, and we were all wondering if it would be returned, but the story is surprising; John Burt rang them this week when the postman reported a hedgehog on the footpath, it didn’t seem to be injured but wasn’t moving. Again the Wild Life Rescue team were called and they quickly came to the hedgehog’s rescue and took it away for inspection. John took the opportunity of asking about the duckling that was rescued last week and asked if it would be returning, they told John that by law they are not allowed to free ornamental ducklings into the indigenous wildlife, so that the 12 ducklings that first appeared were obviously brought to Falmer by whoever did not wish to keep them. Sadly, there are now only seven of those original 12 on the pond.

THE FOOTBRIDGE: Footbridge story goes on and as reported by the Argus Brighton and Hove Buses are refusing, after 25 years of stopping there, to no longer stop at the bus stop, saying quite rightly that it is dangerous to join the A27 with only a very short run-in. In February there was a meeting for all concerned to meet, including the bus company, to discuss the building of the ramp. We were all amazed at the cost of 1.3 million pounds but it had already been decided. During the building we all said ‘I wonder if they will increase the depth of the layby but no, it was returned as it was originally, and now of course the bus company (or drivers) are in dispute. A parish council meeting was held on Tuesday July 19, too late to report news of the outcome in this column.

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