New to Needham

My introduction to Needham was fairly memorable.  I moved in over the weekend of 24/25 October 2013 and just two days later came the first storm of what was to be a very wet and windy winter.  Named ‘St Jude’ by the media, the storm rampaged across East Anglia on its route from the Atlantic and over the North Sea to mainland Europe.  The high winds arrived here early on the Tuesday morning as forecast by the Met Office.  The electricity failed soon afterwards and remained off for about 36 hours due to a tree falling on a nearby power line.  Inconvenient as it was, this did provide a welcome opportunity to meet my new neighbours who kindly came round to make sure I was ok and had a sufficient supply of candles.

With birding as a major interest it had always been my plan to move to this part of the country after a working life spent teaching science to reluctant London teenagers.  When the opportunity finally arrived it proved harder than expected to find the place I had in mind; a small house with a very large garden.  Eighteen months and 43 viewings later it suddenly appeared on the estate agent’s website; exactly what I had been looking for and within easy reach of the wetlands, heath, woodlands and coasts that I’d visited on so many weekend birding trips.  Needham, being in the Waveney Valley, is a prime birding spot and even before the summer migrants arrive I’ve recorded over 30 species in the garden here, including marsh tit, house sparrow and song thrush; all red-listed species which have declined dramatically in recent years.

The plan for the two acre garden is to develop it further as a wildlife habitat.  The pond, previously overgrown with trees, has been opened up to let in light and warmth so that water plants, insects, frogs and newts can thrive.  Mixed native hedging has been planted and in a few years time will provide additional food and habitat for the birds.  A wildflower meadow to attract bees and butterflies is the next step and may take some years to develop.  The recommended method is to collect wildflower seed from the local area, so if anyone in the village already has a wildflower meadow…… any offers of seed later in the summer would be most welcome!

Genevieve Bridgeman