News


downsmail.co.uk Mink steal the showin river


WILDLIFE photographer Jamie Finchwent hunting for kingfishers…but foundmink instead. The Coxheath snapper was


searching for the small, electric- blue birds when something shifted in the waters of the Beult, near East Street, Hunton. As he focused in on the rippling


river, he captured this amazing shot. He told Downs Mail: “There


were a pair of mink, it’s the first time I’ve seen themin the Beult. I was so focused on kingfishers, I didn’t expect to find themthere.” Kent Wildlife Trust says mink


escaped from fur farms in the 1950s and 1960s. They are active predators, feeding on anything they are big enough to catch, in- cluding threatened native water voles. They now thrive in rivers like


the Beult,Medway and Len. Mr Finch said: “Itwas an amaz- ing sight but, unfortunately,


Catherine gets


award honour MULTI-tasking Marden resident Catherine Alderson says she is “surprised and honoured” after receiving the Kent Association of Local Council’s


community


award. The 80-year-old,whomoved to


the village 20 years ago, devotes much of her time to helping oth- ers, something the KALC award recognises. It is awarded to those who go “above and beyond in the service of the community”. Catherine received the award,


signed by the High Sheriff of Kent, at the parishmeeting. The framed certificate describes


her efforts for the village as “self- less in her concern for others”. Catherine created the Marden


Walking Group soon after mov- ing to the area. She is an active member of the village history group and works closely with Marden medical centre on its pa- tient reference group. Fellow history group member


David McFarland described her as “very active, very skilled and very capable in so many re- spects”. Catherine has vowed to con-


tinue herwork, but added: “At 80, I am hoping to lessen the number of things I try and do at once … maybe two things insteadof four.”


4


while I was taking photos of the mink, a kingfisher flew by…and Imissed it!” Naturalist and Langley resident


Theo McCausland said that the mink is far from shy and can be an audacious and voracious


hunter. He added: “They’ll take anything they can get their little paws on – eggs, nestlings, water voles, mice, amphibians and seabirds. “It is probably why they have thrived wherever they end up.


They will spread quite quickly and breed successfully about once a year. “They’re not scared by much


and certainly not humans which iswhy they’ll carry on doingwhat they’re doing even though they know you are watching them. They’ll only scarper if they think you’re ruining their hunting chances. “They’re quite clever little crea-


tures, too, and very industrious. But they can be seen as a terrible pest if they end up in the wrong places.” TheKentWildlife Trust said the


mink can be identified as “a small, lithemammal,with brown- black fur, a narrowsnout, a small, white chin and a white throat. Mink can be distinguished from otters by their smaller size, darker fur, and smaller face”.


Flowers set to


be show’s stars A THREE-day flower extrava- ganza has been earmarked for the first weekend in October. The festival, called Autumn


Glory, will be held at Head- corn’s parish church of St Peter and St Paul. The event runs from10amto


Plums ripe for picking


THE time has come for residents of Langley and Leeds to pick their own plums. Sold to benefit local churches, the fruit owned by Simon Brice of Back


Streetwill be available on Saturdays and Sundays into early September. To make sure there are plums still available in aid of the Leeds and Broomfield Churches, call 01622 862316.


Flytipping truck inquiry


THE borough council says its waste crime team seized a truck caught flytipping soil acrossMaid- stone’s rural areas. A large Iveco Eurocargo lorry


was seized on Linton Road onAu- gust 6, after the vehicle was seen dumping large amounts of soil across the borough, with possible links to other offences in Kent. A Maidstone Borough Council


Maidstone Weald September 2019


spokesman said: “The vehiclewas seized after the MBC waste crime teamwas contactedbyKentPolice, who knew we were interested in the vehiclewhich had been identi- fied as being involved in fly-tip- ping across the borough. “The investigation into the of-


fences is ongoing.A total of 17 ve- hicles have been seized since March 2018.”


4pm on Friday, October 4, 10amto 5pmon Saturday, and noon to 4pmon Sunday. Entrance to the festival,


which will feature 36 flower arrangements, is free.Refresh- ments will be served. Organiser Felicity Keeler


said: “In addition, on the Sat- urday, we will be holding our annual Apple Day, with stalls including cake sales and a bar- beque selling pork and apple sausages. There will also be children’s activities. “Later that day, from5.15pm


to 6.15pm, there will be a con- cert in the church by TheCom- panye of Singers. Entry to the concert is free. “On the Sunday, at 10am,we


will be holding our Harvest Festival service, followed at noon by the last instalment of the Flower Festival where, in addition to other refresh- ments, we will be serving ploughman’s lunches.”


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