October 2022

We Love Our Wild Life

We love our wildlife that roam freely on the Reschio Estate and consider it a great privilege when our paths cross for a fleeting second. To encounter a heron, as in the stunning photograph above taken at the lake or to see the twitch of an ear as a fox lifts its head above the wild flowers in the meadow, or a pheasant as he rises from the undergrowth. Guests return on their bikes, excitedly detailing the deer that crossed their path, while those on wild hacks report even more sightings, as both horses and wild life have a mutual respect and no fear of each other.

The sounds of the wild signal a shift in season; swallows return to Africa and as dusk comes earlier, so too does the owls’ haunting call. Animals that so often are seen through a hunter’s sights, know the Reschio Estate provides them with a safe haven, where they are counted and protected.

Fallow and roe deer, wild boar, porcupine, hares and rabbits are in abundance. This year’s intense heat has meant a considerable drop in insect populations and that, in turn has affected the flocks of birds we welcome to Reschio. Insects, such as bees, are vital and give a practical indication as to the state of the land. Our gamekeeper, together with his vigilant dog, Nina, keep a weather eye out for injured animals and to ensure that no hunters stray onto the Estate. Our forests safeguard the wildlife habitat and we in turn maintain the forests from the ground up.

As we look forward to the synchronised ballets of the starling murmurations this winter, we once again are appreciative and grateful for the natural world that we all so dearly love at Reschio.