Nature Fact

The Velvet Ant is not a true ant at all as the larvae are parasitoids, Bumble-bees being the host insect. The male has wings, the more often seen female is wingless. Both have an orange thorax and a hairy coat. They frequent dry habitats and heathland.

Site Management

Felling of trees from within the enclosure has now been completed opening up a larger dry heath clearing thus providing essential habitat for reptiles, one being the rare Sand Lizard. The Guardians work party continued to clear a route for a new permissive woodland path. The path is scheduled for completion by 31 January 2009 and it is hoped it will help to relieve pressure on the fragile heathland and the wildlife found there.

Three donated bat boxes have been sited on trees along Kingfisher Creek.

Another calf has been produced by one of the grazing cows.

Nature Watch

Another wet and windy period with only a few short spells of dry, warm days. This has been a quiet time with fewer sightings than previous months.

RECORDINGS

Hazel Wood: Tawny Owls, Chaffinch, Wren, Blackbirds, Greenfinch, Great Spotted/Green Woodpeckers, Nuthatch, Goldfinch, Speckled Wood butterflies, Pipistrelle Bats. Plants - Herb Robert, Thyme Leaved Speedwell, Geum, Arum, Enchanter's Nightshade, Cross Leaved Heath, Bell Heather, Blackberries. Spiders - Hammock Web, Nursery, Funnel or Sheet Web, Harvestman, Looper.

Wet Wood: Great Tits, Blackbirds, Jay, 3 Roe Deer.

Boardwalk: Common Lizard, Cotton Grass.

Heathland: Silver Studded Blue/pair of Camberwell Beauty butterflies, Grasshoppers, Southern Hawker dragonfly, Kestral, Buzzard, Magpie, Sundews, Dwarf Gorse, Broad Leaved Helleborine.

Flocks of House Martins and Crossbills in flight were seen over the West Woodland circular walk.

Badgers have been spotted in a garden on the West side of the Reserve - the first sighting made in recent years.

Birds are now in their quiet vocal month prior to establishing Winter territories. Migratory birds will be preparing for their long journeys to warmer climates. The Nightjar normally departs from mid-August.

Nature Fact

Badgers have powerful front feet perfect for digging out wasps and bees nests, earthworms, bulbs and roots.

Event

The Guardians, namely George and Audrey Dunkling together with Keith and Christine Wilcox, exhibited a history of Slop Bog at the Kinson Common Open day held on Sunday 10th August. The weather stayed dry enabling the many visitors to view the displays on offer.

Site Management

The Hazelwood path, running adjacent to gardens of Hazel Drive, has been resurfaced primarily financed by the Slop Bog Guardians LHI grant. The Aberdeen Angus cow which recently gave birth has been removed from the Reserve. She proved to be very protective of her calf and aggresive to passers-by.

Nature Watch

Erratic weather conditions continued with long periods of strong winds and heavy rainfall hindering recording and making the Reserves inhabitants reluctant to show themselves.

RECORDINGS

Hazel Wood: Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Blackcaps, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff, Wren, Nuthatch, Robin, Blackbird, Long Tailed/Great/Blue/Coal Tits, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Bees, Blackberry bushes in flower.

Wet Wood: Treecreeper, Nuthatch, Song Thrush, Wren, Long Tailed/Great/Blue/Coal Tits, Jays, Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Boardwalk: Common Lizards, Raft Spiders, Pond Skaters, Chiffchaffs, Wren, Southern Hawker Dragonflies, Bog Asphodel in flower on the bog.

Heathland: Grasshoppers, Broad Bodied/Southern Hawker Dragonflies, Gatekeeper/Orange Tip/Large Skipper/Meadow Brown/Silver Studded Blue Butterflies, Bees, Stonechats, Dartford Warbler, Tree Pipit, Jays, Buzzards, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Sundew in flower, Bog Asphodel in flower, Common Orchid in flower bud.

A recent survey of Silver Studded Blue butterflies by the DCC Conservation Rangers has shown a significant fall in numbers compared with previous years.

Fewer sightings of both reptiles and amphibians for this period.

Note the lack of yellow feather colour of Blue and Great Tits this year. This indicates a problem in the natural food chain with a huge reduction of caterpillars which are the source of the feather pigment.

Very few butterfly species have been seen on the wing to date.

Chiffchaffs, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers have been very noticeable around the fringes of the Reserve this Summer. Hopefully they are now established for breeding this year and they may well return.

Nature Fact

Goldfinch, among other birds, swallow grit to aid digestion as they have no teeth.

Event

George and Audrey Dunkling, on behalf of the Slop Bog Guardians, will be presenting information (including a photographic display) at the Kinson Common Open Day on 10th August starting at 11am . This event offers many interesting displays from various organisations involved with natural history and conservation. All visitors welcome.

Site Management

Improvement carried out to the path adjacent to the Enclosure fence line which had been prone to flooding and extreme muddy conditions. The path has been raised to allow easier transit along this permissive footpath.
One of the Aberdeen Angus cows which graze the heathland gave birth to a calf in late June.

Nature Watch

There have been very mixed weather conditions during the past few weeks including prolonged rainfall, strong winds and hot days. Most of our garden and woodland birds have produced their young which have now fledged. Some species eg the Robin may produce a second brood

SIGHTINGS

Hazelwood: Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Chaffinch,Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Goldcrests, Wrens, Treecreepers, Nuthatch, Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers, Jays, Blue/Great/Coal/Long tailed Tits, Songthrush, Blackbirds, Robins, Dunnocks, Crows, Magpies, Wood Pigeon, Mallard Ducks, Grey Squirrel Fox, Speckled Wood butterflies, Holly Blue butterflies, Blusher Fungi, Cuckoo Wasps.

Wet Wood: Songthrush, Chiffchaffs, Jays, Magpies, Nuthatch, Treecreepers, Wrens, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Great/Blue/Tits, Frog, Smooth Snake, Grass Snake, Large Red Damselfly, Banded Agrion, Common Blue damselfly, Broad Bodied Chaser/Four Spot Chaser dragonflies.

Boardwalk: Chiffchaffs, Newts, Common Water Boatman, Pond Skaters, Raft Spiders Common Lizards, Buzzards/Swallows in flight.

Heathland: Dartford Warblers, Stonechat, Tree Pipit, Green/Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jays, Heron/Buzzards in flight, Four Spot Chaser dragonflies, Silver Studded Blue butterfly, Female Roe Deer, Grass Snake.

Blackcaps continue to provide their delightful melodic song along Hazelwood path.

Mallard Ducks with nine young were seen in the Hazelwood stream.

Fox cubs were observed playing at the entrance of the earth in Hazelwood. One fatality has been reported, possibly caused by a passing dog.

The first sighting of a Silver Studded Blue butterfly this year was recorded on 5th June.

The year's first calling of a Nightjar, here to breed on the heathland, was recorded on 10th June.

Nature Fact

The Common Water Boatman can be distinguished from the Common Backswimmer as they swim the right way up. Backswimmers swim upside down. Water Boatman feed mainly on debris from the bottom of a pond or stream. When out of the water they fly well. Males rub their front legs against their heads producing a harsh grating noise.

Event

A Nature Observation Walk led by George Dunkling took place on 1st June, 9 people attended. Recordings made:- 19 flowering plants, 2 reptiles, 1 fungi, 3 water inhabitants, 3 insects, 1 spider and 13 bird species. Quiz poems were presented as an introduction of information to many of the observations made.

Site Management

Clearance of scrub continues. Four adult Aberdeen Angus cows with one calf are now in residence within the enclosure. Visitors with dogs are politely requested to keep them on leads in this area to avoid disturbance to the cattle, two of which are expecting calves.