Slop Bog Celebration Event

Saturday 1st August turned out to be very wet but the event was well attended despite the inclement weather. Pond dipping was a success and an underwater camera gave a subterranean view of life below the surface. Studies were made of the 40 different species caught in a moth trap over the two previous nights. There were displays by the Moth Group, Dorset Countryside, The Urban Heath Partnership, Butterfly Conservation and the Slop Bog Guardians. A besom maker also demonstrated his skills. The Photographic Competition generated a good number of entries providing some wonderful images taken on site. The overall winner was a photograph of a male Crossbill taken by Keith Wilcox shown above.

Event at Slop Bog Saturday 1st Agust 2009

FREE NATURE FUN AFTERNOON

* Moth trap opening 12.00pm
* Traditional Crafts
* Pond dipping with underwater camera
* Wildlife Guided walk 1.00pm
* Wildlife information and displays
* Refreshments (small charge)
* Results/Awards of photographic competition 3.00pm
* Tombola
* Meet some of our reptiles

Well behaved dogs welcome.
Children to be accompanied by an adult at all times.
No event parking available. Please have consideration for our neighbours.

Nature Watch

Fine weather with occasional thunderstorms for this period.
The ongoing Butterfly Transects undertaken indicate that, over the last 3 weeks, numbers of Silver Studded Blues have increased compared to the corresponding period last year.
A Tawny Owl reported calling along the west side of Slop Bog.

SIGHTINGS/OBSERVATIONS

Kingfisher Creek: China Mark Moths, Large Red/Small/Azure/Azure Blue Damselflies, Four Spot Chasers/Broad Bodied/Common Hawker/Emperor Dragonflies.

Western Enclosure: Stonechats, Tree Pipits, Green Woodpeckers, Fox, Broad Bodied/Four Spot Dragonflies, Small Red Damselflies.

Beaufoys Bog: Stonechats.

Wild Wood: Buzzards, Chiffchaffs, Green/Great Spotted Woodpeckers.

Hazelwood: Siskins, Wrens, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Goldfinch, Songthrush, Nuthatch, Tree Creeper, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Chiffchaff, Blue/Great/Coal/Long Tailed Tits, Buzzard, Magpies, Jays.

Wet Wood: Nuthatch, Treecreeper, Songthrush, Chiffchaff, Jays, Blackcaps, Male and Female Roe Deer.

Nightjar Twirl: Grass Snakes, Azure Blue Damselflies.

Eastern Enclosure: Adder, Tree Pipit, Jay, Green Woodpecker.

Boardwalk: Two Common Lizards, Keeled Skipper/Four Spot Chaser Dragonflies.

Flowering Plants: Common Cudweed, Dwarf Gorse, Bell Heather, Cross-leaved Heath, Cotton Grass, Bog Asphodel, Cat's Ear, Tormentil, Cinquefoil, Hedge Woundwort, Hedge Bindweed, Bird's Foot Trefoil, Common Vetch, Black Medick, Smooth-sow Thistle, Ragwort, Groundsel, Herb Robert, Marsh Beadstraw, Water Lily, Sheep's Sorrel, Common Chickweed, Wall Speedwell, Herb Bennet, Enchanter's Nightshade, Stinging Nettle, Nipple Wort, Smooth Hawksbeard, Curled Dock.

Nature Watch

Nature Watch

Grass Snakes are excellent swimmers and can stay under water for up to one hour at a time

Site Management

Much of the work recently has been done by the cattle. You may have noticed that the grass this year seems less vigorous within the grazing unit. This is due to the cattle grazing it down and creating lawn like areas in places. This allows light to reach the soil giving the heather and more delicate seedlings the chance to germinate.