Friday, 16 October 2009
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Nature Watch
Having experienced weeks of wet, windy weather, this has finally given way to warmer dry days.
SIGHTINGS/OBSERVATIONS
Hazelwood: Adder, Grass Snake, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Goldcrest, Willow Warbler, flocks of Siskin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Long Tailed Tits, Speckled Wood/ Painted Lady/ Comma/ Large White/ Peacock butterflies.
Wet Wood: Song Thrush, Long Tailed Tits, Common Frog, Speckled Wood butterflies.
Boardwalk: Common Lizards, Large White butterflies.
Open Heathland: Kestrel, Buzzards, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, flocks of House Martins and Swallows in flight, Silver Studded Blue butterflies.
A Tawny Owl has been heard calling from Hazelwood and to the west of the site.
Readings using a bat detector have continued at dusk. Pipistrelle Bats have been recorded feeding in Hazelwood, Wet Wood bridge east and across the open heath.
With the approach of Autumn, nesting boxes are now being selected for Winter roosting. A Blue Tit is already in residence in a camera nesting box situated on the fringe of Hazelwood, arriving before dark at about 7pm each evening.
Over the past month a weekly snake survey has been carried out by a Guardian volunteer who is licensed to do so. In total, 9 Adders, 19 Grass Snakes and 15 Slow Worms have been counted. The survey is undertaken at specified sites throughout the Reserve away from the main paths and tracks.
For some years now the Guardians have been monitoring butterfly numbers, particularly the Silver Studded Blue. In Great Britain SSBs are classified as nationally scarce. They are typically found on heathland that has not become too overgrown. Bell heather is a favourite nectar source. This year has been the best yet in terms of total butterfly numbers at Slop Bog including the Silver Studded Blue. It is not easy to ascribe a specific reason for this but the grazing cattle may well be a contributory factor.
SIGHTINGS/OBSERVATIONS
Hazelwood: Adder, Grass Snake, Buzzard, Sparrowhawk, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Goldcrest, Willow Warbler, flocks of Siskin, Goldfinch, Greenfinch, Long Tailed Tits, Speckled Wood/ Painted Lady/ Comma/ Large White/ Peacock butterflies.
Wet Wood: Song Thrush, Long Tailed Tits, Common Frog, Speckled Wood butterflies.
Boardwalk: Common Lizards, Large White butterflies.
Open Heathland: Kestrel, Buzzards, Green and Great Spotted Woodpeckers, flocks of House Martins and Swallows in flight, Silver Studded Blue butterflies.
A Tawny Owl has been heard calling from Hazelwood and to the west of the site.
Readings using a bat detector have continued at dusk. Pipistrelle Bats have been recorded feeding in Hazelwood, Wet Wood bridge east and across the open heath.
With the approach of Autumn, nesting boxes are now being selected for Winter roosting. A Blue Tit is already in residence in a camera nesting box situated on the fringe of Hazelwood, arriving before dark at about 7pm each evening.
Over the past month a weekly snake survey has been carried out by a Guardian volunteer who is licensed to do so. In total, 9 Adders, 19 Grass Snakes and 15 Slow Worms have been counted. The survey is undertaken at specified sites throughout the Reserve away from the main paths and tracks.
For some years now the Guardians have been monitoring butterfly numbers, particularly the Silver Studded Blue. In Great Britain SSBs are classified as nationally scarce. They are typically found on heathland that has not become too overgrown. Bell heather is a favourite nectar source. This year has been the best yet in terms of total butterfly numbers at Slop Bog including the Silver Studded Blue. It is not easy to ascribe a specific reason for this but the grazing cattle may well be a contributory factor.
Nature Fact
Many people think Tawny Owls call with a 'tu-whit,tu-who' sound. What we hear is not a single owl but two birds. One of them gives out an eerie 'hoo, hooo, hoo-oo-oo-oo' call and the other, probably a female, answers with a sharp 'ke-wick'. Both sexes hoot and both call 'ke-wick' but these sounds are never uttered together by the same bird.
Site Management
Work on site has included repairs to the livestock fencing. Regular checks of the whole fence line reveal any weaknesses such as rotten posts which have to be dealt with straight away.
Now the bird nesting season has finished, woodland edge management work has begun on the belt of tress that stretch the length of the site. This will include the creation of 2 'bays' to break up the straight edge and the coppicing of a small area of Birch. Rather than reducing the woodland, this work will improve it by allowing regeneration of healthy saplings to replace poor quality trees. This will produce a dense screen of regrowth and allow wild flowers to benefit from the increased light levels.
Now the bird nesting season has finished, woodland edge management work has begun on the belt of tress that stretch the length of the site. This will include the creation of 2 'bays' to break up the straight edge and the coppicing of a small area of Birch. Rather than reducing the woodland, this work will improve it by allowing regeneration of healthy saplings to replace poor quality trees. This will produce a dense screen of regrowth and allow wild flowers to benefit from the increased light levels.
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Nature Watch
The weather during July to mid August has been mostly wet, only improving in the latter weeks, giving a quiet period for observing the wildlife on site. Along the Hazelwood fringe, families of Tit species have been very noticeable together with adult Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Song Thrush, Wrens, Blackbirds and Robins feeding their young. Large flocks of Greenfinches, Goldfinches and Siskin can be seen along the fence line. Goldcrests are again beginning to frequent the woodland floor. A Sparrowhawk has been observed hunting in the Hazelwood woodland. Not much activity out on the open heathland with only a few sightings of the Stonechat family, Green Woodpeckers, Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Magpies, Jays, Crows and Buzzards. Already, the song birds are in good voice claiming feeding territories in preparation for Autumn and Winter.
With the warm, wet weather, a number of fungi have developed including Puffballs.
Butterflies recorded in this period have included Peacock, Painted Lady, Large White, Comma, Brimstone, Small Heath, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Common Blue and Silver Studied Blue.
Four-Spotted and Broad-Bodied dragonflies, Small Red, Large Red and Banded Demoiselle damselflies have been sighted.
A small number of Common Lizards have been seen on the boardwalk as has the first Raft Spider.
With the warm, wet weather, a number of fungi have developed including Puffballs.
Butterflies recorded in this period have included Peacock, Painted Lady, Large White, Comma, Brimstone, Small Heath, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Small Copper, Common Blue and Silver Studied Blue.
Four-Spotted and Broad-Bodied dragonflies, Small Red, Large Red and Banded Demoiselle damselflies have been sighted.
A small number of Common Lizards have been seen on the boardwalk as has the first Raft Spider.
Nature Fact
The Peacock butterfly has a spectacular defence mechanism which it uses if it is disturbed from rest. Opening its wings, it creates an alarming hissing noise as the front and hind wings rub across each other revealing huge "eye-spots". A small bird, startled by the hiss and then confronted by the large owl like eyes, will usually fly off leaving the butterfly to go back to sleep.
Site Management
The July Guardians work party cut back vegetation overhanging footpaths and the boardwalk. As a consequence, previously hidden bog pools have been opened up which are ideal for pond dipping. Scrub has been cleared and extra fencing erected at the eastern end of the boardwalk giving a new area for dipping in Kingfisher Creek.
Dorset Countryside staff have been busy keeping on top of invasive vegetation and garden exotics which are spreading on site. Herbicides are used carefully to kill only troublesome plants in favour of our rarer wild flowers.
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that the Nature Trail plaques have been changed. This gives the opportunity for new brass rubbings to be done at each location post along the trail.
Dorset Countryside staff have been busy keeping on top of invasive vegetation and garden exotics which are spreading on site. Herbicides are used carefully to kill only troublesome plants in favour of our rarer wild flowers.
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed that the Nature Trail plaques have been changed. This gives the opportunity for new brass rubbings to be done at each location post along the trail.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)