Brownsea Island

Just back from a visit to this well known and lovely Island Nature Reserve. Owned by the National Trust with about 20% managed by the Dorset Wildlife Trust.
Lovely warm day with a little cloud and a lot of sun.  A big attraction was the possible sighting of the rare Red Squirrels, leaflets say they are more active in the Autumn and we wern't lucky. We did see the half eaten cones as shown below. The range of habitats is quite remarkable in such a small area. With my new interest in Lichens I found plenty of interest and different to those in  Somerset, also shown below.

The star display of wild life were the noisy and very active terns nesting and rearing chicks on the lagoon islands created close to the Mac Hide. This is in the area managed by Dorset Wildlife Trust which has its headquarters in the "Villa" located in the centre of the reserve.

The Lichens shown I will try to get identified and add details to this post.

Monster from the murky Pond

Have'nt got time to write much about photos taken this morning showing  life in our small pond. Add some details later.

Phlogophora meticulosa and young spiders

Found in our green house resting during the day and looking very splendid was an Angle Shades moth, which I hope is a correct identification.

 The photo below was sent to me, taken by a mobile phone and showing a fairly common newly  batch of newly hatched spiders in another garden. I've seen similar in our own garden. Its fascinating how they all keep together and if you gently touch the group they usually disperse but eventually come back together again. I assume there must be a high mortality rate or we would be overrun by them by now!

The second photo shows a  very young gropup of garden spiders from a nother garden and sent to me.Not sure what the species but its often seen like this in our garden too.

Damselfly number two. Azure damselfly. Coenagrion puella

Having got excited about the discovery of a Damselflies in our new pond (12 months old now)  described in my last post then we had another new arrival. This time it appeared clinging to a stem of a pond plant  and looked very new having just  emerged from its nymphal cast which was also close by. It appeared in the sunlight to be  translucent and almost colourless. I've been advised that the colour takes time to develop and that it is likely to be an Azure damselfly. Here is the photo I manged to get leaning over the side of the pond to get close enough.

Pyrrhosoma nymphula and a small wildlife garden

Last year we created a very small pond about 2m long by1m and in its second summer I took some photos today which I'm really pleased with.
Last year the Somerset Wildlife Trust started encouraging members to create a wildlife garden however small and that's what we have done and its great to see it attracting new wildlife. An Orange Tip butterfly also flew by whilst I was taking these shots but didn't stop for me.

Dont forget if you click on the photo it will give you a larger picture.

My guess is that the Damselflie is Pyrrhosma nymphula , Large red damselfly. Later on I saw a pair mating and laying eggs in the pond vegetation which I had added only a week ago!

These two flies came and rested on plants close by. Idents still needed. Any ideas please.

This is not a very good picture but is good enough to illustrate that while watching the damselflies we noticed that this bug climbed up the stem of a plant recently added to help the dragonflies. It sat there in the sun for quite a few minutes aqnd then suddenly whent back into the water and we could see it was a Water Boatman!

and finally, this is a  small sign sent me by the Wildlife Trust which is now proudly displayed on the garden shed. Notice the fly stopped to see what it was all about!

Batty Piece 4 acre meadow ( private nature reserve)

As in previous years I try in a very amateurish way to record what is growing on our local meadow. As you would expect plants are growing very fast now after steady rain over the last few weeks. Not enough to end the official drought of course. So as it was raining a little this morning I have only had an hour or so in the field and made a few notes and took a few photos. Here are a few to set the scene.

First shows the fruit on the fairly old Walnut tree on the southern boundary. I assume the picture shows the male flowers in the form of a catkin. I'll look for the female flowers next time.

Here is our first 2012 Yellow Rattle flowering plant.  This plant which first appeared in our field, probably brought in by a tractor,  and spread rapidly since then about 3 or 4 years ago. It has a parasitic relationship with grass and has certainly reduced the growth of the grasses which we hope will encourage more wild flowers

We keep looking for the first sighting of our two native orchids. The Pyramidal and the Bee Orchid. Looking for their leaves amongst all the rest is a hard task. But is this one of them?

The overall impression of the meadow is one of a field of golden yellow. Buttercups ( bulbous usually) are doing very well and are very numerous this year ( thousnds of plants). The same applies to Cowslips which also seem to be more numerous that previously ( but only a few hundred). We even have the Oxslip version. We think!

Our new 200 m hedge with seven native trees is looking very good in its 4th summer. The Blackthorn has finished flowering, the Wayfarer is in full flower, the Dogwood, the Spindle, Privet and Field Maple  are all developing well. Hawthorn is starting to flower.

Lessor Swallow Prominent, Pheosia gnoma., and a Caddisfly

Found both these insects after dark The first one just at rest on the front door frame. This  insect may not be a moth  at all, perhaps a Caddisfly?

This moth was close to an outside lamp by my front door the other evening. Is it the species known as the Shark?  Hoping to get an identification soon .

We now belive on good authority that the first photo is as I suspected a Caddis Fly. The second is the moth,  Lessor Swallow Prominent , Pheosia gnoma.

Neighbourhood Planning in Somerset

As a member of the Heart of the Levels Wildlife Group of Somerset Wildlife Trust I hope that as many of our local members as possible will join us in helping in this new approach to planning.

Here is a comment from the Somerset Wildlife Trust which is a good starting point in getting to know more about this change.

You can see more of this article by visiting the SWT web site.

Neighbourhood Planning
If you’ve ever been frustrated that the planning system doesn’t do enough to protect nature now is your chance to change things! The new Localism Act aims gives people a say in planning the future growth of their community. Neighbourhood Planning will allow people via their Parish Council to create a Neighbourhood Plan ­ a set of locally decided objectives and policies to guide development and deliver a shared vision for the place you live. Here at Somerset Wildlife Trust we’re excited about the possibilities for nature that Neighbourhood Planning could bring. As well as making decisions about new built development, communities will also be able to plan for natural developments: from wild play and wild greenspaces to meadows, wetlands and woodlands, people can decide what the nature network, or “green infrastructure” should look like in their patch, and write the policies to make it a reality. Our Living Landscapes approach to revitalising nature aims to create spaces for wildlife in every corner of the county. If every parish were to plan spaces and corridors for nature, think what Somerset might look like in 10 years time. We hope that as many people as possible will choose to take part in the Neighbourhood Planning initiative, so that more nature-rich areas can be created and connected up across Somerset’s landscape, allowing people and wildlife to thrive. If this article has aroused your interest and you want more information, a good place to start is Department for Communities and Local Government website. SWT will be holding a number of informal public open evenings to discuss Neighbourhood Planning, and we’ll be advertising them on the website. If your Parish is already thinking about Neighbourhood Planning, SWT can come and talk to you about making the most of opportunities for nature. To discuss Neighbourhood Planning events and talks please contact Michelle Osbourn on neighbourhood@somersetwildlife.org.  We look forward to hearing about your plans for nature near you soon!

Curry Rivel Community Website.

Click here to visit the web site

As a contributor to this web site I am interested in trying to find ways to make it more interesting for the local community especially as far as wildlife is concerned.

Along with other Parishes we will be getting to grips with Neighbourhood Planning , the Governments new initiative to give local communities more involvement in planning matters.

Any comments from readers would be welcome.

Somerset Lichen Project

SsJsSomerset Lichen Project

Spent the day on a workshop to find out something about Lichens as I have been photographing them in my garden. Recommend all to get involved in this project.  Where ever you live in the UK the Natural History Museum will be pleased to get records from you.

See my latest Tweet.   Here;     levelswildlife

Press notice:

SERC are currently organising the Somerset Lichen Project in partnership with the British Lichen Society.

Lichens are indicators of air quality and they can be found everywhere, in a variety of habitats.

Lichen species range between Nitrogen-sensitive or Nitrogen-intolerant species, to Nitrogen-loving species which flourish in polluted environments and Nitrogen- Intermediate species which can be found in both environments. Thus, depending on the diversity and abundance of the lichen species present at a given location air quality and consequently habitat quality can be determined.

With this project we aim to:

- Promote the significance of the presence of Lichens in Somerset.

- Get more people involved in lichen identification and recording across the County of Somerset.

- Collect up-to-date lichen records in Somerset with the invaluable help of volunteer recorders.

- Use the records collected to determine air quality within Somerset.

- Pass specialist identification skills to as many people as possible and to younger generations.

- Get more people involved with the local Somerset Lichen Group and the British Lichen Society.

- Contribute our results to the National OPAL Air Survey (www.opalexplorenature.org/AirSurvey)

- Promote lichen ‘spotting’ and recording to the wider public across Somerset, engaging local communities.

- Develop a good framework for collecting lichen records for the years to come to build up a whole picture for the County of Somerset.

If you are interested to get involved with the project please e-mail records@somerc.com or ring 01823 652424 / 01823 664450.

Your help as a volunteer recorder will be vital for making this project a success.

Please join us at one of the Free Basic Lichen Identification Training Workshops on:

- Saturday 17th March 2012 at SWT Callow Rock Offices, Cheddar. Times: 10.00 am to 16.00 pm

- Sunday 18th March 2012 at Fyne Court, Quantocks. Times: 10.00 am to 16.00 pm

Advanced Lichen Identification Training Workshop:

- Sunday 25th March 2012 at Nettlecombe Court, Exmoor. Times: 10.00 am to 16.00 pm

Booking for the workshops is essential. Please book on records@somerc.com or ring 01823 652424 / 01823 664450. Details can be also found here.
 

The basic workshops will include an introduction to lichens and their ecology and how to collect and identify lichen specimens. The workshops will include an outdoor session in the afternoon.

At each of the basic training workshops attendees will be provided with a survey pack including a hand lens and survey forms to carry out lichen recording on their own convenience, visiting as many locations as they like.

The basic workshops are open to all and at the end of each workshop attendees will have the essential skills to carry out lichen recording.

People who attended one of the basic workshops are welcome to attend, if they like, also the advanced workshop at Nettlecombe Court, where we will extend our knowledge in using a microscope to observe lichen features in further detail.

Apart from the workshops a publicly open event (BioBlitz) is currently being organised and further details will be posted out soon.

SERC will collect all lichen records and verify them in collaboration with the British Lichen Society. A microscope and a comprehensive lichen identification book will be located at the SERC office in Wellington for volunteers to use, if they wish to.

The project is supported by Natural England.