Our local wildflower meadow

Common Blue


Photographs and notes about our local meadow


Meadow Brown feeding on Scabious






Ladies Bedstraw

Great Green Bushcricket

6 Metre grass strip left close to new hedge

Our wildflower meadow has been full of interest this year. Plenty of butterflies, the great green bush cricket showing up but fewer Marbled Whites than in previous years and very few Bee Orchids, which I hear is the same elsewhere this year.

The hay has now been cut on 15^th August. It was baled and the bales removed by the 21^st and the gate locked.

As this cut was earlier than expected a 6 metre strip has been left nearest the new hedge, to provide a continuing habitat for the many butterflies present.Shown in the picture above.

This will also help the several species of grasshoppers and no doubt many other species.

An inspection of this strip on the 17^th August showed the value of this action. There were numerous Common Blue and Meadow Brown butterflies, probably hundreds, still present whereas on the adjoining field and the rest of our field there are few of either. Large White butterflies are also present. It is likely that there are others I didn’t spot in the 30 minutes or so spent there. A good indicator of a healthy meadow is said to be the presence of small (or micro) moths which are disturbed when you walk through the grass and they are numerous.

The large area of Ladies Bedstraw is still intact and will have more time to seed as will a few Scabious and orchids.

Included here are a few photos from July and August this year.

Abraxas grossulariata and a large white!

These photos were taken whilst working in the garden. The moth is the common Magpie which is quite remarkable none the less. To view more clearly click on the picture to enlarge.

The large white was enjoying a rather prickly looking garden flower

Jenny Graham and the Arts and Wildlife Project

Yet another fruitful session. Despite the relatively low numbers of members taking advantage of having a professional artist spend two mornings with us to guide us in trying to see everyday things in a new light we all felt it was a success. Unlike last year we had managed to produce attempts at some form of artistic interpretation of images seen during walks round Compton Dundon on the two Saturday sessions. We were able to compare our efforts of photography and sketching without feeling embarrassed about what we might feel about our own work.

This photo was my attempt to capture the richness of these grasses as they bent in the wind and created an interesting pattern. That's what I hoped anyway.

A big surprise to me was that a suggestion was made that we continue with our sessions and formed an ongoing arts and wildlife group. We are considering meeting once a month on a Saturday morning to try to develop our interest again with Jenny Graham to give us some guidance and inspiration. More on this soon. The word ARTS was chosen to show that we are interested in all forms of artistic work not just photography say. We are appreciative of the time Jenny has given to this project and for her interest in working with us in the Wildlife Trust.


Jenny has been exhibiting some of her paintings at the MKgallery in Somerton as part of the Art Week. Her web site can be seen with this link.

Bats in Somerset

A surprising number of visitors to this blog have been searching for information on bats.

Here is a link to the Somerset Bat Group who might be able to help. Link here.

Moths

Have you ever tried to take a close up photograph of a small moth sitting quietly on the ceiling of your bathroom?
The photo shown here is my best effort to get a good enough image for seeking an identification as I couldn't find it in my book ( Concise Guide to the Moths of GB and Ireland.)

Having got the best image I could, standing on a small step ladder with one foot on the toilet and with a tripod balanced precariously alongside the wash basin, I emailed it to John Bebbington , chairman of the Somerset Moth Group for an answer.

It is a Rosy Footman, Miltochrista miniata. It looks very different in the book which is what confused me. In fact the book shows , I think, a simplified drawing showing the pattern on the wings , but it looks quite different in real life.

Climate Change news

I haven't said much about this subject for some time. It is a constant theme in wildlife conservation now and came up again yesterday at a meeting I attended to discuss Somerset Wildlife Trust future approach to the "Living Landscape" concept. The Trust it was said must keep the probable effects of climate change in mind it setting its long term goals.

Last night by coincidence I listened to the Dimbleby Lecture given by Prince Charles. It led me to check out the UN web sites covering the G8 conference and the forthcoming Copenhagen Conference. You can read the speech at this link.

All of these links can be a bit overwhelming and I think the UN is on the right track to run a simple campaign to get signatures on a petition to be used to get world governments to take action.

I have signed the petition on line and I am number 5092 on the list shown so its early days.

If you agree with me that we should do something to help the process along then you can find the petition at this link.

Art and Wildlife workshop.

Art and Wildlife Workshop 4th July 2009

The view from the top of Lollover Hill is highly impressive.
The butterflies, Burnet moths and wild flowers seen on the way to the top are remarkable.
We had met at 9 am at the Compton Dundon village hall and over a coffee Jenny Graham had talked us through the plans for this session of the workshop. We then set off to explore the paths leading from the hall.
Most members of the group were interested in improving their photographic skills and with a clear handout we were given key advice which we were soon able to put into use.
The view from the top of Lollover Hill is so impressive on such a day that I was not surprised when someone exclaimed that the walk and the view must make you realise what a beautiful county we are very fortunate to live in.
The Burnett moths were apparently just emerging and sunning them selves all around us. Or were they busy mating? Marbled White were very obvious and a delight to see.
After much close observation and many photographs we returned to the hall. All agreed we would return for the second session on the 18th and would see what we could do with the images we had just experienced.
We expect a further group will also join us to conclude this years art and wildlife workshop.
If you couldn't make today's session and would like to join us on the 18th give me a call.

Parish and Town Councils

For this post which is I think the 200th post since I started this blog I thought I would follow up an idea which seems important to me and for the Wildlife conservation movement as a whole.
I am encouraged by the outspoken statement by the Somerset Wildlife Trust questioning the intentions of the new County Council following the change of political control. Also I am motivated by my long running attempt to persuade my local parish council to adopt a meadow as a nature reserve. Finally I am inspired by reading a book called " How to be Wild" by Simon Barnes.
The idea is that we as a local group of the SWT should make contact with the 18 parishes and two Town Councils in our area and ask them to answer questions about their activities concerning the environment. A few will be able to point to actions taken or supported.Many will find it hard to show much hard evidence. Put like this it doesn't sound very dramatic. However the point is that these authorities are the front line of governmental action on the environment and are pretty much allowed to do what they like with local matters such as setting up nature reserves or deciding on grass cutting of verges and grassy open areas. They can therefor do a great deal of damage or can do a great service to local environmental well being.

All I need to do is persuade our committee and get someone to help with telephone calls and letter writing and we can get started!!

Dr Anne Bebbington

DrAnne Bebbington will be giving our November talk for our HLG.
To illustrate the background to the talk I found this reference on a web site which demonstrates the depth of knowledge Dr Anne brings to her subject:

Click on this link.

My previous post gives background on John Bebbington who will also be involved in the Nov talk.

Wildlife photography in Somerset, John Bebbington

This is my photo of John as he discovered a Lappet moth caterpillar on a one year old hedge in a local meadow.
Below are some notes taken from the "Natural Photographers Portfolio" web site.
link here

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Nature Photographers' Portfolio


John Bebbington FRPS

John developed an interest in insects at a very early age – his first memorable encounter was with a queen Buff-tailed bumblebee at the age of 2! The sting made a lasting impression.

He bought his first SLR – a Spotmatic 1 – in the mid 1960s and natural history photography became a passion, especially after he joined the Field Studies Council as a tutor in North Wales and wanted to back up field teaching with illustrated talks. His photographic technique was given a real boost in the early 1970s when he met Michael Proctor who persuaded him to join the RPS Nature Group and submit images for Associateship.

In 1978 John took over as Head of Centre at the FSC’s Juniper Hall Field Centre, near Dorking in Surrey, where he remained until retirement in 2004. He began teaching natural history photography courses (close-up and macro in particular) in 1979 and continues to do so.

In 1991 he gained his FRPS with a slide panel entitled ‘Protective colouration in European Lepidoptera’ and has served twice on the RPS A&F panel in the Nature Category. He is currently a Committee member of the RPS Nature Group.

His main photographic interests are in close-up and macro work with invertebrates and plants and in photomicrography, using both film and digital imaging. He is also secretary of the Somerset Moth Group and works as an educational and photographic consultant.