A moment’s predation in our nettle beds, photographed one morning last week by Ian Bushell: a crab spider, probably Xysticus cristatus, has caught a red and black froghopper, Cercopis vulnerata, for breakfast. Crab spiders don’t build webs, they lie in wait and pounce on passing prey.
Header image: crab spider (Xysticus cristatus) and froghopper by Ian Bushell (SCPLNR 0523)
On Thursday, travellers broke the locks on our gates and set up camp in Simpson’s Field. Wiltshire Council and the police acted swiftly and the group left on Friday night for a more appropriate site. But there are reports of human faeces in the hedges and edges of Simpson’s Field and in the little triangular field at the top of the hill. We will do our best to clean up after our uninvited visitors but if you are walking dogs or children, please take extra care in these areas.
June’s full moon happened at 04:41 this morning, the instant when the waxing moon ended and waning began.
Continue reading “Full moon”
On Wednesday, Ian found a dead hedgehog:
“Returning to the car park, towards the bottom of Simpson’s Field, I came across a dead hedgehog. It had been eviscerated, so most likely was killed and eaten by a badger. This is the first evidence of hedgehogs in the reserve since 2014.”
Here is a link to a recent post about the complicated relationship between hedgehogs and badgers.
by Simon Knight
I love this time of year. It brings wonderful colour and interesting new life to the reserve. The fields are looking stunning in their carpet of yellow, the trees are a fresh, vibrant green and the grasses are playing host to the emerging insect life.
Continue reading “The Insects Are Out “
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 