No Humans!
Here’s a thing worth thinking about over your coffee of a Sunday morning.
The header picture is of the path through the copse between Sleeper Field and Sheep Field.
Inonotus hispidus
The shaggy bracket fungus on the ash tree at Fiveways, first reported by Clive Knight and identified for us by our Tree Officer Rich Murphy, has grown HUGE.
Continue reading “Inonotus hispidus”Willow warbler migration
Most of our willow warblers will have left by now; they will be on their way to sub-Saharan Africa where they will spend their winter. Theirs is the longest journey undertaken by any of the park’s migratory birds. Why do such tiny birds fly so far and take such risks to do it?
Continue reading “Willow warbler migration”Microplastics
The latest research has found that microplastic in the soil is damaging populations of the tiny creatures that maintain its fertility.
Continue reading “Microplastics”WHSAP Recap
It’s time to review the progress of the planning applications to build houses on the three allocated sites next to Lambrok Stream.
Continue reading “WHSAP Recap”The Environment Bill 2020
The Environment Bill was submitted to Parliament in January, with the intention that it be enacted before the year is out; at the moment, it is somewhere in a post-lockdown legislative logjam while Parliament works out how to do its job safely in its famously loud and crowded chamber.
Continue reading “The Environment Bill 2020”
Development at H2.5
Newland Homes has published a concept plan for the building of up to 45 houses on the land at Upper Studley (WHSAP site H2.5) just diagonally across the road from the park. They have distributed a leaflet to 170 local addresses as their first step in the process of public consultation.
Continue reading “Development at H2.5”The Big Butterfly Count
The Big Butterfly Count began yesterday and will run until Sunday August 9th. Join in and help Butterfly Conservation monitor the health of Britain’s Lepidoptera. Spend just 15 minutes in the park, your garden, a field or wood, counting the common butterflies you see.
Continue reading “The Big Butterfly Count”Newt-counting
It is now two years since the Friends of Southwick Country Park took issue with Wiltshire’s Housing Site Allocation Plan. Despite our best efforts the sites surrounding the park and Lambrok Stream, at Church Lane (H2.4), Upper Studley (H2.5) and Southwick Court (H2.6) were selected, last year, for future development.
Continue reading “Newt-counting”
The honeysuckle is in flower.
Continue readingNational Insect Week – Day 4
Butterfly Transect
Mon 22/06/2020 13:05
Mail to Mike Fuller, County Butterfly Recorder, from Ian Bushell
Mike,
Attached is the latest transect at Southwick Country Park – the Meadow Brown numbers are if anything an underestimate. The warm May, lower footfall in the park, plus the fact that the hay/silage crop had not been taken could well have contributed to the general increased numbers.
Cheers
Ian
National Insect Week – Day 2
HOW TO RESCUE A BUMBLEBEE
by Jonah Powers (aged 9½)
When you come across a discouraged exhausted Bombus terrestris (buff tailed bumblebee) here is what you should do.
(1 Mix water and sugar together.
(2 Place some on a flat surface with the bee.
(3 You will notice your bee unfurling her proboscis to consume the liquid
(4 After some time you will discover your bee is becoming more energetic
(5 Now your bee is ready to say “toodle -oo!”
Thank you for contributing to National Insect Week, Jonah.
Q&A
A question from a reader:
If I want large white butterfly caterpillars in my garden AND I want my kale, is that like trying to have my cake and eat it? I suppose they don’t eat anything else, do they? I have sent you a photograph.
Liz
Sunniest May on record
According to the Meteorological Office, spring begins every year on March 1st and ends on May 31st. Let’s look back at 2020’s meteorological spring.
Continue reading “Sunniest May on record”Tree damage
Email from friendsofscp@outlook.com to Rich Murphy, Tree and Woodland Officer.
Hello Rich,
Is it vandals or deer that have damaged this tree so badly? We suspect deer but it would be unusual at this time of year when there is so much new grass around. We defer to your expertise.
FoSCP
Half time score
It’s June and we are nearly half way through 2020. Here is the round dozen of species that have been identified in the park for the first time this year.
Continue reading “Half time score”Tadpoles
Common frog tadpoles (Rana temporaria) in the little pond under the Decorated Bridge.
Continue reading “Tadpoles”
Recording butterflies
iRecord Butterflies is a free app for your smartphone that will help you identify and record any butterfly that you see in your garden while you are in lockdown. Your sighting will be logged by Butterfly Conservation and added to their records.
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Disease resistant elms
The Covid-19 lockdown has interrupted our plans for the five disease resistant elms donated to the park by Butterfly Conservation as part of their rescue plan for the white letter hairstreak butterfly.
Continue readingButterfly numbers
Last year’s record breaking summer was an excellent year for butterflies, with more than half of Britain’s species increasing their numbers.
Continue reading “Butterfly numbers”Lambrok Stream by numbers
- 8.2 — The length in kilometres of the Lambrok from its source to its confluence with the River Biss.
Double flowers
If you are planting your flower beds and hanging baskets, keep our dwindling population of pollinators in mind and please don’t plant double flowers.
Continue reading “Double flowers”
This winter has been the hottest ever recorded in Europe.
Continue readingWhat happened here?
Somebody has stripped bark from the whole length of the trunk of tree number 5477. Why would anybody do that?
Continue reading “What happened here?”
