As February begins, at least one of our badger clan’s sows will be either heavily pregnant or nursing up to five newborn cubs.
Continue reading “Badger Cubs”Badger Cubs
Cold snap
Here are ten numbers to go with this week’s cold snap.
Continue reading “Cold snap”Winter plans
This winter we will be making changes to our website.
Continue reading “Winter plans”
Equinox
Continue reading
The Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight.
SCPLNR
The school holidays have started
Continue reading “SCPLNR”
Summer solstice
This evening, at 9.50pm, the sun will reach its most northerly point, the Tropic of Cancer. That means that today will be the longest day of the year and tonight will be its shortest night. Officially, summer has begun.
Continue readingBig Garden Birdwatch
Here is a link to the results of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch 2024, the latest in the Society’s 45 year-long experiment in citizen science. Please click the link and read their post – if we don’t recognise the magnitude of the problems we face, we might not have the resolve the tackle them.
The Garden Birdwatch concerns itself with the most frequently seen species; here are some of the rare Red Listed birds that are resident in, or passing through, the reserve: spotted flycatcher, mistle thrush, greenfinch, skylark and common swift
Header image: Fieldfare © Teresa Reynolds (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Appeal Decision
Well, we lost that one, too. Planning Application 20/00379/OUT to build houses in the fields between Southwick and Trowbridge at site H2.6 has been granted permission on appeal. Below is the gist of the appeal decision – and here, if you are interested, is a link to the whole document.
Click hereBin binned!
by Sarah Marsh
This week we hit the reality of English weather. There were doubts about the working party continuing to tidy up in the Arboretum because of the gusting wind and heavy rain so we were quite surprised with the turn out in the awful weather.
Continue reading “Bin binned!”
Vernal Equinox
The vernal equinox, the moment at which our sun is exactly above the equator and day and night are of exactly equal lengths, happened at 3:06 am this morning. So today, is the first day of 2024 that will be longer than the previous night. The days will get longer and the nights shorter until the summer solstice: June 21st or thereabouts. For the reserve this is a time of extraordinary growth.
Continue reading
Recycling cans
by Sarah Marsh
Wednesday morning’s work party began with members of the Friends of Southwick Country Park loading up Patrick’s trailer and his car with sacks of flattened aluminium cans to take to Shanley’s our local scrap dealer. On their way, they paused to collect more sacks from Jim’s house.
Continue readingStrategic Planning
We have received notice from Wiltshire Council that their Strategic Planning Committee will meet at 10.30am on Wednesday March 6th, at County Hall in Trowbridge to discuss, among other things, Newland Homes’ application (20/09659/FUL) for Full Planning Permission to build fifty houses, an access road and associated landscaping at WHSAP site H2.5 at Upper Studley.
Continue reading “Strategic Planning”
After the warmest February on record, March begins with snow!
Wading down the Lambrok
Ian and Clive took stock (and pictures) of the weekend’s floods.
Go carefully and stay safe.
Cold snap
Here are some numbers to go with this week’s cold snap.
Continue reading “Cold snap”Tree felling
by Ian Bushell
After Alan and Sarah had set off to litter-pick their way along the Lambrok, the rest of the Wednesday Work Party made its way to the hard path by the tributary stream where a hanging branch on a dead Ash tree had been reported as a possible danger to visitors.
Continue reading “Tree felling”All clear!
We have cleared the fallen tree from the School Lane entrance. Well done the Wednesday Work Party!
Fallen tree
Facebook message from Barb: Thurs 08:48
The way into the Park from School Lane, Southwick, is completely blocked by a fallen tree.
Solstice
Tonight is the longest night of the year. It will begin when the sun sets at one minute past four o’clock this afternoon and it will end at 08:11 tomorrow morning. The winter solstice, the exact moment at which the north pole is tilted as far away from the sun as it will go this year, will be at 03:27 in the morning. Tomorrow will be the shortest day.
Continue reading “Solstice”
Magic mushrooms
Mycologists have discovered fungi that can break down polyethylene, the sort of plastic typically used in shopping bags, food wraps and bottles.
Continue readingWorld Soil Day
Today is World Soil Day.
Continue reading “World Soil Day”
We have fixed the path over the new bridge at Studley Close.
Well done everybody!
Reserve 2024 Calendar
by Simon Knight
The reserve has given me a lot over the past few years.
Continue reading “Reserve 2024 Calendar”To the rescue
by Ali Rasey
We had a cygnet episode at Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve!
Continue reading “To the rescue”
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 