Shieldbugs
Here are two shieldbugs from our species lists: a hairy shieldbug (Dolycoris baccarum) and a cabbage shieldbug (Eurydema oleracea). Both were spotted last year in the heritage orchard.
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Buzzard
Cheryl Cronnie, a regular contributor, has sent in photographs of a buzzard (Buteo buteo) perched in one of the reserve’s veteran oaks.
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Dandelions
Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) are the commonest of our wildflowers. They grow everywhere: between our paving stones, in flowerbeds, lawns and roadside verges, and straight up through the tarmac of a well-maintained driveway.
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Dryoptera
There are three species of fern in the reserve belonging to the genus Dryopteris: a buckler fern and two species of male ferns, all very much alike. At the moment all three are busy unfurling long, bright green, finely divided leaves.
Continue readingPeacock butterflies
At this time of year, our peacock butterflies are leaving their hibernation sites to feed among the reserve’s spring flowers: welcome flashes of colour in all this rain.
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Pied wagtail
The car park wagtails are a pair of grey wagtails but we have pied wagtails too.
Continue readingTen Facts…
…about bluebells
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Moss
Before you drag the pressure washer out of its winter hibernation, let’s talk about the ecological importance of the moss growing between your patio pavers.
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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.
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Wood anemone
There are wood anemones (Anemone nemorosa) in the copse between Sheep Field and Sleepers, and under oak 5552 in the corner by the central path..
Continue readingMoorhen
We have a resident moorhen on one of the reserve’s lesser-known ponds.
Continue reading “Moorhen”Brimstone
According to the National Trust, gardens in the south and west of England are coming into flower up to four weeks ahead of schedule. The warm weather and such an early source of nectar will bring our butterflies out of hibernation; one of the earliest reported in the reserve, nearly every year, is the brimstone.
Continue reading “Brimstone”Lungwort
Pulmonaria officinalis
Here’s another of our early bloomers: Pulmonaria officinalis, lungwort. It grows in the eastern corner of the copse at the bottom of Kestrel Field, near the Blackthorn Tunnel. Its bright pink and blue flowers, and spotted leaves are unmistakeable.
Read on:Hazel’s female flowers
Hazel has both male and female flowers. The familiar yellow catkins are made up of about 250 male flowers. They produce the pollen; if you tap a ripe hazel catkin it will release a cloud of pollen. The female flower is a minutely small red tassel, somewhere on the same twig as the catkins.
Continue reading “Hazel’s female flowers”BTO
The British Trust for Ornithology has been collecting information about the UK’s birds since 1932.
Continue reading “BTO”Coot
Coot (Fulica atra), small black waterbirds, close relatives of moorhens, visit the reserve in the spring. They have never nested here but we live in hope.
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Sensory pollution
We already know how damaging light pollution can be and we know that noise pollution impacts birdsong and is linked to whale strandings – but what about other sensory pollutants? A study conducted at the University of Washington in Seattle has concluded that air pollution is making it more difficult for some insects to detect the fragrances of flowers, important mediators in the relationship between plants and pollinators, insects and food sources.
Continue readingBud burst
This is one of our field maples, Acer campestre, growing next to the circular path at the top of Simpson’s Field. The photograph was taken on April 1st 2021.
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Common malachite beetle
On one of our forays into of our invertebrate species list, we just noticed this: a common malachite beetle, Malachius bipustulatus.
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Fact File
Common name: Roe deer; the male is called a roebuck, the female a doe and their young are kids or fawns.
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Waxwing
On Tuesday, a member of FoSCP saw a waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) in the copse at the bottom of Kestrel Field. He didn’t get a picture and there was nobody to confirm the sighting so it hasn’t been added to our species lists yet. If you have seen it, or photographed it, please contact us.
Continue reading “Waxwing”Winter robins
Did you know that some robins migrate?
Continue reading “Winter robins”Redwings
Ian reported a flock of fifty or more redwings visiting the reserve last week.
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Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 