Burnet Moth and Meadow Vetchling

This has been a very good year for Meadow Vetchling (Lathyrus pratensis), scrambling up other plants and clinging on with its curly tendrils.  

Good news for this burnet moth.  

These photos were taken on 31st July this year.

Unfortunately 337 of our commonest UK moth species have declined substantially in the last 40 years.

A banqueting table for soldier beetles

The flat flowerheads of Hogweed provide a feast for many insects and for the soldier beetles who predate them.

We usually expect these beetles in July

As well as hunting they manage to find quite a bit of time for other activities. 

Scabious

A bumble bee visits a field scabious flower.

It's an event which happens hundreds of times every summer.  Long may it continue.

(Horror statistic: bee numbers in Europe and the US have declined by 30 to 40% in recent decades)

Enchanting

Enchanter's nightshade is a quiet plant but spreads readily by long, white root runners underground.

While welcome in Filnore Woods, it is less popular in gardens because it is so invasive.

Each pale pink flower on the slender spike has only two deeply notched petals.  

Extra help from Hydrock

On Wednesday 23rd May 20 volunteers from local engineering firm Hydrock came and helped with our management at Filnore Woods.

We split them into four groups.  Group 1 under Peter's supervision tackled the overgrown cowshed site.  This is where we are trying to create a fire circle.

The hope is that pyromaniacs and fire starters will be persuaded to have their fires here instead of under the trees

 Group 2 set about improving the path which we started on our previous work day.

Sticks were laid across the path and bedded down with earth and woodchip.

Group three did more clearing round our hill top pond behind the brambles between posts 3 and 4

And group 4 got to grips with the scythes, after some instruction, and cleared a large area by the memorial lime trees.

Now this is cleared it will be much easier to maintain as a short grass habitat.

A big thank you to all the volunteers from Hydrock and also to Peter, Jim, Frank and Chris who guided and supervised the workers.

Oak and ash fruits

 If you can find an oak tree with branches near the ground you may be able to spot the tiny nodules that will later become acorns.

They are a bit hard to see but look for the long, bare stalks.  Those little lumps are embryonic acorns. (Actually the acorns are now fully formed as I took these photos in June)

Ash trees are more precocious and have already formed their ash keys, though they are not ripe yet.

BEE-yootiful Bramble

Bramble flowers are a top nectar source for bees, butterflies, hoverflies and many other invertebrates.

The flowers can vary from pure white to rosy pink. 

But the flowers are mostly over now and the blackberries are ripening at Filnore amongst other places, so get out and pick some.

Fire damage

A fire in the old tree nursery at Filnore has seriously damaged at least one tree.

Fires under trees damage branches, bark and roots.

They seem to be on the increase.  

Here are the remains of another one.

The damage doesn't always show until much later.

Dropping cigarette ends in the dry weather we have been having is risky.

Why do smokers think it's OK to drop their refuse for others to enjoy 

wherever they happen to be standing 

anyway?