WNHS visit to Warsash

Waterside Natural History Society visit Warsash

The scheduled date of 15^th January for the visit to Warsash turned out to be cold and wet so the visit was postponed until later in the week. On Friday 20^th of January the weather had settled down to be bright and sunny with the temperature barely above freezing and this turned out to be the day of the postponed visit. Conditions in January are never ideal but with sunshine producing good visibility and with adequate clothing even freezing temperatures could be tolerated provided the wind stayed away.

A low tide during most of the walk also improved the chances of seeing more of the expanse of mud flats and hence more of the wild fowl. The walk on this occasion was split into two halves from the car park at Shore Road in Warsash. The first half was in a southerly direction along the bank of the river Hamble towards the sea and the second half was northerly along the raised path between the mud banks.

The Loch Ness monster was the first sign of animal life although this was in the form of a model placed in the mud alongside a jetty which was fully exposed due to the low tide. Twitches in the heaps of bladder wrack seaweed drew the attention to Turnstones foraging for food. Their mottled black back feathers make them difficult to see without searching for them. A pair of Brent Geese lying on the ground were similarly disguised but predators large enough to take advantage would be difficult to imagine.

Black bellied Brent Geese increased in numbers as the walk continued. Flocks gathered at the water’s edge and geese came and went in small numbers as they flew to fields looking for food. Their numbers were only exceeded by the Wigeon which seemed to line the edge of every creek and inlet through the mud. Most of the Wigeon were resting with heads tucked under the wings but some groups on the water were fighting prior to pairing for the year ahead.

Oystercatchers were present in groups mainly confined to their own spit of shore. Curlew and Godwits usually kept to themselves as did a single Grey Plover which are more often associated with large flocks. The Grey Plover obligingly took a short flight over the mud bank and enabled the black patch under the wing to be seen which is a good means of identification at this time of year. A small flock of Dunlin were seen feeding along the water’s edge which because of the low tide was some distance away.

Plant growth has almost stopped at this time of year but because of the maritime climate some are still recognisable. The grass on Strawberry Field for instance was still a verdant green and the invasive species of Alexanders had already started new growth alongside the coastal path. Sea Purslane also grows vigorously in this area with its olive-green leaves and shrubby habit sometimes supported in the hedgerows. Shingle replaced mud as the walk got closer to the sea and plants such as Sea Beet already had this years growth of shiny green leaves.The feathery shrub that grows in patches at Warsash and also across the water at Lepe is Tamarix or Saltcedar. As its name suggests this plant is tolerant of salty conditions and grows in many coastal areas of the world.

The walk along the raised path to the north revealed many more Wigeon and other waders which almost outnumbered the number of boats moored along the river Hamble. Some time was spent watching a lone Kingfisher as it flew from post to post looking for food in the gullies between mud banks. The low winter sun picked out the chestnut brown front of the bird and lit up the electric blue of its back feathers producing a spectacular sight. A very pleasing sight to the end of a bright winters day.

The indoor meeting for January was the Annual General Meeting followed by an American Supper. The usual format was followed with reports from the Chairperson Felicity Beard, Treasurer Dawn Kemish and Secretary Jill Bascombe followed by elections of committee members. Against a background of falling numbers and receipts at many clubs in the area the Waterside Natural History Society appears to have turned the corner. Membership numbers were slightly up on previous years as was attendance at indoor meetings. The treasurer Dawn Kemish also reported an increase in funds over the year due in no small part to a donation from the Esso community fund.

Election of Committee members was completed in record time by the simple process of re-electing existing members. Any other business was taken up largely by the question of whether to amalgamate with the Southampton & District bird club but nothing was decided in this regard.

Blashford Lakes Autumn 2016

Waterside Natural History Society visit to Blashford Lakes

Storm Angus the first named storm of the winter arrived on the evening before the Natural History Societies outdoor event in November. A programmed visit to Stanpit Marsh was cancelled because of the high wind and possible flooding. This was replaced by a visit to Blashford Lakes near Ringwood which being further inland was assumed to be less windy and less prone to flooding. A large flooded area of water and a locked gate on the entrance to the car park however did not look promising. Fortunately the small car park near the visitor centre was open and arriving early meant that spaces were available.

Apart from the flooded area into the car park and its associated hide the rest of the reserve was open and surprisingly dry. The plan was to walk along to the hide furthest away from the visitor centre and call in to the other hides on the way back. Lapwing hide is located towards the northern end of Ibsley Water and requires a rather convoluted walk from the visitor centre along Dockens Water and across the main road. Dockens Water is normally a shallow brook but due to the overnight heavy rain it was in full spate and showed signs of overflowing its banks on to the path. The water level was already receding during the outward leg of the walk and had dropped still further on the return stage. The walk itself through beech woodland was very pleasant with autumn colours on the remaining leaves. A Green Woodpecker, Robin, Nuthatch, Blackbird and Song Thrush were all seen not far from the visitor centre.

Goosanders are normally on Ibsley Water and can often be seen from the appropriately named Goosander Hide. On this occasion they were seen from the path swimming in a lake to the right just before Mockbeggar Lake and provided a close up view even without binoculars. It is often the case when visiting a reserve with several hides to rely on the views from the hides rather than what is happening in other areas and good sightings can be missed. Apart from the Goosanders a Marsh Harrier was seen flying over the reserve in its characteristic slow patrolling flight attended by crows trying to chase it away. The view from Lapwing hide over Ibsley Water was rather disappointing being restricted to a few Tufted Ducks, Coots and the occasional Small Grebe. Two Pied Wagtails patrolled the lake shore dipping their tails before flying away.

Ivy North Hide provided a good view of a Water Rail that conveniently wandered across a newly cut path through the reeds. Although rather dull in colour the combination of metallic grey and mottled brown together with its red curved bill formed a very pleasing sight. The bird is very elusive and a sighting so close to the hide provides a highlight of the day for many birdwatchers but in fact they are not so uncommon as they appear to be.

The view from the Woodland Hide proved to be rather disappointing as many of the migrating woodland birds had not arrived apart from a solitary Siskin. Along the paths around the hide however there were some rather unusual fungi including ‘Candle Snuff fungi’ and ‘Stinkhorn fungus’ both on old tree stumps.

The walk around the reserve was managed without getting wet and the level of water in Dockens water had dropped considerably at the end of the walk. Blashford Lakes proved to be a worthwhile substitute for Stanpit marsh which hopefully will be visited next month weather permitting.

Waterside Natural History Society walk in Denny Wood

Denny Wood in the New Forest is well known as a camping and caravanning site and through most of the summer it is full of visitors trying to ‘get away from it all’. The site closes at the beginning of October leaving only a few ponies wondering where their next meal is coming from. Gradually local dog walkers and ramblers return to use the car park as a base for their activities and a few leave seeds and peanuts for the birds. Very few people however, even at the height of summer, venture far from the roads or gravel paths and are unaware of the attractions deep in the woods.

The Natural History Society however is made of sterner stuff but even they might think twice about using an old fashioned compass and a copy of the OS map of the area. Fortunately OS maps are available for smart phones and GPS can locate your exact position with a small arrow pointing in the direction of travel. Armed with the appropriate equipment and a packed lunch the small group plunged straight into the darkest wood over a wooden style at the side of Denny Wood campsite.

Denny Wood has a mixture of mature trees including both deciduous and evergreen. The evergreen trees are mostly Scots Pine and these are the most likely to produce saplings from their seed dispersal. Deciduous trees are largely English Oak and Beech with a few Turkey Oak. A number of the more mature trees have fallen and are left to decay where they lie. Over the years this produces clearings of different ages which contribute to the variety of scenery within the wood. Sunlight filtering through the patchwork of trees, some of which have started to lose their leaves, gives a dappled effect on the ground. A slow walk through the wood produced a feeling of calm and contentment that is difficult to find these days.

Coming across a Sweet Chestnut tree laden with fruit it was remarked that the appearance of such a tree indicated the presence of a path. At first sight this was likely to be an old wives tale but Sweet Chestnut produces a hard wood that is rich in tannins which act as a preservative. Large beams of the wood tend to split so it is not used for construction purposes. It is however ideal for making fences and has been grown extensively for this reason often being planted near to where it was used. The old wives tale was confirmed as true when upon checking the location on the OS map it was within feet of the route of the old Park Pale.

Clearings in the wood were covered with bracken or patches of grass but beneath the trees moss was the preferred cover. Patches of dark green Swans neck thyme moss and pale green Common Tamarisk moss combined with other mosses to form a patchwork quilt of greens. In low lying areas Sphagnum moss clung on through drought waiting to be rejuvenated in the wetter winter climate. Beneath a stand of Hawthorn trees the moss had been scraped away leaving a large saucer shaped depression- a sure sign that Deer had been in the area. Sadly the scrape and a few footprints were the only signs of Deer during the walk. Normally sightings occur on most visits throughout the year but not on this occasion.

Fungi were present throughout the wood on the ground or on decayed matter and some of them such as Fly Agaric and Porcelain fungus were quite attractive. The use of ‘fly’ in the name may derive from its hallucinogenic properties or ‘flies in the head’ but it was also used as an insecticide when sprinkled on milk. Porcelain fungus was seen growing on a dead Beech branch and is known to release a fungicide which prevents other fungi from using the wood.

Birds were not easily seen in the wood mainly because leaves still covered the branches but small flocks of Chaffinch with Blue Tits and Great Tits occasionally appeared in dense foliage. A flock of Redwing and Fieldfare appeared in the distance darting from tree to tree. These winter visitors present something of a challenge for bird watchers as they never stop moving long enough to focus binoculars but can be identified by the way they move.

The walk which lasted over two hours was on small paths and tracks through the trees with only occasional use of gravel paths. A healthier and more calming experience than walking through nature on a bright autumn day would be difficult to imagine.

The indoor meeting for October was a talk on ‘Natures Magic Moments’ by John Combes. This was a replacement for the planned talk which had to be cancelled at the last minute and the offer by John Combes to step in was much appreciated.

Any disappointment was quickly dispelled by the amount of equipment both in sound and vision which enabled John Combes to display a professional talent not only in photography but in sound recordings and musical accompaniment. The first ‘magic moment’ was the influx of Waxwings that occurred in the winter of 2010/2011 and with the help of strategically placed apples the resulting photographs were quite spectacular. Other ‘magic moments’ were not as exotic in subject but the technical wizardry made them appear just as spectacular. These included bats, wasps and spiders in ultra-close up and landscape photographs with unusual atmospheric conditions.

The talk proved to be a worthy replacement providing an interesting visual experience accompanied by appropriate sounds and musical effects.

Blackwater Arboretum New Forest

Waterside Natural History Society walk from Blackwater Arboretum

There are numerous possibilities for walks from the car park at Blackwater Arboretum. On this occasion the walk began along the gravel cycle paths through Poundhill inclosure up to the Highland Water stream near the Deer Sanctuary. It then continued along the stream banks towards Gritnam Wood before turning left to cross over the Rhinefield Drive and through the Arboretum back to the car park. The area is very popular even outside the school holiday period and the large car park was already quite full on arrival early on a Sunday morning. Many people arrive in cars and stay close to the car park to eat lunch or have a BBQ and this was probably the reason why a tame Robin approached the car looking for food.

A warm dry spell had broken up a few days before the walk leaving a fresher feel to the weather but a calm sunny day proved ideal for ambling through the forest. It felt more like an early summer’s day than autumn with green leaves still on the trees and grass regrowing lush along the rides. Apart from the Robin there were several Song Thrushes looking for food on the forest floor and a Nuthatch appeared to be storing titbits in the end of a rotting log.

During the day several large blue and green Southern Dragonflies whizzed around checking out the humans that had encroached on their patch. A stop in the walk provided some time for watching Common Darter Dragonflies as they flew over the brown bracken. They were visible in flight but appeared to disappear every time they landed.

Recent rain and the cooler weather provided ideal conditions for the growth of Fungi and a good selection appeared at the side of the gravel paths. There has always been a prohibition on commercial fungi picking but this prohibition has been extended to any picking from 2016.  Unfortunately anyone trying to identify one of the thousands of different types by picking also falls foul of the prohibition. There were two people seen picking fungi away from the gravel paths and also several cyclists deep in the wood which is also prohibited. Sadly without a determined enforcement effort bans could turn out to be a waste of time. A large Cep bolete fungi lying on the side of the path could be identified although it was partly eaten by some creature obviously unaware of the prohibition.

The area alongside Highland Water attracts many of the smaller birds even when there is very little water flow. A great deal of work has been done to reinstate meanders and block the flow of water in order for the land to soak up more water. This appears to have been successful as standing water could be seen on nearby boggy areas and evidence of the stream overflowing with mud and debris was present in several places. Distinctive footprints of Deer as they crossed the soft mud gave some indication of what happened when noisy humans were not present.

As well as the Blackbirds, Wrens flitted among the bracken and Great Tits searched for food up in the trees alongside their cousins the Blue Tits. A solitary Chiffchaff was also seen scrambling through the undergrowth trying to find food and deciding whether to migrate before the winter. What appeared to be small birds flying high in the tree tops turned out to be several Red Admiral butterflies perhaps trying to warm up in the sunshine?

The amount of fruit on the trees and bushes seems to have been rather sporadic this autumn. Sloes and brambles are few and far between but occasionally a heavily laden shrub stands out from the rest. Horse chestnuts and Sweet chestnuts are only just ripening but it does not appear to be a bumper year for conkers.

Returning to the car park along one of the gravel paths produced the sight of four young Fallow Deer slowly crossing the path from one side to the other. Their orange brown summer coats stood out against the greens and browns of the vegetation. The walk through the woods of the New Forest on a beautiful summer’s day turned out to be a very pleasant experience.

The indoor meeting for September was an illustrated talk on ‘Garden Wildlife in a Dibden Purlieu garden’ by Bob Chapman. Although the speaker works for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust at Blashford Lakes and may be considered an expert on wildlife the garden and its wildlife are particularly relevant to everyone. Most people enjoy walking round their garden every day but don’t think about recording what they see. Even ordinary wildlife such as Sparrows, Pigeons or Robins may be common today but rare in tens of years’ time so recording what you see on a regular basis may provide vital statistics for determining any trends.

There are several web pages that make recording easier such as ‘livingrecords.net’ or ‘ispotnature.org’ and for moths in particular ‘hantsmoth.org’. Bob Chapman has contributed many hundreds of sightings to these web sites since he started recording wildlife in his garden and photographs shown during the talk illustrated the surprising variety that turn up in Dibden Purlieu. It is true that his garden being located over the road from the New Forest helped provide sightings of insects such as Butterflies and Dragonflies unique to the heath but in some ways everyone’s garden is unique.

Whilst not everyone goes to the lengths of building a moth trap and garden pond many of the people watching the talk must have been inspired to pay more attention to the wildlife visitors to their own gardens.

Chappetts Copse and Old Winchester Hill

Waterside Natural History Society visit Chappetts Copse and Old Winchester Hill.

The village of West Meon lies in the beautiful Meon Valley at the heart of the South Downs about thirty miles east of the Waterside. The contrast between this area and the New Forest could not be more striking from a natural history point of view so provided an interesting diversion for the Natural History Society.

Chappetts Copse is a woodland reserve to the east of West Meon managed by Hampshire Wildlife Trust and was visited during the morning. White flowers of Cow Parsley lined the narrow lanes but gave way to the white of Woodruff and Sanicle on entering the wood. The Beech wood itself is carefully managed to encourage the growth of Narrow Leaved Helleborine and other members of the orchid family amongst the trees. These plants cannot thrive without the Beech Trees but neither can they thrive in dense undergrowth. Each year the small saplings of Beech are identified and marked with a stick so that they are not cut down when the undergrowth is trimmed later in the year. The result is a carpet of white flowers from this rare Helleborine which fails to establish elsewhere. Helleborines are members of the orchid family but are distinguished by the flower stalk emerging directly from the ground and not through a rosette of leaves.  The Narrow Leaved Helleborine is almost identical to the White Helleborine but on looking down from above has radiating leaves compared to the opposing leaves of the White Helleborine.

There were also a few Fly Orchids in flower. These are small black orchids with petals and sepals in the form of a fly which although of a striking colour are very difficult to spot on the ground and even more difficult to photograph. Fortunately their position was marked with a few sticks which not only indicated their location but prevented them being trodden down. Birds Nest Orchid was also seen in one area. This orchid is saprophytic which means that it lives off dead and decaying organic matter so has no green pigment leaving it entirely honey coloured.

Chappetts Copse as its name suggests is a small wood and did not take long to walk round. A Beech wood in spring is quintessentially English and it was a delight to wander through the trees with sunlight filtering through the fresh green leaves.

Old Winchester Hill was visited during the afternoon which involved a short drive towards Warnford. The reserve is largely open grassland but the big difference from Chappetts Copse is the views. Old Winchester Hill is the site of an Iron Age hill fort with Bronze Age Barrows built on a promontory jutting out from a ridge that is now occupied by Old Winchester Hill road. Spectacular views can be observed on all sides with a scooped valley on one side and the plains on the other looking over to Southampton and the Isle of Wight. Unfortunately the visit was too early in the year to see the many orchids but the hillsides were painted yellow by a carpet of Cowslips. A meadow of Cowslips is a rare sight these days and brought back many memories of childhood.

Several birds were heard in Chappetts Copse but few were seen because of the dense vegetation. The more open countryside of Old Winchester Hill enabled birds such as Linnet, Yellow Hammer, and Chaffinch to be seen. Warblers such as Whitethroat and Blackcap were also heard. The most amazing sight was provided by Kestrel hunting over the edge of the escarpment on the way back to the car park. It was first noticed hovering over the path but repositioned itself between the branches of a low shrub growing on the edge of the escarpment. The bird was less than fifty metres away but held a stationary position in mid-air as if held by invisible strings. The impression given was of time standing still until with a flick of its wing feathers it swooped down over the skyline. Although the bird was probably helped by the up draught its ability to stay still without apparently moving a muscle provided an incredible sight.

The indoor meeting for May was an illustrated talk on ‘Dragonflies of the New Forest’ by Peter Allen. The subject proved to be of great interest to the members and visitors attending and the well informed speaker provided spot on details of how to identify these fascinating insects. Many of the dragonflies and damselflies found in this country can be found in the New Forest or surrounding area so there is plenty of opportunity to witness their antics at first hand.

Peter Allen has spent many hours studying dragonflies in both this country and abroad. Although the talk was aimed at the New Forest he was able to speak of rare visitors to the area and also of unusual specimens in other countries.

 The audience left with a better knowledge of how to identify dragonflies and a better appreciation of their life styles. . The great advantage of looking for these insects is that they appear in warm sunny weather so can be enjoyed on a pleasant walk; that is always assuming that summer arrives this year.

WNHS visit Warsash

Waterside Natural History Society visit Warsash

 

The weather appeared to be our greatest challenge on the day of our visit to Warsash. Rain showers of a frequency that would confuse the Met office supercomputer posed the question of whether we should postpone our visit for another day. As the supercomputer has not yet been built we had to rely on the old adage ‘Keep a weather eye open’. Even this was of little help as we stood in the rain trying to decide if we might get wet sometime during the day. In the end we decided to trust to luck and set out but still spent some time looking at the cloudy skies trying to decide if we should keep going or return to the car. Eventually we came to the conclusion that predicting the weather was a waste of time and we should carry on regardless.

Warsash is not regarded in the same league for bird watching as for instance Farlington Marsh or Keyhaven but it does form a microcosm of both with the added advantage of splendid views and a varied walk. There is a choice of directions from the car park. We could have turned north to walk inland along the River Hamble but decided to turn south towards the mouth of the river overlooking Southampton Water and the Isle of Wight.

The path, which is part of the Solent Way, is trapped between the tidal estuary on one side and a play area called ‘Strawberry Fields ‘on the other. It remains trapped by the high walls of the Maritime College before opening out on to a shingle spit protecting low lying reed beds and ponds. The path has suffered from undermining by high tides in places and also extensive pools of water after the recent rains.

Luckily the tide was ebbing at the start of our walk and fell to low tide on our return which provided ideal conditions for observing the bird life. Black Bellied Brent Geese were the most obvious of the birds on the mud flats with Herring and Black Headed Gulls for a white contrast. Taking a closer look through binoculars we could see hundreds of Dunlin feeding near the water’s edge. Redshank and Curlew made their own solitary way with the occasional Oystercatcher. Pintail and Gadwall swam on the ponds behind the shingle banks alongside Mallard and Wigeon.

 On our return journey past the mudflats a loud high pitched alarm call of an Oystercatcher attracted our attention to a group of five trying to dispute an area of mud with a similar sized group of Brent Geese. The Geese lowered their heads horizontally to the ground, raised their wings, and retaliated with their short hooting sounds. The dispute was eventually resolved when both groups passed each other further along the sea line.

Bird behaviour forms an interesting subject in itself. For instance we came across a group of Grey Plovers on the mud flats which were difficult to identify at first because they were all sleeping with their heads tucked into their back feathers. This seems strange behaviour from the human point of view but with a long neck and hefty bill it makes sense to support the head and relax the neck muscles on a warm pillow. Many other types of bird relax in the same way but those with a short neck such as Owls and some Raptors obviously do not.

We also came across a Little Egret with a pronounced limp. Every time it put weight on its right foot its whole body dipped to one side and it had to open its wings to regain its balance which gave it a rather comical walk. This did not seem to affect the birds ability to feed and hopefully it will recover the use of its leg before a greater challenge comes along. At one point a Kingfisher landed near the water’s edge. Most birds tend to merge into the background but Kingfishers are strikingly visible with their luminous blue bodies. Nevertheless they are easily missed and we were lucky to have had such a good view.

A low sea wall overlooking Southampton Water provided a perfect spot for our lunch. We were able to see heavy black rain clouds to the south over the Isle of Wight, rain clouds to the west over the Waterside and rain clouds to the north over the Hamble River. Fortunately we were able to stay in our island of sunshine until we completed the walk back to the car park. The rain returned with a vengeance as we drove back home but we were fortunate not to have cancelled what proved to be a very pleasant and interesting stroll.

Waterside Natural History Society visit to Garston Wood

The winter of 2013/2014 proved to be one of the wettest on record and the relatively dry spell in March served only to lower the flood levels. April showers up until the time of our visit only served to wet the ground and make the pathways muddy. The wet weather and mild temperatures have given ideal growing conditions for spring flowers and bulbs in particular but we were still unprepared for the glorious display in Garston Wood.

Spots of rain fell as we set out on our 30 mile car journey and our mood changed from optimism every time the sun appeared to disappointment whenever a dark cloud covered the sky. On arrival at Garston Wood the sky was overcast and we were more or less resigned to a wasted journey. The rain held off however and we stepped through the gate to a rich display of spring flowers.

One of the first flowers that we saw near the car park was a cultivated specimen of Dusky Cranesbill or Geranium Phaeum Samobor which probably arrived with a visitor from someone’s garden. This was however the only example of a garden escape that we came across and every subsequent flower was of the wild variety. When trying to identify a wild flower in a wood it is often a good idea to precede a guess with the word ‘wood’ for instance ‘wood anemone’ or ‘wood spurge’ of which we came across a great many.

Wood Dog Violet with its purple spur and pointed sepals grew alongside ‘Wood Speedwell’ identified by having hairs all round its stem but the occasional ‘Bugle’ had no reference to wood whatever. Primroses had been in flower for some time and only a few specimens remained amongst the Dogs Mercury. Fewer still examples of Sanicles were present but they had only just come into flower. Stitchwort and Yellow Archangel were dotted about along the path sides with a few Crosswort although they are more common on chalk Downland. The underlying soil must have been chalky since we also came across Twayblade orchids. ‘Early purple’ orchids, identified because they were both early and purple, stood out like beacons at the side of the paths throughout the wood.

Identifying the names of wild flowers with such a variety along the path sides took some time so our walk round the reserve was leisurely to say the least. Walking slowly in warm sunshine is always a pleasure but when spots of rain start to fall our pace increased almost immediately. The main purpose of our visit however was to see the Bluebells and in this we were not disappointed. It so happened that our visit coincided with the flowers in their peak condition in a particularly good year. Bluebells are not the only bulb to flower at this time of year and Garston Wood has a particularly large display of white Ransoms or Broad Leaved Garlic. Seeing Bluebells and Ransoms together always reminds one of the colours in the Scottish flag. The Scottish Bluebell however is known in England as the Harebell but the so called English Bluebell also grows prolifically north of the border. To make things even more confusing the Spanish Bluebell is grown widely in gardens throughout the country.

English bluebells can be distinguished from Spanish bluebells, particularly when seen together, as the Spanish variety are more vigorous with larger more fleshy leaves. The English bluebell flower head also droops whereas the Spanish one grows upright. English bluebells always have white pistils but Spanish bluebell pistils take on the colour of the bell. This means that Spanish bluebells have blue pistils on blue flowers but have a reddish tinge on pink specimens and obviously white on white flowers.

Bluebells can be found throughout the wood but, as can be seen from the car, are particularly abundant alongside the road. We also found several examples of Solomon’s Seal and a small group of Toothwort. The latter plant has no green parts and is parasitic on Hazel which has been widely coppiced in the wood. A patch of the dainty grass Wood Melick could be picked out alongside the path back to the car park.

There were very few butterflies on the wing because of the cloudy conditions but we did see an Orange Tip during one short spell of sunshine. A Song Thrush serenaded us for part of the walk and a male Cuckoo gave a few calls before moving on to brighter pastures.

The walk round Garston Wood did not take long even at our leisurely pace so in the afternoon we took the opportunity of visiting the wooded area opposite to Martin Down.

Our indoor meeting for April was a talk on Badgers by Martin Noble of the ‘New Forest Badger Group’. Martin has been looking after Badgers in the New Forest for a number of years and we were treated to a talk about their habits and population growth during this time. The recent controversial badger cull was also discussed but there was no doubt as to what Martin thought about it. Several arguments were put forward to support the badgers cause but the most remembered was that Bovine TB by its very name is a disease of cattle and the cure should lie with them and not the badgers. There was a great deal of sympathy for the badgers from the audience by the end of the talk and hopefully they will live to enjoy their part in the countryside together with all the other animals.