Winspit

Waterside Natural History Society visit to Winspit

The outdoor meeting for April was a joint event with Southampton and District Bird Club to Winspit near Worth Matravers in Dorset. The journey by car was about fifty miles with heavy traffic and tortuous roads so it was a relief to get out on foot in the village of Worth Matravers. Entering the field at the edge of the village was like opening the door of the Tardis into another world. Sheep and white fluffy lambs frolicked in the green rolling downland with freshly arrived Warblers singing in the hedgerows. Warm sunshine and the promise of a fine day relaxed the mind and lifted the heart especially on the downhill sections of the walk.

Starting from the village of Worth Matravers the walk continued along the dry valley towards the sea and into the abandoned quarry at Winspit. Some time was spent looking around the quarry and out to sea before retracing a few steps to climb up to the South West Coast Path. On reaching the coastguard lookout point on St Aldhem’s Head the walk turned inland to return to Worth Matravers via Weston Farm. Although the walk was only four or five miles it consisted of many stops to admire the scenery and the birdlife.

The Winspit valley appears to be a magnet for migrating birds including several varieties of Warbler and of course Swallows. Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Blackcap were all heard singing. Linnets and a solitary Yellowhammer joined the usual Blackbirds and Robins. Two Wheatears were seen perching on top of a stone wall but most likely they were just resting during their migration.

 The cliffs host many seabirds but when walking along the top it is not always possible to see over the cliff face. Occasionally however an inlet allows the cliff face to appear. Kittiwakes and Fulmars perched on ledges and on one occasion a male Peregrine stood guard over a nesting female. A lone Kestrel appeared above the cliffs and was being pestered by a persistent Crow. Kestrels are not as common as they once were and it was a sign of the times that more Peregrines were seen than Kestrels.

 The yellow flowers of Wild Cabbage were the most abundant flower along the cliff top with smaller patches of Horseshoe Vetch and Kidney Vetch. Thrift was starting to come into flower and the young spikes of Meadow Clary were already turning blue. Early Spider Orchid was in flower on the floor of the quarry at Winspit. It seems incredible that evolution can have produced a flower that imitates a spider so precisely and it was a privilege to see it.

A Small Copper butterfly was warming itself on the stone of the quarry and Wall Brown butterflies flew over the short grass on the cliff top. The Wall Brown has a black eye pattern with a white spot similar to other browns but the seven circular patterns on the back of its rear wing are unique. It is a pity that this attractive butterfly which was once common is now restricted to a few coastal sites. A Ruby Tiger moth flew down onto the path with a flash of red between the wings. When it landed however it played dead even when it was turned over in order to see the underside.

An Oil Beetle braved the feet of walkers to scramble along the dusty path. This insect has an interesting life cycle in that larvae crawl up to flowers and wait to hitch a lift on feeding mining Bees. They then detach in the Bees burrow to feed on the pollen and eggs.

The indoor meeting for April was an illustrated talk on ‘Titchfield Haven-A Rangers Tale’ by Richard Levett. This proved to be a comprehensive account of the history and problems in running the reserve. Many coincidences enabled the reserve to get to the position it is in today. The first was the building of the sea wall to enlarge the estate along the river Meon. Second was the purchase of the land by the council to prevent a power station being built and lastly was the establishing of an area of special scientific interest.

The SSSI was granted because of the great numbers of overwintering Teal and Wigeon. However these numbers have dropped in recent years due to the mild winters. An electric fence was erected to prevent foxes and badgers from raiding the nests of Avocets and other wading birds which was initially successful. Unfortunately Black Headed Gulls took advantage of the safe area to establish large colonies. These birds are not at the top of the list for many bird watchers who pay to enter the reserve and no solution is in sight.

Waterside Natural History Society visit to Michelmersh

Michelmersh is a small village lying off the main road from Romsey to Stockbridge. The walk included mixed woodland, downland and quiet country lanes. Starting from the church of St Mary’s the entrance to the path was not obvious but was eventually discovered between a gate and an overgrown laurel bush leading along a very muddy path between trees and a boundary fence. The experience was similar to what Alice must have felt like going into the rabbit hole. Eventually the fence came to an end and sunlight penetrated the woodland floor. A Chiffchaff started to call followed by another a few trees away. A overwintering Blackcap joined in with a Wren calling from the undergrowth. Chaffinches, Blackbird, Thrush and Robin completed the orchestra to accompany what promised to be a very pleasant visit.

Leaves are showing on some trees in towns and cities but in the countryside where it is slightly colder they have yet to appear. This allows light to fall on the woodland floor so that low growing plants can flower and produce seed. The woods and coppices alongside the path through Lower Eldon Farm were all carpeted in Celandines, Wood Anemones and Dogs Mercury or the leaves of yet to flower Bluebells. Sweet Violets grew along the sides of the path mostly of a deep purple colour but some of them formed patches of white. The white Violets all had a purple spur to the rear of the flower showing that they were sweet rather than dog violets.  Speedwell grew on patches beside the path. When examined closely the light blue colour of the petals is made up of blue and white stripes and the petals fall off almost as soon as they are picked.

The land in the immediate vicinity of Lower Eldon Farm is chalk downland with large fields of bare earth waiting for the spring crop to appear. The hoot of an Owl and the mewing of a Buzzard were the only sounds to be heard over the open landscape. A Kestrel floated silently onto its favourite perch on an old Oak tree where it could look down for prey in the ditch below.

The path through Humbers Wood emerged onto the Kings Somborne to Braishfield road which was the northern extremity of the walk. Walking on the road is not normally a good idea but in this case moss in the centre of the road indicated that few cars used the road and in the event only one car passed in the whole two miles. This was one less than the two tractors that passed by on the outward journey.

Primroses and Stitchwort flowered along the high banks at the side of the road and the purple spotted leaves of an orchid yet to flower was also seen. A selection of Goats were grazing in one field near the old Eldon Church but more animals could be seen at Manor Farm. In addition to Cows and Sheep the Geese and Turkeys kept watch for any intruders. Skylarks were heard over the open farmland and it was warm enough in the sheltered hollows for Red Admiral, Peacock and Brimstone butterflies to appear.

The path back to the church at Michelmersh became narrower and less distinct so it was some relief when the churchyard and the end of the walk came in to view. Nevertheless the walk proved to be a very varied and worthwhile experience on a warm spring day.

The indoor meeting for March was an illustrated talk on ‘Martin Down and the New Forest Commons’ by Pete Durnell. The commons in question were on the western edge of the New Forest and included Hyde Common, Rockford Common and Gorley Common. Martin Down was also a Common at one time but is now owned by the local council and Natural England.

Martin Down has the poor soil associated with underlying chalk and the other three commons have the poor soil associated with sand and gravel underneath a hard pan of decayed vegetable matter. Poor soil means that one species of plant cannot dominate and all types of plant have an equal chance of growing. This leads to the rich diversity found at all the sites with chalk loving plants at Martin Down and acid loving plants at the others.

The talk described plants, butterflies, birds and animals found at these places and the work needed to keep them sites of special interest. Many of the audience were familiar with all or some of the places mentioned but could appreciate the details and photographs described in the talk.

Waterside Natural History Society visit Testwood Lakes

Testwood Lakes at Totton near Southampton is a nature reserve created partly from an old gravel extraction site. It consists of three lakes. Little Testwood Lake is a natural lake but Meadow Lake and Testwood Lake have been excavated by Southern Water. Testwood Lake is used as a reservoir but Little Testwood Lake and Meadow Lake are used for recreation especially bird watching. A separate area has been constructed of shallow water or scrapes to encourage wading birds.

During construction of the reservoir in 1996 archaeologists uncovered evidence of a Bronze Age settlement including a bridge over the river which has the distinction of being the oldest bridge ever discovered in England. The link with history is preserved on site by exhibits in the Activity centre, a reconstructed bronze age building and educational visits by schoolchildren. Testwood Lakes attracts Dog walkers and school visits during the week but at the weekend birdwatchers can benefit from the relative quiet to visit the hides and look over the lakes.

The Waterside Natural History Society were greeted by the sound of a Song Thrush singing from the top of a tree near the car park and several more were heard during the walk. Blue tits, Great tits, Blackbirds and Robins all contributed to the sounds of Spring on a mild and occasionally sunny day. Cormorants could be seen on the water or drying in the sun on any available post and Black Headed Gulls swam in a group on the lake. Some of the Black Headed gulls had their summer plumage of dark coloured heads. Great Crested Grebes appeared for a few minutes on the lake surface only to dive below the water before binoculars could be focused on them.

Many more water fowl could be seen from the two hides overlooking Meadow Lake and the adjacent scrapes including Coot and Moorhen. Wigeon huddled in flocks on the bank with a few Teal swimming lazily on the water. A surprisingly large number of Lapwing were present until they were disturbed and all took wing at the same time. They circled around for a few minutes before returning to land at the same place and it will not be long before they pair off and disperse to summer feeding grounds.

There were three swans on the Meadow lake and they tend to remain in the same place all year. ‘Three is a crowd’ applies as much to Swans as Humans and a great deal of time was spent trying to sort out which two could stay and which one had to leave. The male Swan lifted its wings whilst swimming on the water and lowered its head as it approached the female. A perfect heart shape was displayed as the two Swans touched each other’s beak to produce a fitting finale to the display.

Although the deciduous trees had not burst into leaf catkins on the Hazel stems were very impressive and some time was spent looking for the small red female flowers. The Willow catkins in the form of pussy willow were also starting to appear. In the centre of an old copse on a moss-covered log grew a few Scarlet Elf Cap fungi. The fungi may be edible but they were usually used for display purposes and certainly made a striking contrast of bright red on lime green moss. Small white bracket fungi were also seen on old willow stems.

The walk at Testwood Lakes was designed as a winter walk but there were many signs that spring is just around the corner. Frogspawn in the pond near the education centre was a welcome sight and hopefully bodes well for the year to come.

The indoor meeting for February was an illustrated talk on ‘Conservation in Warren Copse and Holbury Manor’ by Felicity Beard. The talk included a detailed history of Holbury Manor and old maps showing Warren Copse and the surrounding area. A group of local people formed  ‘Warren Copse and Holbury Manor Conservation Group’ some years ago to improve and maintain the area of Warren Copse. In the early stages this included the removal of great amounts of accumulated rubbish such as mattresses and car tyres. This was followed by reinstating the coppicing of hazel trees and the provision of paths and fencing. There is good news on their efforts to eradicate Floating Pennywort from the ponds as a weevil that eats only pennywort is awaiting government approval to be used. Warren Copse is now a pleasant place to visit and to enjoy the pleasures of the countryside. An added bonus was the reduction in fly tipping.

The talk provided a fascinating insight of what could be achieved by anyone interested in preserving the natural history of their local area.

 

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.