​Andrew Graham will be leading us on a field trip to Vernditch Chase on the northern part of the Martin Down reserve on Sunday 13th July.  With plenty of sheltered areas and rich flora, the area is usually home to many species of butterfly at this time of year. No dogs.

Meet at the Nadder Centre car park for 10:30 am departure or at the Vernditch/Martin Down car park for 11:30 start.
OS: SU 037 201
What3words ///workloads.spoils.monkeys
 
Distance, Difficulty and Footwear. A gentle walk mostly on level paths but occasionally off into adjoining grassland. Walking at a gentle pace to observe insects and flora. Walking shoes/boots are advised. Bring a packed lunch and refreshments.

Email us to let us know if you're coming and whether you'll meet us at the Nadder Centre or at Vernditch.

UPDATED 
​On 31st May 15 members were met at Falconers Gate by David Scales representing the Mole family. We were given an introduction to the history of the farming business and an understanding of focus on the environment at its core.

We were interested in how the farm had evolved since we last visited in 2019, knowing that there has been a plan to restore the whole farm to a more natural state.

This was the press release from February 2024:
"Key objectives of this strategy:
1. Re-establishment of Native Species-Rich Calcareous Grasslands, reminiscent of the Salisbury Plains, over the coming years.
2. Structural Complexity Restoration, bringing back the mosaic of woodland, gorse, scrub, and hedgerows to activate bio-abundance and enhance the variety and availability of habitat for all tiers of the ecosystem.
3. Naturalistic Woodland and Open Plain Grazing, whereby livestock will become a more important component of the farm’s production, as well as to the maintenance of the grassland biome and lowland wood pastures.
4. Reintroduction of Iconic Downland Wildlife, expanding and doubling down on our longstanding interest in conserving at-risk species including Corn buntings, Whinchats, Cuckoos and the Great Bustard, as well as a wide range of insects and micro-organisms.

To facilitate this ambitious project, we will be collaborating with a specialist partner on strategic, planning, management and executional elements. At the same time, we hope to continue our work with longtime conservation volunteers who have helped pave the way in making Pertwood the exciting ecological opportunity it is today."

In fact, this was not to be, in part due to potential funding streams unforthcoming. Instead, as we were to see as we were led on the walk by Nick Adams (Ecologist), a more pragmatic approach is being followed. This is to ensure the farm returns to profitability with a mix of conventional and organic land whilst being sensitive to the wildlife. Nick Adams is continuing to give expert advice in
this regard and the continuity this brings is invaluable. 

Nick showed us the ‘butterfly bank’ which was buzzing with insect life due to it having some important butterfly food and nectar plants growing on its chalk slopes.

We had lunch on a long barrow (actually a more complicated structure) with tremendous views to the West and North. We retraced our way back, passing through an area of gorse, noisy with the song of Linnets and Yellow Hammers. In the distance we could see the barn where Barn Owls regularly nest, and the field margins where Harvest Mice nests can be found.

Lower Pertwood is in good hands; it is an oasis of serenity and there's hope for the future.

Peter Shallcross

Matthew Phillips has passed on a recommendation for "Jump" which is a musical performance composed and performed by Karen Wimhurst at Sandy Hills Art Centre on Thursday 26th June at 6pm.

"A wonderful and unusual evening at Sandy Hill Arts Thursday 26th June celebrating UK's Insect Week. The evening begins with a fascinating illustrated talk by eminent entomologist Peter Smithers, presenting his new work 'Small Game Hunter'. The second half is musical and visual magic - an interweaving of clarinets, insect and amphibian sounds alongside a film by Glaswegian based artist Sonia Killman, drawing on macrophotography of these wonderful creatures."
​

For those of you driving to the Whitesheet Hill car park on Sunday, please note that you'll need //sheets.strikers.paying.

Thank you to Matthew for spotting that sheet needed to be plural, otherwise you'd all be going to Perthshire!

Updated to Sunday. Apologies from Julia!

As the hedgerows green up in spring, the early growth of the honeysuckle stands out. In a hedge that has been trimmed over the previous winter, its growth rapidly outstrips that of the woodier shrubs. Its red-stemmed tendrils and purple leaves can produce a haze of contrasting colour over the top of a hedge as they shoot upward, twining around themselves seeking support. This growth pattern is well suited to its natural woodland habitat where it clambers upward and twists around tree branches and stems to seek the light in the upper canopy. As the plants age and intertwine, their lower stems can thicken into fibrous tangled ropes which can distort the trees that support them. These vines can be very difficult to break, but develop a flaky bark which dormice and some birds use as nesting material. Sometimes, the way that the honeysuckle twists around a tree’s stem can result in an unnatural spiral shape which can be used to create distinctive walking sticks.
 
By June, the pale yellow and pink flowers come into bloom and emit their sweet perfume. This is strongest in the evening and at night and attracts pollinating insects, such as the elephant hawk moths, which have long enough proboscises to penetrate the flowers’ narrow trumpets. In turn, these insects can become food for foraging bats, as they feed along summer hedgerows. By autumn, the flowers are replaced by clusters of shiny crimson berries, which glow against the hedgerow leaves as they turn colour. They are gobbled up by various birds and mammals which thereby spread the seeds far and wide.

The plant’s leaves provide food for a variety of insects, from blackfly up to the larvae of butterflies and moths. One of our rarer local butterflies, the white admiral, relies entirely on woodland honeysuckle, on which its caterpillars feed. The exotic looking scarlet tiger moth is more catholic in its tastes and, as well as feeding on honeysuckle in our hedge, I’ve found caterpillars on comfrey in our flower beds. We regularly see them flying on sunny midsummer afternoons, so I suppose having a choice of food plants is to their liking.

​Andrew Graham