Tisbury Natural History Society
  • Home
    • About the Society
    • Committee
  • Blog
  • Talks & Films
  • Field trips
  • Young Nature Watch
  • Resources
    • Wildlife identification and recording >
      • Local wildlife >
        • Local wildlife sites
        • Birds
        • Butterflies
        • Mammals
        • Wildflowers
      • Identification
      • Recording
      • Wildlife trail camera project
    • Other useful websites
    • Reading list
  • Contact us

Blog

Down Farm, Sixpenny Handley - wildlife and archaeology virtual field trip

18/6/2020

 
PictureThe pond at Down Farm - James Phillips
If it hadn’t been for the coronavirus we would have urged you to join an excursion we were due to make to Martin Green’s organic farm at Sixpenny Handley.

When our Chairman Peter Shallcross asked him to give us some idea of what we would miss, Martin replied:

“We have just had an unprecedented number of raptors on the farm & adjacent this weekend. My neighbours cut an adjacent field for silage last week and since it has been a focal point for feeding - a few hundred corvids at least 7 red kites & 10 buzzards and a marsh harrier - not bad!

Anyway my friend James Phillips visited and recorded these species on the farm – around our pond and in a re-wilding area - hopefully gives a feel for what your group may have seen here.

Maybe next year…………….?”

And he copied James Phillips’ message:

“17th May 2020:
Around the pond and woodland planting: 
Highlights were Emperor dragonfly, Azure and Large Red damselfly, Small blue, Common blue, Green hairstreak, Large skipper butterflies, Burnet companion moth plus singing Lesser Whitethroat in the woodland scrub and a pair of Corn bunting and a pair of Yellowhammer on territory around the pond. 
12 Hectares: Highlights were Grey partridge on territory calling, 3 pairs of Yellowhammer, a flock of 16 Corn bunting plus 4 pairs on territory, 1 pair of Linnets, 6 singing Skylark and 2 Brown hare with at least 3-4 Red kite over the nearby woodlands towards Wimborne St Giles. 
It’s was also great to see the Woad still in flower.”


To give you a start on what to look out for when up on Cranborne Chase, here are James's photos and others from our growing photo-library.  Should you need help identifying, I do intend to provide a list of the myriad apps now available.  For birds, meantime, the British Trust for Ornithology has a wonderful page to help you.

Comments are closed.
    Photo: Avocets ​(Izzy Fry)

    ​The headers display photos taken by our members. Do get in touch via the Contact Form if you'd like to submit a photo for selection.
    Get our website news by email:
    Also go to our pages at:

    Facebook
    Instagram

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    August 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018

    Categories

    All
    Birds
    Butterflies & Moths
    Conservation & Biodiversity
    Field Trips
    Film
    Fish
    Focus Magazine
    Fungi
    Identification & Recording
    Insects & Molluscs
    Mammals
    Oysters Coppice
    Plants
    Special Events
    Surveys
    Swifts Project
    Talks
    Trees
    Wildlife Camera

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
    • About the Society
    • Committee
  • Blog
  • Talks & Films
  • Field trips
  • Young Nature Watch
  • Resources
    • Wildlife identification and recording >
      • Local wildlife >
        • Local wildlife sites
        • Birds
        • Butterflies
        • Mammals
        • Wildflowers
      • Identification
      • Recording
      • Wildlife trail camera project
    • Other useful websites
    • Reading list
  • Contact us