Collage of flora and fauna from Minch Common

Encouraging an active interest in our local wildlife

Collage of wildflowers and butterflies

Spiranthes spiralis (Autumn Ladies Tresses)

Fairly abundant on the Common at the moment. We counted 120 this morning.  See our  flora distribution map  for likely locations.

 

Details
Written by: Michael McEllin
Category: Orchids

Note a change of plan for our next Sunday Walk (28th August).

 

The walk we were planning for end of September, which we now propose for August 28th, given Tony's unavailability, starts at Horsley and heads up through Kingscote Woods and over fields to Hill Barn, then round to Binley Farm, skirting Kingscote Woods again to get back to Horsley along the high ridge stretching east from Woodleaze farm.
 
Meet at 10:30am at the car park in Horsley, by the side of the road on the left as you come into the village. If this car park is full, turn left just before the pub (The Hog) along Priory Fields, until you see the village hall and village shop on the right. There is usually more than adequate parking in front of the village hall.
 
OS Maps route planner says 6.3km with about 100m of climbing over a distance of a kilometre shortly after starting. The rest of the walk has some up and down, but reasonably gentle and not in one lump. We tend to complete it in 90 minutes, at our brisk pace, but a group should certainly manage in 2.5 hours. For those who want a Sunday pub visit, the Hog is almost next to the car parking.
It has some nice woodland tracks and also classic Cotswold views. There is one 100m stretch through a field of knee-high crop. The path is well walked but sometimes the leafy crop vegetation overhangs, and is a pain if it is wet. Wasn’t a problem a week ago when we checked the route because the crop is a bit stunted and Sunday should also be dry. Last week there was also about 50m across a freshly ploughed field, but this should have compacted a bit. Apart from that, mostly good paths, but with a number of stiles. (One stile at least would require dogs to be lifted across.)
Details
Written by: Michael McEllin
Category: Activity

Large Blues Flying on Rodborough Common

Observed on Rodborough Common, 23 June 2021. Not many - only about four seen. Photographs by Mary Astle. Hopefully we will see a few more for our monthly walk on Sunday (though the weather forecast is not looking too good at the moment).

Update: Unfortunately, the weather was good for butterflies on 23rd June - thought the orchids were great. However, my wife and I walked a Rodborough path on 5th July and saw several Large Blues without particularly stopping to search. They are doing OK.

Large Blue Butterfly (wing upper side) on Rodborough Common Large Blue on Rodbrough - wing underside
Details
Written by: Michael McEllin
Category: Butterflies

Stuart Fawkes Nature Reserve - May 2021

We were back together again, after the lockdowns, with a good turn-out and good weather for a walk to Stuart Foulkes Nature Reserve, lead by Ros - primarily to look at the rare Meadow Clary. (The Box Meadows nature reserve is one of only a few sites in the UK where this rare plant can be found.)

Entering the reserve
Meadow Clary
Meadow Clary

We descended down to Iron Mills Common, where the experts had a long, and I suspect unresolved, discussion about which species of Milkwort we were seeing, and unusual site for Bird's-nest Orchids and several butterfly sightings, including Adonis Blues, Chalkhill Blues and Brown Argus. Return via Scar Hill and the Stone Mines revealed that the Lizard Orchid may have reappeared on a former known site.Adonis BlueAdonis Blue

Brown Argus on Milkwort
Brown Argus on Milkwort
Sainfoin on Iron Mills Common
Sainfoin on Iron Mills Common
Details
Written by: Michael McEllin
Category: Local Walks

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