Worthys Conservation Volunteers

Shaggy Inkcap As December gets under way and the run up to Christmas begins, nature brings a new season of wildlife and magical landscapes all of its own.

Birds may have migrated, wildflowers and butterflies disappeared, but winter is by no means a dismal time of year.

Even as the temperatures plummet, and the wind, rain, ice and snow all cause havoc, there are still many reasons to go outdoors and plenty to observe.

Twelve wildlife species to spot this winter in The Worthys:

1. Bats, waking from hibernation some bats may be seen taking a short flight before returning to slumber. See the new bat shelter created from an old pillbox at Worthy Down.

2. Birds, my favourite time of year for birds with so many winter visitors to our gardens, such as brambling, bullfinch, fieldfare, goldfinch, redwing, …, and of course not forgetting the much-loved red-breasted Christmas robin.

3. Common Shrew, has a pointed snout and tiny eyes, this cute little brown mammal (2-3in long) is active all year, although will mostly spend winter underground.

4. Deer, fallow and roe deer are found in the area; shy animals they mostly live in woodlands, the males (bucks) have antlers (much broader on fallow).

5. Fox, with its new winter red coat and bushy tail (or brush), the fox is a great scavenger of food, found both in the countryside and urban areas.

Shaggy Inkcap 6. Holly & Ivy, loved by birds and insects, and a favourite Christmas decoration too! Found in hedgerows and wooded areas; the red berries and prickly evergreen leaves of holly are unmistakable.

7. Mistletoe, another favourite decoration at Christmas, clearly visible hanging high up on tree branches. See mistletoe on the lime at Avington Park.

8. Mute Swan, this large elegant bird with its orange-reddish bill and wholly white plumage is iconic on the river Itchen, although tends to fly to estuaries in winter.

9. Pheasant, a long-tailed gamebird, popping out from long grass or scrub when you least expect, the male has beautiful iridescent copper-coloured plumage.

10. Tawny Owl, our most common woodland owl, is particularly vocal in winter with a very distinctive “ke-wick” (female) and “hoo-hoo-oooo” (male), and often seen or heard in the garden.

11. Trees, with no more leaves, trees take on a different beauty standing tall on the landscape. Fruit from trees such as Hawthorn, Blackthorn (sloe berry) and Hazel provides a banquet of berries and nuts for birds and animals to feed on in winter.

12. Water Vole, this flat nosed, short eared, chestnut-brown, furry creature is a great rummager amongst the vegetation of the river banks. Numbers are growing along the Itchen.

And, although it may seem quieter in winter, there are still plenty of things to do …

As well as spotting birds and other creatures, you could try identify some of the various trees in the area. Why not keep a record of, or even photograph, what you find, and compare to future years?

Shaggy Inkcap Keeping your birdfeeders topped up will ensure plenty of visitors to the garden. Don’t forget that birds need water too, so keep your bird baths topped up and ice-free.

And if the weather is too atrocious, you could build nest boxes ready for the spring.

By joining WCV you can get involved in all sorts of winter activities – improving habitats, learning new skills, and gaining knowledge – through which you will directly help our local biodiversity.

So remember, wildlife needs all our help, especially in long and hard winters!

July/August 2010

Worthys Nature Watch - the local butterfly count is currently standing at 25 species:

Nymphalidae: Painted lady, Small Tortoiseshell, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma, Silver-washed fritillary;

Pieridae: Green-veined white, Orange tip, Small white, Brimstone, Large white, Clouded yellow;

Lycaenidae: Small copper, Common Blue, Brown argus, Holly blue;

Nymphalidae (Browns): Speckled wood, Gatekeeper, Meadow brown, Marbled white, Ringlet, Small heath;

Hesperiidae: Large skipper, Small skipper, Essex skipper.

Please let us know what butterflies you spot in the area especially the less common species by clicking here.

January/February 2010

Worthys Nature Watch - our new website is just launched. Our aim is to better look after nature in our local area, by recording, protecting and nurturing, and simply spreading the word. We hope to raise the level of awareness and understanding of wildlife and plants, and you can help too. Click here.

2009

November / December 2009

HCC Countryside Service Reception - members of Worthys Conservation Volunteers attend an evening reception on Wednesday 25 November at the Great Hall, Winchester, hosted by Hampshire County Council Countryside Service in honour of all the volunteer groups who have given their support this year. Photograph with other group leaders ...

HCC Volunteer Reception, Great Hall, Winchester, November 2009 (1.3MB)

... yours truly far right - "pay attention now"! 29 November 2009

October 2009

This month's big task to raise a section of Nuns Walk on Saturday 17 October was a great success. Thanks to all helpers. Go to Photo gallery for more photos. Here is the report Nuns Walk Improvement Task Report - October 2009.

Fungi - lots of Fly Agaric this year scattered amongst the birch at Micheldever Wood. Montage from last years fungi foray in Micheldever Wood. levelled

Click on the photo for a larger image. If you would like a canvas print, send an email to: enquiries@worthysconservationvolunteers.org.uk

August 2009

Bats & Moths - our first 'bat & moth evening watch' was a great success. See the report Bat & Moth Watch Task Report - August 2009 written by Emily (12) and Leora (10), who clearly thoroughly enjoyed themselves, as did the rest of the party.

More photographs of moths taken during the evening can be seen by following the link 'Animals & Insects' in our Photo Gallery.

Butterfies - it's been a bumper year for butterflies so far - see masses of Painted Lady, Small Tortoishell, as well as all the other the usual garden varieties, wherever you come across buddleia bush. Today (9 Aug) I spotted a Clouded Yellow and a Small Heath - both a first - in a field next to the old railway line!

July 2009

Butterfies - or as some would have it 'flutterbys'! We're well into the butterfly season now, this year we have had some really good sunny days, until July that is - indeed this month's butterfly field study on Top Field turned out to be a near washout; however we did record eleven species - not bad considering the overcast & wet conditions - Painted Lady, Red Admiral, Peacock, Large White, Small White, Green-Veined White, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Marbled White & Speckled Wood. 20 July 2009

Here are a few photos captured around and about - more can been seen by following the link to Photo gallery and Animal & Insects page.

A week later we repeated the study but in sunnier conditions, and what a difference that made. This time the tally was up to seventeen species, as we were able to add Holly Blue, Common Blue, Brown Argus, Small Skipper, Comma, and Brimstone. The Brown Argus is a new find for us; it can easily be mistaken for the female Common Blue except for the one missing black spot on the underside of the forewing! 29 July 2009

June 2009

Poppy Field in Headbourne Worthy - spectacular red poppy field at Down Farm Lane, Headbourne Worthy. It looks like the field has been uncultivated this year with last year's straw stubble still evident, so the mass of poppies must have grown from wild. However, opposite this field is a crop of white cultivated poppies.

Micheldever Spoil Heaps - our field trip to Micheldever Spoil Heaps was very enjoyable.

May 2009

Painted Lady Butterfly (see below) - is in abundance this year! In flight it is difficult to recognise as it flutters between nectar sources at some speed, but once settled this beautiful butterfly is unmistakable with its distinctively patterned salmon pink upper-wings. Did you know the Painted Lady is a summer visitor to Britain from north Africa and southern Europe?

Kings Worthy Fete - sunny and warm, and with lots of visitors to our tent, the fete was a success!

April 2009

Bat House offered to the Winnall Moors project - this bat house built by one of our intrepid conservationists is to be erected at a suitable site on the Wildlife Trust nature reserve. The house provides roosting for up to 200 bats! It was originally planned to install this on the old DNSR line but felt it might become vandalised or the roosting bats disturbed, so Winnall Moors was suggested as a much more suitable site instead. It is hoped WCV members will be able to monitor the coming and going of bats as and when they start to settle in.

South Downs National Park agreed - this is really great news! Stretching from the south coast at Eastbourne to the edge of Winchester taking in the most beautiful chalk downland countryside, the villages of Kings Worthy, Headbourne Worthy, Abbots Worthy and Martyr Worthy all cross into or are totally within the the park. Not quite sure what it means to conservation, in particular our activities, it is still nonetheless very exciting. 8 April 2009

March 2009

Birds, bluebells & bacon baps! Sunday 3 May, 4.30-9.30am!! - don't forget to put a place in your diary for this. We will meet on Top Field to listen to the 'dawn chorus' - as usual we shall take our audio recorder; we then drive up to Micheldever Woods to see the spectacular bluebells; finally, back to my place for bacon baps. Advanced booking only. 22 March 2009

Fungi, burrows and butterflies - below are Scarlet Elf Cup on Worthy Down Halt, Water Vole burrow - I did see a little nose briefly pop out, then scuttle away too fast - on Nuns Walk, and a Small Tortoiseshell - probably last year's brood - on Hinton Field ...

... all taken between 10 and 14 March. 14 March 2009

Vandalism on the DNSR footpath! One of our benches has been severely cut with a saw, and also several trees have been hacked and sliced, some left dangling precariously. Fortunately the bench is still strong enough but the damage is obvious and will need filling, and as soon as possible a small team will aim to remove the hazardous trees and branches.

What can you say? This is a despicable act of ignorance, selfishness and wanton disregard for the many users of the footpath who like to sit and enjoy the views.

I implore the individual or individuals who did this to come forward and make amends. We can even offer them plenty of opportunities to cut trees with greater vigour and more purpose than this random effort, by joining one of our project tasks. So stand up and be counted, come and join us to do some real good for the community and its wildlife habitats.

Winnall Moors nature reserve - we are currently looking to renew our ties with the Wildlife Trust on Winnall Moors. A couple of years ago we had started work (doing scrub clearance), but as our respective working-party days didn't coincide, we couldn't continue. However, now the improvement of the new extension is fully underway, it is hoped we can agree on a day and rekindle our support for the moors.

Two-man saw wanted - we are still looking for a two-man saw. Does anybody have one they would be willing to donate to the group? Must be in good condition though. Please send email to: enquiries@worthysconservationvolunteers.org.uk. Thanks! 1 March 2009

February 2009

Ice & Snow! It's been a cold and frosty 2009 so far! .. makes for some good photography though:

Anyone got a two-man saw they no longer use and would be willing to donate to the group? Must be in reasonable condition though. Please send email to enquiries@worthysconservationvolunteers.org.uk. Thanks!

January 2009

Happy New Year! Why not make your New Year's Resolution for 2009 to help preserve the wildlife, footpaths and other green spaces in our local community and get fit at the same time, by joining us. In January and February we will be making improvements to the footpath along the disused Didcot railway line.

Our aim for 2009 is to continue the improvement work on our existing sites - such as Nun's Walk, the disused Didcot railway line footpath, St Swithun's Church habitat, and Kings Worthy Primary School - as well as to undertake further butterfly and wildflower field studies, and to find additional conservation projects in Headbourne Worthy and Martyr Worthy.

So come along and help put The Worthys on the conservation map. Everyone welcome!