Lesser stitchwort
28th May 2013 by admin
The lovely lesser stitchwort is now out at Simpson’s Fromus Valley and a fabulous image of it was taken by Rosie Langton – aged 10!
☞ Individual pictures mentioned appear at the foot of the page – they and many more can be viewed on the Spring page.
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Spiders
17th May 2013 by admin
We have managed to capture a spider on film (well, digital sensor to be precise) and are celebrating with a news item, in case anyone can identify more accurately?
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Orchid Glade
15th May 2013 by admin
Trustees and volunteers visited Orchid Glade – our ten-acre site at White House Farm in Hasketon – this evening. After a day of wind and rain, the sun came out to welcome us while we explored this secluded and barely touched site.
There is a lot of work to be done, and muntjac have to be culled as they are eating all the nightingale nests and the tree bark – but it was amazing to see four different species of orchid emerging.
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Images from open day
15th May 2013 by admin
Images from the open day are now uploaded to the the Spring page. Highlights include a common frog glimpsed between blades of grass, a newly emerged dragonfly and damselfly and three different butterfly species.
Visitors noticed the marked difference in the sward grazed by the four tiny Hereford heifers for only 25 days in the lower fields, compared to the ungrazed areas where the grass was high and the flowers fewer.
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Open day
11th May 2013 by admin
Wonderful sunshine, company and geo-bio-historical discussions. Thanks to all who attended the open day and saw the newly emerged bug-life and flora
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New Images in the Gallery
2nd May 2013 by admin
May Day was sunny and perfect for some dewy morning photographs of the emerging species.
New on the Spring page: a robin singing his heart out, the heifers, dog violets and pinky-purple cuckoo flower studding the meadow.
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Hereford Heifers
1st May 2013 by admin
The Hereford heifers are happily grazing for their 25 allotted spring days until 10th May: the time limit is to ensure the organic status of the land is maintained, as they will be back again after the grass is cut.
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Grazing
29th Apr 2013 by admin
Four Hereford cattle are now grazing the site for a few weeks: cattle graze the grass to the correct length to allow the wild flower meadow to re-establish. Sheep would graze too short and goats would eat the invaluable hedges!
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[P.S. — actually, the spider's a trochosa!]