Lancing Ring LNR, a set by Lancing Nature on Flickr.
A selection of images of the plants and invertebrates found on the Local Nature reserve
July 29, 2009
Nature Notes
As we move into high summer the weather should be dry warm and settled, maybe August will be, but if July is anything to go by I don’t hold out much hope.
There should at least be plenty of wildlife regardless, perhaps most visible is the ripening fruit of hedgerow shrubs such as the Hawthorns, Dog Rose, Sloe, Elderberry and Blackberry. Not forgetting the occassional Apple and Crab-apple.
If the weather holds a walk in flower meadows will reward with the sounds of Grasshopppers chirruping among the tall grasses and perennial plants.
Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper butterflies will be seen most frequently flitting over the grass or settling on a leaf in warm sheltered spots. They also visit gardens with attractive nectar rich flowers like buddleia. Look for Comma butterflies where there are thickets of blackberry brambles.
In the school holidays why not take the kids rockpooling, extreme low tides reveal a series of rocky pools on the beaches of Lancing and Sompting, alternatively the legs of the Pier at Worthing provide habitats for interesting marine life.
more details about rockpooling can be found at the BMLSS website
June 8, 2009
Applesham Bank via Lancing Ring
A return visit to Cow Bottom and the Applesham Bank Open Access land involved climbing a barbed wire fence to gain entrance.
The alternative is to walk to the end of the track where there is a cow paddock and climb the gate there and walk all the way back along the field edge onto the north facing bank of species rich downland.
The common species most visible at present are Birds-foot trefoil, Cowslip (leaves), Salad Burnet, Stitchwort, Milkwort, Hawkweed and Buttercups.
Of special interest are occassional flowering plants of Common Spotted Orchid.
Few butterflies were present, those seen were Grizzled Skipper, Common Blue, Small Heath, Small White and Speckled Wood.
Burnet Companion and Silver Y moths were apparent and fairly frequent in the half hour we spent on the steep bank.
Returning via Lancing Ring main carpark and the woodland copse leading to the butterfly meadow.
In a sheltered opening among trees, with Bramble and Nettle growing up, a surprise sight was a Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly, close by and perched on a dead looking Bramble stem was a female Broad-bodied chaser.
On arriving at the butterfly meadow area we found almost no sign of any butterflies. After a few minutes a couple of Common Blues broke cover for a few seconds and settled back in the grasses.
The vegetation is well grown and taller plants such as the Knapweeds are close to flowering.
The Yellow Rattle is very apparent and is growing and flowering well in almost the whole of the meadow area. In a small area are a handful of Pyramidal Orchids.
Walking up hill towards the Dewpond a small clump of Dropwort takes a place among the short turf and Salad Burnet plants.
We continued on past the dewpond, through the beech wood area and over to the north west corner and the arm of land that leads on to Steepdown.
A couple of Common Blues here were feeding on some Birds-foot trefoil in the tall grasses.
On down the West slope now largely covered in scrub and course grass. Arriving at a clearing area where a few weeks ago the sighting of Dotted Bee-fly was made. Today the small area has begun to fill out with grasses and plants that can compete. There it was good to find a Small Skipper active and feeding.
Completing the walk by returning through the buttefly meadow where there was still little sign of activity.
The Marbled White butterfly will hopefully soon be emerging and taking flight around this warm corner of the local nature reserve.
A return visit to Cow Bottom and the Applesham Bank Open Access land involved climbing a barbed wire fence to gain entrance.
The alternative is to walk to the end of the track where there is a cow paddock and climb the gate there and walk all the way back along the field edge onto the north facing bank of species rich downland.
The common species most visible at present are Birds-foot trefoil, Cowslip (leaves), Salad Burnet, Stitchwort, Milkwort, Hawkweed and Buttercups.
Of special interest are occassional flowering plants of Common Spotted Orchid.
Few butterflies were present, those seen were Grizzled Skipper, Common Blue, Small Heath, Small White and Speckled Wood.
Burnet Companion and Silver Y moths were apparent and fairly frequent in the half hour we spent on the steep bank.
Returning via Lancing Ring main carpark and the woodland copse leading to the butterfly meadow.
In a sheltered opening among trees, with Bramble and Nettle growing up, a surprise sight was a Beautiful Demoiselle Damselfly, close by and perched on a dead looking Bramble stem was a female Broad-bodied chaser.
On arriving at the butterfly meadow area we found almost no sign of any butterflies. After a few minutes a couple of Common Blues broke cover for a few seconds and settled back in the grasses.
The vegetation is well grown and taller plants such as the Knapweeds are close to flowering.
The Yellow Rattle is very apparent and is growing and flowering well in almost the whole of the meadow area. In a small area are a handful of Pyramidal Orchids.
Walking up hill towards the Dewpond a small clump of Dropwort takes a place among the short turf and Salad Burnet plants.
We continued on past the dewpond, through the beech wood area and over to the north west corner and the arm of land that leads on to Steepdown.
A couple of Common Blues here were feeding on some Birds-foot trefoil in the tall grasses.
On down the West slope now largely covered in scrub and course grass. Arriving at a clearing area where a few weeks ago the sighting of Dotted Bee-fly was made. Today the small area has begun to fill out with grasses and plants that can compete. There it was good to find a Small Skipper active and feeding.
Completing the walk by returning through the buttefly meadow where there was still little sign of activity.
The Marbled White butterflies will hopefully soon be emerging and taking flight around this warm corner of the local nature reserve.
May 22, 2009
Damselfly visits garden
First of the year’s Damselflies, seen on the Solomons Seal plants at the edge of the garden pond. Either Common Blue or Azure, I didnt take proper note of the markings at the time.
May 10, 2009
Aweigh Anchor
A short visit to Anchor Bottom near Upper Beeding. Green winged Orchids in full show. On South facing slopes Common Blue, Dingy skipper butterflies and day-flying Burnet Moth.
Green-winged Orchid
May 1, 2009
May Day
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day
I feel I should have done something to mark this traditional day but it was an uneventful day spent partly at home attending to accounts and finances. Partly outside mowing a lawn for a client whose pastime is Lacemaking, a traditional skill in itself.
The May blossom is well and truly out, the tree in our garden is decked in white. Looking its best.
The Crab Apple blossom has peaked and beginning to fade.
My Viburnum sargentii ‘onodaga’ is coming into its own with delicate flower heads .
April 30, 2009
Naturalists View – May
Looking back over the month of April, it has been a fairly spectacular time for Butterflies. A great improvement on the past couple of years which were something of a disappointment for sightings of the scarcer species such as Brimstone and Orange Tip and Small Tortoiseshell. They all seem to have had a recovery. Doing especially well are Speckled Woods. Places that have a shaded area required by these butterflies where i have visited have had good numbers to see.
Our nesting birds have had a good month with the fine weather helping them find food and bedding material. As April came to end young Sparrow fledglings could be seen having emerged from the wall mounted boxes.
Now May is with us and the blossom of Hawthorn adorns the hedgerows with its sweet fragrant white flowers. The ‘May’ tree is steeped in mythology and has acquired many folklore names, these include, May, Mayblossom, May Bush, Mayflower, Quick, Thorn, Whitethorn, Haw, Huath, Gazels, Halves, Hagthorn, Ladies’ Meat, Bread and Cheese Tree and Tree of Chastity.
Here is an interesting summary about the tree http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Hawthorn.
Butterfly activity focuses on the Blues this month, Holly Blues continue from April while Common, Adonis, Brown Argus and Small Copper butterflys make their appearance around this time on the flower rich chalk hillsides of our Downland and Meadows.
In garden ponds and larger lakes, Dragonflies and Damselflies have emerged from aquatic larvae and are on the wing this month looking for mating partners. After mating they will deposit eggs on pondweed to start the cycle over again.
April 29, 2009
Blackbird
Don’t know how we missed it but discovered today that the pair of Blackbirds which we have befriended with regular offerings of Raisins, are nesting in the Holly bush in the front garden.
The young have hatched, evident by the pair taking live food and raisins back to the nest.
April 23, 2009
Elm Beetle Casualties
These Elm Trees in Mashbarn Lane, Lancing have succumbed to the attention of Elm Bark Beetle. The beetle spreads a fungal disease which infects the tree and creates ideal conditions for beetle grubs to develop under the bark.
[SDJC info]
Mashbarn Lane Elm trees
