Nature Notes for October 2009

Environment

Monday 5th October the "KEEP CLEAR" and "NO CYCLING" sign was re-marked and looks much better, now there should be no excuse for people parking their cars on it saying they didn't see it, but I suppose there will always be one. I think we should get the "NO CYCLING" sign re-done inside the entrance from the Ridgeway, and at the Bowling Green.

Work on the final stage of drainage to the cricket outfield started on Oct 8th and was finished on the 12th, let's hope this has sorted out the problem of the field flooding.

Under-age drinking still continues in the recreation ground, the children's play area was the venue for their party on Saturday 10th about thirty or more teenagers drinking and shouting. Five large plastic bin bags were filled with lager and vodka bottles and beer cans. The area was cleared Sunday morning by an employee of Continental Landscapes; the police are aware and are dealing with the problem.

Nature Notes

Oct 1st 7.45 a.m. observed five little Egrets (Egretta garzetta) passing over the recreation ground heading toward Wimborne, their destination probably the River Stour. On 2nd Oct while walking our dog Peggy on Broadstone Nature Reserve I found a wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi) and close by its egg vase in some gorse where its eggs will remain until next spring, and also on the gorse there were many Orb web spiders e.g. (Araneus diadematus) - (quadratus). While walking through the part of the heath that was always known as the wet/bog area and used to hold plants like sundew/bog asphodel and cotton grass etc, which would be very hard to find now, I came across a raft spider (Dolomedes fimbriatus) sunning herself on top of a small oak seedling. I have only ever seen this hunting spider on or very close to water, never on dry land; I did manage to photograph it.

Saturday 10th being sunny I decided to take a walk on Dunyeats Hill, while walking the heath I observed several Dartford warblers (Sylvia undata) on the south facing slope, also a fox moth (Macrothylacia rubi) larvae and a single silvery moth (Autographa gamma) and on the pond several late southern hawker dragonflies (Aeshna cyanea) enjoying the sunshine in company with the smaller common darter dragonfly (Sympetrum striolatum) who loves sunbathing on a log or bare ground and often in company with a lizard. On the edge of the pond I did find and managed to photograph a couple of sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) Male and Female sunbathing on a log. Heading towards Delph Wood I noticed all the southern wood ants (Formica rufa) nests were quiet with no movement, at the small quarry pond a little egret was feeding and two grey wagtails (Motacilla cinarea) were busy chasing the many insects dancing on the surface of the water. I noticed that the HCT (The Herpetological Conservation Trust) have started putting posts in around the heath to form a barrier as an enclosure, they are obviously going to go ahead and use cattle to control the heath, they have been thinking about it for some time. There will only be between three to six head at the most.

Sun 18th while walking the recreation ground searching for fungi, I found several Fly agaric (Amanita muscaria), a Brown Birch Bolete (Leccinum scabrum) and growing at the base of a pine I found the large Cauliflower fungi (Sparasis crispa), which is edible and said to be delicious.

Although you can find fungi all year round autumn is the best time for a fungal foray, you would be hard pressed to miss the scarlet cap of the Fly Agaric, and the beautiful Purple-Headed Brittlegill (Russula atropurpurea) is another gem worth looking for. See how many you can find but remember to wash your hands if you handle any, as some are very poisonous.

Wednesday 28th working on Dunyeats Hill cutting down young birch and pine I saw several Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) flying over. This big stocky thrush is one of my favourite winter visitors, every winter I used to see large flocks of them in company with Redwings (Turdus iliacus) on the football pitches at Plainfield Farm, but they haven't paid the recreation ground a visit for some time in such large numbers.

The HCT have amalgamated with Froglife and are now known as ARC Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.

P.S If you are interested in Fungi from Tuesday 3rd of November there will be a display of the Fungi of Broadstone in the library, put on by myself and Dr Pat Mathers, the display will be on show until the end of November.

I will keep you up to date on any new and interesting sightings.

Keith Clements - Parks, Nature Reserves & Heathland

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