Author: WOFC

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Glow-worm walk at Swinbrook

Phacelia, looking towards VoWH (M. Collins).

Seven members of the Field Club plus one, very welcome, visitor met in Swinbrook churchyard for an evening walk before looking for glow-worms.  We had a fine evening and heard or saw several birds, including Stock Dove, Tawny Owl and Barn Owl.  We stopped to peer at the River  Windrush just past the Church at Widford before heading up the hill track that took us past Manor Farm and the site of the medieval village.  The fields looked magnificent as they were planted with Phacelia tanacetifolia (sometimes called fiddle neck).

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Faskally forest

Bracket polypores (J. Thompson).

Jean Thompson writes enthusiastically about a few days she recently spent in Scotland: I’ve just returned from a three-day break in Scotland with my sisters, staying with one sister in Crieff before travelling to Pitlochry to meet the other. We all have a variety of interests, including the natural world so all enjoyed our trip to Faskally Woods.

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Moth Morning at Shilton

Privet Hawkmoth (P. Bennion).

Despite a dismal weather forecast for Sunday 7 July, fifteen members of the Field Club met in a lovely garden in Shilton for our annual moth morning. It was great to have several members who had never been to this event before.

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Evening walk at Chadlington

Hot air ballon at Chadlington (S. Morton)

On Sunday 23 June a group twelve members gathered outside Chadlington Bowls Club for a leisurely evening stroll up Green Lane, kindly led by Brenda Betterigde. Our main objective was to see the variety of plants growing on the calcareous terrain. We were favoured by warm sunny weather with a very slight breeze, enough for two hot air balloons to put in a leisurely appearance.

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Nightjars at Greenham Common

Greenham Common.

It was hard to imagine that, on 15 June, we were only five days away from the Summer Solstice as we walked across the Common, clad in several layers, including gloves. It was certainly very cool. Dark clouds threatened rain but fortunately we stayed dry.

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A find in the meadow

Weevil (?) coccon (possibly!). There's someone at home!

John C. writes: This morning I spent another hour in Sue’s meadow. There wasn’t a lot about except plenty of flower beetles. But my eye was caught by something on a plantain leaf.

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Stonesfield Common ‘Pop-up’

Meadow Clary and yellow rattle (M. Collins).

Our proposed visit to Hackpen Hill for today – Sunday 9 June – had to be cancelled, so we announced a ‘pop-up’ walk instead and took the opportunity to enjoy an amble across Stonesfield Common to look for wild flowers. And we found plenty!

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Gibson’s organic fruit farm

Admiring the view (M. Collins).

On the cloudy but pleasantly warm morning of Monday 3 June, eleven of us met at Miles Gibson’s fruit farm in Westwell. Miles had invited us over for a guided walk during which we could learn about his organic techniques in growing fruit and we could help to identify plants and other wildlife.

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A Walk in Long Hanborough

Sainfoin (Jean Thompson).

Jean Thompson writes: When we moved to Oxfordshire three years ago, we had to rent for a few months in Long Hanborough and often walked from there to Church Hanborough via a footpath between fields.

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An hour in the meadow

Male swollen-thighed flower beetle, Witney, 27 May 2024.

John C. Writes: Not feeling very energetic yesterday – Monday – morning, I decided to spend an hour or so sitting quietly in the small ‘meadow’ area at the bottom of Sue’s garden to see what invertebrates, if any, would visit the flowers.

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