David R. writes:
Following on from my blog of 27 July about an Orphan Swift, Gillian, the lady who took care of it, contacted me to say that our little Swift had put on weight and grown into a nice strong bird.
Mary E. writes:
Thirteen members came along on the morning of 13 August to inspect the contents of three moth traps that had been placed in different locations the previous evening in and around a private garden in Shilton.
Sue M writes:
I have detected far more crickets than bats with my bat detector recently. On a recent walk near Ascott under Wychwood I pointed it, set at about 20kHz, at a sunny field edge and heard a continuous buzzing, rather like the noise you can hear near an electricity pylon.
Everyone will recognise the welcome smell of rain after a hot dry spell, but where does it come from?
Jonathan N writes:
FarmED is a new centre for farm and food education based at Honeydale Farm, near Shipton under Wychwood in the Cotswolds. On 25 August, Ian Wilkinson, the farm’s owner, led 35 members and their guests on a tour of this research and demonstration farm….
Sue L writes:
It’s September. I have the window open to the morning. I hear the fluttering of wings and assume it’s a Red admiral as they often come into my room at this time of year. But it isn’t a butterfly….
Sue M writes:
For about the last 10 years, I’ve been observing the speckled bush crickets* that live in my very ordinary garden in Witney. Each year I learn something different about them…
This year’s Wychwood Forest Fair took place on Sunday 22 August at Foxburrow Wood, Witney. If it’s a nice day, which it was, it’s always a colourful and entertaining event. As usual, the Club had a stall alongside other conservation and natural history groups. This year we included a ‘quiz’ to engage members of the public….
John C writes:
Out for a late evening walk on Friday 30 July on the Roman Road near Crawley with bat detectors to look – listen – for bats and grasshoppers we heard a very loud clicking from the rough vegetation at the side of the track.
Maureen F. writes:
I have a good population of slow worms in my garden and they particularly like to bask in the warmth of my badly maintained compost heap, under an old plastic mat that I use to keep the heat in.
WEST OXFORDSHIRE FIELD CLUB