Author: WOFC

Hobbies

Post author By WOFC
Post date 14th May 2021

John C writes:

After a morning scything the picnic site on the Windrush path with the LWVP volunteers on 14 May I spent a couple of hours enjoying the spectacle of (about – they’re hard to count!) eight Hobbies hawking along the shore of ‘Pit 60’ at Standlake, some flying right up to and around the windows of the hides. Heaven knows what they found to eat because there didn’t seem to be many insects about. There was also a good show of Orchids, probably Green Winged, in the Langley’s Lane meadow SSSI. However, because there’s no public access my ID was through binoculars and is a bit of a guess.

Club

Dawn Chorus

Post author By WOFC
Post date 2nd May 2021

2 May 2021 was International Dawn Chorus Day. Six of us met at 4:00 am for the Club’s annual Dawn Chorus walk between Minster Lovell and Crawley led by Adrian S. It was cold and the birds were slow waking up; the first thing we heard was a Pipistrelle near the ruins – it seemed even the bats had (sensibly) decided to stay at home. The earliest risers this year were Jackdaws and many Song Thrushes. Later we heard and saw a lot of Whitethroats – there seemed to be one in almost every bush. Mist was rising from the river and most of us were glad to see the sun and warm up when we got to Crawley. By 8:00 am when we arrived back in Minster Lovell we had recorded a creditable total of 42 species. And looking forward to breakfast!

Members

Witney Lake – Rushy Common

Post author By WOFC
Post date 5th Apr 2021

Our usual Easter Sunday walk from Witney Lake to Rushy Common and Tar Lakes. The variety of habitats means that it’s quite good for birds – we’ve clocked over fifty in the past – although this year the LWVP hide at Rushy Common was closed because of Covid. It was warm and sunny and lots of Chiffchaffs and Blackcaps, as well as some Willow Warblers, a probable Garden Warbler and a definite Cetti’s in the usual corner of Tar Lakes were singing. Also the first Hirondines of the year (Sand Martins) were congregating over the lakes in the quarry area. Not such a good display of Coltsfoot as usual on the shores of one of Tar Lakes and slightly past its best. Butterflies were well represented with lots of Brimstones and Peacocks and several very fresh Commas.

Members

Bee fly

Post author By WOFC
Post date 31st Mar 2021

S saw a bee fly in her garden today.

Members

Redwings

Post author By WOFC
Post date 13th Feb 2021

Lots of Redwings in S’s Holly tree in Hailey Road yesterday and also a Blackcap. The Redwings will have soon scoffed all the berries.

Club

Geology Walk to the Devil’s Quoits – The Strange Tale of Two Pebbles

Post author By WOFC
Post date 19th Jan 2021

John B writes:

December 17 2020, a gloriously sunny morning, saw a group of six of us, including Lesley Dunlop our excellent Geology specialist who had provided us with her customary helpful background notes, take a somewhat muddy walk around Dix Pit to examine the Devil’s Quoits, an impressive ceremonial circle of Bronze Age standing stones.

Club

Parsonage Moor

Post author By WOFC
Post date 2nd Aug 2020

Parsonage Moor near Cothill is the largest example of alkaline fen in central England. On two socially-distanced visits in early August 2020 twelve members visited the site. The main attraction was the flowering Grass of Parnassus but there was also a variety of insects including Long Winged Coneheads (a species of Bush Cricket) and Lesser Marsh grasshoppers, as well as several dragonflies. Several Common Lizards were basking on the boardwalks.

Club

Broadwell Airfield June 2020.

Post author By WOFC
Post date 31st Jul 2020

Sixteen members visited Broadwell Airfield, a very good botanical site, on 17 and 19 June for the first three of our ‘socially distanced’ walks. There is a full report in the newsletter. As well as innumerable Pyramidal Orchids there were a number of other notable things, especially several ‘tents’ of Small Eggar moth caterpillars, lots of Whitethroats singing and picking-off the caterpillars, a large clump of Dyer’s Greenweed and several examples of Grass Vetch. Overall a total of 114 plant species were recorded.