After all the gloom of the past few weeks, not to mention wind and rain, we struck lucky for our walk around Blenheim. The day started sunny and remained dry and pleasant throughout our walk.This was very a different day from our visit to Bury Down on 10th December last year when we experienced driving rain and a Force 8 gale!
3rd November 2024
The Club’s annual fungus foray was a bit further afield than usual this year, but it was well worth the journey.
27th October 2024
Julia Reid writes:
Sometimes things go just right and our day out with leader John Baker was just one of those days. We had really hoped for a dry day so that we could enjoy the views of the Golden Ridge and it could not have been
more perfect.
Jill T writes:
Sunday the 13th of October: thirteen members of the Field Club set out, on a cool but sunny morning, for a short walk around the Ditchley Park environs. While waiting for all the group to arrive, we had already noted Hedge cranesbill and Knapweed in still flower and a Jay flying overhead, a promising start.
Sue Morton writes:
Jenny Insch spotted two dark bush crickets in her greenhouse at the beginning of October, and sent me a photo and video. What were they up to?
After a few days of very heavy rain and flooding, we all wondered whether this outing was a good idea. However, undaunted, seven of us set off to the Forest of Dean, appropriately clad in waterproof gear and wellies. One of the aims of the trip was to learn about a beaver reintroduction project in the area.
Asthall Circular Walk, Sunday 15th September 2024
John Baker writes:
Led by Maggie Collins, this was a well attended walk which took us through one of our most beautiful and familiar rolling landscapes. The threatened rain faded quickly and we were interested to note that in spite of the invasion of customers for the newly opened Jeremy Clarkson pub, on the A40 above Asthall, the peace of the surrounding countryside had not been spoilt.
Admittedly it wasn’t the best fuchsia I’ve grown, but it was looking a bit peaky, so I had a closer look. Can you spot the culprit?
Last year one of John’s neighbours sent him a photo of a sparrowhawk in his garden sitting on top of a squirrel trap, where a blackbird was taking refuge, and you can read about it in his blog from last June. This year the same neighbour spotted another sparrowhawk on a more ambitious hunting trip.
Visit to Parsonage Moor Sunday 25th August 2024
Julia Reid writes:
We were so lucky to have chosen Sunday for this visit. Saturday had been a day of relentless heavy rain and would have been miserable. Instead, we were treated to a day of cloud but no rain and although paths were damp, with puddles in places, they were perfectly navigable. So twelve of us set off, led by expert naturalist and photographer Peter Creed for what turned out to be a fascinating and really enjoyable morning. Grass of Parnassus was what we were hoping to see, but there was a lot more, and some suprises too.
WEST OXFORDSHIRE FIELD CLUB