Last week we were graced with some weather that reminded us that it is in fact Summer, this made it a great time to view the huge variety of wild flowers around Coombes. The warmer weather also stirred some invertebrates into life that really emphasises the diversity of life that we have here in this magical woodland. This is our top 10 sightings this week:
1. Large Red Damselfly - I (Simon) spotted this beautiful insect just down the main track during our weekly butterfly transect. We can tell that this individual is a male because the female has numerous yellow bands on its abdomen.
Left - Large Red Damselfly (Photo by Simon Gray), Right - Green Silver Lines (Photo by Simon Gray).
2. Green Silver Lines - One of the most beautiful moths we have found in our trap in 2013! Its bright green wings and white markings give it the perfect camouflage in amongst the lush vegetation. Its caterpillars food plants are oak and birch, two of our dominant tree species here at Coombes.
3. Kestrel - You may have seen on Springwatch that Kestrels have not been doing great recently so we feel very lucky to have an individual regularly seen over the top meadow. Only the other day I watched it hovering high above the grass and flowers until it dropped out of the sky, hitting the ground with a thud as it tackled its prey.
Left - Kestrel hovering (Photo by Steve Brown), Right- Birds Foot Trefoil (Photo by Simon Gray)
4. Birds Foot Trefoil - This wonderful little member of the pea family can be seen in numerous places including the valley view point. It is otherwise known as eggs and bacon or even grannies toenails! This species is the foodplant of a variety of butterflies and moths including the Dingy Skipper as well as vital nectaring for bees.
5. Small Copper - This very small butterfly can be quite difficult to spot especially since it is only around 2.5cm accross but keep your eyes peeled for its delicate flight across the meadows. Its forewings are coated with a bright copper orange and if you get really close you'll notice the faint blue dots on its hind wings.
6. White Throat - On Tuesday our work party volunteers sanded down and painted the benches around the reserve and the place looks much better for it. While painting in Clough Meadow we were graced with the song of a White throat, perfectly placed on the top of a hawthorn bush for us all to see. Keep an eye out for Whitethroats near the visitor centre and in Clough meadow.
7. Bistort - A new addition to the flora of the Long meadow, its tall pink flowers form patches scattered throughout the buttercups and sorrell.
Left - Bistort (Photo by Simon Gray), Right - Common Red Soldier Beetle (Photo by Lizzy Ingram)
8. Common Red Soldier Beetle - These little predatory beetles are a treat to see if you get your eye into the undergowth. Check on the top of Cow parsley and other flowers where they like to hunt smaller insects.
9. Woodcock - A sunset spent in Clough meadow is worth the midges when you hear the low grunt followed by a high whistle that means a Woodcock is flying over head. This behaviour is called rhoding and its how Woodcock display. Coombes is a haven for these woodland waders and on our last survey visit for the BTO survey we recorded 13 rhoding over the meadow!
10. Yellow Pimpernel - This lovely little yellow flower is often mistaken for a buttercup at a glance but give it a closer look and you'll see its distinctive 5 pointed petals. Keep and eye out for it on the extended woodland trail in between the steps.
What have you seen around Coombes recently? anything exciting? thats a trick question! because its all exciting!!! If you want to get your eye in and explore the biodiversity of Coombes Valley then come along to our 24hr Bioblitz this Sunday the 16th of June, we'll be trying to catalogue as much of the species in Coombes as we can and we need all the help we can get!