The first wet summer field meeting of 2018 enabled Brian plus seven
indefatigable LymNats to give their weather/waterproof equipment a two hour
field trial. The results can be found at the end of this report. The route took
in two particular sites of ‘local’ interest.
We took the footpath that follows the boundary between the National Park
(to the S) and "outside the National Park" (to the N), passing
Northfield Nursery and Oakhaven Hospice. The land to the N is the subject of
controversial plans for 100 homes which has received much recent coverage in
the local press.
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| Sloes © Richard Coomber |
The second area was on our return along Iley Lane, for we passed the
West Solent Solar Farm which was connected to the grid in June 2014. Its 9372
solar panels give it a total capacity of 2.4 MWp and produces power to supply
about 650 local homes.
Nature's "autumn" bounty was much in evidence on this walk:
sloe, blackberry, elderberry, haws, hips and acorns.
Selected
sightings:
Trees: Common
Elm; Hazel; Hornbeam (with fruit clusters); Pendunculate (English) Oak (Quercus robur) - an acorn had an
example of a Knopper Gall caused by larvae of tiny Gall Wasp (Andricus quercuscalicis).
PLANTS:
Enchanter's Nightshade, Common Fleabane, Common Knapweed, Perforate St
John's-wort, Common Sowthistle, Common Ragwort, Herb Robert, Hedge Bindweed,
Yarrow, Great Willowherb, Creeping Thistle, Bittersweet (Woody Nightshade) –
berried, Common Horsetail, Hartstongue Fern and Stinging Nettle.
NON-NATIVE PLANTS:
American Skunk Cabbage: Liquidambar (Sweet Gum) – both native to North America.
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| Jersey Tiger © Duncan Wright |
MOTHS: Jersey
Tiger – a recent colonist to our area and identified by Duncan.
MAMMALS:
2 female Roe Deer; Brown Rat (deceased).
BIRDS: A charm
of Goldfinches feeding on Teasel; Blackcap (♂), Green Woodpecker, Canada Goose,
Black-headed Gull, Blackbird, Magpie, Woodpigeon and four rather
disgruntled Swallows perched on power-lines looking as if they wished they had
left already!
FIELD TRIAL RESULTS:
Weatherproof/Water Resistant/Showerproof/Waterproof - if it rains hard,
you get wet! BM