Walk report:: 18th August 2022 Matley Wood with Jo Dowle

Lym Nats met in the Matley Wood car park on a sunny morning just a few days after the drought had broken.  There were immediate signs of the effect of the recent downpours, with patterned tracks in the woodland debris as the rainwater had run down the paths.

We made our way through part of the campsite and down the path heading north through this old woodland, hearing various common birds: Robin, Chaffinch, Great Tit.  A Redstart and a Raven were heard by some.  A large oak near the path had an active wasp nest in a cavity, happily at high level, so we could safely view their activity and the beautifully patterned nest. 

Wasp nest © Chris Robinson

The wood contains a good variety of deciduous trees, although the oldest (according to the woodland trust veteran tree map) are off the paths, hidden in the Bracken.  There was a notable large Common Lime tree along with the usual oak, Beech, Sweet Chestnut, Holly and Ash.  Several fine specimens of the bright orange Chicken-of-the-Woods fungus were seen, some of which had grown in just over a week (since the walk recce).

Chicken-of-the-Woods © Richard Smith

Once we emerged from the wood onto Matley Heath we headed northeast, passing two raised areas covered in Bracken which are Bronze Age burial mounds. A Buzzard could be heard calling and we eventually spotted two perched not far off in the trees.  A deeply cut path then leads down to a small stream, a tributary of the Beaulieu River.  There were many nest holes of solitary bees and wasps in the sandy sides of the path, but only a few small unidentified bees seen.  The banks had examples of all 3 heather species as well as Dwarf Gorse.  

Common Carder Bee on Dwarf Gorse © Richard Smith

We stopped for a rest underneath a larger mound where a very young calf could be seen hiding in the bracken.  This circular bank and ditch have been been identified as Neolithic and apparently the oldest settlement in the New Forest.   An interesting short video account of the dig there in 2019 is at https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2490654740998924

After our rest stop, where a few birds were seen (Great Spotted Woodpecker, Meadow Pipit and Goldfinch but sadly not the family of Woodlarks seen here on the recce visit) we followed the stream west along the river to a bridge where we headed south back towards Matley wood.  Devil’s-bit Scabious and Creeping Willow were amongst the plants noticed.  Many grasshoppers and spiders were seen living in the heather. A few butterflies were around, notably a Grayling with its fantastic camouflaged underwings. In the tall Gorse area near the wood’s edge there were Stonechats and we saw a small carved wooden figure of a Madonna which has apparently been fixed to an oak tree for more than 20 years (according to a regular visitor to the campsite).

Mottled Grasshopper (Myrmeleotettix maculatus) © Chris Robinson

Grayling © Chris Robinson

As we made our way back up the hill to the campsite and the car park, a lucky few at the front of the group had a very close encounter with an Adder which was lying right on the path. I estimated it to be 50cm or more, with very striking dark zig-zag markings. It only stayed in view long enough for this photo of its rear half! JD

Adder © Chris Robinson

Our route
© Crown copyright 2022 Ordnance Survey. Media 005/22.
The licence is valid until 31 December 2022

Walk report: Oakley and Mill Lawn with Pam Poole

On a warm sunny morning our group set out to walk a circular route from the Oakley car park down to Mill Lawn and to return through Burley New Inclosue to Lucy Hill. After crossing the road we came to a lawned area which is usually boggy but after all the hot weather it was completely dry with just one small area of Marsh Pennywort and Marsh St John's-wort. From here we entered a small deciduous wood which skirts the main inclosure. There were several fallen oak and two Speckled Wood butterflies swirling together in a boundary dispute.

Marsh Pennywort © Richard Coomber

Leaving the wood the area opens out to lawn and gorse. Gatekeeper butterflies were fluttering around and well camouflaged on the brown grass. Continuing on we came to an area of grassy mounds. These mounds can be found around the forest lawns where flooding occurs. It is now thought that they have been formed where purple moor grass has been heavily grazed by the ponies. When an area floods, and the water retreats, silt is deposited around the tussocks of grass. Eventually over many years a mound is formed. Each mound appeared to have its own little ecosystem of plants and insects. Here we had good sightings of a male Redstart together with flocks of Linnets and Goldfinches, and also found 2 Robin’s Pincushion on dog rose, these are caused by the larvae a gall wasp called Diplolepis rosae, they were bright green at the moment, eventually they should turn red.

Redstart - male © Richard Smith 

On reaching Mill Lawn Brook we turned left to follow the meanderings of the stream. Growing on the stream’s banks were Marsh Thistle, Water Mint, Lesser Spearwort, Marsh Ragwort and Chamomile, and also Skullcap which was very pleasing. In the stream itself there was Fringed Water-lily but only a couple of yellow flowers showing. On the lawn there was Silverweed, Yarrow, Tormentil and just one solitary plant of Sneezewort. Patrolling the water was an Emperor Dragonfly one Beautiful Demoiselle was spotted and a White-legged Damselfly was photographed. Birds seen in this area were, a very pale Buzzard, Nuthatch, Carrion Crow, Song Thrush, Meadow Pipit, Swallow and 3 Grey Heron flying low and calling to each other. A flock of Starlings was present and a Green Woodpecker was heard. 

Skullcap © Sue Skarstein

Unbranched Bur-reed © Sue Skarstein

White-legged Damselfly © Richard Smith

On leaving the stream we walked towards Burley New Inclosure, again passing through another area of grassy mounds. We took time to look at the intricate webs of Funnel Spiders, the spiders sitting centrally in their funnel behind large sheets of webbing. As we approached the woods all three species of heather were seen, Ling, Cross-leaved Heath and Bell Heather.

 

Lesser Skullcap © Richard Smith

Inside the inclosure Lesser Skullcap and Common Cow-wheat and Hard Fern were growing along a dried out ditch and a Southern Wood Ants’ nest was seen. The woodland here is a good mixture of conifers and deciduous trees and we could hear Siskin calling high up in the conifers. Then on the way up to Lucy Hill birds seen were Great Spotted Woodpecker, Coal Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Robin, Chiffchaff and Spotted Flycatcher.

Finally as we reached Oakley car park, in the shade was one small patch of Bog Pimpernel, in an area which is usually boggy but at the moment has dried out. PP 

Our route

© Crown copyright 2022 Ordnance Survey. Media 005/22.
The licence is valid until 31 December 2022