Thursday 18 November 2010

Fleet Pond Winter Works 2010












Over the past few years, Hart District Council’s Countryside Service and Fleet Pond Society have been working on improving the wetland habitats around Fleet Pond. This work has involved clearance of trees and scrub to allow wetland plant species to flourish.
As a result of this work, the marsh and reed bed habitats have been restored in several areas, with rare species of plants and animals being recorded once again, some for the first time in 80 years!



Natural England has also upgraded the conservation status of the habitats from unfavourable to recovering. It is vital that this work continues to be able to achieve favourable conservation status.



This winter one HA of young secondary woodland on the edge of Coldstream Marsh will be felled in order to continue with our restoration work. Leaf litter and a layer of topsoil and plant roots will then be scraped off to expose the old seed bank of wetland plants. The resultant material will be banked up on the edge of the marshland. The trees that have encroached on the marsh over the years, shade out the wetland plants and reducing the biodiversity.
The area of young woodland is very low in biodiversity and has very poor wildlife value as it does not provide adequate habitat for birds, bats and other species that need trees. This work will allow the wetland plants to colonise once again and will ensure that a greater number of species can use this habitat.

Fleet Pond has a new ranger


Fleet Pond is managed by Hart District Council’s Countryside Service and
Tim Ackroyd is the new ranger for the Nature Reserve.

Quote: Tim Ackroyd says: ‘I have been working for Hart District Councils Countryside Service as a Countryside Ranger for over three years and previously worked as an assistant ranger for Hampshire County Council based at Yateley Common’. ‘I have enjoyed the experience of looking after a variety of interesting sites over the years and I am very excited to take on my new role as Fleet Pond ranger’

It is a very exciting time to be involved in the management of Fleet Pond. The Nature Reserve is undergoing some important changes over the next ten years with significant restoration of habitats and infrastructure. These changes will hopefully bring about considerable benefits, both for wildlife and for people.

Friday 17 September 2010

New jetties installed at Fleet Pond





Hart District Councils Countryside Service has recently purchased 3 new fishing jetties for Fleet Pond. These have replaced 2 of the small old jetties on the northern side of the Pond which have deteriorated over the years. The third has replaced the larger jetty at Chestnut Grove. They were, installed by local contractors JDB, and are made from recycled plastic which lasts much longer than wood/metal, and is also vandal proof. There is also the small jetty next to Carnival Bridge which will be replaced in the not too distant future with the same materials.




Products made from recycled plastics have become widely available over the last few years, with many products including benches, boardwalks, signs and fences being used widely on countryside sites.


The jetties are used by many people at Fleet Pond; fishermen, children feeding ducks, birdwatchers, and people who just like to stop and admire to views of Hampshire’s largest freshwater lake.

Wednesday 4 August 2010

Butterflies on Elvetham Heath

The Gate keeper (photograph taken at Elvetham- curtesy of Steve Bolton) is a common butterfly and emerges from mid-July onwards. They can now be seen in large numbers at the reserve. Their alternative common name is Hedge Brown and indeed they are commonly found along hedgerows.

The characteristic eyespots on the forewing probably deflects bird attacks away from the butterfly's body rather than startling away predators; the Gatekeeper likes to rest with its wings open and the eyespots visible.

The adult butterflies are especially attracted to yellow flowers such as Ragwort and also to bramble flowers. The caterpillars are typically brown in colour and feed on a variety of grasses.

Another common butterfly that is out at the moment in good numbers is the Common Blue, I saw this pair mating on a grassland ride leading up to the pumping station.

This species has two broods, the first set of adults are just starting to disappear in July, but watch out for a second brood flying around from August to September.

The caterpillar is small, pale green with yellow stripes and rather slug-like. These caterpillars like several other butterfly species are attractive to ants, which will take the caterpillar chrysalis from above-ground into their nests. The larvae create a substance called honey dew, which the ants eat while the butterfly lives in the ant hill. The larvae are attended and protected by ants while feeding on the host plant, and the ants receive sugar-rich honeydew in return.

Other butterfly species seen at Elvetham in late summer include the Red Admiral, Large White, Small & Large Skipper, Common Blue, Comma, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Meadow Brown, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell.










Monday 2 August 2010

Fires on Hazeley Heath

The fires which took place in June and July on the Timpany Trust land of Hazeley Heath in the Parish of Mattingley have damaged 12 hectares of heathland habitat.


The breeding areas of Nightjar and Dartford Warbler have been burnt, and presumably their nests destroyed; many reptiles and insects have been killed.
Heathland summer fires burn extremely hot and will destroy the underlying heather seed bed.The lives of people and animals in neighbouring properties as well as those of the fire service are put at extreme risk.
Controlled burning of heathland in the winter months can be a valuable management tool. It can help to reduce the amount of old and large stands gorse and heather and can be very effective at promoting their regeneration, particularly as, unlike cutting, the burning may remove some of the organic matter that builds up under the stand. However, controlled burning needs skill to achieve the best results and to ensure that the fire does not get out of control. This method of management is not used on Hazeley Heath because of its fragmented structure and the proximity of surrounding properties.
One issue that arises from any burning is the management of new growth. Invasive grasses and bracken can take hold again faster than the new heather seedlings. Any new heather will grow back at a similar height, establishing a 'one habitat monoculture'. The heath will need to regain biodiversity, with plants of various ages and heights, and grazing is better than fire at achieving this.
The cause of the Hazeley Heath fires is not known yet and is still under police investigation, but most heath fires are started deliberately or accidentally, rather than naturally. People appear to be still ignoring the fact that it is against the law to have fires or BBQs on the heathland, and carelessness with glass bottles and cigarette ends can also cause fires which quickly get out of control.
If you do see a fire call the Fire Service without delay and keep well away from the fire - heathland fires can spread fast and the damage can take years to overcome.

Sunday 1 August 2010

Grazing Trial Update


Hazeley Heath is one of the largest surviving remnants of endangered lowland heath in the north Hampshire. Due to the rarity and importance of its heath land plant and animal communities, the site is designated by Natural England as a Site of Special Scientific Interest . It is part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area (SPA) due to its breeding population of the internationally protected Dartford Warbler, Woodlark and Nightjar.
In 2007, after much public consultation, a management plan for Hazeley Heath was produced. One of the proposals was that a grazing trail should be established to evaluate whether or not grazing would be suitable in the future as a locally acceptable and sustainable approach to the management of the heath land. Grazing can have huge conservation benefits, and it is hoped that by putting cattle on the heath the desired mosaic of micro-habitats essential for maintaining the richness and diversity of the flora and fauna can be achieved.
The trial, which has received funding from Natural England and the SITA Trust Enriching Nature project, will run over a five year period and will be managed by the Hart District Council Countryside team under direction from the Hazeley Heath steering group.
Temporary electric fencing was erected in April around the two trial plots, one in the north (in Mattingley parish) and one in the south (in Hartley Wintney parish). Horse-friendly bridle gates have been installed at well used pathways into the grazing plot to provide continued public access. Part of the fencing will be removed in the winter months to allow greater public access.
The two small herds of local Belted Galloway cross Dexter cattle, which started grazing from mid-May, were removed from the trial sites at the beginning of July because of the risk to them from fires which destroyed 12 hectares of heathland nearby.
On July 26th, after the risk of fire was assessed to be minimal, a new herd of six Friesian cattle were released on to the southern grazing plot and have settled in well.

Wednesday 7 July 2010

Blooming Marvellous


















Several wild flowers are in bloom this month on Elvetham Heath LNR. The most noticeable is Common Centuary, the plant is compact in appearance and produces pretty pink flowers. These flowers are arranged in dense branches, each with a single, terminal bloom. It has a basal rosette of egg-shaped leaves, sometimes lying in pairs up the stem. It is typically found on dry, open ground, including Heathland.

Ox-eye Daisy is a plant most of us will be familiar with as it commonly grows on roadside verges. The name ‘ox-eye’ was given to Hera, the Queen of Olympian gods in Greek mythology. Early Christians dedicated this flower to Mary Magdalen which is how the name Maudlin Daisy originated and the name Dun Daisy arose from the flower being connected with the god of thunder. The stem is long (60-90cm), thin and hard with occasional branching along the stem. Each "flower" is actually composed of many hundreds of flowers or florets. The yellow centre, "disc florets" and the white edges are called "ray florets". The leaves are small with a rough toothed edge and those near the root are more round in shape with long stalks.

The Bee Orchid is back. The picture above is courtesy of Michelle Salter.This mysterious plant, which often turns up in an area in great number then disappears for several decades. Bee orchids have been recorded at Elvetham Heath on several occasionally over the last few years. The flower of this species is supposed to mimic a bee; a male bee will try to mate with the flower in doing so he inadvertently carries the pollen to another Bee Orchid flower. The species is self-fertile in Northern Europe and therefore is not reliant on bees for pollination.

Several other species are in flower, these include Heath Bedstraw, Selfheal, Common Ragwort, Honey Suckle, Scentless Mayweed and Bell Heather.

Friday 2 July 2010

The Naming of the Cows

Hazeley Heath is playing host to a five year grazing trial, which started this summer. On the Hart District Council owned section of the SSSI four Belted Galloway’s crossed with Dexters are happily munching away on the heath. The only problem was these four cows were nameless!

At the Hartley Wintney Village Festival the Countryside Service ran a ‘Name the Cow’ competition for the kids of the village. We had four photos of our four girls on the heath and asked the children to come up with names for them. The owner of the cows then picked his four favourites and the winners received a cute cuddly toy cow.

So we can now present the official names of the four cows on Hazeley heath:
















Ermintrude
















Liquorice
















Cream
















Comfrey

The girls will be on the heath until the end of the summer.

Tuesday 29 June 2010

The air was buzzing!







Monday the 28th June – perfect day to watch invertebrates, very warm, bright and still. The nature reserve was absolutely buzzing with life. I saw several species of Dragonfly and Damselfly, loads of butterflies and lots of bees, wasps, beetles and other winged creatures.
Butterflies included the Comma, Small Skipper, Meadow Brown, Small Tortoiseshell, moths were plentiful but not always easy to identify but some are not too much of a challenge such as the Cinnabar Moth. This is a day flying species with red and black warning colours, the forewings are black with red spots on the outer edge, the hind wings are red. The caterpillars have black and orange stripes and can be found feeding on plants such as Common Ragwort.
The Five-spotted Burnet is very similar, but with a slightly different wing shape and five crimson spots on the upperside forewings, their caterpillars are found on Bird's-foot Trefoil or other low growing plants and are yellow with black spots. Red-tailed Bumble Bee, Hoverflies, the Wasp Beetle and large crane flies were also seen.
I took these pics on the day.
In decending order - Large Red Damselfly, Keeled Skimmer Dragonfly and a small but plucky butterfly, the Small Skipper.













Thursday 24 June 2010

Dragons & Damsels at Elvetham Heath LNR














Summer is upon us and Elvetham Heath Local Nature Reserve is buzzing with life. It is a great time to see DRAGONFLIES and DAMSELFLIES. These brightly coloured insects are powerful predators and can be seen on warm days darting about and making low flights across the undergrowth as they hunt for other insects. When at rest dragonflies wings are held outwards and those of damselflies are held against their bodies, damselflies are typically more slender and delicate in appearance than most dragonflies. The dragonfly pictured is a SOUTHERN HAWKER (courtesy of Tony Mundell); this species will be seen on the wing from mid July. Sixteen species of dragonfly and damselfly have been recorded within the reserve. Although there have been unconfirmed reports of a further two species, as soon as I here anything I will update the blog.

Species recorded this year include:

Common Blue Damselfly – this could be considered to be the most typical British damselfly. It is a very common species found in a range of habitats.

Azure Damselfly – a very common species and distinguished from the Common Blue by a characteristic flat-bottomed "U" shaped mark on the second abdominal segment (in the male).

Blue-tailed Damselfly – a very common species and found in a very wide range of lowland habitats including brackish or polluted water where it may be the only species present. The males have a blue spot on the tail (segment 8).

Small Red Damselfly – the male has an all red abdomen. The female exists in several colour forms from red and black on the abdomen to nearly all black. Both sexes have a bronze-black thorax and red legs. This species is nationally scarce and is restricted to shallow heathland pools.

Large Red Damselfly – a very common species found throughout the UK. It is a large, active, deep red damselfly with black legs and a bronze-black top to the thorax which has broad red or yellow stripes. The female exists in several colour forms varying in the amount of red and black on the abdomen. This is one of the earliest species to appear each spring.

Beautiful Demoiselle – in this species the wings of the mature male are very dark blue-black and those of the female are iridescent brown-green. The body colour is metallic blue-green in the male and green with a bronze tip in the female. The flight is fluttering, butterfly-like. They typically breed in shallow flowing water with sandy or gravel bottoms.

Emperor Dragonfly – Britain's bulkiest Dragonfly. Its bright colours and active habit make it very obvious when hunting over medium to large water bodies. It rarely settles, even eating its prey in flight. Both sexes have a bright, apple-green thorax and green or blue eyes. The male has a sky blue abdomen with a central dark line.
The female has a green abdomen, similarly marked, which may become blue in warm weather.

Golden-ringed Dragonfly – a stunning black insect with yellow rings along the length of the abdomen. The female is the UKs longest dragonfly because of her long ovipositor (apparatus for laying eggs). This species breeds in streams and typically hunts on heathland.

Four-spotted Chaser – the sexes are alike with a brown abdomen becoming darker towards the rear, a brown thorax and brown eyes. The most noticeable feature is the colouring of the wings. Each of the four wings contains a very dark spot, which gives the insect its name.

Broad-bodied Chaser – a very common species which typically colonises new ponds. The very broad, flattened abdomen is characteristic making the insect appears "fat". The males quickly develop a blue abdomen with yellow spots along the segment sides. Females are a golden brown on the abdomen, again with yellow spots at the margins.

Keeled Skimmer – This species processes a slender abdomen with a pronounced keel on the upper side. The males develop a blue abdomen. Females have a pale, yellowish-brown abdomen with a medial black line. It is typically found around pools and streams on heathland.

Black-tailed Skimmer – a fairly common species, females and immature specimens are pale, yellowish brown with two bold lines running along the length of the abdomen. The males develop a blue abdomen darkening to the rear with segment 8-10 becoming black. Its eyes are very dark green. They fly swift and low, skimming the water surface.

Common Darter – A common summer and autumn species, this dragonfly can be found well into November and may be one of the last on the wing in the UK. The thorax in both sexes is brown above with stripes and yellow panels on the sides. The eyes are brown above and yellow below. The males become a bright orange-red with maturity. Females have a pale, yellowish-brown abdomen.

Other species regularly recorded:

Emerald Damselfly – This species is locally common and can be found in pond side rushes and reeds. Both sexes are metallic green. The Emerald Damselfly rests with its wings spread at about 45° to the body.

Red-eyed Damselfly – a robust looking damselfly with a dark greyish abdomen and a blue "tail" in the male. The eyes of the male are deep red and the thorax in both sexes is bronze black on top. Found on large ponds, lakes and canals, the male typically sites on a water-lily and defends it against newcomers.

Southern Hawker – a large, inquisitive dragonfly usually seen individually. The spots on segments section 8-10 are joined, unlike other Hawkers. The male is brightly marked on a dark background, usually apple green except for segments 8-10, which are pale blue. Occasionally, all pale blue marked individuals are seen. The female is brown with bright green markings. This species is fairly common and can be found some distance from water.