Saturday 28 August 2010

Goswell Brook (Study Centre) incidental highlights

A days volunteering activity with Hampshire Conservation Volunteers at Goswell Brooks (New Forest Tree Study Centre) constructing pathworks also gave some opportunity for exploring the local wildlife.

Highlights on the day:

♂ small red damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum) which alighted on the picnic table during the morning's first squash break.

A mid day sojourn to check the tins for reptiles in which three out of seven tins were productive: one tin producing singles of common lizard (Lacerta vivipara), a large ♀ slow worm (Anguis fragilis) and a grass snake (Natrix natrix). The second tin produced a single common lizard - disturbed from basking on top, the third another grass snake.

Birding wise a 3J robin (Erithacus rubecula) was very confiding taking the opportunity to feed around the aggregate stash  as we filled wheelbarrows, disturbing the ground and revealing tasty morsels for it. An ad. robin had done similar recently at Minstead Study Centre - picking its way through the disturbed soil beside us as we dug 4.5 ft holes to sink deer fence straining posts.

Singles of grey heron (Ardea cinerea) and ♀ mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) on the pond, and up to three buzzard (Buteo buteo) provided the rest of the interest.

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