Above:Snake’s-head Fritillaries © Richard Bottle
Leader: Lucy Starling
Ten members joined me for a circular walk around the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust reserve near Oaksey. The site is easy to navigate, level walking along tracks and through pastures, plus a cafe run by volunteers Wednesday to Sunday, toilets and free car parking. There was a good variety of bird song as we walked through Sandpool area including several Garden Warblers, Blackcaps, Chiffchaffs and Willow Warblers. The narrow path took us though some birch wet woodland to the series of large fields divided by thick hedges where we heard the rattling call of a typically skulking Lesser Whitethroat.
Green-winged Orchid © Richard Bottle
Snake’s-head Fritillary © Richard Bottle
We meandered back to the car park through the gate into Washpool Ground hearing Greenfinch and Chaffinch singing with a few Barn Swallows skimming over the pasture and hearing the occasional “kronk” call of Raven.
There was a profusion of Cowslips and here and there, Green-winged Orchids. The next field had more and, being wetter, some pretty clumps of Cuckoo Flower (Lady’s Smock) the food plant of the Orange Tip butterfly. Scanning the pasture, we could see a few Snake’s-head Fritillaries (also known as Chess Flower because of its chequerboard pattern).
Female Orange Tip at Cuckoo Flower (Lady’s Smock) © Richard Bottle
Glow Worrm larva © Richard Bottle
Finally, when we neared Swill Brook, there were hundreds of fritillaries, many were past their best but we did find a number still looking lovely and here the Green-winged Orchids were plentiful among the many fritillaries and Cowslips.
We had a leisurely lunch, including cake and scones purchased from the cafe, while watching Coot and Tufted Duck and Glen M spotted a high flying Red Kite.
Herald Moth © Richard Bottle
Grey Heron at nest © Richard Bottle
Red-eyed Damselfly © Glen Maddison
As the sunshine at last broke through the clouds and more blue sky appeared, we took a short stroll around to Mallard Lake and a hide where there was a Grey Heron nesting and we occasionally caught a glimpse of a youngster in the nest.
During our walk, Glen M found a Herald Moth (this species overwinters as an adult) and Alvan W found the larvae of a Common Glowworm.With a rise in temperature, we finally saw an Orange Tip butterfly and had a female alighting on Cuckoo Flower. Our last notable sighting was a Large Red-eyed Damselfly, newly emerged.
Lucy Starling
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