I went for a walk in the New Forest this morning to look for some fungi but there were very few about I think that even though it is prohibited in the National Park that they had been “collected” – It has become an issue in recent years as commercial quantities are being taken and sold on.
However, not all was lost as I enjoyed watching this Nuthatch.
Length: 14 cm Wingspan: 22.5-27 cm Weight: 20-25 g UK breeding: 220.000. {facts from RSPB}
Beaulieu Airfield was a major wartime airfield in the New Forest that saw a large amount of action including Coastal Command. Many anti-submarine operations were flown from Beaulieu, It was an important role in the airfield’s history.
A large concrete BL is set into the ground. This is located in front of where the airfield control tower once stood. BL was the airfield pundit code for RAF Beaulieu It helped airborne aircraft identify the airfield. Each airfield would have its own code letters. You can see a metal socket which is a short thick-walled mortar which would have had a tube fitted this signal mortar would have been used to alert aircraft approaching the field – for example, landing gear not down!
Some nature spots on the heathland around the airfield site.
Excited to see Cukoo’s but only some distance away.
Dunnock
Raven
There is one species of nuthatch in the UK, Our species is a woodland bird. It has the unique habit in the UK of plastering mud around the entrance to its nest hole.
Heather is also known as ‘ling’ and is a common plant on heathland, moorland, and bogs. To do well it requires acidic or peat soils. It has delicate pink flowers that appear from August to October. Plants grow tightly packed together and can live for over 40 years
Walking on paths in the New Forest across Hatchet Moor several Wheatears were keeping just in front of us on the Heather.
These birds are female birds or juveniles. The male bird is a blue-grey above, with black wings and white below with an orange flush to the breast. It has a black cheek.
While in the New Forest on Friday we were visited by some Donkeys who seemed to like the shade from our van’s awning.
They just seemed to like being around people.
The Keeled skimmer is a medium-sized dragonfly. Males are pale blue, with grey-blue eyes; females are yellowy-brown with a black line down the middle. This male dragonfly was in the New Forest this morning. It is a dragonfly of heathland with shallow pools. They are on the wing from June to September.
Stonechat family – It is that time of year when many young birds have fledged this Stonechat family were all very vocal and were happy to keep together in the gorse.
Back in June we found this New Forest Pool a mile or so from the road and enjoyed a few hours photographing and watching dragonflies.
Posted a couple of views back then.
We walked back there this morning. The same pond a month later. After our heat wave.
An apple core snatch and grab. Sometimes the temptation of getting close to a human for a tasty bit of food overcomes any fear. This Grey Squirrel was showing an interest in my apple while I was sitting on our van step. When I had finished eating it I dropped it on the grass within seconds he was on it.
And the prize.
There are many carnivorous plants native to the UK. These are Sundews, Butterworts and Bladderworts. Sundews are not a common plant in southern England. However, in the New Forest, they are widespread in many of the boggy areas. In the New Forest, there are 3 types of Sundew. The Round-leaved Sundew seems to be the most abundant and as its name has a round end to the leaves, The Oblong-leaved Sundew is also fairly easy to find. It has longer, narrower leaves. The Great Sundew is twice as large as the oblong-leaved plant I have not found one yet.
You need to get down low to get a good view of these interesting little plants.
Round-leaved Sundew.
(to get a scale the pad on this plant is about the size of my little fingernail).
Sundews eat insects! They produce a sticky ‘glue’ all over the leaves; insects become trapped in the glue, the plant curls the leaf edges over and releases digestive enzymes that consume the insects, passing nutrients into the plant.
Oblong-leaved Sundew.
The picture below shows the Sundew with a flower bud.
Continued Reflections from my World. 