Around Child Okeford - A report by Thelma & Gordon Ede
This is a short non-expert account of various sightings on our walks around Child Okeford during 2006
Hod Hill
Hod Hill, Iron Age Hill Fort, which at a later time had a Roman Station at one end of the top, is a joy in the spring, covered with Cowslips, acres and acres of them, followed closely by Early Purple and Pyramidal orchids, then Early Spring Gentian. Skylarks sing joyously above.
Most of the common butterflies are to be seen, plus Marsh Fritillary and Adonis. We did see a Wasp Spider on one occasion. It was busy, rapidly wrapping a butterfly it had caught in it's web. I tried to photograph it but it moved to the centre of it's web and continually moved the web too and fro, I waited for 10 minutes but it still continued, so suppose it was some defensive behaviour.
Across the fields and along the river.
One of the meadows beside the river is covered in Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis). Little Egret, Heron and Kingfisher are to be seen.Clouds of Banded Demoiselle were there for a week or so before they disbursed.Emperor, White Legged, and Emerald dragonflies were around.
Two Wayfaring trees covered in berries were at the edge of the field.
In the hedgerows were, Bush, Dark Bush and Long Winged Cone Head crickets.
Hambledon Hill
Hambledon Hill, another, larger Hill Fort with a Long Barrow on top,
also, had many Cowslips, Meadow Saxifrage, Early Purple and Pyramidal Orchids, also, just one specimen of Lady’s Tresses Orchid.
There are Spindle, Field Maple, Sloe, and Crab Apple trees scattered around the hillside.
Butterflies include, Adonis, Clouded Yellow, Small Heath, Small Blue and clouds of Marbled White. Birds include Buzzards, Kestrels, Hobby, Yellow Hammer, Skylark and Goldfinches. Caterpillars, Tussock Moth and Ermine Moth, also an unidentified green caterpillar, distinguished by a "club" head and the raising of it's body in an aggressive posture if a finger is nearby! Hare and Red Deer are sometimes seen in the fields.
At Home
At home we have a small garden, virtually a concrete and grass desert when we arrived, I heaved up some paving slabs, made flower beds here and there and put in a small pond, we then planted "insect" plants and put in a couple of Apple Trees and hope this year to have more birds visit. There are very few small birds so far, but many Rooks, Jackdaws and Collared Doves. We did have the odd Thrush, Blackbird, Wren, Robin, and House Sparrow. Each Autumn for some ten days at dusk we have a "flyover" of a stream of 150+ Rooks heading due west into the setting sun, I guess that east of us are fields of food, that are exhausted in ten days, or is that too simple an explanation? Butterflies which have visited the garden are Orange tip, Clouded Yellow, Peacock, Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral. So far the latest sighting of the Red Admiral was November 27th! We had five Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillars feeding on Willowherb, And we have had many visits from the Hummingbird Hawk Moth this year.
Thelma and Gordon Ede
See Gordon's Insect photo gallery for more pictures of the butterflies and insects mentioned in this report.
