Discover the latest news and sightings from the Southrey Wood butterfly reserve below...
You can report your sightings and send your photos from Southrey Wood to John Davison at: @email
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2022/3 Workparties:
We are in a position to start the work days again in November, so the dates arranged are as
follows. (All 10 til 3ish)
2023
January 8th
January 29th
February 19th
It is area 7 this winter, the piece nearest the deer tower. As it's a relatively small area and fairly small timber I'm hoping we will be able to get on reasonably quickly and perhaps find one or two extra bits to do.
At present, we are still not able to use chainsaws so are limited to hand tools only, and will just have to get on as best we can.
As a consequence, I would ask that people who can come out help cutting down the trees and shrubs, rather than just taking out wood for themselves- we can spend so time towards the end of the day clearing out cut material.
View the Southrey Wood Blog 2021
Southrey Wood Blog 2022
11th December
Cold day but 11 volunteers soon warmed up as they continued the winter work.
27th November
11 enthusiastic volunteers came out to continue the work on this year's square.
6th November
With the weather gods smiling down, 12 volunteers made a start on this winter's work.
1st September
Lot's of butterflies on the Devil's-bit Scabious but nearly all Whites.
Only small numbers of Red Admiral, Speckled Wood and Comma.
Willow Emerald Damselfly still around.
27th July
Darren Wozencroft e-mails......
A quick visit to Southrey Wood produced a stunning White Admiral. A large pale blue species then caught our attention as it moved south down the main ride, stopping to feed briefly, allowing a good view and a single photograph. This was enough to confirm later what I suspected at the time, that the butterfly was a Chalk Hill Blue! With the nearest colony maybe 40 miles away and the habitat completely wrong for this species, I can only guess what/how it ended up there? It did cap a fantastic few hours in the field. Could the heatwave last week have played a part in displacing this individual? (As ever it was exciting and a privilege to see something so unexpected).
12th July
Hot and humid with occasional sunshine.
A few butterflies around for a change. Large, Small & Green-veined White, Red Admiral, Gatekeeper, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, White Admiral & Silver-washed Fritillary.
Also a micro moth, Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix (Pandemis cerasana).
16th June
Nice hot day but few butterflies about.
A few Red Admirals and Speckled Wood but nice to see the first White Admiral out.
22nd May
Peter Cawdell reports........
A predominately cloudy but bright afternoon walk around the old transect produced a Large White, Orange-tip (male) and 6 Green-veined White along the main ride.
Within our Reserve I recorded 2 Large White, 4 Green-veined White, Small White, Speckled Wood. Highlights were a single male Marsh Fritillary and a very fresh and fast flying male Brown Argus on the New Ride.
I counted 8 flowering Early Purple Orchids in the revamped enclosure - 3 north of the ditch and 5 south. Outside I only saw1 very good specimen just the other side of the Primrose Ride from our enclosure. There were none along the Viking Way ditch at the southern end of the wood where there are usually 30+? Had the deer got at them or was the weather since last season not suitable for their flowering? I could not see any in a brief search within the wood either where there are usually a few.
17th May
Sunny and warm but butterflies still few and far between.
Was nice though to see my first Marsh Fritillary of the year. Also a Cuckoo who doesn't know how to shut up.
10th May
Sunny day and quite warm but not a lot of butterflies - maybe the wind.
Brimstone, Orange-tip, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell and Whites with a fading Speckled Wood.
Early-purple Orchids coming into flower in compound but low numbers. At a quick glance there only seemed a dozen but more may be revealed as time goes on.
21st April
Low numbers of butterflies - Small & Green-veined White, Peacock, Orange-tip and Brimstone.
A few insects about..........
15th April
Peacock, Small White, Green-veined White, Orange-tip and Brimstone all on the wing.
8th April
Primroses can be yellow, white or mauve
20th March
11 volunteers finished clearing the square for the last workparty of the season. Only remains now to see what the season holds.
First candidate was this Early Grey Moth found on one of the cut stumps.
15th March
More Spring flowers emerging - Buzzard circling - Skylark song - What a lovely sunny day.
Male Brimstone to cap it off.
6th March
A Woodpecker called out to greet the 11 volunteers for another session of clearance. Unfortunately we were unable to work as fast as his "drumming".
Next session in a fortnight to tidy up and finalise for the year.
Spring flowers starting to emerge.
15th February
Something to brighten the wet day.
8th February
First butterfly - a male Brimstone.
6th February
Only 10 volunteers - slipping. Perhaps the pessimistic forecast was a factor. Never the less, they all got stuck in to continue work on the square.
24th January
Renewing the fencing around the Early Purple Orchids to protect against deer, mainly Muntjac.
23rd January
Once again, 11 volunteers turned up (no, not all the same as last time) for the second session.
9th January
11 willing volunteers turned up and despite the restricted tools handicap, managed a good start on this winters felling.