Fauna & Flora 2009
Over the past year I have gained a great deal of enjoyment from walking round Stockbridge Meadows. I have taken a note of flowers, birds and a few mammals and insects – as well as the occasional wild life (e.g. spider) that doesn’t fit into any of these categories. I have also taken photographs on a monthly basis throughout 2009.
I remember going into the Parish Office on a snowy day in February and saying “Stockbridge Meadows is our little bit of paradise”. I still think so.
It may interest readers to know that I have positively identified 29 species of birds, including kingfisher, goldcrest and buzzard (4, circling overhead). My list includes birds I have heard but not seen and those flying overhead.
| Birds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Black-headed gull | Blackbird | Bluetit | Buzzard |
| Chaffinch | Chiffchaff | Collared dove | Crow |
| Dunnock | Goldcrest | Great spotted woodpecker | Great tit |
| Green woodpecker | Greenfinch | Jackdaw | Jay |
| Kingfisher | Long-tailed tit | Magpie | Mallard |
| Mistle thrush | Moorhen | Pheasant | Robin |
| Rook | Song thrush | Swift | Wood pigeon |
| Wren | Possible sightings of Bullfinch | ||
| Plants | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Achillea | Alkanet | Birdsfoot trefoil | Bittercress |
| Black meddick | Black nightshade | Blackberry | Bladder campion |
| Bryony | Burdock | Butterbur | Buttercup |
| Celandine | Codlins and cream | Comfrey | Common figwort |
| Common mallow | Cowslip | Creeping thistle | Dandelion |
| Dog daisy | Elder | Eyebright | Field poppy |
| Field scabious | Forget-me-not | Fumitory | Germander speedwell |
| Goosegrass | Greater knapweed | Ground ivy | Groundsel |
| Guelder rose | Hoary cress | Hogweed | Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon |
| Ladies bedstraw | Lords and ladies | Meadowsweet | Musk mallow |
| Plantain | Purple loosestrife | Ragged robin | Ragwort |
| Rape | Red clover | Ryegrass | Scabious |
| Scentless mayweed | Sedge | Selfheal | Small flowered cranesbill |
| Sow thistle | Spear thistle | Stinging nettle | Tufted vetch |
| Water forget-me-not | Watercress | Weld | Welted thistle |
| White campion | White clover | White dead-nettle | Yellow flag iris |
| And for good measure; Rabbits, Molehills, Tent spider and a big brown slug. | |||
I am a lot less sure of some of the plants, but even so, have an impressive total of 65 identified.
It will be noted from my lists that I am very much an interested amateur and know that there is a lot that I will have missed. I would be interested to hear from anyone reading this who might be able to help me better identify plants and insects through 2010 and in particular, one plant that I cannot find in any of my wild flower guides? I have some photographs of it. I am also slightly puzzled by the white thistles. According to my books this plant is a rarity, but Stockbridge Meadows has them in abundance.
Barbara Mitchell
Telephone 01763 261518