Southrey Wood Blog 2023

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

If you would like to visit the site or any of our other sites in Lincolnshire, please take a look at our Events. 

2023/4 Workparties:
Dates arranged are as follows. (All 10 til 3ish)
December 3rd    (Sunday)
December 6th    (Wednesday)
December 17th  (Sunday)
December 19th  (Tuesday)
January 7th        (Sunday)
January 21st      (Sunday)
February 4th      (Sunday)
February 18th    (Sunday)
March 10th         (Sunday)                          

It is area 1 this winter, the piece nearest the eastern car park. This is a large area and may not get finished so as many volunteers as possible please.
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 2022

 

---

 

Southrey Wood Blog 2023

5th November
Disappointing turnout for the first workparty of the Autumn/Winter - only 4 volunteers.
Still. work done by the small band worthy of praise.....
 

6th October
Peter Cawdell reports.......
'Visited Southrey Wood today in the company of John Davison and Colin Watkin. Sunny spells brought out a couple of late Speckled Woods and 3 Green-veined Whites. We also saw 3 Red Admirals and a Comma. All the butterflies in our Coppice Area Reserve.
During a lunch break I was sitting at the side of the New Ride and noticed what I at first thought was a medium sized Earth Worm I thought I had encouraged to the surface next to my leg. It didn't seem quite right as it crawled slowly over the tops of the short sward rather than escaping into the soil at ground level. A closer look revealed it had a tiny snake triangular shaped head, although it was an orangey brown colour without any obvious yellow mark around the neck area. However it can only have been a baby Grass Snake about 3½ inches long. I have seen many adult greenish ones, including a few here over the years, and many very young blackish ones but this is the first brown one I remember. I suppose it was in transition to the adult colouration. Anyway, it is good to find that we have created the required breeding conditions for reptiles at our site.'
On further investigation, it was decided that this was a young Slow Worm.There was an old record from College Wood, and the 1970's LNU animal atlas at ~Scotgrove and ~New Park. A recent one from Rand Wood and then lots from the Woodhall Spa area.
Definitely one to look out for in the future.

17th August
Warm but quite hot when the sun comes out from behind the clouds.

The Devil's-bit Scabious is now fully out and the Butterflies are taking full advantage.

Another worn Purple Hairstreak came down on the main track. There were 7 Silver-washed Fritillary in total, 2 on main track, 3 on Tower Rides and 2 on BC Ride. Large numbers of Red Admiral, Brimstone, Gatekeeper and Peacock. Smaller numbers of Common & Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Brown Argus and Comma. All 3 Whites as usual.

Hundreds of Common Darter, some Ruddy Darters and Migrant Hawkers.

10th August
Warm and sunny, a few clouds.
Still lots of Peacock on the Main Ride. 2 Silver-washed Fritillary on Main, Tower & BC Rides respectively. A "tatty" Purple Hairstreak at the start of the Main Ride. Lots of Brimstone on the Purple Loosestrife. Other butterflies - Comma, Peacock, Red Admiral, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper and Holly Blue.

Other Fauna......

 

7th August
Peter Cawdell reports...........

Peacocks have made a remarkable recovery if the numbers I saw this afternoon are anything to go by. There were several hundred, mostly fresh, along the main ride - too many to count. They were mainly nectaring on the abundant Knapweed flowers. They must have had a very successful breeding season.
Fresh Brimstones were also in large numbers. I counted 9 Silver-Washed Fritillaries plus another in our Reserve area. For once it was easy to count

the individual ones as nearly all were sporting their unique 'war wounds' on their wings from skirmishes with birds. About equal numbers of males and females. There were large numbers of Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown and about 10 Red Admiral.

Other butterflies noted in small numbers were: Brown Argus 4 (inc.2 in Reserve), 2 Holly Blue (inc.1 in Reserve), 3 Common Blue males, 4 Small Skipper (inc.2 in Reserve), Comma in Reserve, 4 Ringlet (inc.2 in Reserve). Of the Whites there were plenty of Large (10+), 20+ Green Veined  and a smaller number of Small (about 6).                                     
There was a Humming-bird Hawk-moth and several Roesel's Bush-cricket at the top of the New BC Ride. Also a young Buzzard calling repeatedly.

28th July
Warm but still only sunny intervals

Silver-washed still out on main track and BC rides together with lots of Red Admiral, Comma, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Gatekeeper and Whites.
 

Other Fauna.......

 

20th July
Overcast but sun came out at intervals.

First butterfly seen was a Silver-washed Fritillary. Others included Large, Small & Green-veined White, Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Gatekeeper, Red & White Admiral, Peacock and Small Skipper.

7th July
Very warm day with very good numbers of butterflies.

About 6 Purple Hairstreak flitting about head height like Holly Blue on the main track.
Over a dozen White Admiral on the same track.

Silver-washed Fritillary on the Track as well as on the Tower Ride and 3 on the BC Ride.

Hundreds of the 3 Browns - Meadow Brown, Ringlet & Gatekeeper as well as Red Admiral, Comma and lots of Whites.
29th June
Pleasant day with sun at intervals.

Plenty of White Admirals about.
 

Others on the wing included Meadow Brown, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Large Skipper, Red Admiral and Large & Small White.

Other Fauna......

 

23rd June
Pleasant day - Nice to see White Admiral out....

Other butterflies included Large White, Peacock, Red Admiral, Comma, Ringlet and Meadow Brown.
 

Other Fauna........

 

13th June
Hot day again but hardly any butterflies.
Speckled Wood, Brimstone, odd White and lone Small Copper.

30th May
Still cool with no butterflies on the wing. There were still things about.......

23rd May
Nice warm day but no heat wave. Small number of butterflies reflects this.
Large  & Green-veined White, Brimstone, Holly Blue, Orange-tip and Brown Argus.

Birds included Garden Warbler, Chiffchaff, Robin and Blackbird.
Other Fauna........

13th May
Peter Cawdell reports........

Counted Early Purple-orchids. 10 in enclosure, 1 inside adjacent wood, 8 along small stretch of ditch parallel to Viking Way just outside our reserve.

9th May
Bright sunny day with Brimstone, Orange-tip, Speckled Wood and the normal Whites on the wing.

Other Fauna........

 

3rd May
Sunny day again with Large, Small and Green-veined White on the wing together with Brimstone, Orange-tip and Peacock.

Early Purple-orchid starting to emerge in the enclosure with 10 spikes so far. More to come, I am sure.

18th April
All species from yesterday still around though smaller numbers. Flora looking splendid. Note also the Colt's-foot on the main ride from the road.

17th April
Peter Cawdell reports.........
Not looking bad in the sunshine today. Never been so flowery! 
15 Peacock
11Brimstone ( 8M,3F)
7 Green-veined White
2 Comma
1 Holly Blue

Also 2 Muntjac

The rides were exceptionally flowery. Relieved to see usual numbers of spring Peacock after the dearth of them last year. Those that went into hibernation must have survived well. Surprised to see the early Holly Blue.
Early Purple Orchids not showing yet.

11th April
Still taking time to warm up, good job Green-veined White and Peacock are not too fussy.

 

 

4th April
Lovely sunny day but temperatures still on the low side.
Still things on the move...............
Great Spotted Woodpecker "tapping", Green Woodpecker "yaffling" and Buzzard flying overhead.
Brimstone and Peacock about.

 

Spring flowers now showing well.

 

 

 

Quite a few Dark-edged Bee-flies (Bombylius major) about.

 

 

27th March
Lovely sunny day, though still cool but Comma and Brimstone on the wing.
Jay calling, Muntjac "barking" and Spring flowers emerging.

 

 

19th February

 

 

 

 

 

 Glorious day reflected in the turnout of 15 volunteers.

 

Managed to complete the designated square and conclude the seasonal workparties.

 

A big thanks to Steve again for organising the events.

 

....and of course to all the volunteers who turned out.

 

 

 

 

 

29th January
A good turnout today with 16 volunteers. First workparty butterfly of the year - a Brimstone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

8th January

 

Perhaps the after-effects of the New Year celebrations but still 9 volunteers turned out to continue the work.