Harewood’s fringe and Longparish in summer – a photo tour David Beeson The woodlands that now form Harewood Forest once spread far and wide. They joined south to the New Forest, west to Great Selwood and north-east to join The Windsor Forest and east to The Wield. So, there’s not much left! Not much IContinue reading “The fringes of an ancient English forest”
Author Archives: johnanddavid
I poison myself
Euphorbias David Beeson, 12th July 2020 Now, I should know better. I write articles on plant toxicology and specifically know that euphorbias are poisonous … yet, I can be amazingly thick / uncareful at times. It was time to cut back some ‘spent’ plants in the garden. It’s a big area for the UK –Continue reading “I poison myself”
Something for the World
Picket Twenty Urban Park’s Wildlife – An introduction to Andover for non-locals! David Beeson July 2020 We all have an in-built tendency to complain and moan. I’m moaning now about people moaning! So, it must be true. Development has, especially in the past, been about destruction; fields into dense housing, hedges torn out, rivers canalised,Continue reading “Something for the World”
The most hated wildflowers?
Trampled, poisoned and mown to the ground. Are these the most hated wildflowers? Grasses and their allies David Beeson Delicately waving in the summer’s breeze, their leaves capturing the sun’s donated energy and using an alchemy to weave it into chemical bonds that trap the Kilojoules (Calories) into a usable form, grasses have a vitalContinue reading “The most hated wildflowers?”
You Should Read This! Ticks.
Ticks – what every wildlife enthusiast should know David Beeson If you wander the byways and grasslands almost anywhere in the world you will soon encounter one of these arachnids. Eight-legged little delights! Relatives of the spiders. They are common locally but I’m unaware of Lyme Disease here. There are over twenty different species ofContinue reading “You Should Read This! Ticks.”
Longparish on the River Test
Longparish Mill or the Hunt for a Golden Bloomed Longhorn Beetle John Solomon What am I doing here? There is a blustery breeze and nobody would describe it as warm, perhaps 19C but not over 20C. I didn’t get rained on driving out but some of the heavier clouds threaten to spit on me beforeContinue reading “Longparish on the River Test”
Sampling and Recording Data
Wildlife recording and sampling David Beeson, June 2020 You are interested in the natural world. You keep your eyes open or go out actively looking for organisms. So, what do we do with what we see? How useful is that data? Here are my thoughts on wildlife data and an encouragement for us all toContinue reading “Sampling and Recording Data”
Damsels
Chilbolton Common, June 25 John Solomon Thursday, mid-afternoon, and the summer has returned with a vengeance. The degrees “C” begin with a three and it is heavy and humid with not a hint of a trace that this sky ever saw a cloud. I pass the Mayfly on my right, West Down sweeps up toContinue reading “Damsels”
Cuckoo migration – link.
Wild Gladiolus
Searching for the UK’s wild gladiolus David Beeson, 23rd June 2020 Gladiolus illyricus is found only in the New Forest. This is no garden escape; it is a true wild UK plant, just very rare. The plant was only ‘discovered’ in 1856, but must have been hiding away for hundreds of years and ignored byContinue reading “Wild Gladiolus”
Harewood in Summer
An ancient UK oak woodland in summer David Beeson. 21st June 2020 In the end the important thing is to add it all together. Most of us enjoy spotting things. As a kid it happened to be steam locomotives and then, thankfully, young ladies. I didn’t keep a ‘black book’ but I can recall allContinue reading “Harewood in Summer”
Insects
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/gallery/2020/jun/10/spiky-hairy-shiny-la-abuzz-with-new-insect-discoveries-in-pictures-aoe Just a link to a UK Guardian photo article.
Slow-worms and the Moths of Harewood Forest
Legless lizards in your garden David Beeson June 2020 Life is amazing. From the Covid-19 virus (merely a stand of genetic material in a coat), through bacteria that can feed off plastic, to the tonnes of a massive whale or giant redwood, the diversity of life on our blue planet is mind-blowing. New forms ofContinue reading “Slow-worms and the Moths of Harewood Forest”
A Secret Pond – Damselfly Hunt
Secret Pond John Solomon 4th June 2020 While David was sampling the historic and exotic delights of Salisbury Plain I was off hunting a puddle. I get all the best gigs, but bear with me! I was on the trail of a conundrum. Rooksbury Lake is one of the most productive sites locally for DamselfliesContinue reading “A Secret Pond – Damselfly Hunt”
A Wet Meadow
Not a water meadow, just a wet meadow. (But, I’ll attach the Water Meadow article at the end) This John’s SECRET MEADOW. The River Test is one of the most beautiful lowland rivers in the world. It is not pristine because it does have fertilizer run-off and the cleaned effluent from sewerage works added. ButContinue reading “A Wet Meadow”
Edge of the A303, part 2
The UK has left the odds and sods spots for nature. We should be ashamed. Yes, France, Italy, Spain and the USA have some great locations to view wildspaces and the natural inhabitants that occur there. For example, the limestone meadows of the Dordogne, the Italian Dolomites with their iconic mammals, Grazelema and the lynxContinue reading “Edge of the A303, part 2”
No Cut (lawn) in May
Results from my non-cutting of my main lawn in May David Beeson 2nd June 2020 Sure, this is an eco / wildlife garden and we do attempt to be as positive as possible – yet, the flowers that have emerged this year have been a delight. The clay-over-chalk soil has been impoverished by cutting (andContinue reading “No Cut (lawn) in May”
Like Southern England 200 years ago
David Beeson 31st May 2020 Salisbury Plain To the west of Andover, the north of Salisbury and south of the M4 is Salisbury Plain. Worldwide this region is known for the enigmatic Stonehenge, Woodhenge and the other world-quality archaeological sites. They themselves merit a long journey, especially if you take the area seriously i.e. understandContinue reading “Like Southern England 200 years ago”
Secret Meadow
Secret Meadow John Solomon 29th May 2020 A field. Not a large field but, then again, not a truly small one. Roughly square and perhaps four hundred yards along each of its sides. Orientated just a little clockwise from North to South. A third of the way up from its Southern edge a line ofContinue reading “Secret Meadow”
Ladies, you probably will not believe me, but being a male can be hard work.
A Common Blue butterfly David Beeson May 26th … still in isolation from Covid-19. We are familiar with male elephants or giant North-American buffalo fighting to hold prime mating territory. Birds are singing to proclaim both fitness and territory – all to lure the female of the species into their lair. Or is it theContinue reading “Ladies, you probably will not believe me, but being a male can be hard work.”
Wildlife and Ecology, the Wildlife Encyclopaedia 