November 2013

Yellow and brown hues tarnish the trees and hedgerows as autumn progresses. Fungi scatter the ground; puffballs appear the most common on the Chalk Downland slopes, appropriately named because of the clouds of brown dust-like spores which are emitted when the fungi bursts.

On the sunny, still autumn days we are still seeing plenty of butterflies. Among them are Red Admiral, Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Large Whites, and Clouded Yellows.

An exciting sighting just outside West Lulworth was of a Red Kite soaring the blue skies on a sunny day; its forked tail could be clearly seen against the sky. This graceful Bird of Prey is an Amber listed species because of its historical decline. The species was saved from national extinction by a protection programme, and has now been successfully re-introduced to England and Scotland. They appear to be spreading far-and-wide as there have been a few sightings in Dorset over recent years.

The usual feathered suspects have been seen on Bindon Hill and Hambury Tout over the last few weeks including Meadow Pipits, Wheatears, and Stonechats.

Two peregrines were seen flying over Bindon Hill a few weeks ago. We wonder whether they are the pair seen nesting at St Oswald’s Bay or another from the stretch between the east-side of the Cove and the Fossil Forest.

We have chosen Ivy flowers for the flower of the month. These greenish-yellow clusters of flowers provide a rare source of nectar this time of year. As a result they provide a spectacle on warm days for Ivy Bees that collect the nectar and ‘hum’ with satisfaction. These emerge in late summer and remain on the wing until early November.