Ramblings, photos and thoughts from the village of Bepton, West Sussex – plus Midhurst, The South Downs, Chichester and surrounding areas.
The recent dry spell of weather is causing all sorts of problems for our local wildlife. Take this poor hare. He should be hidden below waist-high crops, but all the fields are dry and brown. Nothing seems to be growing and the drought is making life hard for our Badgers too.
It’s only the 21st June and look at this – a Hummingbird Hawkmoth scooting around the garden!
Marsh Tits and Willow Tits are almost impossible to distinguish by sight alone – their call is the main way to tell them apart. But how can you differentiate them if they’re not making any noise? Here’s a great example – photographed through my office window!
I know most people like cute kittens, but I’d say the little face on this Long Tailed Tit is right up there on the cutenessometer! Continue reading “So cute!”
Bullfinches have a fearsome reputation amongst fruit growers. A pair (and Bullfinches always operate in pairs) can wreck a commercial orchard in just a few days. As gorgeous as they are – some folk consider them to be a pest!
Continue reading “Bullfinches are stripping my Cherry Tree!”
It’s been a busy year for Fieldfares. We’ve had flocks of 30-50 birds, chack-chacking around the hedgerows and squabbling over fruit in our neighbour’s crab apple tree.
Now here’s an odd question. Are Monkey Puzzles an invasive species colonising the English countryside? Do they self seed or do they need someone to plant them to become established?
Well actually there was a Mottled Umber Moth! Flying around the house after I accidentally let it in when I opened the front door.
Continue reading “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house…”
We’re lucky enough to have a field at the end of our garden. And even luckier to have an Egret wandering around it too!
Bepton Down is 14 hectares of unique chalk grassland on the north face of the South Downs overlooking Bepton. It’s a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and an area of national importance.
Continue reading “Poor management of Bepton Down SSSI on The South Downs”
