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Windermere Rd Park/ground Saved
- Thread starter Morturn
- Start date
pjmburns
master brummie
More work over on the fields today. New damson tree planted in the orchard. Small fence woven to indicate a planted area. Plus seeds sown in the meadow - we also have some of the same seeds being brought on in trays for planting out later as seeds in the wild seem a bit hit and miss.
Attachments
) of one of our members showed us how to prune the trees in our orchard. Copious notes were taken for future reference. She is going to come back in January to help again.
pjmburns
master brummie
pjmburns
master brummie
Update on the Fields.
The cricket team who were trying to lease the field seem to have settled elsewhere. So it looks as if our Fields are safe - for now.
The Football team who use the football pitch are trying to get a further pitch marked. The Friends Group are happy with that as it doesn't involve any fencing off.
So good news so far.
The cricket team who were trying to lease the field seem to have settled elsewhere. So it looks as if our Fields are safe - for now.
The Football team who use the football pitch are trying to get a further pitch marked. The Friends Group are happy with that as it doesn't involve any fencing off.
So good news so far.
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pjmburns
master brummie
More good news - I bumped into our local wildflower/insect expert on the fields today.
He was clearing brambles to allow a patch of nettles to flourish for butterflies.
He then went to clear grass from around a buckthorn shrub - favoured food of the Brimstone butterfly. While he was doing that a female Brimstone arrived and laid 3 eggs.
He also told me he had seen a Painted Lady and 2 Red Admirals - he suspected these were migrants as smaller that those usually seen
So it looks as if our wildflower planting is paying off.
He was clearing brambles to allow a patch of nettles to flourish for butterflies.
He then went to clear grass from around a buckthorn shrub - favoured food of the Brimstone butterfly. While he was doing that a female Brimstone arrived and laid 3 eggs.
He also told me he had seen a Painted Lady and 2 Red Admirals - he suspected these were migrants as smaller that those usually seen
So it looks as if our wildflower planting is paying off.
pjmburns
master brummie
Update
- have emailed our expert to see if he can identify it for sure but found this on one of the Buckthorn bushes.
this is what i found mort...no mention of being white in colour
Ladybird larvae are typically black or dark gray, but they can also have yellow or orange markings. Some species may also have hairs or spikes on their bodies. For example, the Harlequin ladybird larvae is characterized by having two orange stripes and being spiky.
pjmburns
master brummie
Update from our expert.
Those are Hover Fly larva.
But ..... we do have lots of eggs and teeny weeny caterpillars on the Buckthorn. Too small to photograph. It was hard enough spotting them.
While we were looking a female appeared and laid more eggs. So we do have cause to celebrate.
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pjmburns
master brummie
Took Annie (fellow Fields gardener) with me today and her camera. Here we are (the fingers are mine holding the leaf still). Gives an idea of how tiny the caterpillar is. They lie along the ribs of the leaf and are almost invisible.
The yellow/white dots are the eggs. It takes seconds for the female to lay.
The yellow/white dots are the eggs. It takes seconds for the female to lay.
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pjmburns
master brummie
Two years ago acting on the advice of the Park Ranger assigned to the Fields (nw noo longer available because of cutbacks 
) we planted a hedge of Wild Roses. This was next to a low fence at the one side of the car park.
Not a lot happened last year although they seems to be growing. So we pruned them, made sure they were watered regularly (if necessary), talked to them.
This year most of them have grown really well and started to bush out.
This is the site that greeted me this morning. Other buds showing colour and plenty of buds forming. Well worth the effort and wait.
) we planted a hedge of Wild Roses. This was next to a low fence at the one side of the car park. Not a lot happened last year although they seems to be growing. So we pruned them, made sure they were watered regularly (if necessary), talked to them.
This year most of them have grown really well and started to bush out.
This is the site that greeted me this morning. Other buds showing colour and plenty of buds forming. Well worth the effort and wait.
lovely jan ...well done to all..Two years ago acting on the advice of the Park Ranger assigned to the Fields (nw noo longer available because of cutbacks
Not a lot happened last year although they seems to be growing. So we pruned them, made sure they were watered regularly (if necessary), talked to them.
This year most of them have grown really well and started to bush out.
View attachment 202203
This is the site that greeted me this morning. Other buds showing colour and plenty of buds forming. Well worth the effort and wait.
View attachment 202197
lyn
pjmburns
master brummie
We are trying to only plant native species