Welcome to Minchinhampton Walking and Wildlife Group

 Minchinhampton Common north side

The group was formed to share knowledge about the unique wildlife habitats in the parish of Minchinhampton and to enjoy the local environment in the company of like-minded people. We also monitor and investigate local habitats in conjunction with conservation organisations. Knowledge that we gain is shared on this website and by creating documented walks around the parish.

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While trying to track down Robert's Pasque flowers (see below) and which we think we found, plus four others on the slope overlooking Bear Hill (where we have failed to find them for several years), we also saw a small number of Duke of Burgundy butterflies being fairly lively in the sun, at the usual place on Rodborough.

The Early Purple orchid are now coming through in good numbers on the Common, and we found our first Green Winged just emerging, not far from Tom Long's Post

Update:  One Duke also seen on Bownham Common recently (8th May).

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Category: Ecology

Green Winged Orchid
Green Winged Orchid

We are meeting at the reservoir car park on Minchinhampton Common at 10:30am 30th April, for a gentle two-hour stroll to look at some of the areas that typically carry good populations of Early Purple and Green Winged orchids.

See this page for a description of orchids regularly found on our common. An example of a Green Winged is shown on the left. Note that the colour of is quite variable and some are much more purple and can at first sight sometimes be confused with the Early Purple orchids (whose colours are also variables). The distinctive feature is the rather subtle green striped sepals, which more are visible in the photograph of an almost white example below.


White variety of Green Winged orchid

 

All are welcome.

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Category: Local Walks

It was a bonus today to see some (five) Pasque Flowers on the lower slopes of Rodborough Common, whilst looking at Dingy Skippers, Orange Tips and Green Hairstreak Butterflies.

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Category: Flora

We say our first Orange Tip butterfly this week, and yesterday our first budding Early Purple orchid on Minchinhampton Common. (Today, the Early Purples are budding in a number of places.) The blackthorn blossom is flourishing, and an early blackbird fledgling was seen yesterday.

Spring is here!

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Category: General

First walk of the year was to Waterhay, a reserve in the Cotswold Water Park, just outside Ashton Keynes. Weather damp and warm (around 7 degrees C). We had sightings of Coot, Pochard, Wigeon (including a large grazing flock) Gadwall, Mute Swan, Comorant, a flight of Lapwing, Tufted Duck, Golden Eye, Great-crested Grebe (including a displaying pair) and a large white wader which may have been a Large Egret or a Spoonbill - we couldn't see. Also Crow, Blackbird, Chaffinch and a Buzzard foraging over one of the lakes. Not a bad haul for a mizzley day - and the beer and company at lunch was good too!

Contributed by Karen Colebourn and Tony Metcalfe

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Category: Non-local Walks
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