Welcome to Minchinhampton Walking and Wildlife Group
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.
A Good Year for Bee Orchids on the Common?
During a zig-zag walk around Minchinhampton Common yesterday my wife, Mary, and I counted about 150 bee orchids in various patches, including some containing ~30 plants within a 10 meter diameter circle. The photograph shows some of the orchids from a patch along side the east side of the Burleigh road. This morning we came across another patch of ~30. Not our find, just curiosity about a photographer bending over in the grass just the other side of the road (Reservoir side) from Tom Long's post. He told us about a Wasp Orchid on the Bulwarks - so off to find that as soon as the rain stops! Thanks whoever you are. Watch this space. (Wasp Orchids are a variety of Bee Orchids but with a more elongated flower coming to a distinct point. We had one in our garden a few years ago.)
For such a spectacular plant, they can be surprisingly difficult to see until you almost trip over them, and of course they seem to be most abundant away from routes commonly used by walkers, hence our decision to keep to the longer grass yesterday. (Mary is much better than me at spotting the plants.) The patch in the photograph is about 10 meters away from where we normally cross the road in our regular circuit of the Common - but we have probably never crossed at that exactly that point in our previous two decades of doing this walk. We assume that there are still a good many patches that we have not yet managed to find. We had visions of Minchinhampton Wild-Walkers doing a systematic survey by slowly walking the entire Common in line-abreast and annoying the hell out of the golfers. (Perhaps not such a good idea after all.)
Unfortunately, we do not have any systematic information from our previous year's attempts to find Bee Orchids so we do really know if it is a good year, or just that we have got better at looking.
- Details
- Written by Michael McEllin
- Category: Flora
Bee Orchids reaching their peak on Commons
This morning's walk over to Rodborough Common produced many sightings of Bee Orchids including about ten on Rodborough itself, but also twenty just at the end of Windmill Road, at the north end of the area used as a rugby pitch in the winter season. We regularly look out for Bee orchids in this location and usually find them in good numbers. A number of other locations where we usually expect to see examples have been disappointing this year, however. We have been compensated by finding spikes in other unexpected locations.
- Details
- Written by Michael McEllin
- Category: Flora
Daneway Banks
A brief visit today to Daneway Banks on a balmy afternoon produced some good butterflies including a Marbled White getting frisky with a Small Heath, several newly emerged Large Blues on Wild Thyme, Painted Lady and a less than fresh Green Hairstreak.
- Details
- Written by Robert South
- Category: Butterflies
Emergent Blues
Good to see this weekend on the lower slopes at Pinfarthings both Little Blues and Adonis Blues; both looked fresh and there were quite a few Little Blues.
- Details
- Written by Robert South
- Category: Butterflies
A May Walk - Strawberry Banks from Chalford
This is an excellent short walk devised by Tony Metcalfe which, having plenty of shade, is ideal for a sunny day in May. At this time it also has the promise of seeing the rare Marsh Fritillary butterfly, and also butterfly orchids, on Strawberry Banks nature reserve. The total length is about 5.3 km (about 3 miles) with a modest amount of climbing up to the top of Strawberry Banks.
- Park in the long lay-bye between Old Neighbourhood and the entrance to Chalford High Street.
- Walk towards the "Lavender Bake House" (in the Cirencester direction) until you can pick up the entrance to the canal towpath.
- Follow the towpath for approximately 2km, going under two road bridges.
- After the second bridge, arriving at Baker's Mill cross the bridge over the canal onto the road and turn right (back in the Chalford direction).
- Follow the road back across the canal and keep left in the direction of Chalford.
- Take a rising track into the woodland below Strawberry Banks along a public footpath.
- Explore the two fields of this nature reserve, which are rich in wild flowers and butterflies.
- Descend along the stream and cross over stepping stones. Note the "tufa" on the stream bed.
- Take a rising track to Oldhill Woods (name as marked on the OS map - possibly also know locally as Three Groves Wood). There are numerous tracks through this wood the required route is broad, stays high, runs west.
- Follow the track through woods to Valley Corner, swinging north into Dimmel's Dale.
- Descend back to Chalford and pick up the canal again to return to your car.
This walk passes through Strawberry Banks nature reserve, a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), it is managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and has open access at all times. The fields, surrounded by woodland, are Oolitic Limestone grasslands supporting a stunning variety of flora and fauna. During our brief visit the Early Purple orchid, Greater Butterfly orchid, Common Spotted orchid, Wild Columbine, Common Rockrose, Milkwort and Sainfoin providing vivid splashes of colour throughout the grassland. Strawberry Banks is a local hot spot for the Marsh Fritillary butterfly and judging by the number of photographers there, one of the most photographed. Marsh Fritillaries breed in the same patch year on year. They are found on the wing from mid May to early June with the males emerging first. The male is usually smaller than the female and slightly darker, although the colour of both sexes can vary from bright to dull and pale to dark. This was very evident during our visit. The food plant for the caterpillars is Devil's-bit Scabious and the female prefers those growing in a warm sunny position to lay her eggs on.
Strawberry Banks is the highlight of the walk but the woodlands and the pathway running between the river and canal offer many delights, Dippers skimming over the water or bobbing up and down when perched to the slanting sunlight through the fresh green leaves. Enjoy nature at it's best.
Marsh Fritillary at Strawberry Banks |
Sainfoin, Strawberry Banks |
- Details
- Written by Michael McEllin
- Category: Non-local Walks
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