Green-veined White Butterfly

Although we had intended to start on the New Meadow Tansy plants we took our shears to the Creeping Thistle that has suddenly sprouted along the southern bank of Blue Beck below the Copse. Pete, Richard, Ron, Fiona and Mick cleared back what Creeping Thistle had started to grown among the Tansy plants along Blue Beck. This was made slightly difficult as the cattle had trampled everything and the Tansy was difficult to locate in places. We then moved up to the cattle grid but again the cattle had trampled and nibbled the Tansy plants there. We then moved into the Tansy enclosure around Blue Beck and cut back competing vegetation against the Tansy there. No Tansy Beetles were sighted and there was sign of “browning off” of some plants whilst no Tansy Aphids were see. Lots of butterflies around including Ringlet, Green-veined White and Gatekeeper (Hedge Brown).

Blue Beck bank before

Blue Beck bank after

Gatekeeper Butterfly

The next work party is on Thursday 1st August from 6:30 pm when we will hopefully tackle to areas of the Barrier Bank that haven’t been cut by them or our grazier i.e. in front of Cricket Field Copse and around the Hazel Copse at the south of the site over from the Pond.