Wasp Spider

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Whilst counting butterflies in the lagoons west of the Rife, a Wasp Spider was spotted. This uncommon, introduced species mimics wasps with its black and yellow striped abdomen thus avoiding predators. It builds an orb web with a decoration called the stabilimentum in the centre which may attract its prey. The female is large, 15mm, but the male is an insignificant brown and only 4.5mm. It tries to creep in and mate with the female without being eaten. He waits until her final moult and rushes in while her jaws, or chelicerae, are still soft so hopefully avoiding cannibalism. Some males actually stop further males from mating by ‘plugging’ the female with their own body! There’s dedication for you!

Found in southern England, Europe, North Africa and Asia and even some eastern USA states, the Wasp Spider appears to be extending its range.

FCG Members and Beavers Group – Beach Walk June 2017

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In June, 3 members of the Ferring Conservation Group met up with the Beavers associated with the 2nd Worthing Scouts on the beach at Sea Lane.

Beavers are the youngest members of the Scout movement, and are aged between 6 and 8 years.  They are given the chance to take part in a wide range of activities, including working on Badge and Challenge awards, to gain recognition of their achievements. Our meetings were intended to support them in this goal.

At our first meeting, on a very windy day, there were 14 Beavers. Working in pairs, they were set on a Treasure Hunt to find a variety of natural objects on the beach. This was taken on with great enthusiasm, and led to demonstrations of their knowledge of a shoreline environment. Each pair then turned their shells, seaweed, cuttlefish bones and egg cases into ‘portraits’ with some amusing results.

Our second meeting, with much better weather, saw the Beavers kitted out with hi-viz jackets, rubber gloves, litter pickers and sacks. They worked in teams of 2 and made their way along the beach picking up litter. They then sorted the litter into different materials. They talked about what they had found, the materials the litter was made up of, and the danger that this presented for our environment.

These events were good fun, enhanced by the keen interest shown by the Beavers, and the reassurance that young people know and care about their environment. Ferring Conservation Group were pleased to help out and enjoyed themselves as much as the Beavers!.

Visit to Warnham Nature Reserve July 2017

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On 11th July, 10 members of Ferring Conservation Group met at Warnham Nature Reserve near Horsham. It was pouring with rain, but, undeterred, our guide Jacob Everitt, ecologist and reserve warden for Horsham D.C., netted a Common Blue Damselfly roosting by a pond and gave us a lively demonstration of its anatomy. He showed us how to handle damselflies and dragonflies, their differences and life cycles. We now know the difference between pterostigma and antehumeral stripes!

Fortunately the weather improved and we set out across the meadow to identify the many wild flowers and Jacob netted a Black-tailed Skimmer so we all had an in-hand view of a dragonfly. Few butterflies were about, but a perfect Small Copper was found. The star plant was a Broad-leaved Helleborine, a large member of the orchid family. Little was seen in and around the dipping ponds apart from an accommodating pike. We completed our visit with snacks in the cafe and a brief look for birds from the hides. A brand new hide is closed because a pair of Reed Warblers  built a nest right in front of the viewing area. When the babies have fledged the hide will be opened to the public.

Patricia Hall

Highdown Nature Walk July 2017

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Around 15 members turned up on a rather hot day to look at birds, flowers and butterflies.We met at the Highdown car park and set off round the top of the gardens, with Tricia Hall in charge of identifying wildlife. 

The grass meadow was alive with grasshoppers and many meadow brown butterflies, plus a few burnet moths. Assorted wildflowers were present, and as we reached the western edge, the number of pyramidal orchids semi-hidden in the grass rose, with a good patch behind the commemorative bench at the western edge. We proceeded through a gap to the hill above the covered reservoir, which last year had been a magnificent sight due to thousands of pyramidal orchids, but this year, unfortunately, Southern Waters’ contractors have regularly mown it, and all have been cut. (Next year Graham plans to contact them in advance to remind them of their undertaking to leave the majority of it uncut between May and September).

There were still a number of the orchids around the outer edge of the reservoir, and also clovers, birds’ foot trefoil, eyebright and meadow vetchling within the grasses.

Around the lower edge of the reservoir the plants included agrimony, hemp agrimony, St John’s wort, selfheal, red campion and vervain. Some gatekeeper butterflies were seen as well as meadow browns, common blues and also more 6 spot burnet moths. Chiff chaffs and whitethroats could be heard.

The party split into 2 groups, one going down the track, the other through the rough meadow (the one which has been threatened with eco-yurts) in the hope of seeing some late bee orchids still in flower, but only seed heads could be found. Some pyramidal orchids were visible, and a few seed heads of marsh orchids. Several marbled white butterflies were seen, and some cinnabar moth caterpillars.

The party reunited to go through onto the public meadow above the sports field, and common mallow, meadow cranesbill and scabious were noted. A kestrel, sparrow hawk and red kite were spotted.

The trip was rounded off with a visit to Highdown cafe for refreshments.

 

Group Meeting – 28th July 2017

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At our July meeting, and due to popular demand, we welcomed back David Plummer, an expert international wildlife photographer. David continued to share with us his fascinating accounts of photographing animals and birds in their natural environment. David explained that many of his photographs are the result of many hours and sometimes days of patience, often in uncomfortable situations. Also the photographs that appear to be endearing are frequently quite the opposite. As an example David showed us a photograph of two lion cubs that looked as if they were snuggled up together but in reality they were licking the blood from each other after sharing a kill.

David spends around six months of the year travelling worldwide acting as a guide to novice wildlife photographers, and conducting bespoke private tours in India, the Galapagos Islands, Kenya, including the Maasai Mara and Rwanda to film target species with particular expertise in the Pantanal region of Brazil and Hungary. These trips spare no expense in securing the very best wildlife experience and time is spent studying and understanding the animals to obtain the best possible shots.

When David is not travelling he works at the Sussex Wildlife Trust, Knepp Castle Estate and the BN5 Owl Project, a community based project in Small Dole near Henfield. He also runs non-photographic wildlife safaris and guided birding on the North Kent and Welsh coasts.

It was not until recently that David chose to disclose the fact that he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2009, aged 40 years old. This event has not deterred David but instead spurred him on to make the very best of life and he has achieved some of his greatest work since his diagnosis.

Following a break for tea and biscuits Tricia Hall delivered her Nature Notes and advised us that fringed lilies were evident on the Rife and that the ‘Big Butterfly Count’ would take place between Friday 14th July and Sunday 6th August. This is a nationwide survey aimed at helping to assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and is now the world’s largest survey of butterflies. In 2016 over 36,000 people took part counting almost 400,000 individual butterflies and day-flying moths across the UK. Tricia gave us a list of butterflies that we may spot in our area of West Sussex; meadow brown, gate keeper, common blue, holy blue, comma, speckled wood, small tortoiseshell, peacock, red admiral, brimstone, painted lady, clouded yellow, green-veined white, small white and large white. To take part in this count and for further information visit: www.bigbutterflycount.org

Ed Miller concluded the meeting with news that there were no new planning applications for Ferring and that the revised parking space plan for Sea Drive Flats was to be decided by Arun DC later this month. Ed also advised us that over 700 houses were planned to be built either side of Water Lane in Angmering.

Summer Social

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The Group’s annual Summer Social takes place at Ferring Village Hall on Sat 26 August, starting at 6.30pm.

As usual, this will include a hot buffet style meal and a dessert, as well as a your first drink. The menu this year will be as follows:

Choice of Chicken breast in cream and mushroom sauce, or Beef bourgignon, or Goats cheese and mediterranean veg tarts, plus selection of seasonal salads (apple coleslaw, tomato and mozzarella, green mixed salad) and French bread and butter

Followed by choice of gateaux selection and cream, fresh fruit salad and cream, or Banoffee pie and cream.

There will also be a good quality prize raffle, a variety of interesting prize quizzes for your entertainment, and of course good company and conversation.

Tickets priced at £10 per person will be available at our next members’ meeting on Friday 28 July also at Ferring Village Hall, starting at 7.30pm, and also from our treasurer, Gloria Moffatt on 502139. Tickets are limited, so please get in quick!

Information on helping hedgehogs

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Our hedgehogs are really struggling. Have a look at a new short article in the Nature Notes section of this website, written by committee member, Graham Tuppen, to see what you might be able to do in your garden to help them. A number have been seen recently around the village in gardens, so there is some hope for them if we all do our bit.

Making your garden Hedgehog friendly

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Avoid using slug pellets.

Make it easy for them to come in by making holes in/gaps under fences. If you have hedges, avoid having chicken wire barriers in them. They need holes of approx 15cm/6in diameter. They can climb, but are unlikely to scale a 6 foot fence.

Have water available in your garden for them (and all other wildlife) to drink. If you have a pond, give them an escape ramp of some sort, they can swim but are not able to do so indefinitely.

If you want to feed them, don’t leave bread and milk for them, as this is actually bad for their tummies. Dog or cat food is better, left out overnight. Apparently they like chicken flavour,  but avoid all fish. They will eat unsalted peanuts and apparently some cheese. The risk of dog/cat food is that you will simply be feeding foxes (and possibly dogs and cats). It is possible to buy dried foods (eg Spike’s and Ark wildlife) specifically for hedgehogs which should avoid this problem (eg Shoreline pets in the Mulberry parade, Goring stock some).

For hibernating, a loose woodpile is ideal, but you can either buy hedgehog houses, or make one. The basic requirement is a dry chamber, with an entrance tunnel approx 13cm diameter, long enough to prevent a fox from reaching into the chamber. Ideally the tunnel should slope down slightly from the chamber, to prevent water running in. The chamber should be covered with a waterproof material, and preferably then covered in earth or vegetation, and a supply of suitable bedding material such as straw and leaves nearby is useful. The home should be in a quiet, cool, shady spot, with the entrance facing away from cold winds (not North or Northeast). An old plastic milk crate with the internal partitions removed is suitable. If making one of wood, avoid material which is treated with preservatives, other than water-based. Approx 30 x 30 x 40cm/15 x 15 x 19 in. internal size. Avoid disturbing it if there is a resident!, one way to check in the Spring is to put a light obstruction over the entrance and see if it is pushed out of the way overnight. In the summer it is a good idea to clean it out, an organic pyrethrum powder suitable for caged birds is ok.

For further information, do have a look at an excellent website – www.hedgehogstreet.org

Information provided by Graham Tuppen (5.7.2017)

Group Meeting – 30th June 2017

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The Group heard from Yvonne Fenter, who is one of the charity’s volunteer speakers, but is also a trustee and wife of the founder of the hospital. It had been set up originally in the village of Eartham, but moved to its current site in 1985 where it continues to this day. There is work going on currently to improve the facilities, which are so well used for wildlife in need, and in fact our local WADARS organisation transports many rescued birds and animals there if necessary for their treatment and recuperation.

The hospital treats some 3000 patients a year, of which approximately 2500 are birds of all species. Many of these are of course baby birds, which have to be fed constantly, and staff make use of liquidised dog and cat food fed on the end of a paint brush for this purpose. It should be noted that members of the Group on the night stepped up to the mark and answered the hospital’s request to bring along meat based dog and cat food with them as a donation. Scores of cans and packets were passed on for their use, as well as some generous cash donations. All of these were gratefully received by Yvonne.

The principle of the hospital is that if any animal or bird is in need, then they will treat it. To complete the talk, Yvonne gave members useful advice on what to do if they found an animal requiring help, and she outlined the particular problem of discarded fishing hooks and line which can easily be ingested by sea birds. Continuing the sea theme, she told the Group that oiled birds were not the problem they used to be with the practice of ships illegally flushing out their tanks in the channel having virtually stopped.

We are very lucky to have such a facility near to us in the county, and it deserves our support. They do have their own charity shop in the Guildbourne Centre in Worthing, where they will happily receive items to sell, as well as items such as towels, newspapers etc to use in the care of their patients.

Ferring Conservation Group Orchid and Bird Walk 13th June 2017

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A group of 20 members from Ferring Conservation Group, and Shoreham District Ornithological Society turned out on Tues 13th June in glorious sunshine to walk along the Rife from the Bluebird Cafe up to the Ferring Country Centre with the aim of enjoying the varied wildlife, expertly led by Tricia Hall.

Notable trees and shrubs, some in flower, included Elder, Hazel, Sea Buckthorn, Blackthorn, Hawthorn, Wild and Guelder Rose, and a sizeable patch of the shrubby herb Deadly Nightshade.

Flowers along the Rife itself included Comfrey, Cow Parsley, Willow herb, Meadowsweet and Horsetail.

In the lagoons, the show of orchids was not at its best, but good numbers of Marsh Orchid, both Incarnata and Pulchella, were seen, with some Common Spotted, but no sign of any Bee Orchids. However, there were numerous other flowers of interest, from the brilliant yellow Flag Irises to the dainty Water Plantain, and Tufted Vetch, Meadow Vetchling, Fleabane, Yellow Loosestrife, Coltsfoot, Self-Heal and Everlasting Sweet Pea. Grasses, Sedges and Rushes were in abundance.

Birds included Buzzard, Whitethroat, Reed Bunting, Swallow, Reed Warbler, Chiffchaff and Blackcap, but the stars of the show were a group of 4 little Egrets and a Grey Heron all perching in the trees just north of the upper lagoon.

Wildlife in the ponds included Newts (either common or palmate), Froglets, Water Boatmen, Pond Skaters, Whirligig Beetles, tiny Flatworms and a Leech, and several Black-tailed Skimmer dragonflies put on an aerial display over the water.

The butterflies spotted were Small Tortoiseshell, Common Blue and Speckled Wood and the moths were Five-spot Burnet and Burnet Companion.

The walk was rounded off with refreshments at Ferring Country Centre.