Cuckoo Jac.

 The British Trust for Ornithology have been able to catch and fit transponders to several of this year's brood of Cuckoos, and will be following their progress as they fly south on their first migration to Central Africa. I am sponsoring one bird which was born in Wales, near Llangollen, which has been named Jac. The previous Welsh bird which I sponsored came from mid Wales and tracked directly over Martinstown several times on its migrations, but Jac has now been located in France and missed us by miles. The latest report from BTO:-

 

  Llangollen Cuckoo JAC flew 340 km (211 miles) south-east across the English Channel, arriving in Normandy yesterday morning. He is close to Saint-Nicolas-de-la-Taille.

Jac now faces the long journey down through Spain, across the Med with perhaps a stop off to refuel in Morocco, and then the perilous crossing of the Sahara. But how on earth does he know the way?

Water Vole Returned.

 For some weeks now I have been patrolling the South Winterbourne in the evenings in search of signs of Water Voles, once a common resident of the stream, After a many barren evenings it was a delight to see two evenings ago a juvenile Water Vole in the stream by Shepherd's Cottage, contentedly nibbling away at thin stems of Hemlock Water Dropwort, and it was there again tonight. This plant, reputably the most poisonous in the British Isles and having caused fatalities to both humans and dogs, doesn't seem to affect the Voles. I remember seeing them eating it some years ago  further upstream. The count, which will continue until mid July, is part of a national survey, and I will now, after three years of zero counts will at last be able to enter a definite 'one'.

 

Down the path to Ashton.

The quickly warming, south facing bank at the side of the permissive path to Ashton is ablaze with flowers at the moment, Red Campion, with rose -red , pink and occasional white-bloomed plants, forms prominent clumps among the almost continuous Cow Parsley and the occasional very poisonous Hemlock. (The picture used to illustrate the article on Hemlock in Richard Mabey's Flora Britannica was taken from the Weymouth Road with some of the stream side plants in the foreground and the permissive path in the background) . A single plant of Hop has appeared, but most excitingly several specimens of Common Broomrape,  Orobanche minor have appeared just past the track up to Clandon farm.

Common Broomrape.  Photo. John Elliott

  Looking more like withered Orchids than anything else, due to their lack of chlorophyll, Broomrapes are parasitic, relying on nutrients derived from other plants, in this case probably from nearby Hop Trefoil and Bird's Foot Trefoil. It doesn't seem to have been recorded in the valley before so I will be entering it.

Butterflies are enjoying this bit of floral wilderness. Species recorded so far are Brimstone, Orange Tip, Peacock, Green Veined White ,Small Copper, Small Heath, and Painted Lady.