#baddesley common

01/08/2020-Emer Bog and Baddesley Common 

We opened August with another social distancing walk and wildlife watching along the way at a more local Hampshire Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust nature reserve Emer Bog and Baddesley Common near to North Baddesley. We had been here once before late last July and it was a similar day to that one today with the sun in and out among cloud but with some rain today a little bit at the start. It was great to explore this quite vast area, it really is a nice and wild bit of land and looks quite nice its a lovely reserve really and maybe an unsung one in Hampshire. I took the first, fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth picture in this photoset of views at this location today, as well as the second of two Peacocks from an array of animals in the adjoining Emer farm visible from the path which is nice. 

The first half hour or so of the walk was the most eventful in terms of wildlife seen really. Fifteen of those minutes walking along the path shown in the fourth picture I did another Big Butterfly Count survey: https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/ because the ragwort bordered path was teeming with Gatekeepers even when it was raining lightly. I counted 23 of these booming butterflies lately alongside 1 Meadow Brown and 1 Common Blue during that time and saw other butterflies elsewhere on our walk today. On one piece of ragwort we saw some Common Red Soldier beetles I am loving seeing them this year and of course Cinnabar moth caterpillar with a Gatekeeper. But also on there was the moth in the third picture I took today in this photoset. Someone my Mum knows suggested it was an Antler moth which we confirmed when researching this species. We had established it was one we’d never seen but just needed to work out what. Even before we knew it was a striking moth to see today really nicely marked I enjoyed seeing it and getting so close to get a photo. It felt like it added such a wild edge to the walk and was something to delve very deep into with nature as a littler creature. In an amazing year of moths for me its the fifth new species that I know what it is to be recorded onto my moth life list. The twenty eighth identified moth species I have recorded in ten years of having that slight interest in moths. The interest is really getting stronger this year with moments like these this year and the last few we seem so more aware of moths and little creatures now which I love. 

And as we walked on and went to the left on a circular walk into the area the fifth picture shows my Mum spotted a big and pretty caterpillar the one in the sixth picture in this photoset. This looked amazing and I was so happy to see and photograph it with my macro lens. The same friend of my Mum suggested this was a Buff-tip moth caterpillar which again we considered correct from looking it up. This was not something I’d ever seen before either and I very much enjoyed it too. These two new insects for us headlined our walk today. I took the seventh picture in this photoset of a patch of heather nearby. 

We walked on over the boardwalk and out and heard a Buzzard calling a lot in an area in woods we rested a little and looked at things which was great. A Jay and some more butterflies were great to see too the remainder of the walk. As we crossed the road to get back to the car the unique but upsetting sight of an Adder that had been the victim of a car greeted us. An interesting opportunity to look at it. Overall though, another top summer walk today that had a great atmosphere and was good to relax and it was nice to make the most of being able to safely come here. I took the tenth picture in this photoset of a Jackdaw when home on the roof visible from my room but rather differently taken outside today. I hope you all had a good Saturday.