It’s best not to test the harvestman leg myth

11:40am Wednesday 20th August 2008

WHETHER it be out in the woods or just in our garden, one animal I am sure most of us have encountered at some point is the harvestman.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Take a closer look at creatures it is hard to love

11:30am Wednesday 13th August 2008

ONE of our most common creatures has to be the fly.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Admire mountain ash, but don’t eat the berries

1:30pm Saturday 2nd August 2008

IN Wyre Forest district we are very fortunate to have wonderful sandy soil which give rise to very beautiful and rare habitats like lowland heath and acid grassland.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Sunny skies do wonders for reserves

5:40pm Monday 28th July 2008

THE glorious weather over the past week seems to have done wonders for invertebrates residing on our nature reserves.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Sea gooseberry isn’t as ugly as name suggests

10:50am Monday 21st July 2008

LIVING here in Wyre Forest district we have to think ourselves lucky at the volume, quality and variety of natural habitats that are available for us to enjoy.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Aphids are on the march

10:00am Monday 14th July 2008

THE warm, humid weather we have been experiencing lately has had amazing effects on the numbers of certain insects seen out on the reserves, with some being seen in vast numbers.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Eight years’ effort pays off

10:56am Monday 7th July 2008

BLAKE Marsh in Kidderminster is one of those places that has had a real rollercoaster ride, when it comes to its wildlife. It was once part of an extensive wetland system but the processes of development resulted in much of it been lost to housing and then finally through infilling to create sports pitches, leaving just a tiny fragment.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Damselflies ’dance’ to atttact mates

3:39pm Monday 30th June 2008

A WALK to check cattle fencing near the banks of the river Stour next to Puxton Marshes revealed one of the site’s most beautiful visitors.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Dung provides useful shelter, warmth and food

12:39pm Sunday 22nd June 2008

I HAVE received many comments from visitors to our local nature reserves on how lovely it is to see our cattle grazing.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Contenders for the bluebell’s crown

12:45pm Monday 16th June 2008

WHEN it comes to outstanding floral displays, the bluebell usually steals the show. Without doubt there were some wonderful shows on some of the district’s nature reserves this year, those on the Rifle Range and Hurcott pool were particularly stunning. However, the bluebells have now been and gone and there are many other species fighting for their crown.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Swifts and sand martins are joy to watch

2:44pm Sunday 8th June 2008

THERE have been two occasions this week which have served as an excellent reminder of why I chose a career in countryside management in the first place.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Splendid elder has associations with fairies

3:13pm Wednesday 4th June 2008

IF you take a walk around your local nature reserve, it is quite clear that summer is upon us. The warm (and damp) weather has resulted in a growth spurt among many of the plants. The marshes in places are particular impressive, with many areas, waist deep in grasses and iris.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Take closer look into spider’s world

2:30pm Saturday 24th May 2008

RECENT weather conditions seem to have been just right to encourage the insect population to soar, particularly those of the winged variety. I have noticed a large increase in the number of butterflies recently, as well as less attractive fly species.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Blink and you’ll miss our heathland sprinters

12:28pm Monday 19th May 2008

WHILE most of us have been enjoying the glorious warm weather, some of our nature reserves are becoming rather harsh places to be.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Bluebell has inspired people through history

2:43pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

IT would be difficult to dispute that spring is well and truly in full swing. The nature reserves of the district are a blaze of colour.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Take stroll through colourful landscape

12:56pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

THE arrival of May has chased the last traces of winter away. The landscapes are ablaze withcolour and at their most vibrant. Nowhere is this more true than within the bluebell woods.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Alien invader has effect on our native wildlife

2:53pm Monday 28th April 2008

WHILE walking into work the other morning I stumbled across something unusual on the footpath. I had spotted an alien invader.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Extra water may have positive effect on marsh

2:08pm Monday 21st April 2008

LATE April through to June is my favourite time to get out onto the district's wetlands and have a good look round. I try to do this quietly and usually with one other member of the Ranger Service. The quiet, slow approach to wandering across the marsh is adopted to avoid causing to much disturbance, to the marshes animal life.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

World heritage talk

2:31pm Wednesday 16th April 2008

The Friends of the Leasowes will meet on Wednesday April 23 at Leasowes School, Kent Road, Halesowen, at 7pm.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Lively calves have fun on our reserves

7:20pm Tuesday 15th April 2008

FOR many years, cattle have formed part of the management of many of the district's nature reserves. Their tireless consumption of the plant on the reserves contributes to the reserves' biological diversity.

Comments (0) | Have your say »

Older articles »