A Special Visitor

Friday, November 24th 2017

Inspired by attending the Sanctuary Award Ceremony in London on Wednesday, Geoffrey Robson (the Chief Operating Officer for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation) took advantage of a visit to the DIO North Office at Wathgill to visit Foxglove Covert. Looking at how the reserve has developed over the last 25 years, with the wide range of contributions made by volunteers, staff and supporting organisations over that time, he left saying this is a 'fantastic facility - a real pleasure to come and visit'.

Whilst some volunteers were in London work continued at Foxglove. The weather was terrible so it was a good job that we had some indoor jobs to carry out. Chris and Pauline entered the fungi data from a survey carried out in September. This task is not completed yet but already 10 new species have been recorded. Ruth was busy 'trimming photos and adding stickies'. 'Stickies' being the velcro, we use to attach the photos to the display boards.

Indoor work

Linda had the unenviable task of filing the photos we no longer wanted and then being asked to find some of them again, when we changed our minds!

Sorting photos

It was not all work and no play, as at lunch time, we celebrated the award with cake. Thank you for all your hard work.

Celebrating with cake

Geoffrey was impressed by the range of habitats and the facilities within the Field Centre, including the ringing room. Had he had time to have a walk around the reserve he may have been fortunate enough to see the Roe Deer near to the Lake. Two were seen, and one of them is in the picture below.

This one is not so easy to make out as the ones seen on Sunday, but look closely to the right of the Oak tree in the centre of the picture and you should be able to make out the white 'target' on the deer's rump. Although a very grainy picture, zooming in shows the deer more clearly.

As the leaves fall from the trees so the deer and birds are more easily seen, although not always more easily photographed. The invertebrates are usually hidden away, but occasionally one appears. This shield bug was on the rail of a bridge, not the best place to be in the rain.

Shield bug

(1) Comments:

Colin D responded on 29th Nov 2017 with...

Elasmostethus interstinctus (Birch shieldbug)

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Friends of Foxglove

The Friends of Foxglove Covert is for those individuals, families and organisations who would like to support the reserve through an annual membership subscription. Friends receive a regular newsletter and invitations to attend our various activities and social events.

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Upcoming Events

Access to the Reserve: CLOSED Except for Organised Events & Groups

Monday 20th May 2024 |

The reserve is temporarily closed to the public except for organised events or groups. This is due to faults with the Foxglove Covert access gate. Entry and exit must be coordinated and at set times due to these faults.

Please see below for organised events. Booking is essential, as attendees will be contacted with access arrangements ahead of the events.

If you would like to arrange a group visit to the reserve please contact reserve staff.

September Wildlife Wander

Monday 16th September 2024 | 2pm-4pm

Join reserve staff for a guided walk around Foxglove Covert as the reserve transitions from summer to autumn. Spot late flying dragonflies, early emerging fungi, the last of the blooming wildflowers, and more!

2pm-4pm.

Donation of £3 per person. Free for Friends of Foxglove. Booking essential.

Due to faults with the Foxglove Covert access gate, entry and exit will be coordinated and at set times. Booked attendees will be sent access arrangements via email prior to the event.

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