{"id":4470,"date":"2019-09-02T11:00:53","date_gmt":"2019-09-02T10:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/?p=4470"},"modified":"2019-09-02T11:00:55","modified_gmt":"2019-09-02T10:00:55","slug":"paices-wood-18-august-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/paices-wood-18-august-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Paices Wood – 18 August 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

John Lerpiniere, accompanied by ten other members, led a\nwalk round Paices Wood on Sunday 18th<\/sup> August.  The group first headed down to the wetter\nparts of the wood, which lie to the north in the direction of Aldermaston in\nthe Kennet valley. Dropping down the bank from the lake was a solid covering of\nGiant Horsetail Equisetum telmateia. <\/em>There\nwas frequent Pendulous Sedge along the path leading\ndown to an area of old over-stood coppiced Alder stools, an uncommon ecosystem.\nSudden loud calls from Nuthatches alerted us to a passing flock of mixed tits. On\nthe way back up southwards along a higher path were many fallen trees and old\nrotting stumps. Plants included Enchanter\u2019s-nightshade, Yellow Pimpernel, Wild\nRaspberry and, on reaching the coppiced Hazel area, a Broad-leaved Helleborine\nwith fat seed pods for once untouched by Roe and Muntjac, which regularly bite\noff the spikes of these plants. Above the coppice past the old Sweet Chestnut\nstools, we followed banks of the mediaeval drovers road which leads from\nAldermaston to Brimpton Common. The banks still hold a few characteristic old\nField Maple stools with a couple of very old Oak coppice stools nearby. A Badger\nsett had been dug into the sandy soil. Turning left into The Glade, we found a\ncovering of Wild Strawberry, Common Fleabane, Red Bartsia, a White-legged\nDamselfly, then some Wood Spurge and an area of irritant Wild Parsnip. A refuge\ngave us a glimpse of two \u2018teenage\u2019 Grass Snakes, but a second had a much better\nview of two very large Grass Snakes and a fat female Slow-worm which was obviously\nsoon to give birth to a few young. A shed snake skin showed the broad scales on\nthe underside, these have rough edges to give grip during movement. Slow-worms,\nas they are lizards, do not show this feature. Continuing on round, a Marsh Tit\nwas heard, then a patch of Japanese Knotweed, which will need treatment, was\nnoted. The walk continued along sunny rides, passing a recently constructed but\nflourishing dipping pond. Common and Ruddy Darters and an Emperor dragonfly were\nseen, plus Speckled Wood, Lesser Treble Bar moth, Hornet, Carline Thistle and\nanother helleborine with good seed pods. Crossing between the top fishing ponds,\nwe reached the Top Park which showed a mix of flora on the thin ground,\nincluding Great and Dark Mullein, Lady\u2019s-mantle, Agrimony, Lesser Hawkbit and\nStorksbill. Sightings here included a Painted Lady, plus Small Heath and Common\nBlue butterflies. This is the place to come for spring butterflies. There is\nmore to see, (we even missed out the Heath), but time ran out!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Report by John Lerpiniere<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n