‘My Life with Raptors’ talk 21st March 2024

Anita Ebdon, professional falconer and owner of Hampshire Hawk Walks will be speaking about her passion for falconry and bringing some of her birds to meet us at our Froyle Wildlife meeting in March.  Anita will offer us an insight into her daily life, living and working alongside these amazing creatures, how her journey into falconry began and how much her life has changed since acquiring her first hawk.

Anita will give us a deeper understanding of the differences between different species and explain why the Harris’s hawk is such a firm favourite for her.

All welcome, Froyle Village Hall doors open 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm, entrance free for members, £3 non-members, teas and coffee.

 

AGM and talk ‘Froyle’s pond and meadow’ 23rd November 2023

The Froyle Wildlife Annual General Meeting is on Thursday 23rd November at 7.30pm in the Village Hall. Find out what wildlife has been about during the year and your comments are welcomed on events for 2024. The wildlife pond and meadow area near Gid Lane was constructed in 2016, enjoy a pictorial talk about it’s development over the years to become a biodiversity hotspot in Froyle. Talk entitled ‘The Story of a Froyle wildlife pond’ by Barry Clark.

All welcome, Froyle Village Hall doors open 7pm, AGM pictorial review starts at 7.30pm, followed by pond talk, entrance free for members, £3 non-members, teas and coffee.

‘Fabulous Fungi in Hampshire’ talk, 14th September 2023

From the beautiful to the stinky to the deadly poisonous, appreciate the variety of fungi that can be seen when you are out and about in Hampshire. Photographer Rosemary Webb will show us that fungi are not only amazing organisms but also play a vital role in nature to recycle matter.

Doors open Froyle Village Hall 7pm for talk to start at 7.30pm. All welcome, teas/coffee, entrance £3 for non members, members free.

Some text below is copied in part from ‘your guide to fascinating UK fungi’. They come in many different forms such as moulds, mildew, yeasts and mushrooms. They also come in a huge variety of sizes – from microscopic mould spores to the massive silent organisms which live in the soils beneath our feet.
Fungi can be found in just about any habitat but are mainly found on land. Many live in our soils or on decaying organic matter, such as leaf litter, dead wood or animal droppings. Wilder spaces, where we haven’t disturbed the soil or tidied up too much, are a good place to go on a fungi hunt. These include ancient or old woodlands, grasslands and some parks and gardens.
Why are fungi important? Put simply, without fungi, there would be no circle of life. The different types play different roles but quite a lot of them help to break down plants, dead animals and droppings so nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus are recycled into healthy soils. Healthy soil means healthy plants, which in turn provide food for insects, animals, birds and us.

Pond dipping Froyle, 11th and 13th August 2023

Updated on Thursday 10th August: the Friday sessions are now fully booked but there are spaces remaining for Sunday.

Family fun –join us for a 1h dipping session on Friday 11th and Sunday 13th August to see what underwater creatures we can find in the wildlife pond near Gid Lane, Upper Froyle (see location plan).  Children will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.  All equipment will be provided and numbers are limited so it is essential to book by emailing info@froylewildlife.co.uk, stating preference for 10 am or 11.15 am session.

Moth identification evening Froyle 16th July 2023

Find out what flies after dark? Join us on Sunday 16th July, for a bat and moth evening jointly with Alton Natural History Society meeting at Froyle Church then on to the Wildlife Pond area, starting 8.30pm until late. Warm clothing and torch are useful and do leave or arrive at the pond area at whatever time you wish. There are nearly 2000 species of moth that occur in Hampshire. Moths and butterflies are useful indicator species for the health of our natural environment.

Please note that weather conditions greatly affect the number of moths flying so we hope for a warm evening, ideally with some cloud and not too windy. Some of the larger hawkmoths may not arrive until after 11pm.

What did we see? Under the trees of Gid Lane we soon started hearing and seeing bats with good aerobatic display of several Pipistrelles (both Common and Soprano) and the characteristic zipping noise as they found insects to eat. We also heard Noctule and bats from the Myotis family. At the wildlife pond area the temperature started at 14C and went down to 12C, so it was good that we saw as many moths as we did. The list of 19 species included Black Arches, Mother of Pearl, Nut-tree Tussock, Swallow-tailed and Ghost Moths.

 

‘Drop-in’ at Froyle wildlife pond 8th July 2023

Call in anytime between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 8th July to visit the wildlife pond and meadow, near Gid Lane, Upper Froyle. There should be plenty to see especially if it’s a sunny day.
Members of Froyle Wildlife will be on hand to assist with identification of wildflowers, dragonflies’ and butterflies. Wildflower species to look out for include; knapweed, lady’s bedstraw, sainfoin, self heal, purple loosestrife, water figwort and bird’s-foot trefoil. Last year on the ‘drop-in’- day 15 species of butterfly and 8 species of dragonfly/damselfly were noted; ladybirds, hoverflies, bees and grasshoppers were also seen. No need to book, anyone can just pop in and see what you can spot.

How did the day turn out? The weather forecast was unsettled at best so it was with some foreboding that we packed up the car in the morning to go to the pond area and meadow near Gid Lane. We had barely finished setting up the gazebo and display boards when the heavens opened and the rain poured down accompanied by thunder and lightning – we regretted not putting the gazebo sides on. Fortunately after two and a half hours the rain ceased and we had our first two visitors who were Swiss and were on route hiking from Winchester to Canterbury.
Gradually a few more visitors arrived as the weather warmed up. The sun also brought the insects out, the most numerous and colourful were the butterflies with 17 species noted including Small Copper, Brown Argus, Small Tortioseshell and Painted Lady, the latter species being migrants from North Africa. Other creatures spotted included Dark Bush-cricket, Roesel’s Bush- cricket, 14-spot Ladybird, Tawny Longhorn beetles, Spotted Longhorn beetles and Dock Bug.

Walk around Noar Hill SSSI 16th May 2023

Join us for a walk on Tuesday 16th May 2pm – 4pm at Noar Hill SSSI when we hope to see several species of butterfly, including the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary. This 20 hectare nature reserve, managed by Hampshire Wildlife Trust, was originally formed by medieval chalk workings. Over hundreds of years the mounds and hollows were colonised by a great variety of beautiful chalk downland flowers now rare in the wider countryside.

Meet there 2pm or preferably share lifts from Froyle Village Hall leaving at 1.30pm. as there is very limited roadside parking, OS grid reference SU737321 near Charity Farm. Note that warm weather is needed so the date may change at short notice.

Short summary after the walk. We were delighted to see 9 species of butterfly including the Duke of Burgundy Fritillary on our walk at Noar Hill. With the sun shining most of the time, Holly Blues flitted about the bushes and on short vegetation we caught sight of Dingy Skipper (an unfortunate name for a lovely small butterfly). Then we spotted something buzzing around our feet -the solitary bee Osmia Bicolor. We observed this bee flying with small pieces of debris to put on its nest for camouflage where the eggs are laid in an empty snail shell.

Michelle, Andrew and Charles sent us a few photos that they had taken.
We eventually found several Duke of Burgundy perching on cowslips after only having fleeting glimpses of them flying past earlier. The caterpillar food plants are primrose and cowslip mainly on chalk grassland and preferably in sheltered locations. Other butterflies seen on the day were Brimstone, Orange Tip, Small Blue, Comma and Red Admiral while one person also spotted Green Hairstreak and Speckled Wood. Many of these species can also be seen in Froyle if you look out for them on a sunny day

Blossom and Leaf in May around Froyle

What a beautiful time of year to walk around the village! And much of the charm comes from the blossom and fresh green leaves of the trees and shrubs in our hedgerows and copses. Here is a closer look at a few of the trees flowering around Froyle in May. These are all native varieties, which thrive on our chalky soil, and are excellent choices if you are looking to ‘wild’ a section of your garden.

Elder grows as a shrub or small tree, with flat-topped heads of sweetly scented creamy flowerets: many pollinators are attracted to the flowers, and dormice and bank voles will snack on them too, while moth caterpillars such as the white-spotted pug, swallowtail, dot moth and buff ermine eat the new leaves.
In folklore, elders were believed to protect farm buildings from malicious spirits, witches, and lightning, provided that the resident ‘Elder Mother’ was treated with respect! Bad luck to anyone who did not ask permission to harvest the flowers and fruit, or damaged the tree. The flowers can be used to make wine, cordial or tea, or fried to make fritters.

Hawthorn in flower is sure sign that summer is on the way; the white or pale pink blossoms are almond scented, and provide nectar and pollen for bees and other pollinating insects. The dense, thorny shrubs provide excellent nesting shelter for many varieties of bird, and the leaves are food for caterpillars of the hawthorn moth, the orchard ermine, and the light emerald moth.

Hawthorn is a pagan symbol of fertility and has ancient associations with May Day. A hawthorn tree was the ancestor of the Maypole, set up on the village green and decorated with ribbons, to preside over the festival fun and dancing. The leaves and blossom were also gathered on May Eve to be used in May Day garlands, which were carried in procession through the countryside. The young leaves, flowers and flowerbuds can all be eaten in salads, and a tea brewed from hawthorn leaves is believed to be good for the circulation.

Whitebeam: There are several of these lovely graceful trees growing around the lanes and gardens of Froyle, and they are at their most beautiful in May, with the pale silvery undersides of their newly emerged leaves, and heads of creamy, sweet scented blossom, beloved by the bees. The leaves are a valuable source of food for the caterpillars of such moths as the bordered pearl and the short-cloaked moth.
The hard, fine grain of whitebeam wood made it a popular building material in Anglo Saxon times, and traces have been found in the doorpost holes at roundhouse sites. Along with elm, it appears to have been used as a ‘boundary tree’ planted at the edges of villages and estates.

Guelder Rose is a large shrub, rather than a tree. It has deeply lobed leaves and denser clusters of pink/white flowers, rather like a lacecap hydrangea, and grows in shady and damp conditions. Guelder rose is an ancient-woodland indicator species. If you spot it while you’re out exploring, it could be a sign you’re standing in a rare and special habitat. The flowers are visited by several pollinating species, especially hoverflies, and is the food plant for such moths as the privet hawkmoth and common quaker. Low and dense shrubs such as the guelder rose form prime nesting sites for many of our visiting warbler species.
A tea made of the bark is believed to relieve muscle cramp. Finally, guelder rose is one of the national symbols of Ukraine, and is mentioned in many folk songs and featured in traditional art and embroidery, which alone is an excellent reason for planting one at the back of your garden!

Sue Lelliott, Froyle Tree Warden

‘The Hidden World of Froyle’s Butterflies’ talk 9th March 2023

We welcome Peter Eeles to take us on a tour of Froyle’s butterflies, together with a glimpse into the hidden world of their immature stages by considering their egg, caterpillar and chrysalis. He will also discuss the habitats that suit each species and give a sense of how to attract butterflies to your garden by considering both nectar sources for the adult butterflies and foodplants for the caterpillar.

Doors open Froyle Village Hall 7pm for talk to start at 7.30pm. All welcome, teas/coffee, entrance £3 for non members, members free.

Butterflies have been a lifelong interest of Peter, who spent his childhood roaming the Cotswolds in search of its hidden natural wonders. In 2002 he combined the skills applied in his day job, his passion for butterflies and his interest in photography to create the acclaimed UK Butterflies website that has fostered a thriving community of butterfly enthusiasts, later adding the Dispar website as its publishing arm. An ardent supporter of the Butterfly Conservation charity, Peter is chairman of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight branch. In 2016 he created Butterfly Conservation’s Garden Butterfly Survey website and was presented with the ‘Marsh Award for the Promotion of Lepidoptera Conservation’ at Butterfly Conservation’s AGM and Members’ Day. Published in 2019, his book about the Life Cycles of British & Irish Butterflies illustates the life stages from ova, larva, chrysalis to adult of all the British species.

 

‘Life of the Hazel Dormouse’ talk 15th November 2022

Do come along to a talk on Tuesday 15th November about the life and habits of a Hazel dormouse.  Dave Williams will tell us about their nests and nest boxes, habitat, food requirements and breeding cycle.  Also find out how to identify Hazel nuts that have been opened by a dormouse, a sure way to know if dormice are present.

All welcome, doors open Froyle Village Hall 7pm for talk to start at 7.30pm, entrance free for members, £3 non-members, teas and coffee.

Dave Williams has been working with dormice for almost twenty years. He is currently chairman of the Surrey Dormouse Group (SDG), which he started when he was Mammal project officer at Surrey Wildlife Trust. Now retired he continues to work with dormice and the SDG.

Dormouse photographs by Dave Williams.

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