flowers - a forgotten landscape · plant that is poisonous to humans but a useful food source for...
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Flowers
Common-spotted orchid Southern marsh orchid
The four species of orchid found at Wood Well Meadows are important food plants for insects, including butterflies. Their upright habit and densely packed flowers are designed to attract. Like most plants, their common names describe what they look like very well. Pyramidal orchid
Bee orchid
Credit T Ennis (WC) Cridt: K Edkins (WC)
Credit: G Baker (WC)
Credit: ukwildflowers.com
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ButterfliesThere are at least six species of butterfly found at Wood Well Meadows. The species found here thrive in unimproved grassland, feeding on sweet nectar from wildflowers.
Common blue Speckled wood
Meadow brown
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Fast facts - butterflies➜ Butterflies are insects.
➜ There are four stages to their life-cycle: egg, caterpillar, chrysalis and adult.
➜ Butterflies are usually seen by day.
➜ Together, all insects without a backbone are called invertebrates.
➜ Other common invertebrates include worms, spiders, bees and dragonflies.
ButterfliesSmall copperCredit: L Kirton (WC)
Marbled whiteCredit: Peter Wakely/Natural England
Large skipper
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Brain trainingWhen you draw and colour, try to capture what you actually see. Find a flower, butterfly or bug that interests you and record it here. This needs lots of attention because we tend to draw from memory which is much easier for our brains.
FlowersThese are important food plants for bees, hoverflies and other insects.
Ox-eye daisy Black medick
Field bindweed
Meadow cranesbill
Credit: A Salo (WC)Date
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GrassesGrasses cover a huge area of the earth’s surface and it is easy to forget that nearly all the cereals we eat are grasses. The world’s grass species are very successful and very adaptable but one thing they all have in common is that they cannot thrive in shade.
Grasshopper
Meadow grasshopper This common insect feeds on a variety of grasses. In turn it is food to many other insects and small mammals such as bees, frogs, and wood mice.
Crested dog’s-tail
Perennial rye-grassFalse oat-grassCredit: Rasbak (WC)Credit: Sten (WC)
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GrassesGlaucous sedgeYorkshire fogCredit: G Pisanty (WC) Credit: Foxypart4 (WC)Credit: Rasbak (WC)
Cocksfoot
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InsectsDid you know there are about 200 million insects to every one person in the world? Of these, some of the most beautiful are to be found at Wood Well Meadows.
Common blue damselflyLibellula dragonflyCredit: T Bresson (WC)Credit: L Cate (WC)
Sometimes called ‘Broad-bodied chaser’. This is the female Libellula dragonfly. The male is blue in colour.
This beautiful male is most likely to be found in the lower field. They both may be breeding in the pond.
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DandelionsMeadow vetchling AgrimonyCredit: Zell
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Summer smellsWhat can you smell at Wood Well Meadows today? Write them here and say or draw what the weather is like…
Moth magicThese moths can all be found at Wood Well Meadows. Some have been given common names that describe them well. Can you see why?
Credit: O Leilinger (WC)Burnished brass
Credit: F Bohringer (WC)Angle shades
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Straw dot
Fast facts - moths➜ There is little scientific
difference between the two, but moths tend to be the poor relations to butterflies.
➜ Moths are usually dull in colour but they can also be very beautiful.
➜ Moths are mainly seen by night.
Moth magicNarrow-bordered five spot burnetCredit: D Bauzys (WC)
Burnet companionCredit: O Leilinger (WC)
Credit: J Milan (WC)
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Wildlife at homeNo body knows why moths are attracted to light. It may be because they navigate by the light of the moon, but get confused. Use a light bulb over a white sheet at night to attract many moths and other insects. A magnifying lens will help to reveal their markings. Leave an escape route for them when you turn the light out.
Choose a moth or insect. Sketch it and describe it in as much detail as you can here.
These typical meadow flowers continue blooming into the autumn.
Ragwort
Red bartsiaCredit: Sannse (WC)
Black knapweed
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Edible fruits Many wild fruits are edible by humans, though most need to be prepared before we can eat them. Always check with an adult before eating any wild fruits.
Blackberries Edible straight from the wild.
Sloe group Related to the plum, sloes are usually used to make a drink but need to be sweetened.
Crab apple Can you find a recipe for crab apple jelly?
Rose hips Rose hips can be made into wine.
Credit: R Tea (WC)
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Country recipes Try searching books and the internet for recipes to make:
➜ Crab apple jam or jelly
➜ Blackberry jam or jelly
➜ Dandelion Coffee
➜ Coltsfoot Tea
Smoothie Recipe➜ Pick a cup of blackberries and wash them
➜ Add ½ litre of apple juice from a local orchard
➜ Add chunks of banana
➜ Whizz it up!
Fast facts - RemediesMany of our medicines come from plants. Find out what different plants are used as remedies.
: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plants_used_as_medicine
NettlesThese are very important food plants for caterpillars, butterflies and moths which are themselves the food for many birds. They might sting, but nettles are full of nutrients and are said to cure many ailments. Look up a recipe for nettle soup or nettle tea. What do you think – delicious?
Common dock Usually found near nettles, docks help to soothe stings. Docks are very successful wild flowers which have invaded our verges and hedgerows. Credit: Zell
Oak leaves Woodpigeon A loud, common bird recognised by its cooing sound. They eat buds, shoots, seeds, nuts and berries.
Blackcap Blackcaps are warblers named after the black patch present on the tops of their heads. In the autumn they leave to over-winter in warmer climates. They have a sweet song and are insect and berry eaters.
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Match fruit to leafAutumn fruits, nuts and berries are important food plants for birds. Can you pair up these fruits with their leaves and name them?
Wildlife at homeCollect fallen leaves from Wood Well Meadows. Make a leaf sculpture or pattern. This one is by Andy Goldsworthy.Remember to choose colours carefully.
More autumn fruits Spindle fruit Bright pink mature seeds ripe for picking.
Oak galls Not really a fruit – galls are a reaction to a small gall wasp living inside.
Guelder Rose berries These berries are special favourites of bullfinches.
Red berries Berries of ‘Lords and Ladies’.
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Sticky leaves➜ Stick a piece of double sided tape inside
the back cover of this journal.
➜ Choose 3-5 of the leaves you have collected, depending on their size.
➜ Remove the remaining protective film when you are ready to stick the leaves on.
➜ Can you name them?
ColourTop right: The red stems of dogwood. Credit: Reiskoffer (WC)Bottom right: Brambles and lichen. Who says winter isn’t colourful?
Chaffinch Male chaffinch. Common and colourful, their song is sweet and varies in different places. They are insect and seed eaters. Credit: M Maggs (WC)
Jay Jays are cautious birds that fly away when sensing danger. As members of the crow family they make a squawking sound. Jays love to eat acorns and may bury winter supplies of several thousand in autumn.
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Have fun with bird-wordsGroups of birds are given some very odd names:
➜ A band of jays
➜ A flight of pigeons
➜ A descent of woodpeckers
➜ A murder of crows
➜ A wake of buzzards
➜ A charm of goldfinches
➜ A tidings of magpies
➜ A bellowing of bullfinches
Can you find out some more or make up some names for the birds found at Wood Well Meadows?
Bird-spotting➜ Bring binoculars
➜ First note the bird’s colours and markings.
➜ Take a good look at the beak. This will give you clues about what the bird eats.
➜ Where is the bird and what is it doing? This will give you clues about how the bird nests, feeds and cares for its young.
➜ What do you think the birds are singing about?
Wildlife at home - make a wormery
1 Cut the top off a plastic bottle and poke holes in the bottom.
2 Fill with layers of sand, shredded newspaper, soil and leaf litter from your garden.
3 Add some worms from your garden, and a few kitchen scraps.
4 Cover with some fabric and secure with an elastic band.
5 Keep the wormery in a darkish place and observe how the worms mix up the material.
6 Release the worms after a few days to a week.
Fast facts - worms➜ Earthworms are little heroes
that deserve our respect!
➜ There could be a million of them just here at Wood Well Meadows.
➜ Worms bring air to the soil and help to drain and condition it. They ‘dig’ the soil and clear up decaying material. Without them many birds and insects would go hungry.
Robin Unlike most birds, females have the same bright colouring as males. They whistle cheerfully but defend their territory fiercely. They eat worms, seeds, fruits and insects.
Mistletoe Mistletoe. Look up in high branches for this plant that is poisonous to humans but a useful food source for birds. You might also see birds’ nests and squirrels’ dreys revealed by the bare wood of winter.
Ivy Ivy. The dark coloured flowers supply honey to winter moths and other insects.
Credit: Zell (WC)
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MammalsAs you approach Wood Well Meadows from the main entrance and look up the slope, you might be lucky enough to see some shy deer and these other larger mammals.
Credit: R Raul (WC)
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Fox Deer Rabbit
HairCould this be hair shed by a badger? Near setts you may see some of the badger’s bedding material. Watching the ground in winter can reward you with unusual sights and surprises.
MammalsCredit: Darin Smith, Avon Wildlife Trust
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Badger Squirrel
What do you think about visiting Wood Well Meadows in winter? Record your thoughts here.
Further informationOlveston & Aust parishes website:: www.olvestonandaust.com
South Gloucestershire Council: : www.southglos.gov.uk/environment
Avon Wildlife Trust: : www.avonwildlifetrust.org.uk
UK Butterflies: : www.ukbutterflies.co.uk
Floral Images: : www.floralimages.co.uk/index.htm
Insect Identification, Natural History Museum: : www.nhm.ac.uk/nature-online/life/insects-spiders/common-bugs/index.html
Wild Flowers of the British Isles: : www.ukwildflowers.com
Woodland Trust Nature Detectives: : www.naturedetectives.org.ukDesigned by SGCCREATIVEDESIGNPrinted on recycled paper S 6868 | 03 | 11
CreditsCompiled by Ruth Coleman with the help of pupils at Olveston CEVC Primary School and Aust Parish Council. With thanks to contributors to Wikimedia Commons (WC) for attributed images. Unattributed images from Paul Hulbert (Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve), Carol Watkins, Andrew Jordan, Angie Flack, Mary & David Lewis, Ruth Coleman. Thanks also
to The Woodland Trust for the use of their material.
Supplied through Defra’s Aggregates Levy
Sustainability Fund