These pages are aimed at helping people to find out, support and become involved with wildlife conservation and natural habitats in the East Hampshire region from Purbrook to Butser, centred on Horndean.

If you have any queries or require more information on any topics in this section, please contact John Vigay

Latest Updates

Taken on a glorious 'summer' day on the 4th April 2008 on a walk to Old Winchester Hill when the temperature rose to 18 degrees centigrade. We saw several butterflies such as brimstones, peacocks and small whites, little did they know what was to come the next day. There will be a guided walk around this beautiful national nature reserve on Saturday 14th June when many more flowers will be added to the landscape. For further details see the South Down Group page Diary.

• 2nd May 2008 - Updated Wild Flowers page. 
• 11th Apr 2008 - Updated Spider page. 
• 30th Mar 2008 - Updated South Down Group page.
• 27th Jan 2008 - Updated Biodiversity Birds page.
• 14th Jan 2008 - Added new Biodiversity Reptiles & Amphibia page.
• 3rd Dec 2007 - Updated Tree Warden page.

Throughout this website there are a number of photo galleries. By clicking on the small 'thumbnail' images you can enter the corresponding photo gallery and view the large images.

After the rapid contrasts in weather during April ending with traditional April Showers, May promises to be a sunnier and drier month with the temperatures now rising. How long before we get to a hosepipe ban ? The bluebells will soon be finishing but in picture 1. this white bluebell was seen on Hazleton Common amongst a blanket of blue, all in full sun. 2. Following ground ivy there are some rich patches of Bugle Ajuga reptans, these seen at Catherington Down. Sometimes confused with Selheal that usually flowers a month later. 3.The first orchids to be in full flower are the Early-purple Orchids Orchis mascula This fine specimen was seen in Wick Hanger on 5th May. By this time the temperatures were reaching the twenties (centigrade) and picture No.4 brings with it a warning. On two of our local sites, Hazleton Common and Havant Thicket, Adders are becoming very active and this adder's nest contained a pair mating, the brighter coloured one being the male with its head in the centre. The female's head can just be picked out in the top righthand corner. This picture was taken in Havant Thicket on the 5th May whilst looking for butterflies.

Safety Warning. Dogs are in danger when rumaging in the undergrowth at either of these sites, best to keep them on a lead during hot sunny weather, a bite on a small dog could be fatal. A large dog, last week ended up with a very swollen mouth where it was bitten (and the owner a vets bill) so do be careful, adders are very active at the moment and like sunning themselves on the paths.

April started with fine warm weather, on the 1st April most local woods had several bluebells in flower. Bumblebees and butterflies were appearing, including brimstones, small whites, peacocks and speckled woods. Nestbuilding was in full swing in our back garden - by the 4th April temperatures had reached 18 degrees centigrade and then came the sudden change. On the 6th April we had the heaviest fall of snow in the morning for at least 20 years and it was almost all gone by mid afternoon ! The first four pictures were all taken on the first 5 days of April.

(1) Wood Anemones and bluebells in Yoell's Copse on 1st April. (2) Kingcups by our wild garden pond (3) Blackbird having a bath in the same pond (4) An old veteran willow with catkins in car park at Old Winchester Hill.

The following pictures were all taken on the 6th April between 8 and 11am when like many others we rushed out with our cameras to capture the rare and sudden heavy fall of snow. (5) was taken in our garden, (6) and (7) were taken in the wild garden and (8) was taken at Dell Piece West

Amazingly the snow had all gone within a few hours and we were back to warm and sunny weather, towards the end of the month ending up with genuine April showers some of which were quite thundery but this all lead to a very rapid growth of vegetation. By the end of April many of the bluebells were passed their best and most of the trees were in leaf. The oak and ash opened their leaves at about the same time and were also in flower.

In the following pictures (9) A Bee fly is sunning itself in our back garden on the 8th April (10) Dandelions were going to seed by 22nd April (11) Strange clouds minutes before a thunder storm whilst walking in Blendworth fields early morning on the 27th April and (12) The bluebells were at their peak in Yoells Copse on the 28th April. Altogether a month of sudden changes with the countryside looking it best.
Pictures of the spring flowers seen in Horndean by the end of April can be seen on the Biodiversity page/wild flowers

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