Photos from walk on Thursday 18th July from Cumnor around Farmoor Reservoir

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The first field in Cumnor had very tall corn.

 

Contrast this with 4 Jan 2024, when it was very wet underfoot, and the field was hosting turnips.

 

The path back to Cumnor church

 

On Denman’s Lane, looking over the Farmoor valley. There are two solar farms being proposed (Botley West and Red Hat Farm) which, if successfull, would mean that every field you can see in this picture will be covered with solar panels.

 

At the reservoir – now full – white-breasted cormorant (Phalacrocorax lucidus) adopt “the pose”

 

 

And mute swans scour the weeds

 

Did you know you can buy swan necks at £29.90 per 3 meters.  [Shop  here]

 

Carion crow

 

A Pied/White Wagtail (Motacilla alba)

 

Greylag Goose (Anser anser)

 

Ragwort by the reservoir + aeroplane

 

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) by the Thames

 

At Bablock Hythe, lots of nettles (Urtica dioica). I’ve never really noticed their catkin flowers. If you are into picking nettles for food, at the first sign of flowers you must stop picking. The plant will now start producing cystoliths – microscopic rods of calium carbonate – which can be absorbed by the body where they will mechanically interfere with kidney function.

 

The nettles hosted at least half a dozen different small bugs. Here are three. First a Harvestman spider (Leiobunum rotundum), aka daddy-long-legs, which apparently is not a true spider

 

Where’s the brain to manage and co-ordinate all those legs

 

Common Flathorn Plant Bug (Heterotoma planicornis)

 

And a micro-moth. Maybe a Common Cloaked Tortrix (Gypsonoma dealbana). Widespread and very common accross the Upper Thames Valley, and even the whole UK.

We did this walk on 4 Jan 2024

• Photos from walk on Thursday 4th January from Cumnor Village Hall around Farmoor Reservoir

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