About eleven people joined site wardens Andy Fale and Rose Proctor for
exploration of Sopley Common. From the start we were given safety advice
due to the heat and were then given a talk on the 3 species of lizard
and 3 species of snakes to be found on the site. Starting from the
Ramsdown car park we took a winding course to examine a usually boggy
area. There were stops to view blue butterflies and different species of
moths on the heather before arriving at the first pool. Of course this
had dried up but that didn't spoil examining dragon flies and looking at
sundew. Andy was asked if the heat would endanger the lave of dragon
flies that may hatch there. Climbing to the ridge where there is a
tumulus, we walked left to a patch of heather which had been bulldozed
to bare sand. Andy explained this was not vandalism on their part but an
effort to create a sandy stretch of land where solitary wasps and bees
could make a home. Bare patches of sandy soil are a rarity on the site.
He also told us about the Tiger Beetle which frequented the heather. We
then looked over the ridge to the lowland at the far side of the common
to view the ponds there. On descending to the bottom of the hill not a
drop of water was to be found in the pools. The group stood on the
spongy pool bottom and returned up the hill. However this did not
prevent the trip being enjoyable!
Dave Mariner
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