Stratford sub Castle Village Website
Salisbury, Wiltshire UK
Devenish Nature Reserve, Little Durnford
Location details and other information about the Reserve can be found here.
Click on a thumbnail to enter the slide show and view the complete images and their descriptions. All of the images (with one exception - the Brown Hairstreak butterfly) were taken at the Reserve.
![]() Wasp Spider (Image: Richard Death)The Wasp Spider is really quite large and brightly coloured, mimicking a wasp's pattern. It isn't dangerous, but uses its strong colouring to suggest that it has a nasty sting, like a wasp, and hopes to warn predators to keep away. It builds a large orb web in long grass, to trap its favourite food of grasshoppers. It arrived in the UK in the last 10-15 years, from continental europe - probably blown on a "parachute web". It is restricted to southern England, but is making its way north. | ![]() Wasp Spider - undersideImage 2 of 2 taken at the Devenish by Richard Death on 17 August 2020 | ![]() Blue trail waymarkerThere are way-marked trails to follow or visitors can simply wander around at will. |
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![]() Steep stepsA safe way to access the higher areas of the Reserve. | ![]() One of five 'fairy doors'There's a Fairy Trail of colourful bird boxes for younger visitors to spot. | ![]() Balwen sheepOne of the resident grass-cutters |
![]() Silver Birch | ![]() Volunteers at work March 2018Planting a mixed hedge of blackthorn, wayfarer, wild rose and wild plum to encourage Brown Hairstreak butterflies to lay their eggs in the Reserve. | ![]() Hedging whips (young plants) |
![]() FInished hedgesupported by canes and protected from nibbling animals by plastic sleeves | ![]() Brown HairstreakWhat it is hoped the new hedge will attrack (library image) | ![]() Balwen sheepMore residents keeping the undergrowth under control. |
![]() Coppiced HazelProtected from 'nibblers' by a woven frame of branches | ![]() new growth on hazela year after being coppiced | ![]() Ash diebackThe policy at the Reserve is to leave diseased trees alone, hopefully allowing other trees to build up a resistance. |
![]() Hemlock | ![]() Primroses | ![]() BluebellsVolunteers were busy planting more bluebells in the autumn of 2018 |
![]() Scarlet elfcap fungus | ![]() Bracket fungus | ![]() attractive green moss |
![]() bird box | ![]() start of the trails | ![]() Cinnabar moth |
![]() Cinnabar moth | ![]() Memorial Board | ![]() Judas' Ear fungusAuricularia auricula-judae, commonly known as Judas' Ear, jelly ear, wood ear, or by a number of other common names, is a species of edible fungus. Image taken 1 Jan 2019 |