Oryctolagus cuniculus in its mouth. Initially the Fox was being followed by a single cub, then 2 more 

 cubs appeared. They were about three-quarters of the size of their parent and quite active. The Rabbit 

 was calling in distress. The cubs lay on the ground with paws forward and heads up, intently watching 

 the action as the Rabbit was subdued. Although Graham was only about 10 metres away, none of the 

 Foxes saw him. 



Saturday 2 June 



A small number of members met at BBOWT's Sutton Courtenay Environmental Education Centre on 

 the evening of Saturday 2 June for a dusk walk and nocturnal newt survey. Newts are most active at 

 night and best seen by torchlight. Unfortunately the weather was not kind and the persistent rain at the 

 start of the evening continued to persist - making the post-dusk torchlight survey impossible (newts 

 don't like the disturbance to the pond surface caused by rain). The bottle traps set ovemight (and 

 emptied in the morning) caught 9 Smooth Newts Triturus vulgaris and 3 Great Crested Newts T. 

 cristatus from Education Pond, the largest of the ponds on site, and 6 Great Crested Newts from the 

 smaller Newt Pond. Of note was a single Frog tadpole caught in one of the bottle traps - a species 

 that has only just re-colonised the site after many years' absence, being first seen to breed again in 

 2011. For the record, a replacement torching survey was undertaken a few days later, giving an idea 

 of the number of newts that might have been seen if conditions had been better. In the Education Pond 

 9 Great Crested and 37 Smooth Newts were seen - and in the Newt Pond were 21 Great Crested and 

 20 Smooth Newts. 



Thursday 7 June 



The rain ceased in the late afternoon of Thursday 7 June, after about 24 hours of stormy weather. Nine 

 intrepid members and guests, led by Chris Bucke, met at Theale church and explored areas adjacent 

 to the footpath through the golf-course to Malpas. In the early stages of the walk it was apparent that 

 wet vegetation has wetting power superior to that of running water but the discomfort was forgotten 

 when the (normally) wet areas were reached. The surface of the ditch between the footpath and the 

 M4 was completely covered with Common Duckweed Lemna minor and there were fine displays of 

 Flag Ihses Iris pseudacorus. Many more of these were noted during the walk. Once the golf course 

 had been reached, really interesting species were noted in ditches and ponds beside tees and greens. 

 The first pond had around 50 spikes of Water Violet Hottonia palustris, Bulrush Typha latifolia, Hemlock 

 Water-dropwort Oenanthe crocata, Fool's Water Cress Apium nodiflorum, a pondweed Potamogetum 

 sp. and various sedges as well as commoner species of wet areas. After passage through another 

 area of very wet grass, Blossomend Copse was reached. This apparently interesting ancient woodland 

 is surrounded, in effect, by a moat. Nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos have been noted there in the 

 past, but not one was heard singing. Conspicuous plants there were Primroses and Wood Spurge. 

 Further on, more ponds and ditches provided further spikes of Water Violet and some quantity of 

 Mare's Tail Hippuris vulgaris, a few Branched Bur-reeds Sparganium erectum, Common Spike-rush 

 Eleocharis palustris, the beautiful "dangly" Cyperus Sedge Carex pseudocyperus and other less 

 conspicuous sedges. The party returned to Theale through North Street, lamenting the closure of the 

 Thatchers Arms and noting a striking population of the garden escape Oriental Poppy Papaver 

 orientalis by the roadside. 



Saturday 23 June 



The Society's annual coach trip, on Saturday 23 June, was to Ranscombe Farm, Plantlife's flagship 

 reserve in the North Downs near Rochester in Kent. The plants of the thin chalky soils above the 

 Medway have been known to botanists for over 300 years - Meadow Clary Salvia pratensis was first 

 described from here in 1699, as was Hairy Mallow Althaea hirsuta in 1792. The reserve is a working 

 arable farm. Two fields are particularly special for their arable plants - Kitchen Field at the southern 

 end of the reserve and Longhoes Field, close to the entrance. Most of the group set out towards 

 Kitchen Field, walking along tracks through the farmland. The pace slowed when a wide cultivated field 

 margin, bright with poppies, was encountered. Amongst the Common Poppies Papaver rhoeas were 

 the smaller darker red flowers of Rough Poppy P. hybridum, with bristly round seed capsules. The 

 nationally rare Narrow-fruited Cornsalad Valerianella dentata was abundant and there was also a large 

 number of Broad-leaved Cudweed Filago pyramidata plants, of which Ranscombe holds 99% of the 

 UK population. 



At the side of the next track were specimens of Slender Thistle Carduus tenuiflorus (or Seaside Thistle, 



7 



