A Special Visitor

Friday, November 24th 2017

Inspired by attending the Sanctuary Award Ceremony in London on Wednesday, Geoffrey Robson (the Chief Operating Officer for the Defence Infrastructure Organisation) took advantage of a visit to the DIO North Office at Wathgill to visit Foxglove Covert.  Looking at how the reserve has developed over the last 25 years, with the wide range of contributions made by volunteers, staff and supporting organisations over that time, he left saying this is a 'fantastic facility - a real pleasure to come and visit'.

Whilst some volunteers were in London work continued at Foxglove.  The weather was terrible so it was a good job that we had some indoor jobs to carry out.  Chris and Pauline entered the fungi data from a survey carried out in September.  This  task is not completed yet but already 10 new species have been recorded.  Ruth was busy 'trimming photos and adding stickies'.  'Stickies' being the velcro, we use to attach the photos to the display boards.

Indoor work

Linda had the unenviable task of filing the photos we no longer wanted and then being asked to find some of them again, when we changed our minds!

Sorting photos

It was not all work and no play, as at lunch time, we celebrated the award with cake.  Thank you for all your hard work.

Celebrating with cake

Geoffrey was impressed by the range of habitats and the facilities within the Field Centre, including the ringing room.  Had he had time to have a walk around the reserve he may have been fortunate enough to see the Roe Deer near to the Lake.  Two were seen, and one of them is in the picture below.

This one is not so easy to make out as the ones seen on Sunday, but look closely to the right of the Oak tree in the centre of the picture and you should be able to make out the white 'target' on the deer's rump.  Although a very grainy picture, zooming in shows the deer more clearly.

As the leaves fall from the trees so the deer and birds are more easily seen, although not always more easily photographed.  The invertebrates are usually hidden away, but occasionally one appears.  This shield bug was on the rail of a bridge, not the best place to be in the rain.

Shield bug


(1) Comments:

Colin D responded on 29th Nov 2017 with...

Elasmostethus interstinctus (Birch shieldbug)


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Friends of Foxglove

The Friends of Foxglove Covert is for those individuals, families and organisations who would like to support the reserve through an annual membership subscription. Friends receive a regular newsletter and invitations to attend our various activities and social events.

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Access to the Reserve: OPEN with limited access

Monday 18th March 2024 |

The reserve is now open, although again with limited access.

Visitors will be able to access the reserve with the use of key fobs provided at the pass office upon entrance to the camp, or will be provided entrance and exit through the access gate by an officer from the camp Guard Room. In this case visitors will need a mobile phone to call the Guard Room when they wish to exit the reserve.

Please be aware that due to these circumstances, entering and leaving the reserve might take a little longer than usual.



Bird Watching for Beginners

Thursday 18th April 2024 | 10am-1pm

Improve your bird spotting and identification skills with this guided bird watching session. Learn how to identicy common species, differentiate between confusion species and how to get started learning bird calls. A great opportunity to ask questions and learn alongside others.

£3 per person. Free for volunteers and Friends of Foxglove and voluteers.

Booking essential. Fill in the booking form by clicking the link below! Pay via paypal or in person on the day.



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