Would you like to identify the birds, butterflies and other wildlife you see out and about or in your garden?
Have you ever wondered which wild plants and fungi are edible?
Are you interested in making a deeper connection with nature?
Maybe I can help.
I’m Ben West, a Molesey resident, lover of landscapes, wildlife and the outdoors and a lifelong ‘student of nature’.
Molesey Heath is a local nature reserve and one of my favourite places to make contact with the sights and sounds of the natural world.
I’m delighted to announce that we are once again able to conduct our monthly walks around the reserve taking in the changing scenes of the passing seasons and taking a glimpse in to the lives of the local wildlife.
September sees Summer give way to Autumn, Keats’ season of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’. Fruits are the order of the day as we come across Hips, Haws, Blackberries, Apples, Pears, Elderberries, Rowan berries and Sloes and discuss how best to make the most of our harvest.
We’ll see Summer migrant birds such as Garden Warbler, Whitethroat and Blackcap also taking advantage of the fruit crops as they stock up in readiness for their migration to Southern Europe and beyond. We might catch a glimpse of a hunting Hobby as it follows the swarms of Swallows and
Martins South. Anything can turn up at this time of migration but we are almost guaranteed to come across a mixed group of Tit species moving through hedges and woodland edges on the hunt for a meal of insect and spiders.
Insect life is still buzzing as wasps, grasshoppers, crickets, dragonflies and the last of the butterflies such as Speckled Wood, Small Copper and possibly even Brown Hairstreak hang on to what is left of the Summer.
There are still good edible plants to be discovered at this time of year. Did you know that we have a commonly occurring Quinoa and Spinach substitute growing all around? Refreshing and tasty herbal teas can be made from the flowers and seeds of Mallow, Yarrow and Fennel and Mugwort grows in profusion for those of you that might want to experiment with lucid dreaming. If it’s damp we might find the first few Field Mushrooms and Parasols of the season.
During lockdown I set up social media pages on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook and I post regularly on the subjects of plants, wild food, medicinal recipes, birds, butterflies and all things wildlife related. You can find me here: Twitter: @WildBenWest
Instagram: wearewherethewildthingsare
Facebook: Ben West
If you have any wildlife related questions, would like something identifying or just want to make contact feel free to message me or drop me a line at ben@wherethewildthingsare.co.uk
Whether you want to spend time outdoors in good company, discover new ways of getting your kids outside or simply improve your nature ID skills I would love to have you join me.
Meetings are held the last Saturday of every month. The next meeting is Saturday September 26th. Price is £15 for adults and children under 16 are free. No dogs please. We meet at 9.30am at the main gates to Molesey Heath on Approach Road, KT8 2LL. Binoculars are useful but not essential. Please dress appropriately for the weather conditions. Do be aware that the paths around the site can get muddy and slippery with rain. The walks will typically last around a couple of hours depending on the level of interest amongst the group and the wildlife we see on the day. Please email ben@wherethewildthingsare.co.uk for further details.