We had a really good showing yesterday for the fete and even the rain held off for most of the afternoon.
Thanks to everybody that took part and hopefully you'll enjoy some photos of the day:
We had a really good showing yesterday for the fete and even the rain held off for most of the afternoon.
Thanks to everybody that took part and hopefully you'll enjoy some photos of the day:
Welcome to the Wookey Hole 2015 Photography Competition.
The Under and Over 16's categories will be judged by a local professional photographer and announced at the Church Fete on 1st August.
We're also holding a public vote here on the website. You've got one vote only, so please use it wisely - Select a number of stars on your favourite photo to register your vote - the stars are for fun, we're only counting the number of votes!
Web voting will close at noon on Friday 31st July.
Browse through the photos below and choose your favourite.
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Could be coming your way...
At the Community Hall, with Storm Bower.
Absolute beginners.
Suitable for all ages
All sizes
All abilities
Day to be agreed (Thursday or Friday)
If you are interested contact Storm on 01458 834873
Get updates on new articles on our web-site twitter feed @OurWookeyHole
A pair of Red Kites have been seen in the village!
Kites are probably the most spectacular of our birds of prey. Not all that many years ago they were on the point of extinction in Britain – but after careful reintroductions they are now spreading out from their strongholds in Wales where they have become a tourist attraction, and are now common in Oxfordshire and the Midlands. They have made a couple of unsuccessful attempts to nest in Somerset but, not my knowledge, on the Mendips. They nest in out of the way woodland so our hillside woods – like Ebbor Gorge - should be ideal. It is possible they would be competing for nest sites and food with our Buzzards - but it will be many years before this would be a problem.
Butterflies.
Common Blues and hundreds of Meadow browns are out on Wattles fields. Also well worth looking out for are Scarlet Tiger moths , with brilliant red underwings. Once uncommon, in the last few years they have been seen all around the village.
Hopefully above the village. we should also soon see Chalkhill Blues, Ringlets and Marbled Whites
Flowers
Early purple Orchids have faded now – to be replaced on the edge of woods by Common Spotted Orchid . In the fields above look out for Pyramidal and
Bee Orchids | and possibly, | Butterfly Orchid |
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Bees
It was a fairly cold spring and bees didn’t have a good start to the year – I am told honey production was well down. If the weather stays warm and dry they will soon make up – but you can help. Whenever possible include native flowers in your garden. Though they might not be as showy or long flowering as some of the cultivated varieties they seem generally to be much more attractive to both hive and wild bees. Foxgloves are always good and perennials such as Field Scabious, Knapweeds and thistles – I did not say Creeping Thistle the gardeners nightmare! – try Woolly, Musk , or Stemless Thistles, they grow wild on our limestone hills. They are also food plant for that lovely migrant butterfly the Painted Lady.
(Stemless Thistles grow very close to the ground and if you have ever sat on one you will understand its more common name of ‘Picnic Thistle’ ! )
Les Cloutman