Club 15 August 2020 – report
The Club 15 programme had Sandra F organising a visit to Dorney Court but due to a family visit, Robert took on the event and people’s preferences for an event were sought. Only four people showed an interest and it was decided to do a local walk, but as there wasn’t a mutually convenient time on the 15th, the walk was conducted twice. It was a very short walk, around the fields south of Wokingham between the Sandhurst to Reading railway line and the Ludgrove School. We started by walking through a small meadow which a few weeks back had been a mass of colour with flowering ox-eye daisies, knapweed and other plants, leading us to the impressive Lucas Hospital which was built as an almshouse in 1666. Those who knew Libby might be interested to read that her great-great-great grandfather, James Chipping, was admitted in 1863 and spent his final six months there.
The route took us over a stream that feeds the Emm Brook, then close by the Wokingham to London railway line before completing the circle back to the start point. From the main track that leads to the Ludgrove school there was a long view southwards across paddocks and fields – this is a typical habitat of the Little Owl, a species that is in decline in our area, but on the morning walk we saw a family of three not far away but fairly tricky to see. A boy carrying binoculars came past with his family, an ideal opportunity to point out an uncommon but charismatic species to a budding naturalist and to enthuse his interest. Despite our best efforts, he couldn’t see the birds and was about to give up in frustration when two owls flew and landed in full view on a post. His excitement was obvious. Later, on the evening walk, we didn’t see any owls there, but the boy was back there with his family – he was hooked!
Robert
