[Add info here about what was discussed/shown on 9th April]
Fungi Ramble
In November 2024, Eric Janke led a Teg Down Nature Group in discovering the richness of fungi in our area. Eric is the Chairperson of the Hampshire Fungus Recording Group and is an entertaining and hugely knowledgable fungal enthusiast. We spotted over sixteen species, some spectacular and some less so. Eric told us about the lifecycles and typical growing preferences of each.
Thanks to the Teg Down residents that kindly allowed access to their gardens. We hope to run a repeat of this event later in 2025.
Making a home for Swifts
Soaring high above us, swifts are a real signature of summer in the UK. But their numbers have plummeted. In Hampshire the swift population has declined by more than 66% since 1994. They are on the UK’s red list of threatened species.
More about these unique birds
Last month members of TDNG heard a presentation from Catharine Gale of Hampshire Swifts, a voluntary group aiming to help reverse the decline in numbers. Catharine told us about the unique life of the Swift, spending all it’s time on the wing, only landing to lay eggs and raise young. Swifts are migratory, leaving the UK in late July or August to travel to wintering sites in central Africa, easily covering 500 miles or more in a day. The fastest recorded swift travelled at 69mph, and one tagged bird covered 5,000km in 5 days!
On their return to the UK in April or May they visit the nest sites they used in previous years. Mostly these are small cracks or holes in buildings which allow access to space under eaves, soffits and tiles. They do no damage as they rear their brood which is usually just a couple of chicks. The young fledge after 5-8 weeks, flying straight from the nest, and then not touching down again until breeding at around 4 years old.
There are several small swift colonies across Winchester, but numbers are under pressure because of a lack of breeding sites. This is often because buildings have been repaired or renovated, closing the crucial gaps that give access to nesting sites. To help Swifts find places to rear their young, Hampshire Swifts are fitting specially designed nest boxes to houses, as well as encouraging builders to install “swift bricks” which are hollowed to give nesting space in new homes.
What can you do to support?
Winchester City Council are fitting swift boxes and bricks to council houses as they are refurbished. We in Teg Down can do the same, indeed some have already installed swift boxes and the birds have taken up residence. Boxes cost £40 from Hampshire Swifts, who will also install them for you. Ideally, two or three boxes should be positioned side by side as the birds like neighbours. To
find out more and order a box go to www.hampshireswifts.co.uk or contact us at
deanlanetegdown@gmail.com.
Bat Ramble
Jessie Smallman is an ecologist and licensed bat handler who undertakes a wide variety of work including surveys and rescue missions. In late August Jessie led a small TDNG group on a bat
spotting ramble in our area. Here is a summary of how things went, written by Jean and Adrian Jones.
The rain stopped just in time and the bats were out when we set off. As the light began to fade we walked from the corner of Teg Down Meads, up Lanham Lane and around the nearest field where we enjoyed beautiful sunset views. This area forms a valuable wildlife corridor between Crab Wood and the gardens of Teg Down.
Jessie handed out small hand-held bat detector devices. We were thrilled to hear the first click-click-click sounds almost immediately and to catch a glimpse of bats darting past. They can
sometimes be seen around the lamp posts on street corners where insects gather but generally do not like the light. The frequencies we heard were mostly Pipistrelles keeping to the trees along the lane, but a few could have been larger species flying over the fields. There are some seventeen species of bat in the UK of which the Pipistrelle is the most common. It is very small and can squeeze into a two-centimetre gap.
During the walk Jessie talked about many topics including how to recognise if there are bats roosting by looking for droppings and discarded moth wings and how in our own gardens, we can support bats by installing bat boxes and providing ponds to attract invertebrates.
A big thank you from TDNG to Jessie Smallman for leading this enjoyable and informative walk
Community Meet Up
We held a Community Meet Up in Dean Lane Park from 10.00am to 12.00 noon on Saturday 29th June.
We made contact with many of our newsletter readers and Teg Down/Dean Lane residents to talk about our plans and how you can get more involved in activities as participants or leaders.
There were:
- Activities for children
- Seed and plant exchange
- Opportunities to sign up for Nature group activities
Teg Down Nature Group 