Wonderful Willsbridge

A year at Willsbridge

Wildlife thrives in Willsbridge valley, despite the pressures of development Mike Dimery, our regular Willsbridge events and photography volunteer, has built up an impressive photo record of the wildlife delights of the valley. Here he shares his top twelve specials of the year – why don’t you see if you can spot them for yourself in 2008?

February Frog Around St Valentine’s Day is the time when frogs return to mate and spawn in the garden ponds, also in the mill pond. This is a close-up of a frog guarding spawn. You can see the photographer in its eye!		March Brimstone This brimstone male had cooled down and was angling itself to catch sunlight and warm up again before continuing its search for females. It vibrated its wings to assist this. Snapped in Catscliffe Wood.
March Longtailed tit Snapped by the Long Beach Road car park. This long tailed tit was building a nest with its mate in the thorny bush just a few feet from the public footpath. I saw the female incubating eggs soon afterwards.		April Bank vole This little character had made a nest by the brook towards the Willsbridge Hill end of the reserve. Identified by its ‘blunt’ nose, warm brown coat and long tail, bank voles remain active throughout most of the year.
March Comma The warm spring weather continues. From the Long Beach Road entrance head down the slope to the main path and turn left. 30-40 meters along the path on your left is a large area of bramble. Commas can always be seen in the spring here, staking out their patch and driving off other insects.		April Blue tit I finally worked out how to get better pictures of blue tits and great tits. I began to jam peanuts in cracks in the fence posts at the north of the reserve. Birds would then have to work a bit harder to get their treat by winkling them out, allowing me more time to get the shot.
April Great tit Shot obtained in the same way as the blue tit. Great tits especially are fast learners. This individual would fly down and look down the sides of the posts first, ignoring what was on the tops of the posts. He appeared to enjoy the challenge of working for his treat.		August Azure damselfly Probably because of the wet July, August saw a late surge of these damselflies around both major ponds in the park. These delicate creatures hunt gracefully for small flies around the vegetation in the pond.
May Southern hawker A very early emergence from the mill pond. About a month early. The weather was by this time beginning to get wetter and cooler. They can survive as larva for two summers and hatched adults live for up to three months		October Dipper I cheated a bit here. This dipper was snapped near St Anne’s Church parking area, just upstream from the valley. But I’ve seen them in the reserve proper several times so I think I can be justified in including it.
June Scarlet tiger This is the first time I’ve seen this species in the valley. A stunning and scarce moth which is found in damp woodland areas. This was snapped near the picnic tables between the barn and mill.		November Winter robin This little guy has got quite used to me, allowing me to get close enough for quite detailed pictures. A couple of times while taking this and other shots he sang a few bars at me. I’m not sure whether he was warning me to keep his distance or warning other robins to keep away from his source of peanut treats.

How to get to Willsbridge:
Take A431 Bristol/Bath road to Willsbridge and turn into Long Beach Road. Car park is on the left. Take footpath opposite down to Mill. Buses – hourly 332 Bristol/Bath or quarter-hourly Bristol City Line 45. Easy access from Bristol – Bath cycle path.