Glow worms in East Devon-Dorset-Somerset

Hi,

I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have
never seen one and would love to show my children.
Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of
year to see them,
Would welcome any help or advice,

Thanks in advance,

Regards Toad.

If you do not want to post the exact location on google you are
welcome to email me direct= spotty@dsl.pipex.com

<fredtoad@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have
> never seen one and would love to show my children.
> Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of
> year to see them,
> Would welcome any help or advice,
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Regards Toad.
>
> If you do not want to post the exact location on google you are
> welcome to email me direct= spotty@dsl.pipex.com

They are commonest on chalk/limestone areas - although I guess that
where you are still gives you plenty of choice. A large part of their
diet is snails which are also commoner on chalk/limestone areas as they
need the calcium for their shells.

That also means that you are much less likely to seem them where farmers
have 'improved' the land with pesticides and fertilizers. Larger areas
of grassland are going to be the easiest to find them on. I don't know
your area very well - I originate from Salisbury - but I'd expect Martin
Down, a SSSI on the Witlshire/Dorset border to be a good place

They 'glow' for quite a short period - the main season tends to be
mid-June to mid-July.

I'd contact your local wild life trust (http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/)
and ask them where to see glow worms
--
Larry Stoter

On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:15:06 +0100, fredtoad@hotmail.com wrote
(in article <1175282106.166828.127080@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups .com>):

> Hi,
>
> I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have
> never seen one and would love to show my children.
> Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of
> year to see them,
> Would welcome any help or advice,
>

This is a totally useless post I guess. But last year when on holiday in
the Greek island of Kos, the garden surrounding our apartment was full of
glow worms. I had never seen them before and it was a fascinating sight.
The glow was somehow unearthly, and coming as it did from this little beetle
like insect was unreal.

In message <1hvtu23.1i3dczmz91thhN%larry@newt.com>, Larry Stoter
<larry@newt.com> writes
><fredtoad@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have
>> never seen one and would love to show my children.
>> Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of
>> year to see them,
>
>They are commonest on chalk/limestone areas - although I guess that
>where you are still gives you plenty of choice. A large part of their
>diet is snails which are also commoner on chalk/limestone areas as they
>need the calcium for their shells.
>
>That also means that you are much less likely to seem them where farmers
>have 'improved' the land with pesticides and fertilizers. Larger areas
>of grassland are going to be the easiest to find them on. I don't know
>your area very well - I originate from Salisbury - but I'd expect Martin
>Down, a SSSI on the Witlshire/Dorset border to be a good place
>
>They 'glow' for quite a short period - the main season tends to be
>mid-June to mid-July.
>
>I'd contact your local wild life trust (http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/)
>and ask them where to see glow worms

I can't add much to the above except they are found here in a stretch of
abandoned railway line. Undisturbed soil, well drained and probably lots
of lime from the old clinker roadbed or chalk from embankment work.

good luck

--
Tim Lamb

"Tim Lamb" <tim@marford.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:2dzkLnFGHiDGFw8j@marford.demon.co.uk...
> In message <1hvtu23.1i3dczmz91thhN%larry@newt.com>, Larry Stoter <larry@newt.com> writes
>><fredtoad@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have
>>> never seen one and would love to show my children.
>>> Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of
>>> year to see them,
>>
>>They are commonest on chalk/limestone areas - although I guess that
>>where you are still gives you plenty of choice. A large part of their
>>diet is snails which are also commoner on chalk/limestone areas as they
>>need the calcium for their shells.
>>
>>That also means that you are much less likely to seem them where farmers
>>have 'improved' the land with pesticides and fertilizers. Larger areas
>>of grassland are going to be the easiest to find them on. I don't know
>>your area very well - I originate from Salisbury - but I'd expect Martin
>>Down, a SSSI on the Witlshire/Dorset border to be a good place
>>
>>They 'glow' for quite a short period - the main season tends to be
>>mid-June to mid-July.
>>
>>I'd contact your local wild life trust (http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/)
>>and ask them where to see glow worms
>
> I can't add much to the above except they are found here in a stretch of abandoned railway line.
> Undisturbed soil, well drained and probably lots of lime from the old clinker roadbed or chalk
> from embankment work.

They can be difficult to find in grassland but I've often seen them in hedge bottoms, here in
Worcestershire. If you know anyone who is active in your local Bat Group then it may be worth
asking them. The National Bat Monitoring Programme Field Transect Surveys take place in July and
involve walking about a three km transect in the dark - twice for each survey, a couple of weeks
apart. Each survey is based on a single OS km grid square and there should be a large number in
your county distributed almost at random - so volunteer bat workers should be covering a good cross
section of glow-worm habitat.

I've seen more glow-worms over the last couple of years doing these surveys than in the whole of the
rest of my life.

Hope you find some!

David

fredtoad@hotmail.com wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have
> never seen one and would love to show my children.
> Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of
> year to see them,
> Would welcome any help or advice,

I can't answer the question about where except that I think a limestone area
is good. (Actually for the tiny snails that the glowworms feed on.)

For time I think it is late June and early July. And late at night; it has
to be really dark. So not ideal for young children. I went surveying for
them, by invitation, at a nature reserve near Beaconsfield and saw quite a
few, but only one pair actually mating.

Mike.
--
If reply address = connectfee, add an r because it is free not fee.

On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:48:36 +0100, "Mike Coon"
<mjcoon@@connectfee.co.uk> wrote:

>fredtoad@hotmail.com wrote:
>> Hi,
>>
>> I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have
>> never seen one and would love to show my children.
>> Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of
>> year to see them,
>> Would welcome any help or advice,
>
>I can't answer the question about where except that I think a limestone area
>is good. (Actually for the tiny snails that the glowworms feed on.)
>
>For time I think it is late June and early July. And late at night; it has
>to be really dark. So not ideal for young children. I went surveying for
>them, by invitation, at a nature reserve near Beaconsfield and saw quite a
>few, but only one pair actually mating.

I did some surveying on my local nature reserve in south Oxon and we
saw them about 21:30-22:00 ... not quite dark but getting there.
Though I know the people who used to survey them every year used to
complain that it was a tricky and dangerous job - walking around on a
dark slope, miles from anywhere, looking for tiny green LED-type
lights in the grass ... while occasionally putting a foot down a
rabbit hole and risking breaking your ankle! ;o)

The advice was to stick with a route you've planned in the light and
not to use a torch too much because it b*****s up your night-vision.
Always take your mobile phone with you and go in pairs, just in case
you have an accident.

Chris R.

Cheb wrote...
> ... walking around on a
> dark slope, miles from anywhere, looking for tiny green LED-type
> lights in the grass ...

I'll never forget how the second "glow-worm" I ever saw turned out to be the green LED an someone's
bat detector that they had put down on the grass! It looked identical to the real thing until I
turned on my lamp to see the beasie itself!

David

	#1
fredtoad@hotmail.com	Glow worms in East Devon-Dorset-Somerset Hi, I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have never seen one and would love to show my children. Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of year to see them, Would welcome any help or advice, Thanks in advance, Regards Toad. If you do not want to post the exact location on google you are welcome to email me direct= spotty@dsl.pipex.com

	#2
Larry Stoter	Re: Glow worms in East Devon-Dorset-Somerset <fredtoad@hotmail.com> wrote: > Hi, > > I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have > never seen one and would love to show my children. > Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of > year to see them, > Would welcome any help or advice, > > Thanks in advance, > > Regards Toad. > > If you do not want to post the exact location on google you are > welcome to email me direct= spotty@dsl.pipex.com They are commonest on chalk/limestone areas - although I guess that where you are still gives you plenty of choice. A large part of their diet is snails which are also commoner on chalk/limestone areas as they need the calcium for their shells. That also means that you are much less likely to seem them where farmers have 'improved' the land with pesticides and fertilizers. Larger areas of grassland are going to be the easiest to find them on. I don't know your area very well - I originate from Salisbury - but I'd expect Martin Down, a SSSI on the Witlshire/Dorset border to be a good place They 'glow' for quite a short period - the main season tends to be mid-June to mid-July. I'd contact your local wild life trust (http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/) and ask them where to see glow worms -- Larry Stoter

	#3
Peter James	Re: Glow worms in East Devon-Dorset-Somerset On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:15:06 +0100, fredtoad@hotmail.com wrote (in article <1175282106.166828.127080@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups .com>): > Hi, > > I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have > never seen one and would love to show my children. > Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of > year to see them, > Would welcome any help or advice, > This is a totally useless post I guess. But last year when on holiday in the Greek island of Kos, the garden surrounding our apartment was full of glow worms. I had never seen them before and it was a fascinating sight. The glow was somehow unearthly, and coming as it did from this little beetle like insect was unreal.

	#4
Tim Lamb	Re: Glow worms in East Devon-Dorset-Somerset In message <1hvtu23.1i3dczmz91thhN%larry@newt.com>, Larry Stoter <larry@newt.com> writes ><fredtoad@hotmail.com> wrote: > >> Hi, >> >> I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have >> never seen one and would love to show my children. >> Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of >> year to see them, > >They are commonest on chalk/limestone areas - although I guess that >where you are still gives you plenty of choice. A large part of their >diet is snails which are also commoner on chalk/limestone areas as they >need the calcium for their shells. > >That also means that you are much less likely to seem them where farmers >have 'improved' the land with pesticides and fertilizers. Larger areas >of grassland are going to be the easiest to find them on. I don't know >your area very well - I originate from Salisbury - but I'd expect Martin >Down, a SSSI on the Witlshire/Dorset border to be a good place > >They 'glow' for quite a short period - the main season tends to be >mid-June to mid-July. > >I'd contact your local wild life trust (http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/) >and ask them where to see glow worms I can't add much to the above except they are found here in a stretch of abandoned railway line. Undisturbed soil, well drained and probably lots of lime from the old clinker roadbed or chalk from embankment work. good luck -- Tim Lamb

	#5
David Lee	Re: Glow worms in East Devon-Dorset-Somerset "Tim Lamb" <tim@marford.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:2dzkLnFGHiDGFw8j@marford.demon.co.uk... > In message <1hvtu23.1i3dczmz91thhN%larry@newt.com>, Larry Stoter <larry@newt.com> writes >><fredtoad@hotmail.com> wrote: >> >>> Hi, >>> >>> I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have >>> never seen one and would love to show my children. >>> Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of >>> year to see them, >> >>They are commonest on chalk/limestone areas - although I guess that >>where you are still gives you plenty of choice. A large part of their >>diet is snails which are also commoner on chalk/limestone areas as they >>need the calcium for their shells. >> >>That also means that you are much less likely to seem them where farmers >>have 'improved' the land with pesticides and fertilizers. Larger areas >>of grassland are going to be the easiest to find them on. I don't know >>your area very well - I originate from Salisbury - but I'd expect Martin >>Down, a SSSI on the Witlshire/Dorset border to be a good place >> >>They 'glow' for quite a short period - the main season tends to be >>mid-June to mid-July. >> >>I'd contact your local wild life trust (http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/) >>and ask them where to see glow worms > > I can't add much to the above except they are found here in a stretch of abandoned railway line. > Undisturbed soil, well drained and probably lots of lime from the old clinker roadbed or chalk > from embankment work. They can be difficult to find in grassland but I've often seen them in hedge bottoms, here in Worcestershire. If you know anyone who is active in your local Bat Group then it may be worth asking them. The National Bat Monitoring Programme Field Transect Surveys take place in July and involve walking about a three km transect in the dark - twice for each survey, a couple of weeks apart. Each survey is based on a single OS km grid square and there should be a large number in your county distributed almost at random - so volunteer bat workers should be covering a good cross section of glow-worm habitat. I've seen more glow-worms over the last couple of years doing these surveys than in the whole of the rest of my life. Hope you find some! David

	#6
Mike Coon	Re: Glow worms in East Devon-Dorset-Somerset fredtoad@hotmail.com wrote: > Hi, > > I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have > never seen one and would love to show my children. > Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of > year to see them, > Would welcome any help or advice, I can't answer the question about where except that I think a limestone area is good. (Actually for the tiny snails that the glowworms feed on.) For time I think it is late June and early July. And late at night; it has to be really dark. So not ideal for young children. I went surveying for them, by invitation, at a nature reserve near Beaconsfield and saw quite a few, but only one pair actually mating. Mike. -- If reply address = connectfee, add an r because it is free not fee.

	#7
Cheb	Re: Glow worms in East Devon-Dorset-Somerset On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:48:36 +0100, "Mike Coon" <mjcoon@@connectfee.co.uk> wrote: >fredtoad@hotmail.com wrote: >> Hi, >> >> I Live in Axminster in Devon and would love to see a glow worm.I have >> never seen one and would love to show my children. >> Is there any where local I can look and is there a better time of >> year to see them, >> Would welcome any help or advice, > >I can't answer the question about where except that I think a limestone area >is good. (Actually for the tiny snails that the glowworms feed on.) > >For time I think it is late June and early July. And late at night; it has >to be really dark. So not ideal for young children. I went surveying for >them, by invitation, at a nature reserve near Beaconsfield and saw quite a >few, but only one pair actually mating. I did some surveying on my local nature reserve in south Oxon and we saw them about 21:30-22:00 ... not quite dark but getting there. Though I know the people who used to survey them every year used to complain that it was a tricky and dangerous job - walking around on a dark slope, miles from anywhere, looking for tiny green LED-type lights in the grass ... while occasionally putting a foot down a rabbit hole and risking breaking your ankle! ;o) The advice was to stick with a route you've planned in the light and not to use a torch too much because it b*****s up your night-vision. Always take your mobile phone with you and go in pairs, just in case you have an accident. Chris R.