Westland Countryside Stewards

Reconnecting with local nature

Gallery

All you budding photographers are welcome to submit any photography from the Common. We’d love to see what you’ve seen while out and about so just contact us.

Water Vole Release Project

John Duncan from WCS is putting carrot and apple pieces into a water vole release cage.
Soft release in release cage being fed carrot and apple
Close up of a release cage being emptied during Westland Countryside Stewards water vole reintroduction project in Cornwall
Exit boards being fitted onto soft release water vole cages – photo courtesy of Nick Upston
water vole surveyor pointing out a water vole latrine
Surveyor discovering a water vole latrine – Photo courtesy of Nick Upton
water voles in a release cage, Bude, Cornwall water vole release
Water voles in release cage
Westland Countryside Steward Water Vole Talk from Derek Gow at Bude Parkhouse Centre, Bude, Cornwall
Derek Gow presenting talk on water voles at Bude Park House Centre
A close up of a water vole latrine. Water vole poo is a brown to green in colour and the same shape and size as a TicTac mint.
A water vole latrine
water vole feeding on riverside vegetation
Water vole feeding on riverside vegetation
Soft release water vole venturing into its new home - Photo courtesy of Nick Upton
Soft release water vole venturing into its new home – Photo courtesy of Nick Upton
water vole swimming away from the camera
Water vole released
From Left to Right - Rebecca Northey (Derek Gow Consultancy), Chloe Wonnacott (Derek Gow Consultancy), Dennis Vanstone (Westland Countryside Stewards) and Shaun Thomas (Westland Countryside Stewards). They are standing around a water vole release cage and Rebecca is holding a water vole.
From Left to Right – Rebecca Northey (Derek Gow Consultancy), Chloe Wonnacott (Derek Gow Consultancy), Dennis Vanstone (Westland Countryside Stewards) and Shaun Thomas (Westland Countryside Stewards)
pre water vole release and Hannah Sneyd with camera
Prepping for water vole release
Westland Countryside Stewards and Derek Gow Consultancy pre water vole release
Prepping for water vole release with Derek Gow Consultancy and Westland Countryside Stewards
Derek Gow holding a water vole
Derek Gow hard releasing a water vole
A close up of a water vole on the river bank. It has its front paws raised to its mouth as it eats some vegetation.
A water vole happy in its new home in the Bude river catchment

Kilkhampton Common

A freshly dug wildlife pond waiting for the rain to fill it up.
New wildlife pond on the common
Kilkhampton Common Wildlife Pond with Neil Cox in the background for scale.
Trustee Neil Cox by new pond
Volunteers tree planting on Kilkhampton Common with then-trustee Dennis Vanstone.
Left to right: Emma Cox, Dennis Vanstone, Tim Prince and Sue Prince
Woodland tree planting on Kilkhampton Common. Saplings have been planted and staked to give them the best chance of thriving.
Woodland Trust tree planting
Photograph of Balwen Sheep on Kilkhampton Common. The are a welsh breed with black fleece and white socks, tails and faces.
Balwen sheep on the common
A Zwartble Sheep. They have a brown/black fleece and a white stripe on the face.
Zwartble ram on the common
A herd of Gotland sheep. They a light to dark grey with a curly fleece.
Gotland sheep on the common
A Balwen ram on Kilkhampton Common. It has a brown/black fleece and a white stripe on the face.
Balwen ram on the common
Kilkhampton Common river walk, showing the variety of trees such as oak and willow and two wooden bridges installed by Westland Countryside Stewards for visitors to walk along.
River walk on the common
Neil Cox and Dennis Vanstone measuring out timber for the construction of the Kilkhampton Common river walk bridges.
Trustees Neil and Dennis building bridges
A Notice Board on Kilkhampton Common
Kilkhampton Common notice board
Looking down the track towards Kilkhampton Common, showing newly created drainage ditches and the stone chipping on the pathway.
Completed works looking down the track
A dog drinking trough at the bottom of the track on Kilkhampton Common. This was installed to be used by dog walkers visiting the site.
Dog drinking trough at bottom of track
A natural spring on Kilkhampton Common newly repaired by Westland Countryside Stewards.
View from the track
Access track to Kilkhampton Common leading downhill.
Track leading down to the common

 Trees

A windswept tree on Kilkhampton Common.
A close up of three mushrooms growing on Kilkhampton Common
A close up of Hawthorne leaves.
A close up of oak leaves.
A close up of hazel leaves.
A fungus growing on bark.
A birch trunk.

Wildlife

A Buzzard in a tree.
An adder in the undergrowth.
A small tortoiseshell butterfly
A dragonfly
Close up of a bee gathering pollen from a pink flower.
A small pearl bordered fritillary butterfly
Small Pearl Bordered Fritillary – Photo courtesy of Cornwall Butterfly Conservation

Flowers

Wood Speedwell
Wood Speedwell – Photo Nick Upton ©
Hart's Tongue Ferns
Hart’s-tongue ferns – Photo Nick Upton ©
Blackberry in flower.
Blackberry – Photo Neil Cox ©
Foxgloves in flower
Foxgloves – Photo Neil Cox ©
Common Dog Violet
Common Dog Violet – Photo Nick Upton ©
Bugle
Bugle – Photo Nick Upton ©
Elderflower in flower
Elderflower – Photo Neil Cox ©
Blackthorn in blossom
Blackthorn blossom – Photo Neil Cox ©
A wild flower meadow
Meadow flowers – Photo Neil Cox ©