South Holderness Countryside Society

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South Holderness Countryside Society

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The South Holderness Countryside Society was set up in 1983 with the primary aim of 'Making a Better Place for Wildlife'. This is our 'Ivy House project'.

SHCS is a charitable society concerned with exploring nature as well as giving the opportunity for people to help in conservation of our two award-winning nature reserves and, our base, Ivy House. We own two large award-winning nature reserves, Beacon Lagoons and Hollym Carrs, and have over 100 subscribing members from all walks of life. We have also recently inherited a farmhouse, its outbuildings and approximately two hectares of land in Hollym near Withernsea. We are planning to develop this into our headquarters with office, archive/library and meeting/exhibition space. We are aiming to develop the grounds into a mosaic of wildlife habitats. It is going to be a large and expensive project but we feel the time, expense and effort will be worth it in the long run! As a registered Charity we are dedicated to educating members of the public on matters relating to natural history and conservation. We organise monthly indoor meetings, freely open to the public, covering the spectrum of wildlife and conservation interest. We promote educational visits to our reserves and interpretation is provided through our close links with local schools.

05/11/2026

Nuts, seeds, fruit or drupes?

02/11/2026

Hawthorn berries (known as haws) are a vital ecological resource for UK wildlife, particularly during the lean autumn and winter months.

• Thrushes (such as fieldfares, redwings, song thrushes, and mistle thrushes) rely heavily on hawthorn berries as a primary winter food source.
• Waxwings gorge on the red fruits when visiting the UK during cold snaps.
• Yellowhammers and other finches feed directly on the fallen or attached berries and seeds.
• Small birds (like blackbirds and robins) consume the soft flesh and help disperse the seeds.

30/10/2026

White waves are called "white horses" (or whitecaps) because of the visual and acoustic imagery they create when the wind causes them to break on the open water.

The frothy, white foam at the crest of a breaking wave looks like the flowing, white mane of a galloping horse.

The roaring, crashing sound of waves breaking across the sea echoes the sound of hooves thundering across the ground.

They say "never turn your back on the ocean" because wave sizes and water levels change without warning, creating sudden hazards that can knock you down and pull you into deep water.

27/10/2026

Cinnamon bug (Corizus hyoscyami) This brightly coloured bug was once only found in coastal areas of southern Britain. Also referred to as the Black and Red Squash Bug, this scentless plant bug is an uncommon find in much of Britain and Ireland.

However, in recent decades it has spread rapidly. It can now be found throughout most of Britain, reaching as far north as Scotland.

It can be spotted on a variety of plants in almost any location, from woodland rides to gardens.

24/10/2026

Roesel’s bush-crickets (Metrioptera roeselii) are the most notable and frequently observed cricket species at Spurn Point (Spurn National Nature Reserve).

Historically restricted to the south-east of England, this species has rapidly advanced northward along road corridors and coastlines. They are now found in good numbers in the rank grassy areas around Spurn Point, the Warren, and the nearby Kilnsea Wetlands.

They are recognizable by a distinct creamy-yellow border on their thorax and a long, mechanical, continuous song that sounds like a spinning lawnmower

21/10/2026

Sea-buckthorn is a very spiny shrub, native to sand dunes along the east coast of England. It forms dense thickets with thorny twigs and, although it has small green flowers, is most noticeable right now when it displays an abundance of bright orange berries.

The orange berries of sea-buckthorn provide food for wintering thrushes as they arrive from the continent in the autumn.

Sea buckthorn berries taste intensely tart, sour, and acidic, much like a sharp mix of lemon, sour cherry, un-sweetened cranberry, and rhubarb.

18/10/2026

Fully kitted out for reserve maintenance on the reed-bed!

16/10/2026

It's tomorrow!

The South Holderness Countryside Society AGM will be held on Saturday 17th October, 2pm, at Ivy House.

All members are welcome to attend 😁

Meet other members, the committee, find out more about the work we do!

15/10/2026

Taking in the late summer warmth. You can spot the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) in the UK during October as part of its extended seasonal window running from spring through late autumn.

Sightings in October typically represent the final home-grown generation of the year, or late migrants lingering before temperatures drop.

Painted Ladies cannot survive the UK winter in any life stage (egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, or adult). Rather than hibernating locally like the Small Tortoiseshell or Peacock, surviving adults attempt to fly south back toward continental Europe and North Africa as autumn progresses.

You may still find them visiting late-blooming nectar plants like ivy, late-flowering buddleia, or garden flowers on warmer, sunny October days.

14/10/2026

This female garden spider, Araneus diadematus, is a type of Orbweaver.

She seems to be gravid (full of eggs) and around this time of the year she will lay her egg sac and die nbot long after.

This lady was HUGE and had decided that my brown waste bin was a suitable maternity hospital!

Address

Ivy House South Carr Dales Road Hollym
Withernsea
HU192SQ

Telephone

+441964623261

Website

https://southholdernesscountrysidesociety.com/

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