High summer is here, at the end of this month the school holidays begin so plan ahead and think of some fun outdoor activities to keep the kids occupied. If you’re stuck for ideas, the Woodland Trust have a huge list things to do whatever the weather on their website.
Hedgerows and road verges that haven’t been mown are now bright with marjoram, knapweed, field scabious and thistles. These flowers attract a range of butterflies such as meadow brown, marbled white and gatekeeper.
See if you can spot the stripy cinnabar moth caterpillars feeding on ragwort. Despite being classed as a weed in Britain this humble plant provides a home to over 77 insect species, 30 of those use ragwort exclusively as their food source. Ten of these species are rare or threatened insects including two picture winged flies, three leaf beetles, and five micro moths one of which, the Sussex Emerald is a UK priority species. Despite all of this the plant has a bad reputation as it is highly poisonous to horses.
Caterpillars of the privet hawkmoth and the huge, snake-mimicking, caterpillars of the elephant hawkmoth lurk among the leaves of willowherb and garden fuchsias. The hawk moths are a fantastic family of moths, all of which are fairly large and have bizarre designs and colouration on their wings.
On the coast, colonies of little tern are rearing chicks, as young ringed plovers crouch for camouflage amid the shingle. Little terns are incredibly defensive of their nesting sites so it is wise to observe them from a distance.
Dragonflies are at their best. A visit to a lake or pond will produce brown and southern hawkers and common darters as well as the slim line azure and common blue damselflies. The best time to catch them is early in the day or when the weather is cool.
Our licensed ecologists are experienced in a range of survey types, European Protected Species licensing and mitigation design and implementation.
For more information about bat surveys or any of our other ecological services call us on 029 2065 0331.
