Bountiful moths and birds at the Nature Reserve
Saturday 21st June started with clear skies and a hot sun. Warm overnight temperatures encouraged the moths to fly, with some entranced by the lights of our moth trap. By the morning, we had collected a fine array of moths, both large and small, some exquisitely coloured and some with fascinating patterns. There were many highlights. Young and old alike were enraptured by the variety. Elephant hawk-moths are always a draw – but we had the numbers to seriously impress. (Indeed, more than one of our moth experts had ever seen at one time!) A collection of buff-tips strategically presented on a piece of bark showed how hard they are to spy, given their fantastic camouflage.
The bird-ringers delivered too! It’s not every day you get to see a woodpigeon close up – even for a regular bird ringer! As advertised on our poster(!) a lesser whitethroat was a star of the show, with charismatic blue tits and great tits entertaining our younger visitors especially. We even had a chiffchaff which was last recorded in Impington.
The demonstration was held in the cool shade of the woods near the veteran oak. So, despite the hot weather, the crowds remained engrossed by the spectacle – and one hopes feeling this engagement with nature on our doorstep will be a highlight to remember.
