It is lazy late-summer time and The Heath has changed colour again. The heather is in full bloom, providing masses of purple, with bistort, honeysuckle and rosebay willowherb dabbing similar colours around. Of course, these are crucial food sources for bees and butterflies so the bees are ceaselessly buzzing all over the heather and the... Continue Reading →
Butterfly Survey
Now is the time of year for the annual, national Big Butterfly Count. So we took a walk through the nature reserve on Friday afternoon and recorded what we saw. We spotted eight species - most of them near the sandpit - and I have sent our count into the survey. SPECIESCOUNT6-spot Burnett1Comma2Gatekeeper5Holly Blue1Meadow Brown3Purple... Continue Reading →
Conservation Day Report – 11th September
The forecast was for rain but the weather gods were kind and gave us a dry and, by the end, sunny day. Our main task was to cut back the gorse among the heather. The gorse seemed to have thrived during the dry, hot months of June and July while everything else struggled. It was... Continue Reading →
Butterflies and Bees
This sunny summer weather is perfect for butterflies, bees and other insects. A variety of species are active in the nature reserve at the moment. Some can easily be seen by checking out the flowers that are in bloom. For instance the yellow daisy-like flowers of ragwort are magnets for lots of insects. You may... Continue Reading →
Sunny Summer Afternoon
The weather favoured us again for our second "Nature on The Heath" event on Sunday, 17th July. We enjoyed a gloriously sunny afternoon with our lovely visitors. While some had their faces painted, played giant snakes and ladders or created things at the craft tables, others ventured into the nature reserve to hunt the trails... Continue Reading →
Buds of May
The month of May is when The Heath bursts forth. Tree leaves unfurl, flowers bloom and butterflies appear. Summer's almost here. Kevin Griffiths