A Busy Weekend

Sunday, September 6th 2015

As has been mentioned when the sun comes out so do the insects. This Peacock Butterfly looks as though it has a fringe!

Peacock Butterfly

Walking through the Scrapes a dragonfly was seen hunting when it suddenly made a turn upwards and caught an insect. It then landed on a post. If you look carefully (make sure you are not having your tea!) you can just see the wings of the insect. When the photograph was downloaded it was interesting to see the number of wings this dragonfly appears to have!

Dragonfly

Early in the morning some bees are to be found sitting very close to the flower head, obviously not yet warm enough to be feeding. Have they spent the night there? We will need to investigate.

Bee on Hardheads

Jack, a member of the ringing team rings currently on Salisbury Plain and caught a Lesser Whitethroat today, a bird we do not see any more at Foxglove.

Lesser Whitethroat

Another bird, few people have seen is a Wryneck; Jack caught this beautiful bird earlier today. They are a Red Listed bird. They mainly feed on the ground, on ants, and don't climb trees like other members of their family.

Wryneck

The ringing team at FGC completed the last CES of 2015 this afternoon. Twenty three years of CES, with not a day missed - a tremendous achievement. The data has been collated and sent to the BTO - it is an amazing set of records.

CES does not just happen. A dedicated team of ringers arrive at dawn throughout the summer and leave at least 11 hours later. Many volunteers support the ringers by carrying out a multitude of different tasks. A huge thank you to everyone involved.

The team.

A Song Thrush was ringed this morning and it showed off its patterned plumage as it was held for a photograph.

Song Thrush

Great Spotted Woodpeckers, Nuthatches, Siskins, and Lesser Redpolls all passed through the ringing room today along with some of the other regular visitors including Goldcrests, 15 Bullfinches, a Sparrowhawk, many Chiffchaffs and 21 Chaffinches.

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Owl Pellet Discovery

Monday 26th July 2021 | 10.00am start

Come and learn all about the different owl species that live in North Yorkshire. Find out what they eat by dissecting their pellets and identifying the contents. Recommended for ages 7 years upwards.

Booking is essential as places are limited.

Suggested minimum donation of £5 per person. Please donate in advance to secure a place.

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Family Pond Dipping 1

Wednesday 28th July 2021 | 45 minute sessions on the hour

Come along and find out which animals are living in some of the Foxglove ponds. Book a pond dipping session for your family bubble. There will be a socially distanced brief to set you off and then you can use the equipment for the remainder of the session. You will be requested to use hand gel on arrival and the net handles will be cleaned between sessions. Please call the Reserve Managers on 07754 270980 to book your allocated slot. You are advised to arrive 15 minutes before your allocated time.

Booking is essential. A donation in advance (card payment by phone) of £5 per family bubble is required in order to secure your booking.

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