A Sunny School Visit

Today the sun shone, if a little hazy, for our visit by Mill Hill Community Primary School. What a contrast to the last school visit when we had sleet and snow.

The activities were divided off and the groups made their way to either the pond dipping platforms, the outdoor classroom for mini beasts, or the habitat walk. We try to adapt the various activities to any projects which the classes are doing, in this case their subject was based mainly on mini beasts, which take in all the slugs, spiders and insects.

With the pond dipping we had such delights as Whirligig beetles, Pond Skaters, as well as Mayfly, Caddis and Damselfly larvae which fell into the mini beast category. The habitat walk found a Stonefly, various bumblebees, a few butterflies (Orange Tip, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell). On the Minibeast safari the children lifted the logs for the usual slugs, millipedes and woodlice. So thankfully they had a lot of areas filled.
The Moorhen is still about with her 7 chicks, and there is another nest opposite the Lake Hide that is being constructed.

Also today I had reports that a couple of Little Grebe chick were seen briefly taking their first dip into the water from their cosy nest, hopefully over the weekend they will be fully off the nest.

We do not just get moths just when we put out the moth trap, some were found on the walls of the Field Centre this morning, a Shoulder Stripe and a Purple Thorn (below), which amazes me every time I see these, how much they look like a dried leaf.

Thank you to Colin for again coming in to fill the bird feeders,

and Jackie, Lesley and Elizabeth for their much needed help.

Sorry for the mistake yesterday with the photo which I said was a Stonefly, it was actually a Alderfly, that has now been corrected.