Foxglove 30 BIOBLITZ
The 30th anniversary of the reserve was celebrated on Saturday with a family BIOBLITZ event. This year the aim is to discover 30 new species of wildlife to add to the existing 2,700 on the list. There were many walks and activities throughout the day for all ages.
First on the program was the moth recording which began at dawn.
The cool temperatures on Friday night meant that the numbers of moths caught was lower than expected however, there were some beautiful ones of over 70 different species, two of which were new for the site.
The bird ringers also had an early start (5am) but were rewarded with some special birds. This Sedge Warbler was the first bird to land in one of the mist nets!
Another surprise was a juvenile Reed Warbler which wasn't new but hadn't been observed at Foxglove since 2018.
Many Natural Historians and specialists came along to deliver guided walks and talks about their subjects. The warm sunshine made perfect conditions for watching butterflies.
15 species were counted including both Dark Green and Silver-washed fritillaries.
There were lots of hands-on activities such as making butterfly feeders and leaf bunting. Some of the adults enjoyed these as much, if not more, than the children!
There was an opportunity to learn about wildlife photography and with some of the meadows and glades still in bloom there was plenty to capture.
Out on the heathland, Entomologists (both experienced and budding) searched for new invertebrates!
Back at the Field Centre, Beekeepers from Richmondshire District Beekeepers' Association were on hand to promote the importance of bees…
and a Mycologist was demonstrating the process of fermenting fungi to create Kombucha.
Walks also took place to find wildflowers, dragonflies & damselflies and lichens & mosses. Thank you to all of the specialists who contributed by sharing their incredible knowledge. The results are still coming in and will be available shortly.
Fingers crossed for some additional new species; 16 still to go so far!