A message from Peter Beckenham, Ranger at Trumpington Meadows.

Hope you’re having a good week. Thanks to everyone who came along last week, among other tasks we were able to walk our first butterfly transect of the year which yielded 4 spring species – Brimstone, Comma, Peacock and Holly Blue. Since then the first Orange-tip and Green-veined White have been seen, how nice to have these delicate fragments of colour skipping across the meadows again. It isn’t all good news though as our white butterflies continue to struggle.

Volunteering is on (tomorrow) Wednesday 2 May and we’ll be meeting at 10am by the Ranger’s Office – all welcome. We have some oak posts to install around the kickabout field which will involve digging, setting postcrete etc. There is some more litter picking in swales to do and in the afternoon if the weather is good we will conduct another butterfly survey. If you’re able to send me an email confirming attendance that would be appreciated.

Following the 2nd, the next session will be on Wednesday 16th May.

Wildlife news

• Two new barn owl boxes made by volunteers over winter have been installed in the southern site
• A Wheatear was briefly spotted at Trumpington Meadows yesterday as it stopped off on its epic migration to northern breeding grounds
• Here’s an excellent article written about the weird and wonderful Great Fen landscape recently
• A public consultation to save the wonderful Lodge Hill in Kent from a catastrophic development plan ends on 11th May and the Wildlife Trusts and RSPB are united in urging nature-lovers everywhere to respond (it only takes seconds)

Thanks and best wishes,

Peter Beckenham
Ranger (Trumpington Meadows)

Direct line: 07734478472
Office: 01223 665742

Tweet: @wildlifebcn
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Visit: www.wildlifebcn.org

The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire