A message from Rebecca Green, Senior Ranger at Trumpington Meadows.

Thanks to those who came for a very productive session last week – we made a good start on the Old Mill Field area of the reserve. We’ve begun cutting back some of the vegetation there, and “popping” or coppicing some of the encroaching scrub. It’s going to take a bit of work but we hope to really improve this area in time for next spring.

The next session will be postponed a week as I’m on holiday! We will next meet on 12th September, from 10am (with the subsequent session on the 26th). Please meet at the office and let me know if you can make it.

We will hopefully be installing a new bench in the north of the reserve in the morning, although this is subject to the ground being soft enough to dig. Alternatively, or in the afternoon, there is some vegetation to be cleared from the banks of the coprolite ponds in the south. Bring a packed lunch if you are staying for the whole day, and water, as we will have lunch out on site.

Trumpington Meadows wildlife news

• We saw some interesting things during our work last week, not all of them identified at the time. The tall figwort was likely water figwort (Scrophularia aquatica) – which has a square stalk with “wings”. And the interesting shield bug was a Rhombic leather bug, with distinctive diamond shape (see photo).

• Thanks to Jeremy for confirming the little grebes in the pond had a 2nd brood – 3 cute stripey chicks can be seen.
• We saw a lone swift flying over the meadows this morning – might it be the last one until next year?

If you can make, please drop me a line to let me know. Hope to see you there!

Best wishes,

Becky

Office: 01223 665742

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The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire & Northamptonshire