What lives in the meadow? That was the question for experts, volunteers and visitors at Hermitage Field’s first Bioblitz on 9 July.
Wildlife watchers – both experts and novices – wandered through the meadow identifying as many plants and animals as possible. The weather was ideal, with warm sunshine before heavy rain arrived in the late afternoon.
It was a rewarding and uplifting day for volunteers who have worked so hard to establish the meadow. The results show the wildlife has certainly appreciated it. We found many species of butterflies, bumble bees, solitary bees, hoverflies, grasses and wildflowers. A particular highlight was a rare Purple Hairstreak butterfly.
See what we found in the meadow on the Hermitage Field Community Meadow project page.
As of 8 August we have had over 540 wildlife observations and an amazing 268 species recorded.
We would like to thank Carol Edmondson from Forest of Bowland Hay Time for the use of the gazebo and setting up the project.
Our thanks too to Steve Graham, who set up a moth trap for the project, and to all our enthusiastic volunteers who continue to add records to the site. Anyone visiting the meadow can upload sightings too on the iNaturalist project page..
