The BioBlitz results are in…
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our BioBlitz on Saturday 14th and Sunday 15th May! With the help of local experts we hosted a weekend of wildlife surveys and guided walks to discover the wildlife living within Cambridgeshire. Find out what we recorded by taking a look at the photos below.
Whether you joined us in-person or took part at home, share your records and photos with us. Email info@newlifeoldwest.org.uk or tag us on social media @newlifeoldwest.
Moths
Thank you to the Cambridgeshire County Moth Recorder for providing us with an up-close encounter with a diverse range of moths. In total, 32 species were recorded with 54 individuals.
Volunteers also recorded in Cottenham with 22 species recorded and 30 individuals.
A moth light trap was used overnight on Saturday 14th May at Fairchild’s Meadow in Haddenham.
Volunteers and the NLOW Team were able to see and find out more about the moths.
Light Emerald Buff tip
White ermine Eyed hawk-moth
Grassland surveys
On Saturday we were joined by experts and volunteers in Haddenham and again on Sunday in Rampton (Recreation Ground) to discover the different wildflowers which can be found within the area. A full list can be found by clicking here.
The wildflower meadow at Fairchild’s Meadow.
Bristly Ox tongue
Ragged robin
Cuckoo flower
Oxeye daisy
Yellow rattle. A very useful addition to a wildflower meadow.
Reptile Surveys
Across the weekend, our Natural Heritage and Communities Officer Laura Allen, conducted a reptile survey at Fairchild’s Meadow. Laura spoke with members of the community to highlight the different reptiles which could be found during a survey within the UK. This included grass snake, slow worm, adder, smooth snake and common lizard – some of which are not currently found within Cambridgeshire.
We were very pleased to record grass snakes and common lizards during the BioBlitz weekend and will be repeating the survey over the next few weeks for the first ‘Open for Nature’ day!
Reptile refugia placed around the pond at Fairchild’s Meadow.
A common lizard recorded during the survey.
Guided walks
Thank you to everyone who joined us for a guided walk as part of the BioBlitz. Project Manager, Howard Jones, led a dawn chorus walk at Cam Washes (SSSI) on Saturday. The group were able to listen to and see a range of birds including warblers (blackcap, chiffchaff and sedge warbler), migratory birds (cuckoo, sand martin and swallow) and a herd of roe deer.
Greylag geese on the Old West River.
Project Manager, Howard Jones, leading the dawn chorus walk.
On Sunday, Laura brought the BioBlitz weekend to a close with a guided a nature walk around Rampton. The group were able to explore this pretty Cambridgeshire village, including All Saints’ Church with local residents, before the rain!
