Insects and Water life

Butterflies have not been prevalent, although the following species have been seen; – yellow brimstone, holly blue, commas, peacock, red admiral and small tortoiseshell.

Water life reports are from small garden ponds, a swimming pool and the larger natural garden pond in Watergates Lane. All report frogs and toads, with their spawn and tadpoles in the spring, and a newt was seen in the swimming pool! In one garden pond during May, an unusual visitor – a grass snake appeared, probably looking for frogs to eat. The usual water boatmen, whirligig beetles, pond skaters, damsel flies and dragon flies have been observed. The natural pond in Watergates Lane is home to mallard ducks and moorhens and in early April 1999 there were fourteen ducklings and six baby moorhens. After a mild winter, on 15th April we had an unseasonable snowfall of two to three inches; after this, seven ducklings had died. Happily in late May, there were further broods, again of fourteen ducklings and seven moorhens with seven and four surviving. On this basis, the survival rate of both seems to be only about fifty per-cent.

Ruth Small - Co-ordinator