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Wildlife on the up- a decade in review
The noughties have proved an overall success when it comes to wildlife in our area, despite continuing to battle climate change. Over the past ten years the local Wildlife Trust has been working to make our area one of the best habitats for wildlife to thrive. We’ve secured the future of several hugely important sites where you can see animals and plants that have declined or disappeared elsewhere.
Brian Eversham, Chief Executive of the Trust says “We cannot be sure of the winners and losers in a changing climate, but a rule of thumb is that species currently found in our area which tends to be warmer and drier are likely to expand, compared with those in the cooler northwest and uplands, where some wildlife will retreat”
Chettisham Meadows near Ely in Cambridgeshire is one small nature that has made a huge difference when it comes to securing the future of its wildlife. In just 0.7 hectares (1.7 acres) you can see over 10,000 flowering green-winged orchids in late April and May. These flowers are no longer found in much of central England as meadows as lost to other uses. The orchids’ success is due to careful reserve management by the Wildlife Trust. We are also working with neighbouring farms, which are helping to spread the orchids by strewing hay from our meadow on their land.
In Bedfordshire, the wet peaty soil and shady woodlands of Flitwick are among the rarest habitats across the three counties we cover. Its environment of huge trees and dark mosses creates an ideal habitat for the scarce narrow buckler-fen, which grows in number throughout Folly Wood.
One of the finest places for flower lovers can be found in Northamptonshire. Sammock’s Hill, part of the Old Sulehay nature reserve, near Oundle, is approaching an area of 12 hectares (30 acres) of land filled with flowers like pyramidal orchids. They are found in the summer and in the past couple of years over 40 varieties of these orchids have been recorded. A fascinating, but sinister, plant has also found its home at Old Sulehay. Knapweed broomrape is very uncommon in Northamptonshire but it is populating. This plant is unable to make chlorophyll; its food so instead the parasite taps into the roots of its host plant to feed.
Across the three counties we have the majority of the British population of the white-spotted pinion moth. The pale green striped caterpillar feeds on elm trees between April and June with the brown moth coming to being in August.
Brian Eversham says the very existence of this moth is encouraging news: “As Dutch elm disease killed almost all of the elm trees from the 1970’s onwards, this moth declined. Its heartland is now a few elm woods in Huntingdonshire, including several of our nature reserves.
The existence of wildlife has proven to be a powerful deterrent in recent years when it comes to developments. One of the most poignant examples of this can be found at Storton’s Pits in Northampton. A road going straight through the reserve was planned but due to the established habitat of the reed beetle and other rare insects the road was diverted.
The Wildlife Trust has reaped the benefits of work to improve local bird populations. The breeding season at Summer Leys, near Northampton, was its most successful yet with the presence of little ringed plovers, ringed plovers, redshanks, shelducks and common terns. At Grafham Water, near Huntingdon, in Cambridgeshire the rare avocet is successfully breeding.