Although we are the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, we are just as passionate and dedicated to protecting bugs, butterflies, bats and buttercups as we are to protecting birds. Improving habitats for a target species will undoubtable have knock on benefits for a range of other species and this is well illustrated by Otmoor, where the wet grassand restoration, reedbed construction and hedgerow management have not only helped the waders and warblers but also the green-winged orchids, great-crested newts and grasshoppers.
Whilst making sure the cows hadn't eaten any more electric fencing I saw the first common spotted orchids I'd ever seen on the reserve...
I also saw my first skipper butterfly of the year.
There are loads of insects around at the moment, I seem to be spending a lot of time fighting my way through swarms of flying beasties and crickets, beatles and snails are in abundance in the vegetation alongside the bridleway. It appears there was a plague of slugs in the area last night and one of the tractors that was out mowing was sitting in the farmyard this morning covered in thousands and thousands of them. Brown hawkers and black-tailed skimmers are on the wing and I saw three hobbies hunting them today. I also flushed two green sandpipers up off of Ashgrave and the pair of common terns on the new raft certainly seem to be making themselves comfortable. Is it too late for them to nest?
The terns certainly seem friendly, passing fish to each other today (29th June).