Its a quiet time of year for birds at the moment. So its a good time of year to turn your attention to some of the other wildlife found on the reserve. Look out for silver washed fritillary butterflies and white admirals in the woodlands.
Look out for several of the dragonfly species that use our rides and ponds. A recent survey of the new pond on Brakeybank meadow found 7 different species using it! Which is amazing considering this pond is only 2 years old.
At the start of the month it was national Meadows Day, a day organised by plant life to celebrate our wildflower meadows. Unfortunately wildflower meadows have decreased by over 95% since the 1930s so its important to ensure that no more are lost. As part of a project at Tudeley we have been extending the meadow back to its original boundary in Brakeybank. Over the last 2 years we have been green haying (cutting the meadow and spreading the seed) on the newly created area. On national meadows day we recorded over 60 flowering plant species! A brilliant transformation in 2 years.
Its a good time to look for some of the wildflowers you might find on the reserve, 2 which you might not be familiar with are just flowering on the meadow. Sneezewort Achillea ptarmica The name ptarmica comes from the Greek word ptairo (=sneeze) and means 'causes sneezing'. The other photo is of red bartsia which has an associated bee - aptly named the red bartsia bee which solely collects pollen from this species.
(Sneezewort- white flower and Red bartsia)
Matt