Large Skipper feeding on Black Horehound in The Bumpy
As I write, we find ourselves in the grip of the third heatwave of the year (so far). Even the resilient Stinging Nettles are showing signs of water and heat stress. There has been very little rain since early spring, and the free-draining soils of The Bumpy are parched. TLC from the Bumpy Volunteer Group (BVG) has kept most of the recently added plants alive, but older, better-established plants have had to fend for themselves. Remarkably, the wildflower plug plants added to the meadow area last year are still flowering well, with no supplementary watering at all. Oxeye Daisies, Agrimony, Black Knapweed, Yarrow, and Birds Foot Trefoil have all flowered well and are attracting lots of insect visitors. Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper butterflies have been very numerous, and the less common Painted Lady (a passing, migratory visitor), Small Tortoiseshell, Brown Argus and Marbled White have all been seen on the Meadow this year.
The Bumpy Open Day in early June, which was part of Sustainable Uttlesford’s Big Green Festival, feels a long time ago – we’ve had two heatwaves since then! Thank you so much to everyone who came along; we’ve never seen so many visitors in The Bumpy. Your kind donations will support the on-going maintenance of and improvements to The Bumpy for months to come; thank you. The Moth Trap reveal was very exciting, although a little thwarted by a strong breeze. Nevertheless, 25 species were identified, including several feisty, pink and green Elephant Hawkmoths (named for their bizarrely-fashioned caterpillars, rather than these adult moths), stunningly marked Burnished Brass moths (whose name really does suit the adult’s markings) and incredibly camouflaged Buff-tips, which look just like little twigs. Talks on local birds, from Humphrey Crick, and rewilding your own garden, from Bridget Featherstone, were well attended and much enjoyed by everyone. A “bioblitz” held on the day (defined as “a specified period of intense biological survey of a given geographic area”) recorded 81 different species in The Bumpy and included two new species of solitary bee and a tiny but very striking purple and green Jewel Wasp. Every year, we find that the biodiversity of our little village nature reserve has further increased. Why not pay us a visit soon and see what you can find? The Bumpy is open 24/7 and there is always something to see.