Nature Notes August 2022
Nature Notes August 2022
The summer this year has shown us that climate change is a reality, with the driest July since records began in the mid-1800s and recordhigh temperatures. Our gardens are suffering but some wildlife is taking advantage of our warmer, drier climate. There are now Bee-wolves on Buxton Heath! These are solitary members of the wasp family which hunt honey bees, paralyse them and take them back to their underground nest as food for their young. Formerly they were only found on southern heaths in this country but have now expanded their range to include Norfolk. We spent a fascinating afternoon watching their behaviour: some flew straight to their nest hole taking the bee underground in a matter of seconds, others had to put the bee down while they opened the entrance, and some appeared to have difficulty remembering where their hole was!
Other even more exotic creatures are also breeding in the county for the first time ever this year. Bee-eaters are the most amazingly colourful birds of the Mediterranean region, with maroon heads and wing patches, a bright yellow chin patch, azure underparts and a black line through the eye. They are also extremely elegant, whether on the wing, or perched on electricity wires from where they hunt passing insects. The first time we visited the RSPB wardened site at Trimingham, we were able to watch up to six birds on wires above a disused gravel pit. There was plenty to see as they were continually flying up to seize passing prey: bumblebees, butterflies or dragonflies were all hunted down in flight. Occasionally the insect would escape but the birds are so agile in their pursuit, that most were rapidly eaten or passed to a mate as a pair bond offering. On our second visit, the eggs in their nesting burrows had hatched and the adults were swooping in with tit bits for the chicks. While they were still hunting from the wires occasionally, they had had to extend their range and were now focussing on a fishing lake about a mile away, where they could drink and take dragonflies from over the water. The RSPB wardens have telescopes trained on the nesting burrows and the wires, so that anyone can enjoy these beautiful birds, whether they have binoculars or not. There is a £5 parking fee to cover the cost of wardening the site 24 hours a day but also port-a-loos, plenty of space and a short walk down a track to the viewing area. While Bee-eaters may eventually become regular breeders in Britain sometime in the future, it is a great privilege to be able to see these spectacular birds nesting for the first time in Norfolk.
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Do let me know of any interesting wildlife you see rachel.42rr@btinternet.com