It is back breaking work creating vole habitat but there were plenty of volunteers at the Community Action Day on June 1 which was organised by LENS and the Canal and River Trust and sponsored by Roland Hosker through Erewash Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council’s grant schemes.
The pond dipping activty showed how last year’s pollution incident still affected the canal as there were no invertebrates in the noxious bottom sediment and no aquatic waterweeds. There was still wildlife exploiting the semi aquatic waterside vegetation and also the water itself. Tadpoles, common newts, sticklebacks, and carp fry were abundant. Dragonfly exuviae were all of banded demoiselle.
Students from Broomfield College and local scouts were keen to carry out a butterfly transect on the nearby Toton Washlands reserve and were left in no doubt that butterflies are difficult to catch, but there is no other way to identify white butterflies to species. Holly blue, orange tip, speckled wood, peacock, green veined white, small white, large white and meadow brown butterflies were recorded. It was also exciting to see an azure kingfisher carrying a large fish flying low down the River Erewash. The best sighting of the day was a water vole who ignored all the fuss and continued collecting lunch.
Marion Bryce
Related Links;
lensweb.wordpress.com 