Call in anytime between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 19th July to see what’s flying and flowering at the wildlife pond and meadow, near Gid Lane, Upper Froyle. There should be plenty to see especially if it’s a sunny day.

Members of Froyle Wildlife will be on hand to assist with identification of wildflowers, dragonflies and butterflies. Wildflower species to look out for include; knapweed, lady’s bedstraw, meadowsweet, self heal, purple loosestrife, water figwort and bird’s-foot trefoil. Ladybirds, hoverflies, bees and grasshoppers may also be seen. No need to book, anyone can just pop in and see what you can spot.

What did we see on the day?

After weeks of hot dry weather, we had drizzle on this July morning that deterred any visitors. It brightened in the afternoon for the dragonflies and butterflies to start fliting among the wonderful wildflower meadow that surrounds the pond. Butterflies counted were Gatekeeper 29, Meadow Brown 27, Large White 3, Green-veined White 3, Common Blue 4, Comma 2, Small Copper 1, Small White 1, Small Skipper 1. Odonata seen included Emperor dragonfly, Blue-tailed damselfly, Common darter, Small Red-eyed damselfly, along with bees, ladybirds and hoverflies. Among the vegetation was a metallic green Rose Chafer beetle, a wasp spider and a new species for the location a Turnip sawfly. The area is maintained by Froyle Wildlife volunteers and is definitely a hotspot for biodiversity in Froyle.