Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2011 | Page 81

COUNTRY LIFE

What to look out for...

Goldenrod

lts

Pheasant Pou

Just about every insect with
an interest in flowers may be
found around Goldenrod in
late summer, and with them
lots of predators! The pollen
grains are heavier than air and
are designed to be carried off
by flies, bees, butterflies, ants
and even birds. Traditionally
used as a medicinal herb to
help treat tuberculosis, gout
and asthma.

Pheasants are now one of
our commonest seen birds,
all because of the shooting
industry and better habitats
for them. Many thousands
are released on ‘shoots’
during July and after a few
weeks getting used to their
new environments, often
become a little bolder in their
search for food, or more than
likely get lost in high winds or
bad weather.

ak

Purple Hairstre

Prawns

GreenMobile – gets Trust motoring…

The Footprint Trust (FT) has
just taken delivery of a new van
nicknamed the ‘GreenMobile’. The
new vehicle will assist communities
in setting up ‘Friends of...’ type
groups to care for local open spaces
and help improve wildlife habitats
and access. Ray Harrington-Vail
of FT says, the Greenmobile will

improve and expand the
resources of the Trust so
that there can be more
voluntary endeavour in
rural areas. The Trust will
be able to attend events,
fetes and fairs to promote
the projects that people
can be helped through,
or take part in. New display
boards are part of that improved
promotion. We wish to improve
people’s quality of life through
providing more opportunities and to
care for more sites. The Footprint
Trust tel. 822282 or email info@
footprint-trust.co.uk

Not very often seen as it lives
high up in the tops of oak
trees, often only coming down
in the morning or evening
to drink in times of very dry
weather. The underwings are
grey with a white streak, the
upperwings are brown, with
the males having a purple
sheen. The females have a
purple mark on their forewing.

Is it a prawn or a shrimp?
There is no