Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2011 | Page 90

COUNTRY LIFE

Green Tiger Beetle

Gatekeeper

Elephant Hawk-moth

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www.visitislandlife.com

butterflies, moths, bees and their hoverfly
imitators. They are not usually such good
places for them to breed, few gardeners
will make space for rough grass that stands
through the winter, vital for the caterpillars of
meadow brown and gatekeeper butterflies to
hide away during the cold months. These and
many others need what are often condemned
as the untidy places, the bits the mowers miss
and where the herbicide sprayer did not reach.
Practices such as farmers leaving unploughed
field margins, so called conservation headlands
and even a reduced intensity of verge cutting
can all be great for insect survival.
Insects provide much of the essence of
summer; the buzz of bees and the song of
grasshoppers are integral to the soundtrack,
whilst the dazzling of blue butterflies and
damselflies add sparkle to any scene. Insects
also pollinate our flowers and crops, and they
feed many of the summer birds, the swallows,
swifts and warblers. There has never been a
better time to get out and see some of the
thousands of species of insects that live on
our doorstep, the beautiful, the weird and the
wonderful.
Full details of all the Wildlife Trust’s nature
reserves can be found on the website www.
hwt.org.uk