All of a buzz

It was yet another glorious sunny day in Staffordshire and no better weather to visit Highgate Common in the south of the county.  This Staffordshire Wildlife Trust nature reserve is home to hundred of insects, many of which are incredibly rare.  Insects were on today's agenda as we were undertaking the monthly bumblebee survey as part of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust monitoring scheme.

You can take part in the BBCT monitoring scheme too.  Find out more here - http://bumblebeeconservation.org/get-involved/surveys

Buff-tailed and red-tailed were the most common species of bumblebee found on the survey, but the show was stolen by the butterflies.  Hundreds, if not thousands adorn the whole nature reserve and today I was privileged enough to encounter my first white admiral and marbled white that I have seen in Staffordshire.  Other species seen included common blue, small heath, small skipper, essex skipper, peacock, small tortoiseshell, ringlet, gatekeeper, small white and meadow brown.

There were also several brown hawker dragonflies about along with common darter, common blue and azure blue damselflies, southern hawker and a four-spotted chaser on the main dragonfly pond.

If you've never been to the nature reserve before I'd highly recommend it!  Find out more here - http://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/reserves/highgate-common