Nature Watch with RON FREETHY

LANCASHIRE is one of those countries which is fast recovering from the scars caused by the Industrial Revolution.

This is why local nature reserves are important and why the work of the local Wildlife Trust is vital.

Foxhill Bank Nature Reserve is built around a couple of old mill lodges once used to provide essential water for Victorian industry.

The lodges are now havens for aquatic wildlife and it is being managed by the Trust in a very sensitive way.

I visited the reserve last week and summer flowers are thriving and young waterbirds are all around, including moorhen, coot, mallard and Canada geese. I also watched a grey wagtail feeding three young.

The old mill lodges are large enough to provide great habitat for winter wildfowl and the surrounding trees such as alder and rowan - not to mention rose and hawthorn - provide food for migrating and resident birds.

The bramble is also an important food source.

Bramble flowers are very pretty and a close look reveals that it is a member of the rose family.

The flowers are also very rich in nectar which means that they are popular with insects, especially bumble bees.

It is these insects which pollinate the bramble flowers and ensure that we all enjoy a feast of fruit during the early autumn.

There are foxes present around Foxhill Bank but there is lots more to enjoy in this pleasant little stretch of Lancashire's wildlife history.

Fearsome beastie comes alive each night

LETTER OF THE WEEK

ISAW what I thought was a leaf on one of my hanging baskets the other day and had quite a shock when I went to remove it only to find that it was ALIVE!

It was actually a large moth of a type that I had never seen before and measured 5cms in length with 7cms wingspan and looked quite fearsome.

It even trembled like a leaf in the breeze and looked like brown holly. It was fascinating to see how camouflaged it would be in a tree.

I have looked on various websites for identification and wonder if this is a popular hawk moth. They are quite common apparently, though this is the first time that I have ever seen one!

The moth stays next to a dusk-to-dawn outside wall light and stays inactive during the day but disappears at night only to have returned to the same spot each morning.

It must be attracted to the light and warmth, I think.

I have enclosed a photograph and hope that you can enlighten me as to the species.

MARJE WILLIAMS (Mrs), Langdale Road, Feniscowles, Blackburn.

RON'S REPLY:

MARJE is quite right. It is a popular hawk moth and it is quite common. Because of its camouflage and the fact it is active at night it is not often noticed. There are other hawk moths such as the elephant hawk moth which are also common but are so good at hiding they're under-recorded.