Page 28 - br-aug-2022

August 2022 August 2022
Diplomatic Panda BERE REGIS WILDLIFE AND

In a land of silk and satin, ribbons of rice and tea, ENVIRONMENT GROUP
Stretch over the horizon to the Great South China Sea.
It keeps a coolie busy on the mighty Sechuan Plain, At this time of year butterflies are abundant on warm
Where the bamboo forests thrive under oriental rain. days. The meadow areas at May’s Wood are one of
A panda eats, shoots, roots and leaves under sky of China blue. the best local places to spot butterflies. Look out for
It helps to pass the time, when there’s not much else to do. marbled whites, skippers, small heath, meadow
browns and others. In the UK we have 57 resident
Deep in the nether regions, north of the southern Silk Road, species of butterfly and two regular migrants – the
Is where he lives and breathes. It is the place of his abode. painted lady and clouded yellow. The UK species of butterfly is vastly
It is where he has his moments, and where he came to be, outnumbered by moths. There are about 900 species of the larger moths and
Along the Dragon’s Backbone, in the birthplace of Tai Chi. even more micro moths. As moths tend to fly at night we are less aware of the
sheer variety. There are, though, a few day flying moths. Two notable ones are
A panda eats, shoots, roots and leaves in the cradle of Kung Fu.
It helps to pass the time, when there’s not much else to do.

His children are well travelled to places far and wide.
They are his crowning glory. They are his joy and pride.
They are his footprint on this planet, and his defining role.
They are his shining moment. They are his winning goal.
A panda eats, shoots, roots and leaves, in the city of Chengdu.
It helps to pass the time, when there’s not much else to do.

Paul J Openshaw

The Greenfinch the scarlet tiger moth (conspicuous by its black, white, red and yellow markings)

Whilst upon my morning walk, I saw a greenfinch and the humming bird hawk moth (notable, as the name suggests, by its
yesterday. humming bird like characteristic of hovering next to flower while extending its
By his chirruping, I knew that he had something to tongue to suck up nectar). In recent weeks there have been a number of reports
of both types of moth being seen in local gardens.
say.
I don’t converse in Finch, so it didn’t mean much
to me. Water for Wildlife
I didn't have a clue as to what his words might be.
At the time of writing we are enjoying fine, dry, very warm and sunny weather.
Today, I walk again along the same red gravel However, just like us, our wildlife needs water and the usual natural sources may
track. disappear during periods of prolonged dry weather. Please do your bit by
To my delight, I notice that the little bird is back. topping up your bird bath or if you haven’t got one put out a saucer of water for
birds and hedgehogs. Honey bees will also appreciate available drinking water.
Will he be there tomorrow? I’ll be hoping for a yes. As well as drinking water, honey bees use water for cooling the hive in warm
I like to think he will, but that is just a guess. weather. They also use it to control the humidity in the hive, as well as the

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