Well met by Moonlight
It has been very hot again today (28C) . This afternoon we had an open event on the local wildlife area. We didn't expect many people to turn up, because of the weather, Wimbledon finals ,etc, but a new couple did come and seemed very interested in what our group is doing there, and in joining us.
I am late posting this because in the evening, between 10 and 11.30pm, Martin and I went out on nearby Whiteshute Ridge (chalk grassland ) to look for glow worms. We were very happy to find nine of the "luminescent lovelies" in undisturbed areas of long grass. These were the females, glowing brightly to attract males to fly to them. We had not been very optimistic about finding any as last summer the area got mown about now. However, this spring the City ecologist (at our request) asked the mad keen mower man to keep off the ridge til late summer, which seems to have helped the glow worm population. Also, I think having cattle grazing the site over the past few winters may have been beneficial in some way, too.
My blip was taken at 10.23pm from the ridge. Actually, a bright moon makes it harder to spot the glowing females, so we probably missed some.
(My title with apologies to W Stanley Moss and his book Ill Met by Moonlight)
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