Description
Join NHSN Senior Naturalist, James Common, on the hunt for one of Tyneside's most elusive butterflies
About Gosforth's Wild Web
All Gosforth's Wild Web events are free, fun and friendly. Made possible by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, they provide opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy and experience local wildlife in the neighbourhoods across Newcastle and North Tyneside. What will you discover in your local area? Join in today and start noticing nature near you. For more information about the project, please see here.
Essential Information
Event lead: James Common
Event length: 1 session, Thursday 22 May, 1.00 pm-3.00 pm (approx)
Event structure: Informal walk
L evel: Beginner/Enthusiast
Meet at: Silverlink Park carpark, opposite the Village Hotel, from the Silver Link North, fetch.bronze.dignitary, NZ 31456 70210
Please ignore the automatic location given by Eventbrite. Find a grid reference: https://gridreferencefinder.com
Event cost: Free to all
About this event
From a distance the Dingy Skipper can easily be mistaken for a day-flying moth. This is a small, well camouflaged butterfly best seen on sunny days. In recent decades the Dingy skipper has suffered a 42% decline nationally and on Tyneside, is a priority species for local conservation.
Perfect for beginners, in this walk, we'll set out in search of this cyptic (and rather speedy) butterfly, learning to identify it in the field and recording any we see for Gosforth's Wild Web. We may also encounter a range of other grassland butterflies which we will pause and enjoy.
Questions are welcome at any time by emailing james.common@newcastle.ac.uk. Please note that in the event of poor weather, this event may be postponed - butterflies don't fly on rainy days.
Accessibility
This event comprises a walk of approx 1 mile, mostly on maintained paths.
Recommended equipment:
Sturdy shoes.
About the event lead:
James works as Senior Naturalist at NHSN. Outside of work, he is a passionate wildlife recorder with a focus on botany and invertebrates. As a botanist, he is a joint BSBI Vice-County Recorder for North Northumberland and an iRecord verifier for South Northumberland. Away from plants, he is an enthusiastic recorder of insects, especially ladybirds.