Local Wildlife Walks – talk by David Sawyer on May 24th 2023
This presentation was a real feast for the eyes – spectacular photos of our local wildlife! Huge thanks to David for this talk. If you missed it here are a few of the 75 photos – all taken locally – and a summary of his talk.
David showed us some wonderful photos of local wildlife. He talked about how his wildlife observations start at his home near the centre of Calne in a residential area. In his garden he sees an array of birds, small animals such as snails and frogs, and a variety of insects. David also described two of the walks he does, going from his home to observe different species – though his special interest is in birds. Going from Calne out along Low Lane and following the cycle path to The Penn Ponds he showed us photos of a range of species that can be seen – best time is early morning but not exclusively. Views of kites and several different gulls are common here. The other route is going along Wenhill Lane and onto the footpaths to Bowood Lake – this can be a circular walk taking in Studley and the cycle track. A little further away, but still walkable if you have time, is Morgan’s Hill where the chalk grassland is home to a rich variety of flowers, butterflies and birds.
David reported that he has seen over 90 species of birds within the Calne area – showing that we don’t need to travel far to enjoy the wonders of wildlife – and also how important it is that we protect the green spaces both in and around the town.
