Hitchin Wildlife

 Hitchin Cemetery June-July 2024 The fourth and final cemetery tour led by The Friends of Hitchin Cemetery as part of Hitchin Festival was on the last Sunday of July and there have been nearly 100 visitors on tours this year. The tours start in the chapel to give people a chance to see inside this building, which is not often used, although this year for the first time the chapel was used as a voting station in the general election. Apologies to the many people who have been unable to book on these very popular tours: we will give the disappointed people prior notice of next year's tours. The summer months are the best time to see the many flowers and insects which find a home in the cemetery. There have been some really very unusual wildlife sightings (as you will see lower down) which is remarkable given that it is only eight years since a changed management scheme allowed some grassland areas of the cemetery to grow long. It is also eight years since The Friends of Hitchin Cemet

HITCHIN NATURE NETWORK BUG HUNT JULY 2024   A Bug Hunt took place on Sunday afternoon 21 st July on Butts Close, organised by Hitchin Nature Network, and centred on the part of Butts Close by the swimming pool where there was plenty of long grass. The weather was kind, sunny and warm but not too hot. A table with books and posters, some moths to look at and insect nets to borrow was set up and even half an hour before the scheduled start we had eager customers wanting to chase bugs. Who knew that chasing insects would be so popular, especially amongst the younger generation who were delighted to catch even the smallest of things? I was hoping people might find some unusual bugs and that I could record what we saw, how many of them there were and take some pretty photos. In the event I was rushed off my feet with a constant stream of youngsters, and those not so young, asking questions about what they had caught. It was delightful to be part of and see such enthusiasm and I think i