The Wildlife and Ecology group was established to discuss and see the wonderful diversity of nature in our local area. We meet twice a month, once indoors, where there will be a presentation on a particular topic and discussion and once outdoors at a venue of wildlife interest. The talks and visits will be tied in as far as possible. No particular skills or experience is required, only a love of nature, and our visits will be restricted to sites where only short, unchallenging, walking is required.
Group Leader Pete Rowberry
Venue : Southfield Venue : Various
2nd Wednesday of the month 10-12:30 4th Wednesday of the month
February Update
Our U3A Wildlife and Ecology group will continue its series of monthly presentations with our next session on the subject of “Moths – Like them or hate them”. The group coordinator, Pete Rowberry, who has been a moth recorder for many years, will demonstrate the equipment he uses and the results of his surveys. The meeting will be held on Wednesday 8th March at Southfields Community Centre, starting at 10am. There are still a few places available in the group, so feel free to email or text Pete if you want to try the group out (prowberr@gmail.com or 07979975620).”
Buff Arches Moth
We undertook our first outdoor visit of the U3A Duns Wildlife and Ecology Group, to Aberlady Bay, on 26 th October. This area was first ever National Nature Reserve, designated as such in 1952 and has a spectacular range of rare plants, as well as safe sites for overnight roosting birds.. One of the primary reasons for our visit was to see the large number of Pink footed Geese that use the bay at night, before moving off in the morning to feed on the nearby arable fields. An early start was required and, true to form, the birds started leaving the bay around 08:30. There are currently around 7,000 to 8,000 birds on the reserve. As the winter draws on, all but a few will have moved further south, into Cumbria, East Anglia and South-West England, leaving just a handful of the hardiest to brave the Scottish Winter. The geese gave us a splendid, if somewhat noisy start to the day. As well as these iconic birds we were able to spot thousands of wigeon, lots of Curlew (down from the moorland breeding sites) a female Gadwall, and a wintering Little Egret. All in all, a splendid start to our new U3A year.
Duns and District u3a 