Traditionally a main holiday month – not a lot happening within the local wildlife scene? But this is not true!

The season has already turned for our garden bird population – for many, the breeding season is over. Generally, I think that our village gardens produced a good crop of young birds this year, with house sparrows, dunnocks, blackbirds and robins all doing well. By the way, how did your nest-box blue tits do this year? Well, I trust. Song thrushes and goldfinches also seem to be on the up, but there were very few starlings and house martins this year and I do not think that we had any breeding swifts around the village. Could the dramatic fall in the number of insects be the cause?

Some good news from the reserve, where otters have enjoyed a good breeding year, with a number of families reported. This is in line with national trends, which show that otters are now breeding in every English county, including urban areas. How good is that?

In early July, I heard that we have had three pairs of barn owls breeding on or near the nature reserve. They have made a great comeback in Cambridgeshire, with the help of a county-wide nest-box project organised by volunteers. Great work – and it demonstrates that we can bring about change for the better if we get our act together.

In this month of change, many migratory birds are already on the move. Breeding waders from the high Arctic, such as sanderling, knot, bar-tailed godwit and dunlin flock to our shores and estuaries – vital habitats for these long-distance travellers. Bar-tailed godwits which breed in Siberia may overwinter in New Zealand – how amazing is that?

Local wildlife is not limited to birds. Our wonderful nature reserve is a national “hotspot” for dragonflies and damselflies, and there is a very wide range of insects to be enjoyed. But for me, the highlight of the summer has been the flowers. On one walk, I counted over 250 spikes of pyramidal orchids within metres of the village.

It’s time to celebrate wildlife and wild spaces. If we can all do one small thing, such as making sure that garden birds have a fresh supply of water this summer. Keep your cat under control! Cats kill about 30 million birds and small mammals each year! When walking on the reserve, please keep your dog on a lead – it is still the breeding season for many birds.

Yes, we can make things better for wildlife. Take a walk – enjoy nature. The rewards can be rich, and it’s all free!

It was good to meet many of you at Paxfest last month and to know how much you value the reserve at Little Paxton. As always, warm greetings from the staff and volunteers at the Visitor Centre.