Northamptonshire Biodiversity Records Centre

The home of quality ecological data for Northamptonshire

Look out for Molehills!

Molehill image with logos

Molehills are a familiar sight in the UK, their appearance is often overlooked but provides us with an important way of recording the presence of moles, as they’re very rarely seen above ground.

The mole Talpa europaea will spend most of its' life tunnelling below the surface.  It helpfully aerates the soil and improves drainage while on the hunt for invertebrates to feed on, including some that are considered to be pests. This activity provides a vital role for soil health and the wider ecosystem.  Its presence is only really noticed when loose soil is pushed up to the surface creating the easily recognisable little mounds of fresh earth.

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An Unlikely Pairing

Authored by
David James – Northamptonshire Butterfly Recorder
Date
24-08-2023
Image
Photo of Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly

Earlier this year I received a couple of butterfly records from a survey carried out near King’s Cliffe in 2022. A Meadow Brown and a Small Tortoiseshell. However, this record really stood out because, amazingly, they were mating. Not mating with members of their own species but mating with each other!

Look Out for Beeflies 2022

Authored by
John Showers
Date
02-03-2022
Image
Beefly distribution map 2021

It will soon be time to look out for and report beeflies in Northants. They usually emerge in mid-late March but it is possible that some could be found in late February in mild, sheltered spots. Until 2018, we only had one species in Northants. This was the widespread Dark-edged Beefly, Bombylius major.

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