A walk from currys car park to the train station in Northampton did not promise much to a nature table explorer!
I was wrong,closer inspection found the first caterpillars I’ve seen this year.They were very small cinnabar moth caterpillars on ragwort on a dusty verge dusty
Did you know?
As the caterpillars feed on poisonous ragwort leaves, their body stores the alkaloid poison and passes this on through to chrysalis and finally to the moth. Predators such as birds that don’t heed their colourful warning soon, learn how distasteful they are to eat!
Also through the car parks there were whole crops of hazelnuts ripening which was a surprise.
One of my favourites, lichen were in large numbers looking great on the ornamental shrubs .. air quality must be pretty good in Northampton.
An interesting notice about a rare mouse tail plant was attached to the lamppost.
Amazing what you come across just walking to the station !
NATURE TABLE EXPLORER 