Truro Together November December 2022

COMMUNITY NEWS
Truro City
Rangers
autumn report
As we approach winter, flora and
fauna in our wild spaces adapt to
cope with the changes to their
habitat, food supply and weather.
We have many different mammal species in
our green spaces, including Badgers, Bats,
Deer, Rodents and Foxes to name a few.
Many of them overcome the challenges of
harsh winter through behavioural changes.
Hibernation and torpor are two of these.
Hibernation is a period of dormancy to
conserve energy, often preceded by periods
of heavy feeding to develop fat reserves.
Torpor is a period of reduced activity, which
can be broken to allow for feeding depending
upon external conditions. You might see bats
feeding on warmer winter evenings.
Invertebrates
also adapt their
behaviour to
suit changing
conditions.
These are very
species-specific,
even varying
greatly within
the same
genera.
A fox caught on our wildlife cam.
A good example would be butterflies, part of
the lepidoptera family, who must overcome
cold conditions in order to survive the winter.
Some species spend the winter as dormant
adults, such as Brimstone, Small Tortoiseshell,
Peacockand Coma. They sometimes overwinter
in our homes, entering in autumn when the
buildings are relatively cool and dry. The Red
Admiral can enter partial dormancy, breaking to
feed during milder weather.
A common carder bee feeding on nectar and collecting
pollen from purple toadflax.
Other species spend their winter in a larval
stage, as an egg or pupae, or otherwise
migrate further south depending on species.
Bees are very diverse with their adaptations
for winter. Colony bees and solitary bees
vary greatly. Honeybees spend their winter
protecting their queen as a small, female
colony. They feed on honey stores built up from
nectar. Bumblebee colonies die out and the
new Queen finds a suitable site to hibernate.
Solitary bees vary greatly depending on the
species, but generally adults die in winter and
leave their offspring larvae to hatch in spring.
There are, however, some exceptions to this.
Deciduous
trees are
dormant during
winter, losing
their ability to
photosynthesize
and grow after
losing their
leaves in
Autumn. This
means winter
A gatekeeper butterfly.
is the best time for planting trees, reducing the
amount of disturbance and allowing the root
base to easier establish in Spring. As winter
conditions become harsher and food resources
deplete in Northern and Eastern Europe many
bird species migrate to the UK during winter
months. These include thrush species like
Redwings and Fieldfares, as well as Bramblings,
who travel to feed on the numerous hawthorn
berries and beech masts within our woodlands
and hedgerows. The amazing green spaces
which are managed by Truro City Council’s
Rangers are fantastic biodiverse areas hosting a
broad range of wildlife, including those detailed
above.
22 Truro Together is part of Community Together