On a bright and breezy day, over 250 people enjoyed exploring Brading Down during the Isle of Wight Biodiversity Partnership’s second Bioblitz event.

The site which has extensive views over the east of the Island, as far as Culver Down and St Catherine’s Down has recently been declared a local nature reserve.

Follow up:

Activities on offer included guided walks to look for butterflies and birds, crafts, geocaching and bug hunts. Moths caught on the previous evening were on show, as well as some rare breed sheep and examples of Island rocks and fossils. Members of the Island’s Green Gym were on hand, carrying out a practical conservation task.

A constant stream of visitors to the recording tent added to the total of species being identified. Local wildlife experts made long lists and when all were finally counted, 330 species were recorded during the Bioblitz. Plants made up nearly half the list with insects of various kinds accounting for about one third of the total.

See the full species list here (PDF format)