Hot news from Crossness Nature Reserve Site manager Karen Sutton, who reports that the rare ‘poster species’ of ‘Thames Gateway’/brownfield sites, the Shrill Carder bee, has once again been found at the site.
This is why every opportunity should be taken to re-build the much diminished Erith Marshes as former industrial land becomes vacant, and to otherwise insist on brown roofs on local new-build – which Bexley Council has thus far failed to do. Karen ran a bumblebee identification day on Saturday July 26th for Thames Water Staff and Friends of Crossness members. There were 12 attendees and the event was hosted by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.
![Richard Compton from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust led the event, which started by Southmere Lake.](http://www.bexleywildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Richard-Compton-from-BCT-at-Southmere-Lake-225x300.jpg)
Richard Compton from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust led the event, which started by Southmere Lake. (Photo: Mike Robinson)
Karen said ‘We had an indoor session looking at bumblebee ecology and identification held at The Link Thamesmead, followed by a walk around Southmere Lake, Crossness Southern Marsh and Crossness Nature Reserve. We recorded 8 species of bumblebee including a rare Shrill Carder bee next to the bird-hide and 2 Brown-banded Carders in and just outside the West Paddock.