We’re buzzing about these wildlife stories from our venues!

In Cardiff, The New Theatre team have recently installed a Bee Hive on the roof of the 119-year-old city centre venue. Only a short flight from Bute Park and Pontcanna Fields, the New Theatre bees have almost 200 acres to explore before returning home to their hive.   

Deputy Technical Manager Dan Gibbins is a qualified beekeeper and has been keeping a close eye on their activity. The hive contains Buckfast Bees which are a hybrid developed by Brother Adam at Buckfast Abbey in Devon. They have a gentle temperament, high productivity and are disease resistant.  

Much like casting in a show, each bee has a specific job from birth — nurse, guard, forager, even undertaker. Hive life is a well-rehearsed production! 

At the top of Export House in Woking are a pair of breeding Peregrines. Sira Chan, Business Support Executive at Trafalgar Entertainment tells us: “The Peregrines have been regularly recorded in Woking since 2001, often to be seen on the top of Export House, the tallest building in the town centre. There were breeding attempts in 2005 and 2006, which unfortunately failed due to flooding of the eggs laid on an exposed roof recess.

“Regular sightings over the past two years of a new pair of peregrines at Export House has resulted in increased interest. A nest box was installed in January 2016, with an internal web cam to record developments, and the Peregrines were seen entering the box about a month later. And they are still there today.” 

You can view PeregrineCam here

Meanwhile, over in Fareham, Fareham Live is home to roosting Bats, with two Bat Hotels installed in the external walls. 

Paul Wyse, Building and Technical Manager, said: “Fareham Live was built acknowledging that the local environment needed to be sustained especially after a period of closure and rebuild. Fareham Live was built with two internal and integral habitat management. On the East Side above the loading bay area we have a bat box built into the wall, and on the west side we have a bird box built into the structure.  

“These are to promote local wildlife returning since the new build has been completed, and is central to the council’s environmental and sustainability strategy.”