A group of 24 met for a very hot walk with Geoff and Sue across open heath towards the welcome forest shade of Denny Wood, where during our mid-walk coffee break we were joined by masses of toadlets. There was a noticeable reduction in the number of birds noted, compared to the sightings of the previous year. Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch, Meadow Pipit, Stock Dove, Buzzard, Blackbird, Redstart, and Swallows were seen. There was evidence of a freshly excavated Green Woodpecker nest.

Potter wasp nest

A Potter Wasp (Eumenes coarctatus) nest (right) was spotted in the heather and is the only species of Potter Wasp to be found in southern England. A Digger Wasp (Ammonphila sabulosa) was later identified and a very active Hornets' nest was closely examined and photographed by our more intrepid members.

Grayling, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood and Brimstone butterflies were seen and Common Darter, Beautiful Demoiselle and Keeled Skimmer(below right) dragonflies had sought out the scarce water sources.

Keeled Skimmer - male

Plants included Cross-leaved Heath, Bell Heather and Ling, Water-Pepper, Round-leaved Sundew, Cotton Grass, Bog Asphodel, Tormentil, White Beak-Sedge, Bog Myrtle, Purple Moor Grass, Saw-wort, Lesser Skullcap, Bulbous Rush, Butcher’s Broom, Starwort sp, Hairy Bittercress, Bog St John's Wort and Branched Bur-reed. Fungi found included Southern Bracket and Chicken-of-the-Woods.

Nuckleyosaur, Denny Woods

A new species was identified - a Nuckleyosaur (left). Remember- you were there when the history books were rewritten!! SN

Photographs © Richard Coomber

[Editors note: Unlike its relatives from the Cretaceous, Jurassic and Triassic periods experts believe that this species had its origins in the early Nitroglycerin period.]

This week's Thursday walk was rather more sedentary than usual, which with the current heatwave was probably not such a bad thing! Some 22 members and a visitor met up in Angela's garden, where on the previous evening a tripod trap had been run for a couple of hours and two bin-type Robinson traps were left running overnight. With 125w bulbs they lured a good variety of moths to the traps along with some unexpected things like water boatmen and less welcome ones in the form of a few Hornets!

On the Thursday morning we sat around the tables in the shade where Richard and Mary talked their way through the moths that had settled on the egg trays that had lined the inside of the Robinson trap. Juliet showed their contents to the group. Some 49 species were noted, and one or two others might have been missed off the notebooks!

Not all were little brown jobs as some of their names indicated - Mother of Pearl, Ruby Tiger, Rosy Footman, Green Silver-lines, Purple Thorn and Brimstone Moth. Others with names like Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet and Bright-line Brown-eye helped to identify the species.

Once the traps had been emptied a number of obliging moths were encouraged to pose on logs for those with cameras.

Richard would like to that Mary for the loan of her traps and her assistance in the morning, Juliet for taking the egg trays around and showing people the moths, Duncan - our load master, Julia and Angela for acting as waitresses, Angela and Robert for hosting the event and of course all the members whose enthusiasm helped make it a most interesting and enjoyable morning.

If any one left a small magnifying glass with a pink ribbon, please contact Richard

Code Scientific Name Vernacular

MICRO MOTHS


28.024	Tachystola acroxantha	Tachystola acroxantha
45.010	Amblyptilia acanthadactyla	Beautiful Plume
49.077	Acleris variegana	Garden Rose Tortrix
49.083	Acleris ferrugana	Acleris ferrugana
49.110	Agapeta zoegana	Agapeta zoegana
49.214	Ancylis badiana	Ancylis badiana
49.341	Cydia splendana	Cydia splendana
62.070	Synaphe punctalis	Synaphe punctalis
63.034	Udea prunalis	Udea prunalis
63.038	Pleuroptya ruralis	Mother of Pearl
63.074	Eudonia mercurella	Eudonia mercurella
63.080	Chrysoteuchia culmella	Garden Grass-veneer
63.081	Crambus pascuella	Crambus pascuella
63.115	Acentria ephemerella	Water Veneer
65.009	Macro Moths Habrosyne pyritoides	Buff Arches
69.016	Deilephila elpenor	Elephant Hawk-moth
70.013	Idaea biselata	Small Fan-footed Wave
70.016	Idaea aversata	Riband Wave
70.031	Cyclophora annularia	Mocha
70.052	Xanthorhoe ferrugata	Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet
70.061	Epirrhoe alternata	Common Carpet
70.094	Ecliptopera silaceata	Small Phoenix
70.212	Macaria alternata	Sharp-angled Peacock
70.226	Opisthograptis luteolata	Brimstone Moth
70.236	Ennomos erosaria	September Thorn
70.237	Selenia dentaria	Early Thorn
70.239	Selenia tetralunaria	Purple Thorn
70.241	Crocallis elinguaria	Scalloped Oak
70.252	Biston betularia	Peppered Moth
70.258	Peribatodes rhomboidaria	Willow Beauty
72.010	Lymantria monacha	Black Arches
72.019	Spilosoma lutea	Buff Ermine
72.024	Phragmatobia fuliginosa	Ruby Tiger
72.035	Miltochrista miniata	Rosy Footman
72.044	Eilema griseola	Dingy Footman
73.032	Colocasia coryli	Nut-tree Tussock
73.096	Hoplodrina octogenaria	Uncertain
73.097	Hoplodrina blanda	Rustic
73.099	Hoplodrina ambigua	Vine's Rustic
73.214	Cosmia trapezina	Dun-bar
73.267	Lacanobia oleracea	Bright-line Brown-eye
73.293	Mythimna impura	Smoky Wainscot
73.298	Mythimna ferrago	Clay
73.371	Agrostis exclamationis	Heart and Dart
73.329	Ochropleura plecta	Flame Shoulder
73.359	Xestia c-nigrum	Setaceous Hebrew Character
73.361	Xestia triangulum	Double Square-spot
74.008	Pseudoips prasinana	Green Silver-lines