06 July 2017 Stockbridge Down

Marbled White

© Richard Smith

Twelve members turned out with Angela on a very hot day at Stockbridge Down. We had clear views across Hampshire and Wiltshire to Danebury Fort and Salisbury Plain. It was a wonderful day for butterflies with sightings of Silver-washed and Dark-green Fritillaries, Peacock, Red Admiral, Brimstone, Small Skipper, Marbled White and lots of Meadow Brown. The highlight for one very fortunate member was a sighting of a Purple Emperor. They are enjoying a bumper year following the mild spring.

Red-tailed and White-tailed Bumblebees were out on the summer flowers. Birds were keeping a low profile, perhaps because of the heat, but a Buzzard soared on the thermals above and a Corn Bunting sang from the top of a tree. 

Wild Basil

© Richard Smith

Dropwort -
the downland Meadowsweet
© Richard Smith

The flora is distinctly different from that of the Forest. Among at least 30 different species found were chalkland specialists like Dropwort, Squinancywort, Wild Carrot, Red Bartsia, Wild Basil, Musk and Dwarf Thistles, Wild Thyme and Marjoram, Salad Burnet, Hoary Plantain, Fairy Flax, Wild Clematis, Privet, Rock Rose, Field Scabious, Dogwood and Juniper. The Juniper is interesting because there are separate male and female plants.

Stockbridge Down is dotted with Bronze Age tumuli and there are traces of an ancient field system believed to be between 3,000 and 4,000 years old. These levelled areas with steep slopes between are believed to have been dug by hand and are known as lynchets.

15 June 2017 Knightwood Oak

Adders at the Reptillary

Sundew

Mike and Mary Mawdsley led the group of 14 people and set off from the Knightwood Oak car park. The initial footpath was strewn with old and decaying trees, a hollow tree revealed fine examples of Ganoderma fungi. The path fell to a small pond, where numerous tiny frogs were identified, along with water plants including Lesser Spearwort. We next passed a huge Southern Wood Ant nest, which had ants right across the path.


We headed then down to the Reptillary (aka Reptile Centre), where all the reptiles were basking in the sun - Smooth Snake, Adders, Natterjack Toads, Common Frogs, Sand Lizard. The bird feeder by the Reptillary was the source of many sightings - Nuthatch, Coal Tit, Chaffinch, Siskin, Blackbirds, Great Tits, Goldfinches. The exit from the Reptillary was over a camomile lawn and overhead was a Swallow, and over the trees a Buzzard. Through the meadow were many wonderful meadow plants - Common Spotted Orchid and sundew, along with Bog Pimpernel, Bog Myrtle, Bugle, and Cross-leaved Heath.

We finished at the Knightwood Oak, said to be 600 years old, and Brian had photos of the tree 150 years ago, so we could see for ourselves the changes.

Common Spotted Orchid

(photos by Mary Mawdsley)

01 June 2017 Brockishill Green

On this bright, mild morning, 12 turned up for a walk through new territory near Bartley, some suffering from a late-night mothing hangover, or so they said. We ventured south via Nicholas Corner into pleasant, deciduous woodland just outside the eastern boundary of Brockishill Inclosure, leading eventually to a stream (on its way to Bartley Water) and footbridge near Little Stubby Hat.

Pluteus leoninus

Brief forays further east had defeated the leaders as paths petered out, so the return circular route north was, perforce, through the bleak, managed Inclosure.

Near the start, the track was open and flanked by damp ditches with several species of Ranunculus including Lesser Spearwort. Then our path wavered indistinctly through woodland and clearings; shade and bright sunshine. Bird sightings were few but we could hear Blackbird, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Nuthatch, and found a ravaged shell of a Woodpigeon egg.

Beautiful Demoiselle - male

We came across Lesser Trefoil, Bog and Yellow Pimpernel, Tormentil, Foxglove, Bugle and Heath Spotted Orchid with a fine, tawny specimen of Pluteus leoninus on a fallen trunk. A few Speckled Wood, Brimstone and Large White butterflies bobbed about with even more elusive day-flying moths, and the brilliant turquoise of several Beautiful Demoiselle darting in and out of sunny patches above our heads. MW/SP

31 May 2017 Moth evening at Ladycross

Scarce Merveille du Jour

It was a chilly evening for our Lym Nats moth evening and thankfully those who attended were dressed for early Spring rather than for the last night of May. We had three traps running – two tripod traps and a Robinson – all with bright 125w mercury vapour lamps running off generators.  The moths might have been slow appearing initially, but as the evening wore on more moths appeared, although the numbers of individuals per species were low. We ended up with 38 species including several rather special ones such as Brindled White-spot and Scarce Merveille du Jour.

Goat Moth

Paul Brock came along with a female Goat Moth he had bred from a pupae he’d found earlier in the year and as she had not been mated he was hoping that the pheromones she released would attract a male and that he might manage to photograph the mating. As far as is known no-one has yet caught Goat Moths mating on camera. Around midnight, as the last few people were about to leave, a male Goat Moth was attracted to the last trap that we were about to close down. It was introduced to Paul’s female, but showed absolutely no interest in her, alas.

Thanks to Mary Macmillan for bringing and operating the Milford Conservation Volunteers’ generator and moth trap and to Adrian for his help setting up and also during the evening. Thanks also of course to all those who came along.

Species recorded:

Peach Blossom

Scorched Wing

Angle Shades, Brimstone, Brindled Pug, Brindled White-spot, Brown Silver-line, Brussels Lace, Buff Ermine, Buff-tip, Clay Triple-lines, Clouded Silver, Common Marbled Carpet, Common Swift, Common White Wave, Cydia fagiglandana, Double-striped Pug, Flame Shoulder, Fox Moth, Goat Moth, Gold Swift, Grass Wave, Great Prominent, Green Carpet, Light Emerald, Maiden’s Blush, Marbled Brown, Marbled White Spot, Notocelia roborana, Olethreutes arcuella, Orange Footman, Orange Swift, Pale Tussock, Peach Blossom, Pebble Hooktip, Scarce Merveille du Jour, Scoparia ambigualis, Scorched Wing, Straw Dot, Taleporia tubulosa and White Ermine.

Olethreutes arcuella

Species in italics are micros without English names. When one looks closely at micro moths they can look stunning such as the Olethreutes arcuella caught by Mary. Its forewing was barely 8mm long!

(Copyright all photos 
Richard Coomber)