Thursday 21 June 2012

Park Corner Heath

Mother Shipton, Callistege mi
On Monday I spent the day at Park Corner Heath, the Butterfly Conservation reserve north-east of Lewes. This lovely woodland area has been the subject of much conservation work by BC volunteers and others over the years, primarily for the benefit of the rare Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary. The adjacent Rowland Wood was purchased by BC a couple of years ago and I was privileged to join the work parties there two winters ago to create large open rides to enable the SPBF to expand from its existing territory. During my trip I didn't see any SPBFs at Park  Corner Heath, but Nigel Kemp saw 2 the same day in Rowland Wood, so that is working. They are clearly having a bad year like many other U.K. butterflies. I saw a Mother Shipton moth, a Green Oak Tortrix moth which is a first for me, a Meadow Brown and a Speckled Wood. There were plenty of damselflies around including White-legged Damsels, and a female Minotaur beetle.
Azure Damselfly, Coenagrion puella,male
Azure Damselfly, male and White-legged Damselfly, female 
White-legged Damselfly, Platycnemis pennipes, female 
Common Blue Damselfly, Enallagma cyathigerum
Common Speedwell, Veronica officinalis
Copper Beech, Fagus sylvatica
Copper Beech, Fagus sylvatica
I grew up in a Beech Avenue and watched a Copper Beech grow very big next to our house so have always had an affection for this attractive tree.
Willow Warbler, Phylloscopus trochilus
There were several of these in the same area, I believe the parent/s were feeding fledglings.
Foxglove, Digitalis purpurea
Green Oak Tortrix, Tortrix viridana
Green Oak Tortrix, Tortrix viridana
Honeysuckle, Lonicera caprifolium
The White Admiral is dependent on its primary larval foodplant, Honeysuckle.

Hoverfly, Volucella inflata
id needed please
Minotaur beetle, Typhaeus typhoeus, female
Rough Hawkbit, Leontodon hispidus
Slender St John's-wort, Hypericum pulchrum
Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria
Tormentil, Potentilla erecta

2 comments:

  1. I'd say this was a Willow Warbler looking at general colouration and yellowish feet.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, that ties in with my suspicion so I'll mark it as such.

    ReplyDelete

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