Westland Green survey

Yesterday, spent 4 hours on The Green at Westland Green TL423222. This is a rough grassland habitat which remains damp for many months, hence the presence of sedges. Surrounded by young oak trees and bramble patches, it looks an exciting area for insects.

Looking East over The Green

Arriving on a sunny morning, I spent a couple of hours netting and photographing anything disturbed as I wandered back and forth. Several macro moths were put up and identified. Of particular note, 3 silver Y moths, one here, along with a 2nd small yellow underwing.

Silver Y

small yellow underwing

Other macros were latticed heath and red twin spot carpet, shown here after netting.

red twin spot carpet.

Plenty of micro moths disturbed, with huge numbers of a new moth for me Glyphipterix simpiciella. In all, I encountered in excess of 50 of these, mainly seen on meadow buttercup, which is presently flowering in profusion.
Other micros were 8 Celypha lacunana, Epiblema cirsiana, and Elachista argentella.

Celypha lacunana

Glyphipterix simpliciella

3 on one buttercup

Epiblema cirsiana

Other fascinating insects made the list, many new for my parish records with several still to identify, including a spuerb spider knocked from a young oak on to a white sheet.

Common malachite beetle

downlooker snipefly

acorn weevil, knocked from oak

yet to be identified

Scaphidium quadrimaculatum

yet to be identified

Rhagonycha limbata

giant cranefly

neetle weevil

Butterfly wise, I only netted a small heath, but also recorded were: 2 peacock, 2 small heath, 3 small white, 3 orange tip, 1 brimstone fly past.

small heath butterfly

Bird wise, I noted, mainly on song as I had most of my time spent head down in long grass; 3 whitethroat, 2 blackcap, red kite, great tit, 2 goldfinch, 1 robin, 2 chiffchaff, buzzard, long tailed tit, kestrel, 2 greenfinch, 2 pheasant, 2 blackbird, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, wood pigeon, wren, 5 swallow and 2 jackdaws.
A super 4 hours and a survey I continue to redo in mid June and then again during July and August. Also, a moth night may prove beneficial here soon.