Two different SSSI Woods

On the first two nights in June I trapped for the usual three hours at two very different Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Bucks, both of which are under pressure in different ways.  Belonging to the Wildlife Trust, Finemere Wood is ancient woodland surrounded by open countryside but the high-speed railway line HS2 is now under construction adjacent to part of its boundary.  Like many other woods in the greater Bernwood area, much of it was felled and replanted with conifers in the days when the Forestry Commission knew no better, but most of the conifers have now been removed and the site is being allowed to regenerate naturally as deciduous woodland.  The other place visited was Howe Park Wood in Milton Keynes, a site owned and managed by the Parks Trust who look after many of the green spaces around the city.  Although only about half the size of Finemere this is semi-ancient deciduous woodland.  It too is under threat due to isolation in an urban environment, with housing estates on all four sides and the pressure they bring from people and their pets.

At Finemere on 1st June I ran two MV lights at different spots along the main ride.  Both performed as well as expected in quite reasonable conditions, one bringing in 85 species and the other 84 for a combined total of well over 100.  There were no surprises but I was pleased to see a rather late Great Prominent having thought, with the lock-down, that it was a species I probably wouldn't record in 2020.  Tortrix viridana was just starting to appear although there was no sign yet of Archips xylosteana (and just the one crataegana).  Those three will be swamping the traps there in two or three weeks time.  Blotched Emerald was already out in some numbers, as were Heart & Dart and Straw Dot, but there were few other moths in any quantity apart from Common Swift, Light Emerald & Treble Lines.  It was good to find Cream Wave, Grass Rivulet, Sloe Pug, Small Seraphim & Brindled White-spot, while Crassa tinctella may be new for the site's already extensive moth list (I've recorded about 670 species there and the site list stands at more than 700).

At Howe Park Wood on 2nd June I ran three MV lights.  Here the results were rather disappointing despite similar weather conditions to the previous night.  The best performing trap brought in 46 species, while the other two managed only 29 and 39 respectively, a decidedly poor result for the beginning of June although the overall total came to around 80 species.  Poplar Lutestring and Purple Clay were nice to see but there was little else of any note.  As at Finemere, Light Emerald and Heart & Dart were around in some numbers but here they were surpassed by Silver-ground Carpet.  The only other species to appear in any quantity was Ingrailed Clay in its many different forms.

Poplar Lutestring, Howe Park Wood 2nd June

Purple Clay, Howe Park Wood 2nd June

And in case it helps anyone else with this moth which regularly causes ID problems, here are four quite different-looking forms of the extremely variable Ingrailed Clay from Howe Part Wood.  It is sometimes difficult to believe they are all the same species!

Dave Wilton
Westcott, Bucks