Woodland visits

On Thursday night I took a couple of MV traps to Wendover Woods which is one of two Forestry Commission sites in Bucks which I have permission to survey regularly this year.  Not having been to Wendover for more than a decade I'd forgotten just how many conifers are present and finding decent areas of deciduous trees wasn't that easy, but the ride I eventually chose had a lining of old hazel coppice as well as other tree varieties, with the conifers to the rear.  Thirty species turned up in the usual three-hour stint but the only ones of any real interest were singletons of Dotted Chestnut and White-marked.  The latter is a moth which I rarely encounter in Bucks and this was the first for three years, but unfortunately it wasn't a particularly well-marked specimen.  

White-marked, Wendover Woods 11th April

Last night (Friday 12th) I ran the same two MV traps for the same length of time at the other FC site, Bernwood Forest, and the results were significantly better with 40 species recorded.  The Prominents, which were noticeable by their complete absence at Wendover, were out in force here with Iron, Pebble, Great, Swallow, Lesser Swallow, Pale, Coxcomb & Scarce all recorded.  Great Prominent was actually the most numerous moth seen (68 of them), while next in line was Epinotia immundana with 60 (the most I've ever recorded of this micro on a single night).  Wendover produced very few micros but at Bernwood there was a reasonable selection, the others being Dyseriocrania subpurpurella, Caloptilia stigmatella, Semioscopis steinkellneriana, Esperia sulphurella, Acleris ferrugana/notana & Pammene argyrana.  Also of interest were Scalloped Hook-tip, Seraphim, Scalloped Hazel & Grey Birch, while a single Square Spot was, I believe, a new species for the already very extensive Bernwood site list.

Epinotia immundana, Bernwood 12th April

Seraphim, Bernwood 12th April

Square Spot, Bernwood 12th April

Scarce Prominent, Bernwood 12th April

Dave Wilton Westcott, Bucks