Above: Loughton Brook (Photo: Joe Clinch)

Introduction

North Loughton Valley Park is managed by the Parks Trust and forms one of many parks along the Loughton Brook valley which provides a green corridor that stretches from Tattenhoe in the south west of the city to New Bradwell in the north where it joins the Great Ouse.

This section of the valley consists of four main habitats all heavily influenced by the development of Milton Keynes: the Brook itself and its surrounding wetlands; thickets of Blackthorn, Wild Plum, Hawthorn, and Elder; mown grass and managed meadows lined by trees and bushes; and an area of rough grass, and scrub  which makes up the wet/dry balancing lakes that control the risk of flooding in New Bradwell and beyond. There is no evidence of habitats that predate the development of Milton Keynes other than the Brook itself. A fifth habitat is outside the Park on the east bank of Grafton Street where it cuts through the Boulder Clay and Jurassic Cornbrash (limestone) sub strata and is an important habitat for wildlife in its own right.

The focus of the walk was the observation, identification, and recording of flowering plants, birds, and invertebrate species. A handout listed species seen at this location on previous visits and distributed to the 23 participants. The evening was dry with a mix of sunshine and cloud.

The Habitats

The route started from the Bancroft Park car park. Our first stop was to add Yellow Vetchling to the plant list. The dense area of trees and shrubs offered cover to birds in song and also a good view of an adult Great Spotted Woodpecker and juvenile. The boggy area near the edge of the Brook included Meadowsweet, Water Mint, and Great Willowherb. Crossing the Brook took us to the mown and managed meadow grass of the eastern slope of the valley with its backing of trees and bushes. The managed meadows of grasses, Meadow Buttercup, Red Clover, semi parasitic Yellow Rattle, and Ox-eye Daisy were in flower interspersed by occasional Ribwort Plantain, Goats-beard and Pyramidal Orchid. The route moves uphill away from the brook through a copse where somewhat to our surprise Water Figwort was coming into flower.

On this visit we by-passed the wet/dry balancing lake with its substantial broad earth dam since it had recently been rough mown but on our return journey we had a good view of a Buzzard launching off from one of the metal and concrete structures. Along the path edges at the foot of shrubs and hedges, Hedge Bedstraw, Black Medick, Imperforate St. John’s-wort, Common Vetch, Yarrow, Herb Robert, and Bristly Ox-tongue were amongst the plants identified.

Meadows and trees, N Loughton Valley, 11.06.24 (Photo: Joe Clinch)

A Redway bridge took us over Grafton Street with good views of the Grand Union Canal aqueduct to one side and looking down on the west facing bank that we were to visit on the other. The Redway below the bank was our longest stop. A stretch of about 150 metres has been planted as a flower-rich habitat to attract pollinators including Birdsfoot Trefoil, Common Vetch, Germander Speedwell, Cut-leaved Cranesbill, Goats-beard, Ribwort Plantain, and Bee Orchid. Unfortunately, the Bee Orchids and Fox and Cubs on the land between the Redway and Grafton Street seen on the recce for the visit some 5 days earlier had been mown in the interim.

Common Bird’s foot trefoil (Photo © Joe Clinch)

Our return route followed that of the outward one. It concluded with a short stop at the stone outline of the Bancroft Roman Villa. This was built in the late Third Century replacing an earlier Iron Age farm settlement and demolished in the Fifth Century AD. Interpretation Boards explain the history of the site.

A full Species list for the visit can be found here.
Unsurprisingly for an evening event there were few invertebrates seen but there was one Common Frog.

Thanks

North Loughton Valley Park is yet another location where we have to thank the early planners of Milton Keynes for creating habitats for wildlife that have grown in biodiversity over the past 50 years, and the Parks Trust for its management of them.

My personal thanks to Paul Lund for accompanying me on the recce, acting as co-leader, and for the Invertebrate List; Anne Champion for the Plant List; and Harry Appleyard for the Bird List.

Joe Clinch, Leader
June 2024

One of the plentiful Ox-eye daisies in Stonepit Field (Photo © Bob Phillips)

MKNHS Plant Group: ‘What’s that plant – and why?

This Plant Group Trip Report has been prepared for the wider Society membership. There is more information about the Group on the Society website here or a downloadable information sheet here.  Members can register an interest by sending an email to joeclinch@btinternet.com or contacting Jenny Mercer on 07772437930 or jenny.mercer@hotmail.co.uk. The date and location of the next field event in the July/August period will be announced soon.

Introduction

The Plant Group’s second event took place in warm sunshine – a real contrast to the damp cold first event at Shenley Wood. Some 15 members participated each of whom had received a Briefing Note in advance. We split into two teams for our field work one led by Jenny and the other by Joe. Each team kept its own list of species observed and later merged into a Consolidated List.

The location and its habitats

Stonepit Field is well known to many Society members but first a brief history for those who may be new. It is managed by the Parks Trust. It was farmland until 1993 when it was sown with wild flower seed, and the planting of sapling shrubs and trees all appropriate to the underlying Cornbrash (a Jurassic limestone), and lime rich soil. It is an excellent example of how much biodiversity can be created with human intervention in just 30 years. Flower rich meadows in turn attract a wide range of invertebrate species some of which are monitored by Parks Trust volunteers among them Society members (and few of us were lucky enough to see a single Small Blue butterfly one the Parks’ Trust target species for this location).

There are five main habitats: flower rich meadow grassland; limestone scrape and its banks; shrub and small tree managed open strips that divide the meadow into smaller areas; two ponds added in 2007 as part of the Oakridge Park housing development over-flow drainage system, and their banks where the earth was disturbed; and a narrow band of woodland along the eastern boundary planted in the late 1960s by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation.

We concentrated mainly on the first three of these habitats each team covering much the same ground but in a different order to maximise the sharing of knowledge within the team, and at a practical level to minimise the risk of damage to the plant sensitive areas under-foot.

The flowering plants of the area

An impressive 80 species were listed during the morning including trees, shrubs and grasses but with the main focus being on those that require close examination for correct identification. In this category fell two families in particular:

Asteraceae (Daisies often called Composites in the past): Thistle, Cat’s Ear, Sow-thistle, Hawkbit, Hawk’s-beard, and Hawkweed species

Fabaceae (called Peas in the past): Vetches, Vetchlings, Tares, Medicks, and Clovers

The Habitats and their species

Even with the aid of photographs we were unable to verify the abundant Hawk’s-beard species in the meadow area – Beaked, Rough or Smooth? This is the most plant diverse of the three habitats with Ox-eye Daisy, Salad Burnet, the semi parasitic Yellow Rattle, Ribwort Plantain, Meadow and Bulbous Buttercup, and Red Clover being widely distributed. More scattered were Common Vetch, Grass Vetchling, Black Medick, Goat’s-beard, Meadow and Cut-leaved Cranesbill, Common Mouse-ear, Pyramidal and Bee Orchid, and the symbiotic Common Broomrape. Less time was available for examination of Grasses but Quaking, Meadow Brome, and Crested Dog’s-tail were listed.

Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera (Photo © Bob Phillips)

The species diversity on the scrape is more limited but includes some which are less common in Milton Keynes: Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Horseshoe Vetch, Common Rock-rose, Bee Orchid, Cat’s Ear, Mouse-eared Hawkweed, a Thyme species, Globularia (a non-native plant and located by Martin Kincaid), and remarkably for the habitat Pendulous Sedge perhaps thriving over a spring?

Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus (Photo © Bob Phillips)

The tree and shrub edges comprise the third of the habitats often on bare ground and well shaded.  Hedge Bedstraw, Lady’s Bedstraw, Kidney Vetch, Bush Vetch, Wild Liquorice (a vetch), Perforate St. John’s Wort, Marjoram, Wild Carrot, Red Campion, Cleavers, and Bladder Campion were identified here. Above the disturbed ground over the southern pond were Creeping Thistle, Teasel, Hogweed, Prickly Sow-thistle, and Gorse.

Want to know more?

If you want to know more there will be a Consolidated List of Plants Observed and Photo Album on the Plant Group website page shortly. The photographs are linked to the species observed and several of them demonstrate identification features which are useful in the field when trying to differentiate between similar but different species.

Thanks

Our thanks to Bob Phillips for the photographs, to Anne Champion and Richard Schmidt for compiling the team listings, to Martin Ferns for handling the web presence of the Group, and to all the other participants for what proved to be a rewarding and enjoyable morning  at this very special location.

Co-leaders for the Event: Joe Clinch and Jenny Mercer (with apologies from Carla Boswell)
June 2024

What’s that plant – and why?

Twelve Society members (and one Parks Trust volunteer) braved a decidedly cold, damp, and sunless morning for two hours at Shenley Wood for the inaugural event of the newly formed Plant Group. Because of the wet and boggy conditions all our observations and identifications were made from the triangular route hard-core path in the east of the Wood or off the route into the Wood from the car park.

Shenley Wood is designated as Ancient Woodland and also as a ‘County Wildlife Site’. It is owned and managed by the Parks Trust. The surface geology is mostly glacial boulder clay and drainage is poor despite some ditches. Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur) and Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) were the dominant mature tree species observed with an understory of Hazel (Corylus avellana), Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), Bramble (Rubus ‘fruiticosus’) and Rose (Rosa species). Bluebell (Hyacynthoides non-scripta) was the dominant ground species of the wooded areas but the path edges and small clearings offered more light and here we were able to identify many more species:

Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa), Bugle (Ajuga reptans), Greater Stitchwort (Stellaria holostea), Primrose (Primula vulgaris), and Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) as might have been expected but also Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) in profusion (not yet in flower), Pendulous Sedge (Carex pendula), Wood Sedge (Carex sylvatica) , Bush Vetch (Vica sepium), Common Figwort not yet in flower(Scrophularia nodosa) – or was it Water Figwort (Scrophularia auriculata)? , Lords and Ladies (Arum maculatum) , and more.

 
Bugle Ajuga reptans (left)  Bush Vetch Vica sepium (right) (Photos © Bob Phillips)

We had hoped to find Early Purple Orchid in flower (Orchis mascula) but the orchid leaves that we did find could have been either Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) or Early Purple Orchid.  One of the key indicators of Ancient Woodland is Dog’s Mercury (Mercurialis perennis) but none was identified in this section of the Wood (though it had been seen in other parts, on the recce). There was a plentiful supply of specimens on the ground of canopy-emerging leaves and flowers of the Pedunculate Oak – perhaps the combined work of grey squirrels and strong winds the previous night. With the benefit of a hand lens we were able to identify the small dark female flowers as well as the more familiar male yellow catkins.

Along the short walk between the car park and entry to the Wood we identified several shrubs, bushes, and plants on the route. Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea), and Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) were close together and Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana) nearby with all but the Dogwood showing their white blossom. This offered the opportunity for examination of the essential differences of leaf form, florescence, and stem colour. At the edge of the car park, Sticky Mouse-ear (Cerastium glomeratum) was new to many of us:  a hand lens allowed us to view the glandular hairs on the stem and leaves.

Close-up of Sticky Mouse-ear to show glandular hairs on a stem (Photo © Bob Phillips)

A full list of species observed and identified is being prepared with comments and notes where necessary. This list including some of its queries will be input to a more formal Record of Listings which aims to be compatible with the requirements of BMERC in most respects although it is not anticipated that Group members will be able to acquire the skills necessary to submit formal records without further external training support.

In what way was this event different to the evening walks of the Society’s Summer Programme? Certainly, there was much more time for detailed examination of the plants we saw, checking field guides for distinguishing features, and sharing this knowledge with each other. Planning Team members were on hand to guide participants to planned stopping places and in practice we broke into a number of smaller groups in order to follow up particular interests. We also found that for some plants identification proved uncertain especially when not yet in flower and in these instances, we decided to list them as such. We also decided to list only those species that we observed either at the recce or the event itself, and to rely on our own identification skills. This was to avoid the temptation of assuming that because a plant had been seen before in Shenley Wood that was what it must be (e.g. the Figwort and Orchid species). We concluded with a welcome offer of tea or coffee.

To read more about the Plant Group go to the website under Programmes then Plant Group in the drop-down box to find an Information Sheet. The next event is from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm on Sunday 2^nd June when the habitat will be the grassland, hedges, and limestone scrape of Stonepit Field.

Report prepared by the Planning Team (Charles Kesser, Jenny Mercer, Di Parsons, Carla Boswell, and Joe Clinch), with special thanks to Janice Robertson for her local knowledge and joining us on the recce, Bob Philips for his photographs, and Richard Schmidt for sharing his field notes with us.

07 May 2024

A group of about 20 visited Pilch Field SSSI on a cool but dry evening – not entirely dry underfoot, but dry enough once we navigated our way past the ponds near the entrance.  Jenny and Di were well prepared and carrying bundles of sticks to mark areas where less common plants were found. Pilch Field is an amazing Site of Special Scientific Interest, well-managed these days by BBOWT, comprising old ploughland left as pasturage about 200 years ago after the Enclosure of the open field agriculture of ‘Ridge and furrow’, in the Parish of Singleborough.  Its damp areas of fen vegetation are treacherous and we avoided them – though the wonderful show of Marsh marigolds was in the middle of the western swampy part of the big field.

There was plenty to see in the larger field, with only a couple of members venturing into Little Pilch. Cowslips and Green-winged orchids are in profusion on the ridges; bugle too. The furrows are much damper and full of Hard rush with some sedges seen. The cool April weather has delayed grass growth this year, and Adder’s tongue fern was easily spotted. Often 1 square metre of this atypical fern was seen (Jenny noted at least 10 areas of 1m²) and one of 2m² as we walked back. No sign of Moonwort so far this year though.

Adder’s tongue fern (Photo ©Bob Phillips)

Hoary plantain Plantago media, distinguished by its ‘crinkly’ pleated leaves,
with Yellow rattle Rhinanthus minor (Photo © Janice Robertson)

Yellow rattle was plentiful, and beginning to flower, but much of it stunted. Meadowsweet was much in evidence, but will not be in flower for another few weeks; likewise Marsh thistle.

Towards the end of the visit we had a great treat finding 2 Twayblade orchids …in bud… just before we turned back towards dusk, having had to abandon going into Little Pilch. Jenny had never seen twayblade orchid in Pilch in 30 years of visiting. They were near the site where Early Marsh orchids are sometimes found in June-July, though none seen last year…

Twayblade (Photo ©Bob Phillips)

A list of plants and birds observed can be found here .

Report prepared by Jenny Mercer and others

In this talk, postponed from December 2023, Sheridan Williams aimed to tell us about his travels to see total eclipses around the world, together with some of the outstanding wildlife he has encountered in the process.

Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties it was not possible to show the section of the talk focussed on that wildlife. Sheridan has agreed to return at a later date to complete his talk!

To view a recording of the talk, click on the link below and enter the pass code when prompted to do so (Please note, the recording is in 2 parts).

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/mmWpHXSR3wb0dfdL8i6EuAtQOIvE6zB3CO32i5Hn4DJn9WlvIH-WqRWnQaSMNHyc.Lj16AWkFAoq-C9oa

Passcode: JY@^4kYF

Following on from his talk in 2022, we welcomed back Douglas Russell, Curator of Birds at the Natural History Museum, Tring. Douglas has very recently published a new book on this subject and he talked about his research into the nests and eggs of birds worldwide.

 N.B. All images and quotes from the book remain  © Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.

Douglas also alerted us to the forthcoming summer exhibition at the Natural History Museum: Birds: Brilliant and Bizarre https://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibitions/birds-brilliant-bizarre.html

To view a recording of the talk, click on the link below and enter the pass code when prompted to do so.
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/h4V3ouYtXYhxVnqL4ZJHEH_eDuLyc5acilOleQSS7RDyx77HXrA-t9c20jGjBhJQ.HJ8zChFsXMhM71Ou

Passcode: Twf*Xfv9

Photo © Joe Clinch: Pyrimidal Orchid  Anacamptis pyramidalis

The purpose of the Group
The MKNHS Plant Group will launch its activities this summer. Its aim is to stimulate interest in plants and particularly to improve the level of plant identification skills within the Society by sharing knowledge, skills and resources.

Who is the Plant Group for and what kind of activities will it organise?
The Group is open to all those members of the Society who support its purpose and who are able to give more time to the activity than is usually possible through the Summer Programme events which it will complement. Activities will centre on field work at different habitats where we will practice our identification skills at the species level initially concentrating on flowering plants (and, where we can, grasses, rushes, sedges and trees) and listing species observed in a systematic way. Improving identification skills will rely heavily on the sharing of knowledge between participants.

Over time, we hope to build up knowledge of local sites including the possibility of working with partner wildlife organisations. We also hope that participants will also enjoy the pleasure of observing plants in their natural setting, and of having a better understanding of their role in the local ecology.

Activities in 2024
Three field events are planned for 2024 each in a different habitat (all on Sunday morning from 10.30 to 12.30):
1. Shenley Wood 28^th April: Ancient Woodland habitat
2. Stonepit Field 2^nd June: Meadow, limestone scrape, and hedgerow habitat
3. Location and date still to be decided but will be in July or August, with a different habitat to the above
(Full details will be posted on the Society website).

2024 will be a pilot year, which the Planning Team will review in the autumn.

What resources will participants need
Those participating in events should bring a flower identification field guide: the Society website has an excellent summary of these (See Society Website: Reference then Identification Guides, then scroll to Flowering Plant).  A hand lens (ideally x10 magnification) will also be needed for some species – we hope to have some to lend. Members will be welcome to bring an identification App but at species level we shall concentrate on the botanical features that are needed for greater identification certainty. (Some suggestions of Apps can be found here, with members’ comments on their usefulness and limitations.)

Communication
Information about the Group including Planned Events will be publicised on the Society website with short Side Bar reminders about upcoming events as for other Society activities. For those that register an interest, email will be used for circulation of event specific information prior to it and for emergency announcements. An informal Plant WhatsApp group will also be established for those that opt to join (and thereby agree to share their mobile telephone number).

How do Society members register their interest in the Group?
Send an email to joeclinch@btinternet.com.

How are activities being planned and organised?
A Planning Team has been taking forward the work to establish the
Group. Charles Kessler leads the Group and chairs the Planning Team: other members are currently: Jenny Mercer, Di Parsons, Carla Boswell (secretary of the Team), and Joe Clinch.

Unfortunately, our scheduled speaker Nick Marriner had to pull out at the last minute. Once again, our Chairman Matt Andrews stepped in with a beautifully illustrated and entertaining talk about the wildlife to be seen in the Languedoc region of France.

The Zoom recording can be viewed using the link and password below. It will be available for 30 days from the date of the talk

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/hv4_FZUpIXuTcP_7yzUZZ2cnvecHAj-FZp-MQCGMMMJ4s-g7gGesz0t76sGZLtc7.URT3USHzTxatwh18

Passcode: XVQ&2jps

Professor Dawn Scott is one of Britain’s leading mammal ecologists, specialising in interactions between humans and wildlife. She is a familiar face from appearances on TV programmes such as Springwatch and is perhaps best known for her longstanding studies of urban foxes. She gave us a fascinating and very informative talk on this subject.

The Zoom recording can be viewed using the link and password below. It will be available for 30 days.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/55hWziFzmxF4Hv0nL5Lma19YgLJzdnYmuttzWP1YfoYJRPJ81A-kwNYv0lOdq66C.ylxp9AEgX2R7NKoS

Passcode: DD^pn5F0

Nigel Mason is Professor of Molecular Physics at the University of Kent and an eminent astrobiologist. He examined the feasibility of human agriculture in our solar system, the problems involved and work currently underway to try to address them.

The Zoom recording can be viewed using the link and password below. It will be available for 30 days.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/Fm0jVCdH5uI38xva80xasm7wF4g_LWBZk7wZ2a134ZOwO2rseUTteG1fqMd-ph_U.h6oVThyVXJz3OGUo

Passcode: #8FqRFYB

Photo: Finca Las Piedras Research Station, Peru

PER-WHO? BUTTERFLIES AND OTHER EMOTIONS IN OXFORD AND THE AMAZON –Ayla Webb – Tuesday 27^th February – Recording
Ayla Webb discussed her general disappearance from the Society over the past four years. She outlined her project work on Vapourer Moths carried out at Oxford University and talked about her involvement in the Alliance for a Sustainable Amazon’s Lepidoptera Project, including her experiences living and working at a field station in the Peruvian Amazon.

A recording of the talk is available on request until the end of March. If you would like to view the recoding, please send an email to Webeditor@MKNHS.org.uk

This year’s John Wickham lecture was given to the Society on 20th February by Neil Garrick-Maidment on Seahorses in the UK. The lecture was recorded, and is available online until 20 April, through the following link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/VXbsddXgdfCNHO5Nr7h5bkpAYemG9LmFD-UTJePvOqDpw6YmM3LDfGQJmXul_ruOPEofesTD9pCHrpfz.EpikBnkLs-0ObXih

Passcode: 6jCi?TpB

Society member Gary Fowler is known as a very knowledgeable birder… but he is also a keen angler. On Tuesday 6 February, Gary gave us an illustrated talk on freshwater fish, among our most overlooked animals, starting with those species found in our local waters.

The Zoom recording can be viewed using the link and password below. It will be available for 30 days.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/play/YTU55VHakNrGvjzuwT3ZDlsc9RRLHWSFvQz1gIjmYLiDuBR6ZGpGWHHsmig96_B0tyeYeqjnKpzAy252.jZ8xpV7aVuof7mC_

Passcode: B9VMW@?a

Our very own Dr Derek Taylor has worked in renewables and ultra-low energy building design for over 50 years. In his talk he explained how renewable energy has grown from almost zero to become the dominant form of energy and the least expensive form of electricity.

The recording will be available to view for 30 days from the date of the talk.
Follow the link and put in the pass code when asked to do so.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/jnaTZV75J9eHfWNZl3mF9KVe3or0W4iyEgSWN-p5xgvoscDOjjfJqrE81JsAGmkF.PqjJLj5G6ZJ89lPJ

Passcode: 712^7Uud

Three tributes to Colin follow from his friends in the Society
(Photos courtesy of Colin’s sister Marion)

Colin Docketty was born in north-west London on 28 January 1943.  Leaving school at the age of 15, Colin went to Pitman’s College and after that began work at Euston House for British Rail. He would remain with the railways for his entire working life and his passion for trains and trainspotting was infectious. Colin’s sister Marion tells how his love of trainspotting and ‘collecting trains’ evolved into a similar interest in watching and listing birds, and thereafter wildlife in general, although he had had some interest in nature from an early age.

Marion remembers how Colin was close to death in the early 1970s. He had been suffering from cancer and had been treated with chemotherapy – then very much a new treatment. Colin was on life support and the doctors gently explained that it might be time to switch off as he was unlikely to recover. But Marion felt Colin squeeze her hand and persuaded them to give him more time. Soon afterwards, Colin made a full recovery and was determined to live life to the full.

 
Colin, sister Marion and other family members

Colin lived with his parents in Watford and by the mid-1980s was working in administration at Melton House near Watford Junction. Colin was introduced to John Blundell by a mutual friend and he and John would go on to become good buddies and would make regular railway journeys in later years. John remembers how he would usually bump into Colin in the canteen – his love of good food legendary even then! Colin took voluntary redundancy in 1990 and moved to Milton Keynes in 1993. The house in the Lakes Estate was bought primarily to house Colin’s vast collection of books (his mother had had enough by then!) One of the advantages of living here was that Colin was close to Blue Lagoon Local Nature Reserve and ‘the bluey’ as he called it became his local patch, giving him countless hours of pleasure looking for birds, wildflowers, butterflies and dragonflies among other delights. He led a number of society visits to Blue Lagoon in the years to come.

Colin made many friends at MKNHS and in his own quite way made a vast contribution, particularly in the last five years or so. He has been our chief refreshments person – ensuring that tea and coffee is provided at indoor meetings and has planned the Christmas party for some years. He has also served on the committee and helped to plan and lead several society trips further afield. Perhaps his most valuable contribution was organising and running a series of Sunday walks, beginning in the aftermath of the 2020 COVID lockdown. When meeting indoors was still impossible for our society, these local walks were a vital way for us to keep connected and indeed helped us to recruit a number of new members. His almost encyclopedic knowledge of the Milton Keynes (and indeed UK) transport system came in handy to many of us!

Sadly, the last trip that Colin planned, he did not live to attend. Harry Appleyard welcomed 13 members to Spurn in Humberside last weekend (27-29 October) and we assembled a list of birds and wildlife that would have delighted Colin, not least the woodcocks we saw coming off the sea – a favourite bird of his. We drank a toast to him on the first evening. He would have loved the food.

Colin passed away suddenly on 19 September 2023. He is survived by his siter Marion, his niece Yolanda and two nephews, Adrian and Sidney. The family were incredibly welcoming when Matt Andrews and Martin Kincaid attended his funeral and wished to acknowledge their thanks to all his friends in MKNHS. Wherever he is now, let’s hope the buses are running on time.

Martin Kincaid

I was very sad to hear that Colin had died.  Once you met Colin, you didn’t forget him and I certainly won’t.  My wife, Mairi, only met him once but on the day I heard he had died we were able to have a long conversation about him! He was undeniably different!  So here are just a couple of my reminiscences.

Most of you will remember Colin from the MKNHS meetings at Cruick Barn or summer field meetings. I also saw him at Cruick Barn where our conversations usually started by him asking me about my latest trip abroad as a tour leader. He wanted as much information as possible to assess whether that trip is one he should take in future years. In all, he accompanied me on three trips abroad, but I had not previously met Colin when I led a trip to Florida around the turn of the century. Before we left London airport I had found all, bar one, of my fellow travellers. I sat in a packed Jumbo Jet as we waited for the last embarkee.  At first sight, as he appeared down a gangway, dressed exactly as you would expect, I just knew it was Colin!  There were 15 other people on the trip, as I had to remind Colin occasionally, since he asked more questions than the rest of the group put together. His appetite for information and answers was almost insatiable.  I just wish I could have answered all of them with complete confidence, since Colin seemed to have seriously misplaced trust in my infallibility. So we had many conversations during the trip, not least at several dinners, since the seating arrangements of most of the motels we used did not promote communal dining, but retro booths. Colin’s appetite for information was not entirely based on me. Some of the reserves we visited had gift shops – and more importantly book shops – attached.  I’m not sure how much spare luggage space Colin had planned, but he bought a lot of books!

On one of the first occasions he turned up at a birdwatching walk which I was leading, I asked who had given him a lift.  No-one. Two buses and a walk had done the trick. What about getting home? Well, a lift to a specific bus stop was welcome but he never asked for a lift home.  The one situation which did allow him to accept a lift home was the prospect of a tortuous, very late night journey from Heathrow Airport.

Over the years I was always curious as to how on earth he had got to various often remote nature reserves in the UK, or the USA, by public transport.  In describing precisely every stage of the journey, the answer became obvious – by meticulous planning,of course. Public transport operators sometimes let him down, or made mistakes, which Colin never did!

However there was one form of transport, of which Colin was not at all fond….ski lifts.  During a trip to Bulgaria, on which there were several other MKNHS members, this was an essential part of the itinerary.  The birds and butterflies at 2000m near Bansko, on Mt Pirin, could only be sought with the aid of two ski lifts. Eventually, with the quite accurate assurance that I had never been on a ski lift either, we took the plunge, metaphorically speaking, together, holding hands!  To the great amusement of more hardened ski-lifters!

Happy days! I shall miss you, Colin.

Andy Harding

The many members of Milton Keynes Natural History Society remember Colin with fondness. Not just as a smiling face above the coffee cups, as he managed the provision of refreshments with commitment and kindness.

He was much more than that. Colin was an excellent naturalist over many branches of natural history. But even more important was his knowledge of when and where to find natural history, and his enterprise in searching them out via the local and not so local bus routes.

The real benefit we all gained from him was his enthusiasm for organising and sharing trips to encounter nature. For the past years he organised and lead Sunday walks round local places full of nature. The Society gained many members who started with one of Colins walks.

On top of this he liked to organise short trips away or take part in ones organised by others. I went on a trip he organised on the Isle of Wight. It was a bit too windy for the butterflies and birds we hoped to see. We saw a hedge covered in the gossamer of Ermine moth caterpillars, and saw Nightjar and Woodcock on our last evening.

The other trip of his that I went on, had much more problem with the weather. The week after the queen’s jubilee was very wet in the Chilterns. It was good fun hiding in left-over marquees, and watching the success of the Red Kites introduced to the area.

Thank you Colin, for being part of our society, we owe you our gratitude for all you have done for the society, and for being a great character.

Di Parsons

Other tributes can be found here

https://mknhs.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Colin-Docketty-a-couple-of-reminiscences.docx

THE PROBLEM FOR FUNGI – ESCAPING THE BOUNDARY LAYER – Talk by Justin Long – Tuesday 24^th October – Zoom Recording

Our resident mycologist, Justin Long, described the challenge faced by terrestrial fungi – how to disperse their spores to ensure maximum distribution – and the myriad ways they have evolved to achieve this.

A Zoom recording of this talk is available for members to view for 30 days. If you would like to view the recording, please contact Linda Murphy (lindamurphy49@btinternet.com )

For many years Steve Brady was a member and officer of the Society, until he retired to explore the rocky shores of Pembrokeshire. During a visit to Milton Keynes, Steve returned to give this talk to the Society. In it he explained how this special environment works, what is to be found there, and why its natural history is so rich.

The recording will be available to view for 30 days. Follow the link and put in the pass code when asked to do so.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/RneMIZwzxYyrkDqEIP_6XN5f4LZMpahX5FFCbxat2tNsiTuiRTfMsLXQDJGhjFoU.ahED08x5CRKijKuf

Passcode: JMCih#G6

Erica McAlister is Senior Curator of flies at London’s Natural History Museum and a national authority on Diptera. She is the current President of the Amateur Entomologists Society. We were very fortunate to welcome her on Tuesday to give us an insight into these much maligned and misunderstood insects.

There were problems with the sound for the Zoom participants which were also on the Zoom recording. Following a lot of work by Tim Arnold to boost the sound and add subtitles, the recording is now available as a YouTube video which can be viewed here:

https://youtu.be/2zrXBM_olOE.

For the best view, use headphones and switch on the subtitles.

THE CAMARGUE – ZOOM RECORDING – talk by Matt Andrews – Tuesday October 3rd
Society Chairman Matt Andrews is a regular visitor to France and showed us some of the wildlife highlights of one of Europe’s most celebrated wetlands – the Carmargue.

The recording will be available to view for 30 days. Follow the link and put in the pass code when asked to do so.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/tm5T9oVFOVBckzswZeZKdj2eUe59c36wsmxUfqaQE3qFrr73R65dVSR8n4qWLpJh.V9KzpzRzxhss6021

Passcode: Lr3u^*sZ

WILD CYPRUS – ZOOM RECORDING – Talk by Tim Arnold – Tuesday 26^th September
Cyprus has a rich fauna and lies on a key migration route. Society member Tim Arnold visited the island in Spring 2023 and presented some of the many birds, flowers, insects and other wildlife to be found there.

The recording will be available to view for 30 days. Follow the link and put in the pass code when asked to do so.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/eHUrE_DMdvgYyP25my9MLoXCvVURcsH69tSuNRSDUrI-_SqfDMGpNRYtRetJ5RgB.p8nqa3cIskUhR_hZ

Passcode: 9tDzb?h%

THE PEOPLE’S TRUST FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES – ZOOM RECORDING – Tuesday 12^th September
Nida Al-Fulaij is Conservation Research Manager for the PTES. She gave us an introduction to the charity’s work and an update on national conservation efforts for Hazel Dormouse.

The recording will be available to view for 30 days. Follow the link and put in the pass code when asked to do so.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/xjwde9lT6MnY-JfPbjHWjQQuThj6TDjw_KxkcfOjmmG88BXds6Rt_EW1GmlooaX2.DbFq-_GOEWjh4UOE

Passcode: JqLvze0^

Photo of moon © Peter Barnes

Willen Lake North was the focus for this MKNHS walk and we started at the Willen Pavilion car park. Walking anti-clockwise, in the direction of the Peace Pagoda, we stayed close to the lake to look out for Dragonflies and Water Rail. A Common Gull was spotted on the water as we approached. We were then lucky to spot a juvenile and adult Common Tern perched on the poles by the water’s edge, along with some Black Headed Gulls. A young frog was spotted further on, in the grass.

Black-headed Gull and Common Tern (Photo © Martine Harvey)

Walking towards the bird hide, we heard the call of a Water Rail as a Jay flew above into a tree. From the bird hide, several Migrant Hawkers were seen, and a roost of Cormorants were up high in trees across on the island. We then spent some time by the small bridge looking for Dragonflies but unfortunately did not see any. As the sun dropped low in the sky, we saw a Great Crested Grebe in silhouette and further in the distance a family of Tufted Duck.

Near the weir, an unidentified Dragonfly was seen and noted in case it could have been a Lesser Emperor, but unfortunately no ID was made. House Martins and Swallows were seen in the distance, up high as the light levels dropped. On returning to the car park a Noctule Bat was seen and heard with a bat detector.

Many plants were noted on the walk including grassy tall phragmites which grows profusely at the water’s edge. There were good flower heads on the tall stalks; they are large, ranging from near black to a glorious deep purple-red at this time of year, and becoming beige to a creamy bleached white by the spring.

Many people enjoyed the walk, and the evening sun was especially beautiful as the crescent Moon started to appear.

A Plant list is being prepared, and will be added in due course.

Martine Harvey
August 2023

Olney Church across the meadow (Photo © Derek Taylor)

In previous years, this walk along the Ouse has been very popular when undertaken in May or June, usually co-led by Julie Lane and Martin Kincaid. A late summer visit still proved rewarding though.

A short walk from Olney market square brought us to Church Street. At one of the mill-side houses, Martin pointed out a large quantity of bat droppings on the white window ledges of the house. Some of these were the pellets of pipistrelle bats but there were also the larger, twisted pellets of brown long-eared bats. Little did we know the grand finale these bats had planned for us!

At the river, we soon saw Banded Demoiselles and Common Emerald damselflies and also spotted Minnows and Rudd in the clear water. One of our newest members, Rob Andrews, spotted some Yellow Wagtails flying over and a single juvenile Goosander was fishing in the river. In previous years we have seen family groups of this species, which has nested at Olney Mill for the past decade. Rob later found a male Redstart in one of the hedgerows crossing the fields. Although distant, most of the birders managed a glimpse of this lovely bird.

Juvenile Goosander (Photo © Julie Cuthbert)

Our attention soon turned to riparian plants. We found some nice stands of Flowering Rush in the ditches and along the river. Further along, we found the naturalised Orange Balsam, Marsh Woundwort and the bright deep flowers of Skullcap. Mid-stream, the white flowers of a Water Crowfoot could be observed, although we were unable to identify this to species from such a distance. Kingfishers were active, calling regularly, and eventually two appeared and gave brief views to the group.

We walked back towards the church across the fields, picking up Speckled Bush-cricket and Roesel’s Bush-cricket with bat detectors. Jenny Mercer identified Musk Thistle in the fading light.

Musk Thistle (Photo © Jenny Mercer)

On reaching Olney Mill at dusk, the bat detectors were overwhelmed with the sounds of echo-locating bats. We all stood and watched in amazement as dozens of bats emerged from the house and began their evening flights. These were mostly common pipistrelles although a few larger bats seen may have been brown long-eareds. We returned to the market place at around 9pm having enjoyed a memorable walk – in August sunshine!

Martin Kincaid
August 2023

A visit to Elfield Nature Park – Tuesday 8^th August 2023 – Carla Boswell
All photos © Sue Lafferty Hayward

Elfield Nature Park is around 4 hectares of mixed woodland, mature scrub, open grassland and a series of ponds. The site is rich in wildlife, with its range of habitats supporting dragonflies, bees, butterflies, birds, amphibians and bats. It is a secure nature reserve which is not open to the general public.

Thank you and well done for those of us that braved the weather; it was drizzling somewhat as we navigated through the Bowl access roads, whilst the Event organisers were packing up the Reggae Festival from the previous weekend.

A hardy bunch of 10 of us met up, including members of the Elfield Bushcraft Group to assist with gate access, for a good hour’s walk round the site.  Wellies felt essential but it soon stopped raining and the skies cleared. As were we leaving the sun was setting and the bird song re-appeared.  Since it was a bit damp, we thought it would be a perfect opportunity to check the artificial covers objects (ACOs) for amphibians and newts rather than focusing on Plant ID, as we were missing many of our botanists.

With Great Crested Newts being a protected species, licence holder Carla Boswell was able to check the ACOs, which are a combination of metal, carpet and bitumen squares, and record our findings.  Sadly, there were no reptiles due to the wet and low temperature. Nevertheless, although we are just outside the survey season, through checking 13 ACOs we uncovered a total of 10 Great Crested Newts.  5 adults and 5 juveniles.

Great Crested Newts (Photo © Sue Lafferty Hayward)

We also uncovered some Great Crested Newts in other locations: one of the tree stumps in the car park and a big stone along the track.  Elfield Nature Park has recently been a receptor site for amphibians trapped from the development site opposite.  Let’s hope they don’t move back!

Elfield Park looks completely different to last year’s dry parched visit and is looking very lush and green, with lots of interesting fungi too.  The main walking track, up the middle hill, is a carpet of bird’s foot trefoil, a sight to behold!  We discovered some Red Bartsia on site, something we’re not sure if we have seen before in Milton Keynes  (identification confirmed subsequently). We were too late in the year for the orchids but perhaps we can revisit earlier in the 2024 programme.

  
Unidentified fungus, left; Red bartsia, right  (Photo © Sue Lafferty Hayward)

The finale for the visit was a peek into the honeybee hives, hosted by James Chew and Colin Bowker from the Elfield Bushcraft group. James and Colin took on the initial couple of hives at the site and have since grown their broods and collected swarms from across MK to have 12 active hives this year.  They also sell their honey and perhaps there’s a potential winter talk on their beekeeping activities for the society?  This year’s honey is darker and fruity from bramble flowers, and James has sent his honey off for pollen DNA analysis!

Honeybees  (Photo © Sue Lafferty Hayward)

Elfield Bushcraft group of friendly independent volunteers is open to new members, to help maintain and improve the site.  The main activities include sharing bushcraft skills; such as fire-building, shelter-making, knot practice and wood-whittling. They use basic tools to improve the natural environment and carry out tasks for The Parks Trust, such as mending fences, observing wildlife and tending plants. They meet every Tuesday from 11am to 2pm finding time for a chat over food and hot drinks too.  They hold taster sessions before joining and group members pay a small fee each month into the kitty to finance supplies.

For more information please contact: ElfieldBushcraft@gmail.com

Carla Boswell
August 2023

Above: Birdsfoot trefoil at Stonepit Field (Photo © Joe Clinch)

The evening of the visit was decidedly cool and dull with a fresh breeze – not ideal conditions for flowering plants and invertebrates which were the main focus of the planned evening. There was a surprisingly good turnout given the conditions with over 20 members and visitors, and once again we were able to enjoy the remarkable biodiversity of this site. In a brief introduction, Joe reminded the group of its history.  The tree-lined south-eastern border had been planted by the Milton Keynes Development Corporation in c. 1970. The main meadow areas including the limestone scrape were developed from 1993 onwards by the Parks Trust on previous farmland thus providing a habitat for calcareous loving meadow flowers, grasses, trees and shrubs: an exemplar of how an uncommon biodiverse habitat can be created. The balancing ponds were added in 2007, associated with Oakridge Park housing development.

Based on three separate recce visits to the site (thank you Mike LeRoy and Jenny Mercer for accompanying me) and listings from previous visits, a Checklist of species that might be observed that evening was distributed to members. The aim was to identify as many as possible of the species listed and to add to it any new sightings for the draft cumulative list for the site which Mike had initiated in 2019. To manage the number of participants in this underfoot plant sensitive area, the group was split into two with one led by Linda Murphy and the other by Joe. The species list from the evening can found through the link below, and highlights are summarised in this short report.

Stonepit Field MKNHS Species list 06.06.2023

Meadow areas

These cover much of the site interspersed with paths, ‘hedges’, and clumps of trees and shrubs. There is a rich mix of grasses and flowering plants which included the semi-parasitic Yellow Rattle; Salad Burnet; Common Vetch; Meadow Buttercup; Bulbous Buttercup; Ox-eye Daisy; Beaked Hawksbeard; Goats beard; Meadow Cranesbill; and Red Clover. Common Broomrape, a parasitic species which was abundant and widely distributed in 2022, had virtually disappeared with only a few specimens found in just one area.  Pyramidal Orchid was a welcome addition to the meadow species list. Charles Kessler was able to identify eight species of grass on the checklist for us including the delicate Quaking Grass.

Pyramidal Orchid and Quaking Grass (Photo © Joe Clinch)

Limestone scrape area and its edges

The species of the scrape area proper had clearly suffered from the dry weather of last summer and the cool spring particularly the Bee Orchids which were few in number and stunted with yellow- brown deformed leaves. Scrape edges have fared better and here the Bee Orchids were healthy although fewer in number. Birds-foot Trefoil (see main photo, taken several days after the visit), Horseshoe Vetch, Kidney Vetch, and Common Rockrose were also doing well here.  Amongst species new to the area this year are Selfheal; a Thyme species; and Common Blue Daisy (globularia vulgaris) commonly called Globularia (see photo below). The latter is not a native British wildflower. It is found in continental Europe in rocky calcareous habitats. How it arrived is a mystery.

Common Blue Daisy Globularia vulgaris (Photo © Julian Lambley)

Tree/shrub margins, rough ground and pond areas

Six spring white-flowered trees above the scrape were seen in close proximity, albeit for the first two named the flowering season was already over: Whitebeam; Wayfaring Tree; Guelder Rose; Dogwood; Hawthorn; and Common Elder. Flowers at the edge of the tree/shrub areas included Hedge Bedstraw; Red Campion; Marjoram; and new to the list Wild Liquorice (see photo below, taken several days after the visit); Bush Vetch; and Bladder Campion. The Yellow Irises in full flower made a splendid display at the pond edges. Much of the Gorse on the banks above the pond has died back; the reasons for this are unknown but may again be the drought of last summer.

Wild Liquorice Astragalus glycphyllos (Photo © Joe Clinch)

Birds, Mammals, Amphibians and Reptiles

Harry Appleyard again undertook the task of bird identification at the site. As he puts it, it was ‘a fairly drab and dreary evening for June, so unsurprisingly there weren’t as many birds as on previous visits but there were still several species keen to have their voices heard, the loudest of the bunch being a Song Thrush which seemed to be mimicking an Oyster Catcher…….Singles of Blackcap and Chiffchaff were heard singing, while overhead trios of House Martins, Swifts and Little Egrets were seen, the latter flying over the ponds throughout the evening.’  A Red Kite flying over is new to the list for the site which now stands at 40 species

A Muntjac (see photo) showed itself to Harry before disappearing into the woodland area. A Hedgehog carcass on the scrape was examined by Martin Kincaid – probably a Badger kill. Common Frog and a dead Grass Snake found by Julian Lambley completed our vertebrate sightings.

Muntjac (Photo © Harry Appleyard)

Invertebrates

The cool dull conditions were not good for finding invertebrates, with no Butterflies, Damselflies, or Dragonflies seen. But two new moth species were identified: Drab Looper; and Shark Moth. There were also three insects at various stages of development new to the list: a Longhorn Beetle; Common Pill Woodlouse; and Field Grasshopper plus one spider – the Flower Crab Spider. These sightings were the result of active collection by Simon Bunker, Paul Lund and Martin Kincaid.

Overview

This is an important site for observing calcareous loving plants and the invertebrate species that depend on them. Our evening visits are a snapshot in time of its biodiversity and it is encouraging that we continue to add to our knowledge of how diverse it is.  Members will find yet more species to enjoy later into the summer.

My thanks to: Society members for turning out on such an inclement evening and for their active involvement in the evening’s activities; to all those who helped with identification already named plus Jenny Mercer and Linda Murphy for plant identification; and to Mike LeRoy for checking the nomenclature of the Species Listed annex and sharing his knowledge of the site with me.

Joe Clinch, Visit leader
June 2023

Photo of Corn Bunting © Martine Harvey

This was a visit to the nearest area of chalk grassland to Milton Keynes, the Sewell Railway Cutting. A short-lived railway line operated here, between Leighton Buzzard and Dunstable. One of our late members, Wally Lancaster, had been a train driver here in the 1950s and he always enjoyed revisiting the site to enjoy its flora and fauna. Wally and his wife Joan, who passed away very recently, were stalwarts of the Society for many years so it was nice to remember them.

It was a clear, sunny night and a good number turned out. A short walk from French’s Avenue brought us to the start of the railway cutting and immediately we could see a variety of chalk grassland flora including Common Twayblade (abundant), Chalk Milkwort and Kidney Vetch. One plant which we had not seen in the past was Star-of-Bethlehem, but we found numerous clumps low down on the banks. It was interesting to note that those in shade were already closing whilst those flowers in full sun remained open. On previous visits, we had noted how scrubby the embankments were but happily, work has been undertaken to remove much of the scrub creating much more open, sunny areas for flora and insect life. However, it was probably a bird that stole the show. A male Corn Bunting was holding a territory in a hedge and gave great views as he sang his jingling song! Sadly, turtle doves, which we heard here in the past, were not heard and are now probably absent from this area but we were able to enjoy Swallows and Swifts soaring overhead. A female Kestrel perched up on our return leg.

Male Corn Bunting singing © Julian Lambley

We eventually made our way to the ‘bottom’ of the nature reserve where it intersects with part of the Icknield Way. Here we were able to look across to the chalk cliffs of Totternhoe Quarry. We watched rabbits enjoying the evening sunshine and a Roe Deer was spotted. Invertebrates were a little disappointing as the temperature dropped quickly, but Green Carpet moths were emerging and Tim Arnold captured a specimen of Agonopterix heracliana .  Towards the end of the walk, Martin Kincaid managed to pot a specimen of the iridescent ‘long-horned moth’ Adela reaumurella. This was a female – the antennae of the male are about two and half times its body length! The only other insect of note was a Greater Bloody-nosed Beetle. When handled, this beetle did indeed have a ‘nose bleed’, or to be more accurate, emitted reflex blood from its mouth, a defence strategy which provokes most predators to drop it. A single Red Admiral was the only butterfly.

We returned to our meeting point at around 9pm and a few of us then went on to The White Lion, Chalk Hill, just down the road from some refreshment.

Martin Kincaid

Pilch Field (Photo © Jenny Mercer)

The photo above shows the ridge and furrow of these unimproved Pilch fields pastures. When Singleborough parish enclosed these fields the old pattern of ploughing remained as a “footprint” of the former landscape.

Plants which prefer the better drainage on ridges include Green-winged orchids and Cowslips, which are out just now.

Green-winged orchid (Photo © Martine Harvey)

Soon Pignut and Birds-foot trefoil, Salad burnet and a ton of other plants will appear. Hundreds of Common spotted orchids will appear too within the next few weeks, and in July the spiney restharrow with pink sweet pea-like flowers appear. August and September bring a profusion of blue scabious especially in Little Pilch – the smaller field to the north-east of the larger field, accessed through a big gate. In the damper furrows and on edges of ridges, the unusual Adder’s-tongue fern is showing well plus Lady’s smock/Cuckoo flower. It will soon dissapear.

Adder’s tongue (Photo © Bob Phillips)

In the significantly wet areas there are marshy areas where the quite tall Marsh valerian is beginning to show well, and there are Marsh marigolds too, with Bugle and Creeping jenny. Marsh valerian is unusual in having male and female flowers on separate plants. It is the original source of the drug Vallium.

It is also a good site for birds, such as Snipe, which overwinter in Little Pilch. I saw a Short-eared owl last autumn on the highest ridge of the bigger field. And in Little Pilch last Tuesday evening many of us were treated to several sightings of hares and 3 roe deer as we entered the field slowly, and watched carefully.

Butterflies and moths are in good numbers too.

Enjoy visiting this 30 acre BBOWT reserve, which needs volunteers to keep it free from the threatening scrub incursions of hawthorn, blackthorn and bramble. Aylesbury Vale Conservation Volunteers have done good work recently . If interested, offer your services, and there is a BBOWT contact – Leo Keedy. The old overgrown pond area is to be dug out in 2023. Superb news.

Remember, no dogs on this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), is best as cattle graze from 1st June until 31st October.

Contact Jenny Mercer if you want to learn more about the plants on Pilch.

There are great satellite images on Google maps. Just input Pilch Field SSSI and then select ‘layers’ then satellite image. Amazingly, you can even see the superb ant hills, and some impression of the ridge and furrow areas.

Jenny Mercer

Blluebells (Photo © Harry Appleyard)

Over 30 members turned out for our first Tuesday evening walk of the season. In a cold spring week we were fortunate to enjoy a dry and sunny, if chilly, evening. Linford Wood, right in the centre of MK, is our largest ancient woodland site and always a delight at this time of year. Following a brief introduction, we entered the wood and were treated to the sight and sound of a Great Spotted Woodpecker calling from high up in an oak.

The usual spring flora of Bluebell, Wood Anemone, Primrose, Lesser Celandine and Greater Stitchwort were on display although it was clear that the cold spring had delayed the flowering of several species, whilst extending the flowering season of others including Early Dog Violet. Some of the ditch banks had fine patches of violets and anemones. We spent a little more time looking at the flowers of strawberry plants before we settled on Barren Strawberry.

A highlight for some of the group (i.e. those near the front!) was a Roe Deer buck, who crossed the central bridleway ride in front of us before leaping effortlessly over a dead hedge into the closed off ride. It was great to see this animal displaying the agility it is known for. Eagle-eyed Harry Appleyard managed to catch the moment. Roe are becoming more and more frequent in MK and although they are more welcome than the introduced Muntjac, we hope that their numbers do not grow so high that the woodland flora suffers.

Roe Buck leaping in Linford Wood (Photo © Harry Appleyard)

We also heard plenty of birdsong along the main ride, with Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs noticeable. A Jay flew overhead as we waited for the deer to re-emerge. A brief detour allowed us to see two Early Purple Orchid spikes half in flower. Ironically, these are rather late this year.

Martin led the group along the grassy ride known both for its wood carvings and for Herb-Paris. Eventually, we were able to find a good number of plants a few meters off the pathway with just one or two in flower. A first for some of our group and quite an achievement in view of the recent cold conditions.

Herb Paris (Photo © Bob Phillips)

We concluded the walk with a brief visit to the edge of Stanton Wood (on the opposite side of Saxon Street from Linford Wood). There is a nice stand of Wych Elms at the entrance of Stanton Wood and perhaps the best displays of bluebells and cowslips were to be seen on the steep banks either side of the redway here. As the light was fading rapidly, we quickly made our way back along V7 to the car park, where we were serenaded by a Song Thrush. A pleasant start to our outdoor season.

Martin Kincaid

We recently received news of the death of Dave Roberts in early April. Dave was an active member of the Society for many years. A plain-speaking Scotsman with a big laugh and sense of humour to match, Dave was a member of the committee for some time and Chairman of the Society from 1996-98. He and his wife Chris spent many hours mothing in a variety of locations with George and Frances Higgs. They also joined members of the Society on a trip to Israel in the days when groups of members took off to foreign parts as well as exploring local wildlife sites.

Although Dave has not been to Society meetings in recent years, he has kept up with the news and changes via Chris who continues to come to meetings whenever possible. Dave spent a lot of time at the Thornborough and Coombs Woodland reserve and was very fond of the place, so his family have decided to donate in his memory to support the reserve. His death was totally unexpected despite the health problems that he had developed and we send our sincere condolences to Chris and the rest of the family.

Photo of unidentified moss on a wall © Linda Murphy

Are there members of the Society who would like to seriously study Bryophytes?

Frances Higgs, the Society’s only Bryophyte specialist, will work with a small group of enthusiasts.

The first meeting will be held at Willen Churchyard on Thursday 27^th April at 2pm. Please bring a notebook and pencil, x10 magnification hand lens and a polythene bag.

If you intend to join this group please email lindamurphy49@btinternet.com and go along to Willen on Thursday.

With best wishes for a wildlife rich summer!

Linda

Photo with Joan and Wally 5th and 4th from the left, taken on the occasion of Dorothy Hood’s 90^th birthday celebrations in 2001

Joan Lancaster died in mid-March 2023, just a month short of her 90^th birthday. She was a member of Milton Keynes Natural History Society for many years, along with her husband Wally who died in 2009. As her daughter Ann has said: “The Natural History Society has been a big part of Mum & Dad’s lives and they made lots of good friends there”.

Joan and Wally were very active members of the Society and were very good friends with near neighbours Margaret and John Wickham. They generally travelled together to meetings and were known as the ‘Bletchley 4’ in some quarters! They were regulars at indoor and outdoor meetings and events such as moth trapping, recording or trips further afield. They were also always very caring and concerned for the well-being of other members.  From 1992 to 1999 Joan was Treasurer of the Society. In later years, Joan and her good friend Margaret would often be Roy Maycock’s assistants, helping him collect plant specimens on society outings. She continued to be an active member until about three years ago when she moved down to Dorset to be nearer to her daughter and other family there.

Her particular natural history interests were in birds and wild flowers and she contributed a lot of time and effort to the plant surveys carried out by the Society at the newly established Hazeley Wood as part of a wider monitoring programme. She and Wally led plenty of walks on the summer programme for the Society over the years, and a particular favourite was to Sewell cutting, a great place to see orchids and other chalk grassland flowers. By coincidence there will be a walk to Sewell cutting on the summer programme this year on 23^rd May.

Apart from admiring the orchids, those who knew Joan may pause a moment to remember her there, “a lovely lady”, a kind and generous person who enjoyed a joke and was always ready to help others. It’s a great privilege to have known both Joan and Wally and we send our sincere condolences to her family.

Linda Murphy and Martin Kincaid

PS For those who remember the people standing in the photo, from left to right they are Kent Fox, Bernard Frewin, Jean Kent, Margaret Wickham, Wally Lancaster, Joan Lancaster, Frances Higgs,  John Prince, Audrey Prince, George Higgs, John Wickham. Dorothy is sitting down. (8 of the group now deceased….)

Otter at Wolverton Mill in January (Photo©Julian Lambley)

Winter locally was generally mild with East Anglia having the third warmest November on record. In December, however, we experienced icy weather for half the month, similar to January. In March we suffered one day of snow which changed to rain and created floods. Varied weather conditions throughout – so how did it affect our wildlife locally?

Mammals:  There were records received for otters at a variety of sites around Milton Keynes including one photographed walking on ice during December at Willen Lake.

Oher sites during winter where otters were recorded included the Floodplain Forest, Caldecotte, Stony Stratford Reserve, Linford Lakes Reserve, Stony Stratford Mill and Loughton Brook. A Chinese Water Deer was noted at Magna Park.

Insects – The first butterfly recorded in 2023 was a brimstone observed in a member`s garden at Stony Stratford. One interesting record was from a lady living in Wolverton who discovered a caterpillar in a cauliflower she purchased in February from a supermarket. She placed it in a jar and fed it cabbage until it changed into a chrysalis. Mid-March it emerged as a moth, dark brown with black spots. Any ideas?

Plants – The first signs of spring were records of snowdrops early February beside Little Linford Wood and at the same site in March there were signs of primrose and celandine in flower. At the end of March cowslips were noted at Caldecotte.

Birds – Throughout the UK birds have been affected with the avian flu and the RSPB have reported that over200 million birds, and at least 60 species, have died from the infection. There have been reports of three mute swans found dead at Caldecotte Lake and several geese at Furzton.

There was a large murmuration of starlings performing over the `Mutual Fields` at New Bradwell from mid-February to mid-March at 5 pm to 6 pm, and enjoyed by many of my neighbours

Whilst there has been an understandable lack of items to report on insects and plants during the winter months there has been an abundance of sightings of unusual bird species locally. Here are a few:

November – Floodplain Forest: pair of Egyptian goose, Willen Lake a pintail duck and two ringneck parrakeet, Linford Lake Reserve a long-tailed duck, and Tattenhoe Park a great northern diver in flight.

December – Linford Lakes Reserve:  a bitten; Flood Plain Forest: great white egret, goosander, and pintail duck; Tongwell Lake: a short-eared owl, and 8 goosander; Emerson Valley: a willow warbler and 2 chiffchaff;  Willen Lakes: a hawfinch and black swan; Mount Farm: Mediterranean Gull; Furzton Lake: a Caspian Gull; Linford Manor: 2 ring-necked parrakeets – and the highlight, a Siberian chiffchaff at Tattenhoe.

January – Floodplain Forest: a little owl, great white egret, goosander, 17 snipe, and a garganey; Willen Lake a Mediterranean gull and woodcock Furzton Lake and Blue Lagoon a Caspian gull and Magna Park a peregrine falcon.

February – Floodplain Forest : a Caspian Gull, peregrine falcon, little owl, great white egret, pintail duck and oystercatcher; Linford Lakes Reserve: a barnacle goose; Furzton: Cetti’s warbler; Little Linford Wood: 5 marsh tits: and Tattenhoe: 2 common cranes in flight.

March – Linford Lakes Reserve: goldeneye, a ruddy duck and a shelduck; Caldecotte: scaup and a pair of mandarin ducks; Howe Park Wood: a Firecrest; Tattenhoe Park: a chiffchaff and stonechat, and at Willen Lake: sand martin.

Just outside the Milton Keynes boundary two waxwings were photographed at Cranfield and a wheatear was recorded at Great Brickhill during March.

The sounds and signs of spring are now upon us so, as a task, try and observe the 6 most common bumble bees locally. They are buff-tailed, white-tailed, red-tailed, early, common carder and, the once rare but now very common, tree bumble bee. But as usual, look out for all forms of wildlife and observe, record but most of all, enjoy.

Tony Wood
April 2023

Talk by Brian Eversham, Tuesday 7^th March 2023:   ‘Wildlife Recording in Changing Times’
The John Wickham Memorial Lecture
Comment by Mike LeRoy

If you missed Brian Eversham’s talk on 25^th March, you missed a brilliant account of how wildlife in Britain has changed and declined, but also successful ways to bring some of it back. There is still time to watch and hear his talk, but only until 30^th April. It is still on the MKNHS website, here:
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/fE8f8CEb08A-EVgWSVP98b3eBKNDOj_R4xEc1uek2PGjUjiVgFdTUeyaU4ML1yOn.g6Uw8cxZJM-pVOh3
Passcode: i7P^HMmh

Brian Eversham is Chief Executive of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust and was previously their Director of Conservation.

Brian’s talk  ‘Wildlife Recording in Changing Times’ was a remarkable scan through the last 100,000 years of British wildlife. But it was more about changes to our wildlife since the last ice sheet retreated than about how we record species. Brian explained changes to woodlands, heathlands, wetlands and grasslands made by wild animals and mankind over the last few thousand years.

He was speaking with the considerable hands-on knowledge he has accumulated over a lifetime, of losses to wildlife as landscapes became more and more intensively managed for farming and human populations increased and industrialised. He showed us extinct beetles from the Bronze Age he had found buried in peat, and marks on fossilised trees, probably of Black Woodpeckers which he thinks used to be in Britain. There were stories of what caused extinctions: the Large Copper butterfly and Fen Violet. He also told us how some lost species have been recovered and are breeding again in Britain: recent examples such as Large Marsh Grasshopper in Cambridgeshire; and the Chequered Skipper restored to Rockingham Forest.

Brian did tell us how wildlife recording originated and how crucial it is to have local knowledge of wildlife, and that this depends on skilled amateur naturalists and natural history societies like ours.

His talk was full of stories of how species have been lost and some restored. He mentioned local places such as Rammamere Heath and the Minotaur beetle that can be found there. With considerable enthusiasm he told us about his study of Elms and how most of these trees still survive.

His upbeat conclusion was about how some young naturalists are becoming skilled by using digital media combined with fieldwork to learn and share their knowledge with others: such as a teenager who is the go-to expert on Springtails.

But you need to hear all of his talk for yourself.

Mike LeRoy
6^th April 2023

You might be interested to know that Derek Taylor is giving a lecture at MK Gallery on Wednesday 26th April, based on his 50 years involvement with renewable energy and low energy & solar architecture.

Presented in partnership with the Buckinghamshire Society of Architects, this talk will tell the story of how renewable energy has grown from almost zero to becoming the dominant form of energy and the least expensive form of electricity. He will also explore how buildings can be designed to become more energy efficient as well as integrating renewable energy solutions. Additionally, he will describe 25 years of game-changing Renewable Energy Education from the Open University.

The talk will reveal Dr Taylor’s contribution to these fields – interspersed with topical and contemporary developments in alternative technology, renewable energy and in low energy and solar buildings.

The lecture starts at 18.30, in the Sky Room at MK Gallery.

For more information, see the PDF flyer here.

Alternatively go to the MK Gallery website, where you can also book a ticket or two (£8 or £10)

https://mkgallery.org/event/riding-the-wind-sun/

Brian Eversham is Chief Executive of the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust and was previously their Director of Conservation.

Brian’s talk covers a wide range of circumstances and changes affecting our wildlife and its response.

John Wickham was a long-standing member of the Society and contributed hugely to its development. He held many roles within the Society, latterly as Vice President until his death in 2020.

To view a recording of his talk, use the link below and enter the pass code when asked to do so. The recording was originally available to view for 30 days from the date of the talk (7th March), and this has been extended following requests for more time to view it.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/fE8f8CEb08A-EVgWSVP98b3eBKNDOj_R4xEc1uek2PGjUjiVgFdTUeyaU4ML1yOn.g6Uw8cxZJM-pVOh3
Passcode: i7P^HMmh

The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe: The Natural History Museum Collection of Birds’ Nests and Eggs – a talk by Douglas Russell – Tuesday 28^th February – on Zoom

We were delighted to welcome Douglas Russell who is Curator of Nests and Eggs at the Natural History Museum and a world authority on them.

To view a recording of his talk, use the link below and enter the pass code when asked to do so. The recording is available to view for 30 days from the date of the talk.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/YpkC2Uh2w_CTJeZWvCC3r9x9qs5OkxSq-tSn8nHsCY4nodXFZwulwDThLJm5l9w.MFsVYlVbc4ooPr9U
Passcode: Xk36#vHQ

The 3 overall winning photos have been uploaded to the website –
https://mknhs.org.uk/2023-photo-competition/ ‎

Congratulations to Justin Long and Paul Lund for their exceptional photos.

Photo above: 1st prize: The Porcelain Mushroom – Oudemansiella mucida – Justin Long

Derek Crawley is Vice Chairman of The Mammal Society. He gave us an introduction to the work of the society and then discussed the mating strategies of some of our native mammal species. The Mammal Society is keen to receive records of any mammal sightings. Go to their website for further information: Mammal records and submission – The Mammal Society

To view a recording of his talk, use the link below and enter the pass code when asked to do so. The recording is available to view for 30 days from the date of the talk.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/QE-rAhshuFKSq8aRL-akq46J0y3w9f-6Sz3OkGLufaXAHbD6a8O3TE7lUyL1j-IL.f9f2rP0kLs7W29oY

Passcode: pHC75Fr^

Harry Appleyard is known to all as Mr Tattenhoe for his titanic recording efforts on his home patch but he recently spent a year as a trainee with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust at Spurn National Nature Reserve. Harry’s talk tells us about the many different duties he had at Spurn as well as the amazing birdlife and other wildlife of the area.

To view a recording of his talk, use the link below and enter the pass code when asked to do so. The recording is available to view for 30 days from the date of the talk.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/7UY4I3pPcT-6PIdtO81CKM_cSYEUpTmZoVGRQrG7qhQsJ6VanKc7uv_NNOY-wBw1.tXoaoOavwyF8YlV8

Passcode: .@D@?8Fw

Society Member and Country Odonata Recorder Alan Nelson has been studying these insects in Milton Keynes for over 20 years. With climate change and shifting populations, there are more and more species for us to look out for! Alan outlined these species and their distinguishing features. He encouraged members of MKNHS to look out for them this summer and send him the records.

To view a recording of his talk, use the link below and enter the pass code when asked to do so. The recording will be available to view for 30 days from the date of the talk.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/GF8mCsc51UYusdzjF9tpwWeFDjHaXa7tEHJPz11YIBiNsfpZtxZ6-3CHcJocdhJX.52WRAZKK50StNtIG
Passcode: tDB^dtk7

David Wilding, Otmoor Site Manager, talked about the history of Otmoor and how the RSPB has turned arable fields into an incredible wetland oasis, home to breeding bittern, marsh harrier, crane and snipe.  He then took us on a journey through the seasons looking at wildlife and the work which is undertaken to maintain this amazing place.

This talk was attended by a large audience at the Cruck Barn along with nine other members who attended by Zoom. If you would like to view this recording, use the link below. The recording will be available to view for 30 days.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qw0gMs_28tF-3KjVKlpHtkt_ZtuZKDxo/view?usp=sharing

Above photo: Reeds at Tongwell Lake  (Photo©Harry Appleyard)

Today’s weekend walk took place at the rather overlooked Tongwell Lake, a small lake a short distance north of Willen which can boast an impressive range of birds at this time of year including resident and migratory passerines as well as mixed congregations of waterfowl, sometimes hosting some of Buckinghamshire’s scarcer species. This was just one day shy of a year since the last Society weekend walk here, so it was an interesting opportunity to compare the variety.

Mallard, Male Goosander, Tufted Ducks and Black-headed Gulls (Photo©Harry Appleyard)

As with last year’s visit, birds took the spotlight for most of the walk but there were fleeting appearances from Grey Squirrels and one of the first Bumblebees of the year for a few of us! Many of the same species from last year were present across and around the lake with several species of wintering waterfowl including around 30 Tufted Ducks, 12 Pochard, 4 Shovelers and 4 Gadwall. Small groups of Mute Swans, Greylag, Canada Geese, Black-headed Gulls and Coots were also present on the water while a Grey Heron and 3 Cormorants were resting at the island.
Female Shoveller (Photo©Bob Phillips)

One of the target species, Goosander was on show right away. While last year there were 7 and this year there were 2, their numbers here can wax and wane throughout the autumn and winter, sometimes reaching double figures. A lone male was one of the first birds we saw among a lot of the other waterfowl on the lake but later on it was accompanied by a female, diving and showing well towards the end of the walk.

Male Goosander (Photo©Harry Appleyard)

A couple of birds which were not seen on last year’s visit included Lapwing and Raven. A lone Raven and a flock of around 150 Lapwings passed by shortly after me and Martin Kincaid arrived but later on, several small flocks of Lapwings were seen throughout the walk and a pair of Ravens also flew low over the conifers near the M1. While often on the move, the Ravens have become a much more familiar sight in North Bucks in recent years.

Raven (Photo©Harry Appleyard)

There was a good variety of passerines, some showing much more so than others. One of our autumn and winter visitors, the Lesser Redpoll stole the show on several occasions with small flocks of up to 7 birds seen feeding on birches around the area. We were treated to some excellent views of 3 here last year too, so it was good to see them again in a season that has so far not produced many locally. Surprisingly Siskins were absent this time but the views of the Redpolls definitely made up for their absence.

Lesser Redpolls (Photo©Bob Phillips)

Around some of the more densely vegetated areas there was a small flock of Long-tailed Tits, a Song Thrush heard calling and a pair of Goldcrests which showed very well, with one displaying to the other at close range. A Treecreeper was seen by the north side of the lake while a Great Spotted Woodpecker made a brief appearance in the treetops on the island. At least 2 Red Kites, a Sparrowhawk and 2 Common Gulls were also seen passing by.

Red Kite (Photo©Bob Phillips)

Some early signs of spring included a Dunnock singing, flowering Hazel buds and Purple Dead-nettles* by one of the footpaths.

Purple Dead-nettle (Photo©Harry Appleyard);  Hazel – female catkin (Photo©Bob Phillips)

Thanks again to Colin Docketty and Martin Kincaid for planning and leading this walk.

Harry Appleyard
16 January 2023

* NB Purple Dead-nettle is not shown in many wildflower books as it’s a naturalised plant, which flowers early and dies down in the summer.

The Society’s annual Photo Competition takes place in January.

It will return to the past format of a print competition. That is, entrants need to submit prints rather than digital photos online.

There are five categories;
1. Birds
2. Plants & Fungi
3. Insects
4. Other Animals
5. Astronomy, Landscapes, Minerals etc.

A maximum of two prints can be entered into each category. (10 prints in total per entrant)
Maximum print size is A4 (210 x 297mm)

The deadline for submission of prints is 17th January, with the entrants judged by members at the Tuesday evening meeting on 24th January.

Prints may be submitted at the Tuesday meetings on 10th and 17th, or by post to:

MK Natural History Society
c/o City Discovery Centre
Bradwell Abbey
Milton Keynes
MK13 9AP

No prints will be accepted after the deadline of 17th January.

The winner receives a small shield to keep and the large shield to hold for a year.

May the best photograph win – it’s up to you!

Queries to webeditor@mknhs.org.uk

Paul Lund

Richard Bashford has made many trips to Poland over the past 20 years and his talk illustrates the breath-taking Beibrza National Park with its diverse wetland birds as well as the primeval forests of Bialowieza. Here can be found most of Europe’s woodpecker species alongside Nutcracker, Pygmy Owl and the star of the show – European Bison.

Over the last few weeks, as some of you will be aware, we have been experimenting with setting up ‘hybrid’ meetings where members at the Cruck Barn are joined by others on Zoom. So far, our small group of Zoom ‘pioneers’ have been members who live in different parts of the UK or abroad. Once we are confident that the system is working properly and reliably, the intention is to make this opportunity more widely available to those members who cannot travel to the Cruck Barn but want to attend a meeting. As part of the experiment, we recorded Richard Bashford’s talk, although the sound input was not working as it should, and an external microphone had to be used. This was sorted out within 3 minutes, but the speaker is audible from the beginning.

If you would like to view this recording, use the link below and put in the pass code when asked to do so.

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/Jt-mN0xV7KUNlc1VvH4Klb8J3K7aRmnwe1gQjg3rNG5-BUw3SfGJOdQLObmrGV1t.VOGggorGJ_J8pnXF
Passcode: #F&#APH8

PHoto: Clouded Yellow butterfly at Magna Park, July 2022 (© Graham Lynham)

It was certainly a summer to remember with this area of the country suffering with the temperatures achieving 40C, the driest on record, and the driest July since 1911.

So how did it affect the wildlife locally?

It would appear from the records submitted to our website that it did not deter members of our Society from venturing forth around Milton Keyes and enjoying the wildlife.

Mammals – In May a fox suffering with mange was regularly seen in the streets of New Bradwell and a month later accompanied by 3 cubs. A further sighting of this fox was with a dead magpie in its jaws. Otters this summer were recorded in Willen Lake, Linford Lakes Reserve and Caldecotte Lake. An unusual record was one seen in a Bletchley Garden. Surveys continued for dormice in Little Linford Wood and Linford Lakes Reserve both by using boxes and footprint tunnels to identify footprints. Both recorded only woodmice using the tunnels, However, during the October Box survey in Little Linford Wood a single Brown Long-eared Bat was discovered. In July a Chinese water deer and a brown hare were seen in Magna Park.

Reptiles – The Parks Trust have been carrying out two reptile surveys using mats or corrugated iron placed on the ground. The Railway Triangle at Blue Bridge has been checked for several years and always been successful, and has continued to be so this year. In June as many as 9 slow worms were recorded during a single visit. The new site is at `Joan`s Piece` beside the canal at New Bradwell and has been quiet this year with only one toad observed in June.

Plants – The vegetation has probably been affected by the long hot and dry conditions this summer. However, members of our Society have been recording different orchid species. Early purple orchids have been noted during May in Linford Wood, Shenley Wood, and Little Linford Wood, common spotted orchid in Little Linford Wood. In June bee orchids were recorded in Emerson Valley, beside Teardrop Lake, and on the embankment beside the V6 Grafton Street. Just outside the MK area a southern marsh orchid was observed near Great Brickhill in July

Insects – Butterflies were well recorded this year, particularly the painted lady.  Other unusual species included the white admiral, black hairstreak, and dingy skipper in June, and silver-washed fritillary, purple emperor, purple hairstreak and the clouded yellow in July.

Dragonflies and damselflies were well recorded with white-legged dragonflies seen in May, emperor dragonfly in June, and willow emerald damselfly in July.

Moths – October ended with several unusual moths. Top of the list was a Crimson Speckled moth from southern Europe or Africa that appeared in a member`s garden in Wolverton and appears to be a first sighting in Bucks. This is a rare migrant to the UK with most annual records coming from the south coast.

Autumn 2022 has been relatively good for moths {especially migrants} with the unseasonal warm weather in late September and October a major factor. The Hummingbird Hawk Moth is reasoned to have had its best ever year in the UK according to Butterfly Conservation. Martin Kincaid has seen more in his home garden in Oldbrook this year and several were still visiting valerian flowers in mid-October. The spectacular Cliften Nonpareil continues to increase locally. Ayla Webb caught one at home in Newport Pagnell in September and two were recorded at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve. Martin also recorded his first ever Cypress Pug at home on 22^nd August and his second on 15^th September. The beautiful Merveille du Jour is one of the joys of autumn mothing and Andy Harding and Martin both caught this species at locations including Old Stratford, Little Linford Wood and Linford Lakes. However, I have had a box tree moth in my moth trap regularly from July to October, a new moth for my records. It is worrying to learn it was introduced from South-east Asia and the larvae are considered a pest, feeding on various species of box tree.

Birds – During May at the Floodplain Forest reserve two avocet were recorded together with a shelduck. At Willen Lakes the first swift was observed, a cuckoo heard, and a ring-necked parrakeet flew past. At Linford Lakes Reserve common tern and a wood sandpiper were recorded. In June sand martins were observed entering Linford Lakes Reserve`s `sand castle` built by the volunteers; also two Egyptian geese were noted at the same site. During the same month, ruddy shelduck and redstart were recorded at the Floodplain Forest together with a special red-backed shrike. At Willen Lake a Caspian gull was recorded in July, and another ring-necked parrakeet reported in a garden in Stony Stratford. During August at the Floodplain Forest Reserve a marsh harrier and a redstart were recorded and at Willen Lakes a black-tailed godwit was seen. Two peregrines were noted in September at the Floodplain Forest, and garganey and a rock pipit at Willen Lake. Also, a mandarin duck was observed at Furzton Lake during the same month. October attracted mash tit and raven at Little Linford Wood; stonechat at Willen Lakes; brambling, fieldfare, redwing, and hawfinch at at Tattenhoe; and red=crested pochard at Linford Lakes Reserve.

Winter will soon be with us but don`t let that deter you from wrapping up and reporting your sightings through the Society`s website. As usual I ask you to watch and record – but most of all, enjoy!

Tony Wood
November 2022

Andy Harding has just submitted the moth list for the MKNHS George Higgs/Gordon Redford night at College Wood Nash on July 16th 2022. He says: ‘The blame for the  lateness of the report does not lie entirely in the south of the county!! I also commend Martin Albertini’s superb organisation of the data.”

The Excel file includes the all-time list for College Wood, as well as the moths identified on our 16th July 2022 moth night, including the 8 new species added on our latest visit.

At the last Society AGM, it was suggested that the committee consider taking out membership of BCN Wildlife Trust as a way of supporting the work of the Trust, since this is our neighbouring Trust. A number of members live in that area and we visit some of their reserves at times as part of our summer programme. The Society has been a member of the Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust for many years.

MKNHS has now become a member of BCN Wildlife Trust. This means we receive a copy of their reserves handbook and newsletter, plus some materials suitable for children to encourage their interest. These items for will be available at meetings for anyone to look at. We will also receive news of training courses which we aim to post on the website. Membership does not mean every individual member is entitled to free access and parking at the reserves, but is a way of supporting and raising awareness of the work done by these Wildlife Trusts.

You can read more about the work the BCN WIldlife Trust do here: https://www.wildlifebcn.org/

Linda Murphy (Treasurer)

Flowering Rush (Photo © Martin Kincaid)

This walk focused on the North part of Willen Lake, which is managed by The Parks Trust to encourage wildlife.

Starting at the Willen Sports Pavilion car park we began by going through the churchyard. We did not have a sunny evening, with a storm forecasted and very dark clouds looming. This meant that visibility was not great. However we did not experience much rain, which was helpful for us but perhaps not for the low water level and dry soil.

On the lake, there were plenty of Great Crested Grebes visible, including one on a nest, a juvenile and two who were doing a rather late courtship dance. Three Common Tern were flying over the lake along with a Cormorant. Two Little Egrets were spotted and two Heron. A highlight of the walk were the two Tufted Duck families. One had very young chicks who were very difficult to count as they were diving underwater – we think there were around seven, which is a good count. A Migrant Hawker Dragonfly was spotted flying low over the reeds and there was also a low flying Sparrowhawk. As we moved around the lake towards the bird hide, we crossed over the bridge to see Flowering Rush Butomus umbellatus, which has umbrella-like clusters of flowers and twisted grass-like foliage.

From the bird hide, not much was visible due to high reeds and the heavy clouds. We were hoping to catch a glimpse of some waders as there had been plenty seen over the previous few days, but we were unlucky. As we moved around the lake the clouds loomed. Near the car park we were lucky to spot a Bat and shortly after, with the aid of a bat detector, we identified both a Common Pipistrelle and a Noctule.  It was a lovely walk and a great turnout of members.

Martine Harvey
August 2022

Lead photo above © Julian Lambley)

Early MKNHS arrivals and a few by-passers were treated to a large ‘keep-net’ of moths caught the previous evening in my garden.  In addition there were 10 small pots containing some fairly easy to identify micro-moths and some macro-moths of similar size! This prompted the obvious question of what distinguishes macros from micros since size clearly doesn’t.  Short answer … convenience. Few took up the challenge with the identification guides provided!  However the information that one pot contained something that wasn’t a moth ignited greater interest.  The occupant was a Tree-Hopper resembling a small Hippopotamus!

During this daylight activity, Rachel and Martin K were assembling a Mercury Vapour (MV) Light above a large white sheet in the middle of the wood, with the generator also powering up another MV trap.

As it grew darker the group slowly drifted towards the lights.  Bats were showing before any moths appeared, but eventually a Brimstone Moth claimed first appearance prize.

Brimstone (Photo © Andy Harding)

Micro-moths such as Agriphila Straminella were largely ignored, presumably because of its narrow straw-like shape, while the somewhat larger and more ‘moth-shaped’ Udea Prunalis was considered  more acceptable fare, despite also being a micro.  Note the lack of vernacular names.

Agriphila tristella (Photo © Andy Harding)

Udea prunalis (Photo © Andy Harding)

July Highfliers, Drinkers and Black Arches mirrored our recent trip to College Wood, Nash.

Drinker (Photo © Andy Harding)

Several Small Phoenix appeared and nearly all with a solid central dark band with no narrow pale wavy vertical dividing line.  Despite this anomaly a different identity could not be found or even suspected.

Small Phoenix (Photo © Andy Harding)

The star moth though was undoubtedly Poplar Lutestring, an attractive species not previously seen by any save one of the group, so six individual moths were most welcome.

Poplar Lutestring (Photo © Andy Harding)

Some of the group had now drifted back towards their vehicles including Harry, who phoned back to say some lads had started a fire on a neighbouring crossroads.  Martin recruited Hassan and Simon to help him advise the miscreants of their folly.  The situation was righted in a friendly way. However A.N.Other had advised the fire service and three firepersons duly appeared clad in full garb reminiscent of astronauts. This was very appropriate since not long afterwards one of a number of individuals (and couples) walking in the wood at night approached and engaged with us, after initially thinking we were aliens.

The final highlight of an excellent evening was a couple of Bordered Beauties, but by 11.30 pm little else of note had appeared in the previous 30 minutes, so the failure of the generator, à la College Wood, was not a great inconvenience, and allowed slightly more sleep for the organisers than originally anticipated.

Bordered Beauty (Photo © Andy Harding)

Thanks to all for attending and the Parks Trust for allowing motor vehicle access to the centre of the wood.

Andy Harding
August 2022

Postscript

2 days later a Poplar Lutestring appeared in our lit porch somewhat adjacent to the back of our car. The species had not appeared in Old Stratford in the previous 12 years of intensive trapping, so had clearly hitched a lift from Howe Park Wood, to which it was returned the following day.  AVH