Flitwick Moor is an SSSI managed by the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust. It is a former mire in the valley of the River Flit which rises in the Chiltern foothills (and a tributary of the River Ivel which in turn flows into the Great Ouse). It is an uncommon habitat for southern England with areas of peat fed by iron rich acid springs (chalybeate) from the Greensands. This was extracted up to 1960 (the peat was used in the purification of natural gas and the chalybeate was sold in the 19^thcentury as a cure-all tonic!). Alders predominate in the lowest areas of peat extraction: birch and oak (Quercus rober) in the higher. Woodland clearings offer habitats of sphagnum mosses, bracken, sedges, reeds and cotton grass. The slightly higher ground consists of a rough meadow dotted with ant hills.

It rained heavily on the day of the visit and although the rain had stopped by 19.00 it was still damp and murky: not ideal conditions for a wildlife amble. Nevertheless 18 members turned up for the evening which produced a good showing of plants and several invertebrates of interest.

The routetook us first through the wet woodland area of peat extraction. The plant life off the path and in the managed clearings included Rough Chervil, Small Balsam, Foxglove, Honeysuckle, Bracken, Common Polypody (a fern), Broad Buckler-fern, Soft Rush, Remote Sedge, Pendulous Sedge, and Cotton Grass (the latter much less in evidence compared with the Society’s last visit in 2016) all acid tolerant or acid loving. A total of 17 bird species were noted, by far the highlight being an Oyster Catcher which was heard calling as it passed over shortly after the walk started. Most of the other birds were common woodland species including Nuthatch, Treecreeper and Songthrush, given away by their songs and calls from the dense canopy.

Six-spot Burnett ©Paul Lund, Flitwick Moor 25 June 2019

The meadow area is rough grazed with scattered bushes and the mounds of the Yellow Meadow Ant. Here the plant life included Pendulous Sedge, Wavy Bitter-cress, Yellow Iris, and Horsetail at the soggy edges, and Lesser Stitchwort, Tufted Vetch, Meadow Vetchling, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Lady’s Bedstraw, Scented Mayweed, Common Mouse-ear and Yarrow in the drier areas. Invertebrates included Marbled White and Six-spot Burnet.

A short diversion along the side of one of the ditches off the meadow yielded dense Russian Comfrey, Marsh Thistle and Hemlock (one specimen at over 3 metres!). The Scarlet Tiger (photo at top of page) was the invertebrate highlight here.

Thanks to Roy Maycock and Harry Appleyard, who were kind enough to accompany me on exploratory visits and for putting together checklists of plants and birds/invertebrates for participants, and to Paul Lund for the photographs.

Joe Clinch, Leader for the evening

Many thanks to Colin Dockety for leading tonight’s (16 July 2019) field trip to Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve. With my “birders” hat on, my attention was quickly drawn to a pile of feathers on the very first field leading down to the reserve proper.

I find feathers quite tricky to identify – identification is so easy when a whole bird is seen but individual feathers are another matter. The whole group looked at the feathers, but it was Ayla Webb who knew what they were – a barn owl.  We wondered what on earth could have led to the demise of this bird?

Ayla pointed out that the barbs towards the bottom of each feather were much more downy than in other birds’ feathers – this being an adaptation that allows the barn own to fly silently.

I checked this id when I got home using a free website.  This is the website of Michel Kleeman, here http://www.michelklemann.nl/verensite/start/

Sadly, I agree that a barn owl had perished recently on that field. Note that birds are arranged in this database by scientific name and this the barn owl is listed as Tyto alba.

I’ve included this link to the feather id database as I thought that it could be of interest to other members.

Text and photo by Sue Hetherington

As part of the Festival of Nature week, Nick Baker, TV presenter, naturalist and Vice President of the Wildlife Trusts will be giving a talk:

Professional naturalist and TV presenter Nick Baker has travelled to every corner of the globe while following his passion for the natural world. Now, Nick uses his lifetime of experience and lifelong love of science and nature to provide some insight of how to reconnect with the wildness that lives within us all.

Click here for more information and to book your tickets: Return to Nature with Nick Baker | Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust

It is that time of year again! For the fourth year running The Parks Trust and BBOWT (Wildlife Trust) in conjunction with MKNHS are putting on a magical week of wildlife events.

This year the week includes a ‘Return to Nature’ talk by Nick Baker, a Bioblitz event at Howe Park Wood, a Family bat and moth night, a Teens go Wild evening and of course it culminates with the wonderful Nature Day at Howe Park Wood.

To see a full programme of these events and to book go to MKfestivalofnature.org

Help wanted!

As a society we are particularly involved in the Teens go Wild event on Thursday 4^th July 7-9pm at Linford Lakes Education Centre (Linford Lakes Nature Reserve) and the Nature Day at Howe Park Wood on 6^th July. If you are happy to help for an hour or two at either of these events then please contact me Julie Lane at silverteasel@hotmail.com

The photographs above are shown by way of an update on the progress of the Emperor Moth caterpillars that hatched on 4^thMay and were then about 2mm in length (See previous Moth Notes 9^thMay).  They are now close on 20mm long and have undergone at least one skin change since then.

The last set of Moth Notes were written on 9^th May and since then 1,138 moths of some 90 species have passed through my hands, been identified and then released unharmed to do what they have to do, which is to find another of the same species, mate and then to get the eggs laid.  These moths were attracted to moth traps set at Goosey Bank, near Olney on 2 nights, at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve on 13 nights and in my garden in Newport Pagnell on 18 nights.

It has not been easy to select from the 90 species which to include in these notes.  I think they are all beautiful and special.  Moths look at their best just after emergence from the pupa and this White Ermine is one such.  It is a common moth whose caterpillars feed on a range of plants including common Nettle and Docks. The English name “ermine” comes from the winter fur of the stoat which is white with a black tip to the tail.

My second selection is also a freshly emerged specimen and this is a Clouded Border.  The caterpillars feed on Aspen, Willows, Poplars and Sallows.   The moths are on the wing May and June and often again in August as they are able to produce 2 generations of in a year.

Number 3 goes to the unmistakeable Buff-tip.  When at rest, as in the photograph, the moth resembles a broken birch twig.  This moth is on the wing late May to July and the caterpillars feed on Sallows, Birches, Oaks and many other trees. 

My fourth moth for these notes was a new one for my garden list and was recorded on 17^th May. The Chamomile Shark is one of 9 moths that form the Cucullinae or Shark family.  The moth rests with wings closed tightly against the body, with collar raised into a pointed projection like a shark’s dorsal fin.  Caterpillars feed on Chamomile, Scentless Mayweed and Feverfew. All previous records for this moth in North Bucks were recorded by George Higgs in his garden at Willen in 2006.

To round off the May selection there is a splendid micro-moth.  It does not have common English name so is known by the Latin name of Ancylis badiana.   There are about 1700 micro-moths in Great Britain and Ireland and far outnumber the macro-moths of which there are about 900. The caterpillar of Ancylis badianafeeds on peas, vetches and clovers and this specimen was recorded at Linford Lakes on 23 May.

Text and photos kindly supplied by Gordon Redford. Click here to read the previous edition of Moth Notes

A couple of changes have been implemented on the website:

Contact us

There is now a Contact Us link in the sidebar. Clicking on this link will generate a blank email addressed to the Society.

Other Events

Local wildlife events being run in the Milton Keynes area were shown as Other News items.

To make them easier to find, they are now shown as Other Events in the sidebar. The most recent upcoming events will appear in the sidebar. There is a new page called Other Events in the News menu showing all upcoming events.

The deadline for the next edition of The Magpie is Tuesday 14 May 2019.

Please send your contributions to  Julie Lane at:

•  silverteasel@hotmail.com, or
• 27 Johnsons Field, Olney, MK46 5JF, or
• hand them to me at meetings although I won’t be at the 7 May 2019 meeting.

Come to Linford Lakes Nature Reserve to explore this usually permit only Parkland.

A hidden gem, Linford Lakes is buzzing with wildlife. With lots of hands on activities for all ages, this is a free opportunity to explore and learn about the Reserve from Parks Trust staff and the Friends of Linford Lakes Nature Reserve.

Please note that, due to the sensitivity of wildlife on the Reserve, dogs are not permitted on site.

Click here for more information.

Take a free test-flight with a year’s membership of Butterfly Conservation this spring. Find out more about butterflies and moths and what you can do to protect them from habitat loss and climate change.

Click here for more information.: Spring FREE Membership Offer

As the Society has a dormouse monitoring project, members may be interested in this talk organised by  Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife trust

Click here for more information.: Discovering Dormice Talk | Wildlife Trust for Beds, Cambs & Northants

The following email will be of interest to members of the society:

Many members will have heard that HS2 is about to start clearing a huge area of approx 200 hectares on which the maintenance depot will be built if HS2 actually goes ahead. This is approx 500 acres, 2 square kilometres or 200 Twickenham Stadiums.The Calvert Jubilee Reserve will also be affected by clearance of an approx 75 metre strip along the eastern side for an access road, precisely the area with the best nesting habitat, and in which turtle dove and nightingale have been recorded in recent years. The plan by Fusion acting for Keir and HS2 is total clearance of all vegetation including mature trees, bushes and an estimated 19 kilometres of hedgerow. This is a prime area for all the hairstreaks too. What happens here is likely to set the pattern for the massive clearance that will be associated soon with the new Expressway in the Growth Arc across Oxfordshire, Bucks and Bedfordshire, with its plan for one million new houses.

Please make your feelings known to the local MP john.bercow.mp@parliament.uk and the minister for HS2 nusrat.ghani.mp@parliament.uk and come to Calvert on 27 February.

Please ask:

Calvert to Steeple Claydon: What is the plan? What area is being cleared? What are you doing to preserve natural features like trees and streams? Why are you planning to do this as the bird nesting season is starting? Where are you going to provide replacement areas in mitigation?

Calvert Jubilee Reserve: is it just an access road up the east side of the existing railway? How wide? How long? Is it necessary when the main works are the other side of the railway? What happens after it is no longer needed? Why precisely as the nesting season starts – is this legal on a nature reserve?

What are you doing to minimise damage to orchid rich turf, mature trees and scrub that are essential for butterflies and birds including nightingale and turtle dove?

Has statutory public notice been given – where and when?

Needless to say, BBOWT is taking steps but needs your support. The Trust is fortified by a favourable judgement yesterday in its fight to have the Expressway route revisited as the developers (the government) disregarded the law in making their decision.

Richard Birch, BBOWT Chilterns Group. Tel 01296 624511

Get ready for 26-28 Jan. Sign-up today to request a FREE postal pack, or take part online and get access to Big Garden Extra. Here you can access exclusive articles, downloads and celebrity interviews.

Click here for more information.: Big Garden Birdwatch 2019 | Join the fun – The RSPB

Following the success of last year’s competition with a large turnout and many high quality prints submitted I hope we can do as well this year. To remind you of the rules:-

All entries must be handed to Martin or Lewis by the end of the January 15^thmeeting.

Prints only can be entered.
Maximum size of prints A4 (210x297mm).

Each member may enter a maximum of 2 prints per category. (That’s 8 prints in total). Prints must be unmounted.

The four categories are:-

1) Birds
2) All other animals, including mammals, fish, insects, etc.
3) Plants and fungi.
4) Habitats, geological, astronomical.

Domestic animals and cultivated plants are not eligible.

People must not be a major subject of any photograph. May the best photograph win! It could be yours!

If you have any natural history books you no longer need that can be sold to raise funds for the MK Natural History Society, please bring them to Tuesday’s meeting (30^th) as soon as you can after 7.30pm. We aim to sell them that evening.

For the birds event ©Julie Lane, Linford Manor Park 22 July 2018

For the birds event ©Julie Lane, Linford Manor Park 22 July 2018

Julie Lane has recommended “For the Birds”, part of the Milton Keynes International Festival:

I thought I should draw peoples attention to a wonderful lighting and sound installation called ‘For the Birds’ taking place this week at Linford Manor Park as part of the MK International Festival. It is a truly magical experience and great fun and for anyone who is interested in birds it would be a pity to miss out on it. Quite what the local wildlife makes of it is a different matter but it is well worth a visit. Tickets are £15 available from the Box office 01908 280800 and it is on in the evenings Wed 25th – Sat 28th July.

Julie has also provide some videos:
Video 1 (24 seconds)
Video 2 (18 seconds)
You can find more information on The Parks Trust website.

Organised in partnership with The Parks Trust and Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust and MK Natural History Society the Festival of Nature is a celebration of the fascinating and varied nature that can be found across the city.

There is a wide-ranging programme of activities available for people of all ages, located in areas across MK.

Full details about each activity can be found in the MK Festival of Nature booklet and please go to The Parks Trust website for booking events (please note that the Teens Go Wild event is taking place at Linford Lakes Nature Reserve not MK Museum as advertised in the booklet).

If anyone is happy to help us run the Teens go Wild event on 14th July or help with our activities at the Nature Day on 14th July please contact Julie Lane at silverteasel@hotmail.com Your help would be very much appreciated.

Julie Lane asked for assistance in identifying the objects in these photos.

Found on a Devon coastal road (one during the evening and one in the daylight) near East Prawle on 5th June.  It rolls into a ball like a pillbug when alarmed.

I’m delighted to say that Ayla Webb has identified the mystery object as the larvae of a Bloody-nosed beetle Timarcha tenebricosa

Please note the additional details Peter Meadows has provided about this walk.

See the programme page for more details.

The latest issue of our society newsletter ‘The Magpie’ can be viewed in the Publications section of the website or by clicking here.

The summer programme of walks has been added to the programme page.

It looks like a great series of interesting and varied outings.

There are about 70 parking spaces outside The Chrysalis Theatre so most people should be able to park here. Otherwise, please park at the Peace Pagoda car park, opposite Camp Hill off the V10. Note that parking charges will not apply on the evening. It is a short walk from this car park over a bridge to the venue, and parking marshalls will direct you. Can we also ask members to car share on the evening to reduce the number of cars on site

Bardsey Island, Llyn Peninsular, Gwynedd, North Wales..

2018 marks the 50^th anniversary of the founding of Milton Keynes Natural History Society.

To celebrate this special occasion, the Society is delighted to present a talk by

Patrick Barkham on the subject of Islanders: an exploration of some of Britain’s smaller islands

Click here to book your tickets.

Patrick Barkham is a well-known natural history author and writer for The Guardian. His books include “The Butterfly Isles” and “Badgerlands”. Recently he has published “Islander: a journey around our archipelago”, an exploration of eleven of the smaller islands of Britain which will be the focus for his talk.

Do join us for this special evening!

Meet at 2 p.m at the Manor Farm Car Park, MK12 5NN. Leaders – Martin Kincaid and Joe Clinch

3 March 2018 update – the walk is NOT CANCELLED but please take extra care if travelling by road.

Martin Kincaid had advised that “the road up to Manor Farm is pretty clear now. We should be able to park up a the car park just off Old Wolverton Road if not the one at the farm buildings. I will wear a Hi-Vis jacket so that people can see me as they turn in off Wolverton Road. Forecast for tomorrow is much warmer, with temperatures up to 8C.”

Please remember to submit your local sightings to sightings@mknhs.org.uk and to look at the Recent Sightings in the News section. There are some fabulous pictures of otters in a member’s garden.

Many thanks to our Co-chair Julie Lane for these seasonal sightings:

On the day before Christmas Eve whilst cycling around Emberton Park I met

One raven cawing
Five goosanders fishing
A kingfisher piping and green woodpecker laughing
Three snowy egrets roosting
And a great spotted woodpecker in a poplar tree

Happy Christmas to you all.

Magpie Magazine December 2017

The latest issue of our society newsletter ‘The Magpie’ can be viewed in the Publications section of the website or by clicking here.

Due to adverse weather conditions and the treacherous state of the Cruck Barn car park on 12 December 2017, the MKNHS Christmas Party has been rescheduled to Tuesday 19th December 2017.

Start time 7.30pm, for an 8pm start

Following the success of last year’s competition with a large turnout and many high quality prints submitted I hope we can do as well this year. To remind you of the rules:-

Prints only can be entered.

Maximum size of prints A4 (210x297mm)

Each member may enter a maximum of 2 prints per category. (That’s 8 prints in total). Prints must be unmounted.

The four categories are:-

1. Birds
2. All other animals, including mammals, fish, insects etc.
3. Plants and fungi.
4. Habitats, geological, astronomical.

Domestic animals and cultivated plants are not eligible.

People must not be a major subject of any photograph.

May the best photograph win! It could be yours!

Paul Lund

Sunday 26^th November 2017 saw the first of our Society winter walks. 15 hardy souls braved the icy winds at North Willen Lake and were well rewarded.

We met at the Willen Pavilion car park on the west shore of the lake and began by looking at the veteran ash tree near the lake edge. Martin Kincaid explained how The Parks Trust has managed the decline of this tree and the recent discovery of bats roosting in it.

We then walked clockwise around the lake, stopping at times to look at the many species of duck among the huge group of coots (cootarium!) on the water. A single female Scaup, among a group of Tufted Ducks, was probably the pick, with good numbers of Teal, Mallard, Wigeon and Gadwall also spotted. We also found some nice specimens of the fungus Clitocybe geotropa on the grassy banks. When we reached the Flood Control structure, Mark Strutton shared his experiences of seeing otters here on several occasions in 2016. The animals are still active here and we were able to pick out a track from the lake edge, across the redway and down to the River Ouzel where we also found several piles of otter spraint and a slide down into the river!

At the bridge between the north and south lakes, we added 4 Little Grebes to the list and a Kingfisher was spotted shooting low across the water. We also admired a very tame Little Egret roosting in willow at this point. Ann Strutton managed to spot a group of 6 Goldeneye bobbing about on the South Lake at this point, and we did our best to see them between their frequent dives.

On the approach to the bird hide we spotted a Chiffchaff (there seem to be more than ever around this autumn) and hazel catkins. Form the hide itself we added Pochard and Shoveler to the wildfowl list bringing our duck total to nine species. However, waders were thin on the ground with just a single Lapwing observed. A single Greylag was the only goose we saw – obviously there were easier pickings on the South Lake.

The main target for today’s walk was the starling murmuration and we quickly marched around towards the Peace Pagoda to take position and wait. The first group of about 50 starlings appeared right on queue at 3.50pm and within five minutes they were swarming over the lake. Although there were probably no more than 2,000 birds (a pretty modest number) they put on a fine display as the sun set and for those who had not witnessed a starling murmuration before it was a memorable experience. A singing Cetti’s Warbler was a bonus at this point. The starlings finally settled in the reed beds at around 4.15pm at which point we said our goodbyes and retired for the evening, happy but in need of thawing out!

Starling Murmuration by Ann Strutton, Willen Lake 26 November 2017

This project was part of the ‘Clean Water for wildlife survey’ run by the Freshwater Habitats trust’s “people Ponds and Water Project”.

Phil and I had 5 testing kits and we set off to find 5 different water bodies, to test for Nitrates (ppm) and Phosphates (ppm). Our test sites were:

1. Pond in Little Linford Wood (SP 8285 4550) 21/09/17
2. River Great Ouse, Stony Stratford (SP7875 3965) 22/09/17
3. Calverton Brook (SP 78095 3861) 22/09/17
4. Pond, High Street, Stony Stratford (SP 7840 4080) 24/09/17
5. Floodplain Forest Nature Reserve (SP8112 4220) 24/09/17

The test results showed that the water quality around MK is generally pretty good, with low levels of both Nitrates and Phosphates. Phil researched the net to try and establish an ‘acceptable’ level for nitrates for ‘environmental Water’ and the International Consensus is less than 5ppm.

So how did our 5 sites compare?

* indicates the higher level of Nitrates. This brook runs through farmland, which might account for it.

These figures need to be taken with a pinch of salt as the colour of the water in the test kit was assessed against the colour on the recording chart.

I wonder if there were there any other results to compare locally? Please send your results to info@mknhs.org.uk

Mary Sarre, November 22^nd, 2017

Worldwide range of the common starling with natural populations in blue and introduced populations in red

I read a warning on an Australian website asking for all sightings of starlings to be reported, not because they were concerned about the welfare of the birds, but because”

The common starling (Sturnus vulgaris) is one of the most invasive bird pests worldwide, having established populations in many countries outside its natural range.

You can read more of the Australian Government’s warning here.

In England, Starlings are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, which makes it illegal to intentionally kill, injure or take a starling, or to take, damage or destroy an active nest or its contents.

The Starling is on the Red List of Birds of Conservation Concern.

I will let you draw your own conclusions.