Photo above: 6-spot Burnet moth on Scabious (Photo © Julian Lambley)
Introduction
Stonepit Field is a regular venue for the Society with visits taking place in 2019, 2022, and 2023 plus a Plant Group visit in 2024. All these were in late May or early June when the meadow flowers are at their best, so this 1st July visit was planned in order to observe the mid-summer wildlife, particularly the flowering plants. Alas, the unusually hot and dry weather conditions this Spring meant that some of the flowering plant species we hoped to see had already flowered. The evening itself was at the end of a hot day with a maximum temperature of 28C.
The visit started with the good news from Mike LeRoy (in the absence of Carla Boswell) that Stonepit Field has just been designated as a Local Wildlife Site (LSW). As Mike put it: ‘Recognition of Stonepit Field as a Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes Local Wildlife Site is significant and founded on good evidence. It is rather special because this is a planned habitat rather than a natural feature of the countryside.’ Turning these former barley fields into parkland was planned by MK Development Corporation through its privatised landscape architects Landscape Town & Country, who recognised the scope to plant suitable plant species on limestone as well as new trees and shrubs. Since its formation in 1992 The Parks Trust has managed and enhanced the site, and enabled the developer of nearby Oakridge Park housing to create two SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems) ponds to manage surface water from their development. Stonepit Field was then enhanced by the ‘scrape’ which created valuable new habitat. Surveying the site as a potential LWS has been led by staff from BMERC (Bucks & MK Environmental Records Centre) for the Bucks & MK LWS Panel.
The visit was well-attended and members were provided with a Briefing Note that summarised the history of the development of the site and a list of species that might be seen or heard based on records of previous Society visits. Participants were asked to join one of two groups: one led by Jenny Mercer with its main focus on meadow plant species plus those of the two ponds, and the other led by Joe Clinch with a focus on trees and shrubs; both groups visited the limestone scrape and its environs. In parallel with this, some members kept a record of invertebrates and birds. A listing of all the species seen or heard is attached to this Report and what follows is a summary of some of the more important new species which can now be added to the cumulative list of species at this location. Overall, more than 120 species were seen (or heard) during the evening, some 24 of which had not been previously listed. The full species list can be found here.
Herbaceous Plants Meadow and Scrape areas
Included in the handout was a list of eight perennial flowering plant species which formed part of the original seeding of the site in 1993/94; all were seen. Harebell, Common Centaury, and Musk Mallow were new to those listed in the late May/early June period, plus Deptford Pink listed on a recce two days before the visit.
(left) Harebells and (right) Musk Mallow flowers and leaves. Photos (c) Bob Phillips
Common Centaury with Birdsfoot-trefoil. Photo © Bob Phillips
A feature of the plants on the scrape is their stunted growth on the free-draining limestone which was enhanced this year by the prolonged hot dry weather. Common Centaury is a good example with its height typically being 10 to 40cm but this year mostly less than 10cm. Field Scabious and Bladder Campion are also similarly stunted. Bee Orchids were no more than shrivelled stems and even the Pyramidal Orchids were past their best.
Herbaceous Plants and Grasses rough ground, tree and shrub margins, and pond areas
Wild Basil was new to the list as were a number of species at or in the ponds. The latter included Lesser Reedmace, Common Spike Rush, Water plantain, and Reed Sweet Grass. One new meadow grass was also added to the list: Yellow Oat-grass. Also of interest was the Wild Liquorice which is spreading in a gap in one of the shrub hedges between the meadows. No evidence was found for the Nettle-leaved Bellflower. It is a late-flowering summer plant, but given the early summer weather it seems doubtful if it is still present in this location.
Hairy leaves of Mouse-ear Hawkweed. Photo © Bob Phillips
Trees and Shrubs
Four species of tree were identified not previously listed: Crab Apple; Grey Poplar; Swedish Whitebeam; and (Purging) Buckthorn (now called just Buckthorn). Alder Buckthorn has been listed regularly in the past and this identification was confirmed but surprisingly the calcareous soil loving Buckthorn has not previously been listed. There was also some clarification of the Dogwood species, with the inclusion of two new species of a common hedge-row plant: Red Barked Dogwood and Red Osier Dogwood.
Swedish Whitebeam leaves and berries. Photo © Bob Phillips
Insects
The warm dry evening produced a number of insect species not previously listed in the past. These are listed by Order.
Lepidoptera
Four species of Butterfly and four of Moth were listed. There have been no records of Butterflies before for an evening visit so Comma, Marbled White, Ringlet and Small Skipper are added to the cumulative list. The four moths listed had been previously identified.
Orthoptera
Slender Groundhopper and Common Green Grasshopper were additions to the list.
Red Soldier Beetle. Photos (c) Bob Phillips
Birds
Society visits to Stonepit Field have resulted in a surprising number of bird species being seen (including those flying over) or heard. This year was no exception with 20 such species. The only addition to the list was Feral Pigeon. The total number of species now stands at 37. Perhaps a surprise was that Mallard and Moorhen had managed to survive in the near dried-up ponds in the presence of so many predators both on land and from the air.
Thanks
My thanks to Mike LeRoy for sharing his knowledge of the location with me and the background to the LWS designation; to Jenny Mercer for acting as co-leader (and assisting with plant identification); and to those agreeing to help with species identification and/or field listing: Martine Harvey and visitor Hasan Al Farhan (birds), Simon Bunker and Paul Lund (insects), Julian Lambley (butterflies, moths and photographs), Charles Kessler (grasses, and rushes), Richard Schmidt (trees and shrubs), Janice Robertson and Martin Ferns (plants), Linda Murphy (moths) and Bob Phillips (photographs)
Joe Clinch
20th July 2025
Note. Some photographs are planned relevant to the text to follow.