Knowle Wood Species Report 27 August 2020 Grid Ref: Tq872119
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KNOWLE WOOD SPECIES REPORT 27 AUGUST 2020 GRID REF: TQ872119 This report has been written to compare the species recorded in the Fairlight village part of Knowle Wood on 27 August 2020 with the original whole Wood survey of Knowle Wood on the 5 August 2014 both by Simon Young and Keith Palmer. In 2014 we recorded about 500 species of plants and animals as compared with about 300 in 2020. This may reflect on the much smaller survey area now in 2020 with greater public access as compared with the much larger areas of woodland with more Ancient Woodland in 2014. BIRDS Milvus milvus Red Kite Buteo buteo Buzzard Accipiter nisus Sparrow Hawk Columba oenas Stock Dove Strix alco Tawny Owl Picus viridis Green Woodpecker Dendrocopos major Greater Spotted Woodpecker Troglodytes troglodytes Wren Prunella modularis Dunnock Erithacus rubecula Robin Turdus philomelos Song Thrush Turdus viscivorus Mistle Thrush Turdus merula Blackbird Sylvia atricapilla Blackcap Sylvia borin Garden Warbler Phylloscopus collybita Chiffchaff Regulus regulus Goldcrest Periparus ater Coal Tit Parus caeruleus Blue Tit Parus major Great Tit Poecile palustris Marsh Tit Aegithalos caudatus Long-tailed Tit Sitta europaea Nuthatch Cethia familiaris Tree Creeper Pica pica Magpie Garrulus glandarius Jay ( +young) Corvus monedula Jackdaw Corvus corone Carrion Crow Sturnus vulgaris Starling Passer domesticus House Sparrow Fringilla coelebs Chaffinch Carduelis carduelis Goldfinch There were 53 bird species in 2014 and now 32 in 2020. Some birds which were recorded in 2014 such as Willow Warbler, Wood Warbler and Nightingale have declined nationally but need more dense unmanaged scrub. No records of Green finch and Bullfinch either in 2020. However uncommon birds such as Tree Creeper and Marsh Tit nested in 2020 with success along with Nuthatch, Jay, Greater Spotted Woodpecker and Song Thrush. MAMMALS Meles meles Badger Vulpes vulpes Fox Oryctolagus cuniculus Rabbit Sciurus carolinensis Grey Squirrel Apodemus sylvaticus Long-tailed field Mouse Pipistrellus pipistrellus Pipistrelle Bat It was good to see Pipistrelle Bat feeding along the edges of the wood, but sad to find no evidence of Dormouse in this part of the wood. REPTILES Bufo bufo Toad Angus fragilis Slow Worm Found along the edge of the woodland. WOODLICE Ligdium hypnorum Woodlouse Armadillidium cinereum Pill Woodlouse INSECTS Tipulidae sp. Crane-fly Scaeva pyrastri Hoverfly Beetles Elateroidea sp. Click Beetle Lagria hirta Halyzia 16-guttata Orange ladybird Harmonia axyridis Harlequin Ladybird Ophion sp. Ichneuman sp. Phylloptha horticola Cockchafer Dragonflies, Damselflies and Grasshoppers Ischnura elegans Blue-tailed Damselfly Libellula depressa Broad-bodied Chaser Sympetrum striolatum Common Darter Meconema thalassinum Oak Bush-cricket Platycleis albopunctata Grey Bush-cricket Chorthippus parallelus Meadow Grasshopper Forficula auricularia Common Earwig Bees and Wasps Bombus lucorum White-tailed Bumble Bee Bombus lapidarius Red-tailed Bumble Bee Bombus humilis Broad-banded Carder Bee Apis mellifera Honey Bee Vespa crabro Hornet Vespula vulgaris Common Wasp Chrysis ignita Ruby-tail Wasp With less scrub and Bramble fewer insects were found. But as the vegetation increases more insects will return. SPIDERS Opiliones sp. Opilio sp. Harvestmen BUTTERFLIES Ochlodes venata Large Skipper Gonepteryx rhamni Brimstone Pieris brassicae Large White Anthocharis cardamines Orange Tip Pieris napi Green-veined White Pieris rapae Small White Polyommatus icarus Common Blue Celastrina argiolus Holly Blue Lycaena phlaeas Small Copper Polygonum c-album Comma Vanessa atalanta Red Admiral Inachis io Peacock Pararge aegeria Speckled Wood Pyronia tithonus Gatekeeper Maniola jurtina Meadow Brown 22 butterflies were recorded in 2014 and now 15 but there are now fewer open sunlit areas with woodland flowers. MOTHS Stigmella aurella (as leaf mine on Rubus) Stigmella microtheriella (as leaf mine on Corylus) Phyllonorycter coryli (as leaf mine on Corylus) Eurrhypara hortulata Small Magpie Pleuroptya ruralis Mother of Pear Drepana binaria Oak Hook-tip Pyrausta aurata Mint Moth Carcina quercana Cydalima perspectalis Boxworm Moth Orthopygia glaucinalis Blastobasis lacticolella Hemithea aestivaria Common Emerald Habrosyne pyritoides Buff Arches Phalera bucephala Buff-tip Stauropus fagi Lobster Moth Euproctis chrysorrhoea Brown-tail Miltochrista miniata Rosy Footman Ochropacha duplaris Common Lutestring Idaea biselata Small Fan-footed Wave Camptogramma bilineata Yellow Shell Opisthograptis luteolata Brimstone Moth Selenia lunularia Lunar Thorn Ourapteryx sambucaria Swallow-tailed Moth Biston betularia Peppered Moth Peribatodes rhomboidaria Willow Beauty Hyloicus pinastri Pine Hawk Moth Laothoe populi Poplar Hawk Moth Deilephila elpenor Elephant Hawkmoth Furcula furcula Sallow Kitten Notodonta ziczac Pebble Prominent Pheosia tremula Swallow Prominent Euproctis chrysorrhoea Brown-tail Lymantria monacha Black Arches Eilema complana Scarce Footman Spilosoma lutea Buff Ermine Agrotis exclamationis Heart and Dart Axylia putris The Flame Ochropleura plecta Flame Shoulder Noctua janthe Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua fimbriata Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing Noctua interjecta Least Yellow Underwing Xestia xanthographa Square-spot Rustic Melanchra persicariae Dot Moth Subacornicta megacephala Poplar Grey Acronicta psi/tridens Grey/Dark Dagger Craniophora ligustri Coronet Apamea monoglypha Dark Arches Hypena proboscidalis Snout Mesapamea secalis Common Rustic Pseudoips prasinaria britannica Green Silver-lines Colocasia coryli Nut-tree Tussock Nycteola revayana Oak Nycteoline Autographa gamma Silver Y Abrostola tripartita The Spectacle Alucita hexadactyla Twenty-Plume Moth Argyresthia brockeella Athrips mouffetella Chloroclystis v-ata V-pug Chrysoteuchia culmella Ditula angustiorana Eilema lurideola Common Footman Endotricha flammealis Eudonia lacustrata Eudonia mercurella Hoplodrina octogenaria The Uncertain Hypomecis punctinalis Pale Oak Beauty Nocuta janthina Langmaid’s Yellow Underwing Pammene regiana Scythropia crataegella Hawthorn Moth Selenia tetralunaria Purple Thorn Xestia triangulum Double Square-spot Several moths in the list above are indicative of long-established mature woodland e.g. Lymantria monacha (Black Arches), Drepana binaria (Oak Hook-tip) and several of the “prominents”. A list of 70 species, many from a single night’s light trapping, represents a very healthy total especially since the night concerned was interrupted by some heavy downpours. Almost exactly the same number as in 2014! The extraordinary sight of seeing 30 beautiful Deilephila elpenor (Elephant Hawk Moth) together with 25 Phalera bucephala (Buff Tip) in amongst 300 other moths. DIPTERA Aulagromyza cornigera Aulagromyza hendeliana (as leaf mine on Lonicera periclymenum) Chromatomyia aprilina (as leaf mine on Lonicera periclymenum) Chromatomyia lonicerae (as leaf mine on Lonicera periclymenum) Liriomyza amoena (as leaf mine on Sambucus) Phytomyza ilicis (as leaf mine on Ilex) All these species require understory trees and shrubs. GALLS Dasineura fraxinea ( midge on Fraxinus excelsior) Andricus inflator (wasp) Chirosia betuleti (Gall on Broad Buckler Fern) Parornix devoniella Phytopus avellanae (big bud on Corylus) Phyolirionyza melamphga (on Impatiens glanulifera) LEAF MINE Emmetia marginea micro moth Stigmella aurella micro moth Parornix anglicella micro moth MITES: ACARI Eriophyes similis (on Prunus spinosa) FRESHWATER ANIMALS Turbellaria sp. Flat worms Nematoda sp. True Worms Hirudinea sp. Leeches Potamopyrgus (Hydrobia) jenkinsi Snails Asellus aquaticus Water Hoglouse Gammarus Freshwater Shrimp Baetidae sp. Swimming Mayfly Calopteryx sp. Demoiselle Nymph Gerridae sp. Pond Skater Notonecta sp. Water Boatman Tricoptera sp. Cassed Caddis Coleoptera sp. Water Beetle Eristalis sp. Rat Tailed Maggot Simulium sp. Blackfly Chironomidae sp. Non Biting Midge The majority of these freshwater animals indicate the small streams in Knowle Wood are clean and unpolluted. Declines in water quality would be reflected in declines in their abundance and number. WOOD POND Daphnia sp. Chironomus Culex sp. Diptera sp. Eristalis tenax Rat Tailed Maggot Hyphydrus sp. Beetle All these freshwater invertebrates disappeared when the pond eventually dried up in the summer. WILD FLOWERS Ranunculus acris Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus repens Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus bulbous Bulbous Buttercup Ranunculus ficaria Lesser Celandine Anemone nemorosa Wood Anemone Cardamine pratensis Lady's Smock Viola reichenbachiana Early Dog-violet Silene dioica Red Campion Stellaria holostea Greater Stitchwort Oxalis acetosella Wood Sorrel Geranium robertianum Herb Robert Impatiens glandulifera Indian Balsam Sanicula europaea Sanicle Ulex europaeus Gorse Circaea lutetiana Enchanter's Nightshade Lonicera periclymenum Honeysuckle Fragaria vesca Wild Strawberry Rubus fruticosus Bramble Blackberry Geum urbanum Wood Avens Rosa canina canina Dog Rose Hedera helix Ivy Smyrnium olusatrum Alexanders Mercurialis perennis Dog's Mercury Euphorbia amygdaloides Wood Spurge Rumex acetosa Common Sorrel Rumex obtusifolius Broad-leafed Dock Rumex sanguineum Wood Dock Hypericum androsaemum Tutsan Urtica dioica Stinging Nettle Primula vulgaris Primrose Ribes rubrum Red Currant Myosotis sylvatica Wood Forget-me-not Lamium purpureum Red Dead-nettle Lamiastrum galeobdolon Yellow Archangel This last plant is usually an indicator of 'Ancient Woodland' The cut off point for Ancient Woodland is AD 1600. Other species which