Newcastle West Biodiversity Survey 2020 By Geoff Hunt This survey was carried out on behalf of Newcastle West Tidy Towns 1 Table of Contents 1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 Survey Area .................................................................................................................................. 8 1.2 Castle Demesne ............................................................................................................................ 9 1.3 Habitat abbreviations................................................................................................................. 11 1.4 General abbreviations ................................................................................................................ 11 2 Species Results .................................................................................................................................. 12 2.1 Birds ........................................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Butterflies ................................................................................................................................... 15 2.3 Moths ......................................................................................................................................... 16 2.4 Dragonflies and Damselflies ....................................................................................................... 17 2.5 Hoverflies ................................................................................................................................... 18 2.6 Bees ............................................................................................................................................ 20 2.7 Terrestrial invertebrates ............................................................................................................ 21 2.8 Aquatic species........................................................................................................................... 22 2.8.1 Fish ...................................................................................................................................... 22 2.8.2 Amphibians ......................................................................................................................... 23 2.8.3 Mayflies ............................................................................................................................... 24 2.8.4 Other aquatic arthropods ................................................................................................... 24 2.9 Mammals.................................................................................................................................... 25 2.10 Higher plants .............................................................................................................................. 26 2.11 Fungi ........................................................................................................................................... 31 2.12 Galls ............................................................................................................................................ 33 3 Discussion .......................................................................................................................................... 34 3.1 Species results ............................................................................................................................ 34 2 3.2 Birds ........................................................................................................................................... 35 3.2.1 Formerly Recorded Birds .................................................................................................... 35 3.2.2 Sparrowhawk ...................................................................................................................... 36 3.2.3 Little Egret ........................................................................................................................... 37 3.2.4 Grey Heron .......................................................................................................................... 38 3.2.5 Meadow Pipit ...................................................................................................................... 39 3.2.6 Dipper ................................................................................................................................. 40 3.3 Butterflies ................................................................................................................................... 41 3.4 Dragonflies and Damselflies ....................................................................................................... 42 3.5 Hoverflies ................................................................................................................................... 43 3.6 Aquatic species........................................................................................................................... 43 3.7 Mammals.................................................................................................................................... 44 3.8 Higher Plants .............................................................................................................................. 45 3.9 Fungi ........................................................................................................................................... 45 3.10 Galls ............................................................................................................................................ 45 4 Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 46 4.1 Castle Demesne .......................................................................................................................... 46 4.2 Arra River ................................................................................................................................... 47 4.3 Great Southern Greenway ......................................................................................................... 48 4.4 Business Park .............................................................................................................................. 48 4.5 Overall ........................................................................................................................................ 49 5 Reference material ............................................................................................................................ 50 6 Appendix ............................................................................................................................................ 51 6.1 Irish Bird name translations ....................................................................................................... 51 3 Table of Figures Figure 1 - Red Squirrel - Sciurus vulgaris ...................................................................................................... 6 Figure 2 - River Arra at South Quay with the N21 on the left .................................................................... 7 Figure 3 - Sketch map of Newcastle West .................................................................................................. 8 Figure 4 - Sketch map of the Castle Demesne ............................................................................................ 9 Figure 5 - Song Thrush - Turdus philomelos ................................................................................................ 10 Figure 6 - Grey Heron - Ardea cinerea ........................................................................................................ 10 Figure 7 - Fox Cover pond in the Castle Demesne .................................................................................... 12 Figure 8 - Collared Dove - Streptopelia decaocto ......................................................................................... 14 Figure 9 - Orange Tip - Anthocharis cardamines ......................................................................................... 15 Figure 10 - Brimstone Moth - Opisthograptis luteolata ................................................................................ 16 Figure 11 - Banded Demoiselle - Calopteryx splendens .............................................................................. 17 Figure 12 - Rhingia campestris .................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 13 - Bombus pratorum ...................................................................................................................... 20 Figure 14 - Hawthorn Shieldbug - Ancanthosoma haemorrhoidale .............................................................. 22 Figure 15 - 3 Spine Stickleback - Gasterosteus aculeatus ............................................................................ 22 Figure 16 - Frog - Rana temporaria ............................................................................................................. 23 Figure 17 - Great Diving Water Beetle - Dytiscus marginalis .....................................................................