British Entomological and Natural History Society

Saturday 8th May. Holt Heath, DORSET. MV. Ray Cook (see BENHS membership list) & Andy Page

The aim of this meeting is to survey for adults of the Dingy Mocha moth, Cyclophora pendularia (RDB species and UK BAP priority). Please contact Leader for details.

Saturday 22nd - Sunday 23rd May 2010. Dipterists Forum one day visit to WINDSOR FOREST AND GREAT PARK. Organiser: Roger Morris (rogermorris)

The details of this have yet to be finalised. Contact Roger or see the Dipterists Forum website for information/ updates.

National Moth Night, Saturday 15th May. Borough Fen Duck Decoy, near Peterborough, modern CAMBRIDGESHIRE, but vice-county Northamptonshire. MV. Leader's email address : fieldmtgsec

The site is a small remnant of the once extensive Borough Fen. The decoy has been in operation for many centuries. Habitats include lake margins, reedbeds, carr and mature woodland. Contact Leader at least 48 hrs in advance to register interest and for full details.

Meet at 20:00 at the entrance gate to the decoy, grid reference TF199081.

From the B1443 Glinton-Newborough road simply take the north arm of the crossroads at the Decoy Pub, heading for Moores Farm, carry on beyond the farm and round the 90° bend, right down the track to the far end. The final stretch is along a grass track to the right of the farm house. Leader's white estate car will be parked at the meeting point.

National Moth Night, Saturday 15th May. Saltram House, near Plymouth, DEVON. MV. Leader's telephone: 01626 779543

Saltram House, near Plymouth, SX521557. The grounds of this house are unexplored for moths. Anticipated habitats are ornamental gardens with woodland. Directions: From Plymouth, take the Plympton road (B3416) from the Marsh Mills roundabout, continue straight on for 0.7 miles, past the pedestrian traffic lights and the next two sets of road traffic lights to turn right at the third set of road traffic lights, signposted Plymstock/Cot Hill/Valley Road Ind. Estates/Saltram House (note - the road is three lanes at this point and you need to be in the outside lane) passing though an industrial estate and straight over a mini roundabout, turn right at 'T' junction into Merafield Road. After this take the third turning right (the first one is into a housing estate) which should be signposted Saltram House, continue for 0.4 miles to Saltram House car park. From the Exeter direction, exit the A38 from the three lane Plympton bypass, signposted Plympton (named 'Deep Lane'),. At the exit 'T' junction turn left, signposted Brixton/Yealmpton. Continue for 1 mile where the major road immediately swings right (note – this is also a cross roads) and then runs parallel to the A38; you should now be on a road with the A38 on your right. Turn right at the next 'T' junction and make sure you go under the A38, take the next left signposted The Gables, and straight over cross roads; the A38 should now be on your left, but will be out of sight, and you should be in Ridge Road. Continue for around 1 mile and with Hardwick Wood on your right, you should now be in Merafield Road. The road bends to the right and just after the apex of the bend, take the first left signposted Saltram House, continue for 0.4 miles to Saltram House car park. Meet at the House car park at around 20.30. This is a joint meeting with Devon Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation (Devon Branch), Devonshire Association (Entomology Section), Peninsula Invertebrate Forum, British Entomological & Natural History Society and Devon Moth Group.

Saturday 29th May. The Warren and Slab [Common], Oakhanger, nr Bordon, HAMPSHIRE. MV. Leader's telephone: 01420 478845.

Parking and meeting at 8.00pm on either side of the second barrier on the east side of the minor road marked as going to SGT F4, south of the Oakhanger road at SU773353, between Oakhanger and Bordon. Access through this barrier onto the hard sand track of The Warren for adjacent positioning of MV traps and generators will be possible. Only if it is very dry will those with four-wheel drive vehicles be allowed, at their own risk, to cross the river to the Slab Common area at this point, for placing MV traps and generators there.
Permission has been obtained from the MOD for the use of generators and moth light traps, until 6am on Sunday 30th May, if required. MOD heathland including a vehicle recovery site. Dry heathland, scrub, coniferous and deciduous woodland, and wet heathland and carr.
Small Chocolate-tip, Clostera pigra occurs here. Joint meeting with members of the Alton Natural History Society and Butterfly Conservation. No dogs please. Essential to contact Leader in advance.

Saturday 5th June. RSPB Rainham Marshes, ESSEX (TQ547790). Leader's telephone: 01708 449059

Meet at 10.30 in the visitor centre. The reserve is off New Tank Hill Road and signposted from the A1306 (SatNav ref RM19 1SX). Alternatively it can be reached on foot from Purfleet Station (15 -20 minutes, or 10 -15 minutes if the new bridge, due by Easter, is installed). On Saturdays, trains run from Fenchurch Street at approximately 30 minute intervals. Excellent meals and snacks are available in the visitor centre but packed lunches are advised as we shall be locked away from the public area.

The reserve is developed from Thames grazing marshes and the former MOD shooting range. It includes grass and woodland, ponds, ditches and sandbanks. We will be allowed access to the silt lagoons, which have grown as a dump for Thames dredges. This has caused them to develop into an unusual habitat, most closely mimicked in the Somme estuary. They are reported as particularly good for hymenoptera but we expect them to be equally interesting for other orders. The wardens have asked us for information and advice on management of the former military’s sand banks, which they are trying to maintain for the benefit of solitary bees and wasps.

Saturday 12th June. Gallows Bridge Farm and Leaches Farm, River Ray, near Aylesbury, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. DAY & MV. Leader's telephone: 01296 748932

Meet at 10.30am at Gallows Bridge Farm (Grid Ref: SP669201), which is just north of the A41 off the road signposted Grendon Underwood, Edgcott and Calvert. Meet at 21.00pm for the evening session at the same location.

The plan for this meeting is to visit the two new BBOWT reserves near Aylesbury at Gallows Bridge Farm and Leaches Farm, both off the Bicester Road and associated with the river Ray. These are excellent flood meadows and probably held many species of fritillary butterflies in the past, including the Marsh Fritillary. It may be a few days early for Black Hairstreak but overall the sites should be very rewarding. This should be an exciting opportunity to investigate their so far little worked invertebrate fauna.There may be slight restrictions in certain areas due to breeding curlews and cattle grazing. A joint meeting with BBOWT. 

Saturday 12th - Saturday 19th June. Dipterists Forum Summer Field Meeting, STACKPOLE, PEMBROKESHIRE. Organiser: Roger Morris (rogermorris)

Visiting probably 3-4 sites per day to collect flies, venues decided on the day depending on weather. Collectors of other Orders than Diptera are welcome to join us! There is no caterer on site, but an external caterer has been arranged for evening meals. There is a limit of 26 places. A £40 deposit secures a place but full payment of about £280 will be needed by the National Trust – details awaited. Attendance for part of the week only is also possible – contact Roger. Please let Roger know as soon as possible if you would like to come along. See the Dipterists Forum website for information/ updates. Contact Roger Morris to book.

Saturday 19th June. Warleigh Point, near Plymouth, DEVON. MV. Leader's telephone: 01626 779543

Warleigh Point DWT site, near Plymouth, SX450608. The site is deciduous woodland. From the Plymouth A38 Manadon roundabout follow signs for Tavistock on the A386. Continue for 0.7 miles in the left hand lane, through one set of road traffic lights to exit the A386 Tavistock road just after passing under the B3413, the Crownhill flyover, signposted Police Station/Dept of Social Security/Land Registry/Crownhill Fort. At exit roundabout take second exit onto the B3373 (Budds Head Road), signposted Tamerton Foliot/Whitleigh. Continue for 0.3 miles to roundabout and take second exit (Tamerton Foliot Road) signposted Tamerton Foliot. Continue for 1.5 miles, past Tamerton Foliot church to a sharp right hand bend where on exiting turn immediately left, signposted Nature Reserve. Continue for 1.3 miles along the no through road that runs parallel with Tamerton creek to park where you can at the end near the former railway station which is now a private dwelling. Access to the reserve is to the right of the private dwelling over a railway bridge. Meet at about 21.00. This is a joint meeting with Devon Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation (Devon Branch), Devonshire Association (Entomology Section), Peninsula Invertebrate Forum, British Entomological & Natural History Society and Devon Moth Group.

Saturday 19th June. Knettishall Heath, SUFFOLK. MV. Tony Prichard (01473 270047, email : tonysuffolkmoths)

Meet at 20:00 hours at TL 951 806 in the 'middle' car park of Knettishall Heath Country Park. This Breckland country park covering 400 acres contains large areas of heather heath, acid and calcareous grassland and some secondary woodland and riverine habitats near to the Little Ouse River. Joint meeting with the Suffolk Moth Group.

Knettishall Heath 2010 © A Prichard

Sunday 20th June. St Cyrus NNR, ANGUS. MV. Leader's telephone: 01224 272863 or 273031

This coastal nature reserve has one of the richest list of Lepidoptera, other insects and plants in eastern Scotland. There are dune species such as the Sand Dart and the Lyme Grass, dune slack species, including Bordered Sallow and Bordered Grey, and a wide range of rare micro-lepidoptera, including several plumes; all are favoured by the base-rich sand, the incredibly rich flora and the clement micro-climate, helped by the sheltering cliffs. The visit will include day-searching, dusking and the use of light traps. It would be especially nice to confirm the presence of Hypochalcia ahenella, which has not been seen at St Cyrus since the 1980s.

Meet at the Visitor Centre (NO741634), adjacent to the car park, at 11.30 am, or at the same place at 8pm for evening and night work

In National Insect Week (21st – 27th June):
Wednesday 23rd June. Hatfield Moors, YORKSHIRE. MV. Leader's email: harryb

Meet at Green Tree Inn, Hatfield Woodhouse at 2.00 p.m. The grid ref. is SE678087 and the postcode is DN7 6NL for anyone using a satnav. Afternoon session using pheromone lures for Welsh Clearwing and general daytime recording. Then a break for a meal at the Green Tree Inn (or bring your own food) before an evening session of mv light trapping.

Sunday 4th July. Crab Island, Faversham Creek, KENT. Leader's email: jbadmin. Leader's telephone: 01227 752291

Meet at 10.30am in the Brents public car park (TQ015617) on west side of the creek. A joint meeting with the Kent Field Club. The aim will be to record the invertebrates and plants of the upper creek in the morning, and to explore a stretch of the eastern side of the creek with large stands of hog’s fennel Peudecanum officinale in the afternoon.

Faversham Creek © J Badmin

Thursday 22nd - Saturday 25th July.  Dipterists Forum Short Summer Field Meeting, SOMERSET LEVELS AND MENDIPS, based at Wells Cathedral School. Organiser: Roger Morris (rogermorris)

Limited to 15 people. Contact the organiser to book. See Dipterists Forum website for information/ updates.

Saturday 24th July. Bystock, EAST DEVON. MV. Leader's telephone: 01626 779543

We will be meeting at the entrance to the reserve, through a gate on the right hand side of the road if you are coming from the Exmouth direction, at around 21.45hrs, and we will go on from there. The site is grass land with heath, shrub and conifer plantation. The map ref for the meeting spot is SY030848 which is O/S maps, Explorer 115 or Landranger 192. From the B3179 going through Woodbury, after coming out of the town, take the right turn at the crossroads (Four Firs) on Woodbury Common, map ref SY031864. After passing three turnings to your right, immediately after the third, turn left and the entrance to Bystock is just after a turn to your right. . This is a joint meeting with Devon Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation (Devon Branch), Devonshire Association (Entomology Section), Peninsula Invertebrate Forum, British Entomological & Natural History Society and Devon Moth Group.

Saturday 24th July. Sandpool WWT reserve, by Cotswold Water Park, Oaksey, WILTSHIRE. MV. (Leader Michael New (michaeln))

Meeting times 11am, 2.30pm and 8pm. Contact Michael New for details of meeting point. BBQ at 8pm so please if you are coming and would like some, let Michael know by e-mail 48 hrs in advance, and bring some food to add to the grill! Michael New will be leading the day-time sessions for general recording of invertebrates and other wildlife, and explaining the orchard project and other features of the site. The evening session will involve recording moths by light-trapping and other means. It will be possible to sleep in cars or pitch small tents so that traps can be operated all night for recording the greatest range of species.

See BJENH April 2010 for the field meeting report from the 2009 event at this site.

View of Sandpool site from 2009 meeting © P Waring

Monday 26th July. Roydon Woods HWT NR, New Forest, HAMPSHIRE. MV. Leader's email address : fieldmtgsec

Meet at 20.00hrs at SU 305 006 at the car park by the site managers house. To find this from the Brockenhurst-Lymington road, take the small track behind the Filly Inn, which wiggles to the right over a cattle-grid and proceeds to the car park amongst trees. If you have any problems finding us, you can contact John Durnell on his mobile 07970 564540. Our aims are to search by torchlight for caterpillars of the Reddish Buff on Saw-wort amongst the heathy vegetation of Roydon Common and to operate light traps on both the heathland and in the oak woodland and other habitats for the species inventory of the site. It will be possible to sleep in cars to operate the traps until dawn. Note : there is to be no collecting of any Reddish Buff in any stage (W & C Act Schedule 5 Protected Species).

Tuesday 27th July. Cranmore, ISLE OF WIGHT. MV. Leader's email address : fieldmtgsec

Meet at 20.00hrs at SZ 39438 90362 at the house of Ian and Cathy Fletcher, Speedwell, Solent Road, Cranmore. They can be contacted by phone on 01983 760235. From the Yarmouth-Newport Road watch out for a bus shelter and from there take the unadopted Cranmore Avenue down to Solent Road, or, if your car is low, use the unsurfaced Hampstead Road (at the top of the hill), to reach Solent Road. Our aims are to search by torchlight for caterpillars of the Reddish Buff on Saw-wort amongst the heathy vegetation of Ningwood Common and to operate light traps on both the heathland and in the oak woodland and other habitats for the species inventory of the site. Sleeping in cars and tents will be possible near the site.Note : there is to be no collecting of any Reddish Buff in any stage (W & C Act Schedule 5 Protected Species).

Friday 30th July. OXFORDSHIRE. MV. Leader's email address : fieldmtgsec

Note this meeting is a Friday day night. Contact Leader by e-mail at least one month in advance to register interest and for details.

Saturday 31st July. Browndown (North), Rowner, nr Gosport, HAMPSHIRE. MV. Leader's telephone: 01420 478845.

Joint meeting for Members of the British Entomological and Natural History Society and Butterfly Conservation only. Permission has been obtained from the MOD for the use of generators and moth light traps, until 6am on Sunday 1st August, if required. It is hoped that the meeting point here will be at the metal gate entrance on the north side of Privett Road (B3333) at 8.00pm. This entrance is situated just after (east of) the traffic light junction of Cherque Way and Portsmouth road, off of Privett Road at SZ578995. As car parking is limited here, I as the leader, will arrive early to open the gate for society members as they arrive so that they can park on the concrete hard standing either side of the gate here or on the hard surfaced track on the other side (north of) the valley/stream area. However, I have recently been informed by the MOD that access may not be allowed via the named point above. This meeting may be subject to short notice cancellation in the event of military training. Please contact the leader on 01420 478845 before arranging to travel to this meeting to receive confirmation that the meeting is going ahead, and the details of any revised meeting point.

Sunday 8th August. Addington Hills near Croydon, SURREY. Leader's telephone: 01293 783397

Meet at 10.30am Sunday morning, at TQ351640 at the Coombe Lane tram stop (by Tramlink from East Croydon rail station) or at the car park on Shirley Hills Road, TQ354641. General recording, but this is the closest site to London for the Bog Bush Cricket Metrioptera brachyptera. In the afternoon the intention is to visit chalk downland at Hutchinson’s Bank, New Addington, further along the tram line. A joint meeting with the London Natural History Society.

Saturday 14th August. Wytham Wood, OXFORDSHIRE. MV. Joint meeting with Berkshire Moth Group. Leader's email address : kitenetter

Wytham Woods is an SSSI owned by the University of Oxford, and the location for many research projects over the years. The Woods contain a mix of ancient semi-natural woodland, more recent semi-natural woodland re-growth, and plantations, and there are also small areas of good quality limestone grassland. The late Charlie Gibson helped collate a wide range of Lepidoptera records for Wytham, resulting in a list of over 400 species, but some of these have not been seen for many years and additional records will be welcome. Among other groups, the Wytham lists include around 600 species of Diptera and 900 of Coleoptera, but no doubt there is scope for further discoveries to be made! For more information see http://www.wildcru.org/wytham/

We will be meeting at 10.30am for day-active invertebrates (including the possibility of Brown Hairstreak – eggs have been found in recent years but no adults seen since c. 1990). Meet at 7.30pm for moth-trapping. There is also the option of a pub meal before the evening session.

Please contact the leader if you would like to attend all or part of the day, and to receive detailed meeting instructions.

Wytham Wood - photograph courtesy of Earthwatch

Thursday 19th August. Ashclyst Forest, DEVON. MV. Leader's telephone: 01626 779543

Meet at ‘Forest Gate’ car park at 21.00, a large area as you travel through the wood at SX999995 (Explorer 115 and Landranger 192); this is the car park just to the south of where the four 100 km squares of SS, ST, SX and SY meet. We will be travelling on from this point. Coming from the north on the M5, come off at junction 28 cross back over the motorway and take the B3181 through Cullompton signposted ‘Killerton’ travel along this road for 4 or 5 miles and turn left at Budlake Farm (SS985002) at the cross roads. After you pass a minor road to your left, go round a right-hand bend and then another minor road to your left, the car park is on your left. From the south turn off the M5 at junction 29 and take the first junction left (the old A30), travel around 1½ miles and take the left turning to Broadclyst; you have to do a left and then right to get onto the B3181. After you have gone through Broadclyst (about ½ mile the other side) watch out for and take a turning to your right (it looks like a farm track) straight over cross roads x 2, and wind your way into the wood passing the first car park and watching for the second larger one on your right. This is a joint meeting with Devon Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation (Devon Branch), Devonshire Association (Entomology Section), Peninsula Invertebrate Forum, British Entomological & Natural History Society and Devon Moth Group.

Saturday 4th September. Hogmoor Inclosure, Bordon, HAMPSHIRE. MV. Leader's telephone: 01420 478845.

Parking and meeting at 7.00pm on the verge along Hogmoor Road near the footpath into the Inclosure opposite the entrance to St Andrew's Road at SU786346. Permission has been obtained from the MOD for the use of generators and moth light traps, until 6am on Sunday 5th September, if required. The objective is to obtain more site information for the Local Biodiversity Action Plan and for the MOD Conservation Group. Joint meeting with members of the Alton Natural History Society and Butterfly Conservation. No dogs please.