Hempstead Meadows Local Nature Reserve - Species

Every time that I visit Hempstead Meadows Local Nature Reserve (run by Uckfield Town Council) I try to record a few of the species that I see. This isn't a proper survey, but it does give me a idea of what is there.  I record in a website/app called iRecord and here are my results for Hempstead Meadows.  Because it works with map squares some of the following records are from areas just outside the reserve - including the Station, which is a surprisingly good spot for birdwatching.

 Amphibians

Common Frog - as tadpoles.

Birds

One of my favourite sightings from this year was a Chiffchaff, seen amongst the brambles in April.

Chiff Chaff

Common name	Species
Mallard	Anas platyrhynchos
Swift	Apus apus
Grey Heron	Ardea cinerea
Goldfinch	Carduelis carduelis
Blue Tit	Cyanistes caeruleus
Robin	Erithacus rubecula
Chaffinch	Fringilla coelebs
Moorhen	Gallinula chloropus
Grey Wagtail	Motacilla cinerea
Chiffchaff	Phylloscopus collybita
Dunnock	Prunella modularis
Nuthatch	Sitta europaea
Wren	Troglodytes troglodytes
Blackbird	Turdus merula

 Fish

I've seen sticklebacks several times in the little stream that runs through the reserve. In 2015 I saw a lovely red-bellied male guarding his nest.  I've also heard that eels sometimes move through the reserve.

Flowering Plants

There are all sorts of pretty and interesting flowering plants but one of the most unusual is the Greater Tussock Sedge and one of my favourites, the Meadow Cranesbill.

Greater Tussock Sedge, 14 April 2017



Meadow Cranesbill, photographed in September 2015 but flowers year-after-year.

Common name	Species
Ramsons	Allium ursinum
Hairy Bitter-cress	Cardamine hirsuta
Cuckooflower	Cardamine pratensis
Greater Tussock-sedge	Carex paniculata
Meadowsweet	Filipendula ulmaria
Common Hemp-nettle	Galeopsis tetrahit
Meadow Crane's-bill	Geranium pratense
Indian Balsam	Impatiens glandulifera
Yellow Iris	Iris pseudacorus
White Dead-nettle	Lamium album
Gypsywort	Lycopus europaeus
Yellow Loosestrife	Lysimachia vulgaris
Water Mint	Mentha aquatica
Water-Dropwort	Oenanthe
Tansy	Tanacetum vulgare

Insects

There are, of course, many different types of insect in the reserve.  One of my favourites was this bug.

Notostira elongate - True Bug - 26 August 2017



Common Pond Skater - Another True Bug - 6 June 2015

Common name	Species	Taxon group
7-spot Ladybird	Coccinella septempunctata	insect - beetle (Coleoptera)
	Gyrinus substriatus	insect - beetle (Coleoptera)
Devil's Coach-horse	Ocypus (Ocypus) olens	insect - beetle (Coleoptera)
Common Red Soldier Beetle	Rhagonycha fulva	insect - beetle (Coleoptera)
Speckled Wood	Pararge aegeria	insect - butterfly
Comma	Polygonia c-album	insect - butterfly
Common Blue	Polyommatus icarus	insect - butterfly
Banded Demoiselle	Calopteryx splendens	insect - dragonfly (Odonata)
Hairy Footed Flower Bee	Anthophora (Anthophora) plumipes	insect - hymenopteran
Common Carder Bee	Bombus (Thoracobombus) pascuorum	insect - hymenopteran
Long-winged Cone-head	Conocephalus fuscus	insect - orthopteran
Dock Bug	Coreus marginatus	insect - true bug (Hemiptera)
Tortoise Bug	Eurygaster testudinaria	insect - true bug (Hemiptera)
Common Pondskater	Gerris (Gerris) lacustris	insect - true bug (Hemiptera)
	Notostira elongata	insect - true bug (Hemiptera)
Dark-edged Bee-fly	Bombylius major	insect - true fly (Diptera)

Common Blues on Birds-Foot-Trefoil - Big Butterfly Count 2017

As well as recording in iRecord, I did a count in Hempstead Meadows for the Big Butterfly Count. I saw Common Blues, Gatekeeper, Large White, Meadow Browns, Red Admiral, Ringlet, Small Copper and Speckled Wood.

Molluscs

Marsh Snail - 25 July 2015.

Finally, a Marsh Snail, which I found when pulling up Balsam in 2015.