Just before Christmas, I wrote about the species that I have observed in the
Hempstead Meadow Nature Reserve. Now it's West Park's turn.
Amphibians and Reptiles
I've not observed any amphibians or reptiles in West Park but plenty of people have seen frog spawn near the pond. iRecord shows two records for Common Lizard in 2015.
Birds
 |
| Goldfinch - 9 April 2017 |
We (The Uckfield Nature Reserves Supporter's group) have gone on a number of bird walks, led by David. I have recorded the following species but we saw and heard more.
| Common
name |
Species |
| Sparrowhawk |
Accipiter nisus |
| Swift |
Apus apus |
| Grey Heron |
Ardea cinerea |
| Buzzard |
Buteo buteo |
| Goldfinch |
Carduelis carduelis |
| Blue Tit |
Cyanistes caeruleus |
| Great Spotted Woodpecker |
Dendrocopos major |
| Robin |
Erithacus rubecula |
| Pied Wagtail |
Motacilla alba subsp.
yarrellii |
| Great Tit |
Parus major |
| House Sparrow |
Passer domesticus |
| Chiffchaff |
Phylloscopus
collybita |
| Magpie |
Pica pica |
| Dunnock |
Prunella modularis |
| Bullfinch |
Pyrrhula pyrrhula |
| Goldcrest |
Regulus regulus |
| Nuthatch |
Sitta europaea |
| Wren |
Troglodytes
troglodytes |
| Blackbird |
Turdus merula |
| Song Thrush |
Turdus philomelos |
On one of our walks last year, David pointed out Bluetits going in and out a hole in a tree. I am so used to seeing them in nest boxes, it is strange to see them using a natural nesting place.
Flowering Plants
 |
| Bluebells and Oak - 14 May 2017 |
There are many flowering plants in the reserve including many blossom trees such Blackthorn, Hawthorn and Wild Roses. I've only recorded a handful and have taken beauties such as the Oak and Bluebells, shown in the photo above, for granted. Looking at iRecord, it is clear that a much more detailed survey was done in 2015 by Ben Rainbow, which yielded over a hundred species including those two.
 |
| Mystery tree - a pear? - 9 April 2017 |
During the 9 April 2017 walk, we found an intriguing blossom tree. The flowers were familiar but too big for one of the trees we expect to find flowering in April. Scouring our books didn't really help and it was only when I found a very similar tree in Leatherhead that I began to suspect that it might be an ornamental pear. I didn't find any pears in the Autumn but I may have missed them.
Fungi
 |
| Velvet Shank - 22 October 2017 |
Many of the fungi that I have recorded in West Park were observed by a group that did a fungi hunt on the 22nd of October 2018
| Common
name |
Species |
| Jelly Ear |
Auricularia auricula-judae |
| Clouded Funnel |
Clitocybe nebularis |
| Shaggy Inkcap |
Coprinus comatus |
| Blushing Bracket |
Daedaleopsis confragosa |
| Velvet Shank |
Flammulina velutipes
var. velutipes |
| Clustered Bonnet |
Mycena inclinata |
| Birch Polypore |
Piptoporus betulinus |
| Common
Earthball |
Scleroderma citrinum |
| Turkeytail |
Trametes versicolor |
| Candlesnuff
Fungus |
Xylaria hypoxylon |
Insects
 |
| Peacock butterfly - 25 March 2017 |
West Park is home to all sorts of insects, from tiny beetles to showy butterflies and dragonflies. I found several different types of insect feeding on the glorious Blackthorn blossom in March last year.
 |
| Honeybee nest entrance - 28 Jan 2017 |
One of my favourite finds was a natural Honeybee nest in one of the old trees. On one of the Autumn walks, David pointed out a Hornet's nest. Fortunately these large, wasp-like creatures are much more laid-back than their smaller, waspy, cousins.
| Common
name |
Species |
Taxon group |
| Cream-spot Ladybird |
Calvia quattuordecimguttata |
insect - beetle (Coleoptera) |
| Harlequin Ladybird |
Harmonia axyridis |
insect - beetle (Coleoptera) |
| Peacock |
Aglais io |
insect - butterfly |
| Small Tortoiseshell |
Aglais urticae |
insect - butterfly |
| Orange-tip |
Anthocharis cardamines |
insect - butterfly |
| Brimstone |
Gonepteryx rhamni |
insect - butterfly |
| Small Copper |
Lycaena phlaeas |
insect - butterfly |
| Comma |
Polygonia c-album |
insect - butterfly |
| Red Admiral |
Vanessa atalanta |
insect - butterfly |
| Emperor Dragonfly |
Anax imperator |
insect - dragonfly (Odonata) |
| Honey Bee |
Apis mellifera |
insect - hymenopteran |
| Large Red-tailed Bumblebee |
Bombus (Melanobombus) lapidarius |
insect - hymenopteran |
| Early Bumblebee |
Bombus (Pyrobombus) pratorum |
insect - hymenopteran |
| Common Carder Bee |
Bombus (Thoracobombus) pascuorum |
insect - hymenopteran |
| Plain Gold |
Micropterix calthella |
insect - moth |
| Cinnabar |
Tyria jacobaeae |
insect - moth |
| Meadow Grasshopper |
Chorthippus parallelus |
insect - orthopteran |
|
Panorpa communis |
insect - scorpion fly (Mecoptera) |
| St Marks Fly |
Bibionidae |
insect - true fly (Diptera) |
| Dark-edged Bee-fly |
Bombylius major |
insect - true fly (Diptera) |
Mammals
The only mammals that I have seen are rabbits but there is clear evidence of the presence of larger creatures.
Spiders
 |
| Crab spider - 14 May 2017 |
With all those insects around, we are bound to find a few spiders. I am not very good at identifying them but was able to record this colourful crab spider.
This is a very brief round up of my own observations. There are many more out there including those from formal surveys and all the people who walk through the reserve.
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