Brook lane limestone meadow and surrounds. The year to date
Highlights for the year: a cuckoo heard and seen 25th April, the flowering of Meadow Clary and Pyramid orchids, common blue butterflies laying eggs on birds foot trefoil ( no common blues were recorded in Stonesfield for the 2024 Big Butterfly Count) In July the glowworms and night time moth recording. The snails when the rain finally came back. Wax caps, red and yellow in October. A close encounter with a vole when trimming the meadow. With the early November warmth self heal Flowering, a low growing blue and purple flower.
You can see the Meadow has been trimmed, we have left areas to provide a mosaic of habitats for the wildlife over the winter, the uncut areas join so wildlife can move in some safety. The cut areas are about two to three inches high to reduce damage to wildlife overwintering in the top of the soil and stems of the plants.
Over the year we have continued to reduce the old mans beard that has taken root on the meadow and have scattered limestone meadow seed ( from Cotswold national landscape) in areas with bare soil, with some help from the rabbits.
Moths. We will continue to record moths over the winter, much more sedate than the hurly-burly of the summer. Moth recording started in April and by the end of October we have recorded 165 species on the meadow and 252 species in total with surrounding areas ( gardens, allotments and the common)
Moths have declined about 40% since the 1960’s they are important food for bats, birds, spiders and other mammals. Importantly they are essential pollinators.
Knowing which moths we have on the meadow gives us information on the plants essential for the moth larvae that can then inform the ongoing management for the meadow and surrounds. All results are sent to the national recording centre.
Gardens are important habitats for moths. Ideally without any chemicals and with areas for wildflowers and some untidy areas. Many flowers are visited and pollinated by moths, Honeysuckle, summer Jasmine, campions, lavender, evening primrose, mint ( look out for the mint moth flying during the day) tobacco plant.. to name a few.
We do have some limestone meadow seed, thanks to the Cotswold National Landscape who harvest the seed. Do get in touch if you would like some for a wildflower area in your garden. For more on gardening for moths try this website
https://butterfly-conservation.org/how-you-can-help/get-involved/gardening/gardening-for-moths
Butterflies have a fluttering flight and don’t have the speed of moths. They both have forewings and hind wings. The difference is that butterflies have two distinct independant wings and moths have the two wings coupled together giving them more power in flight. Most Moths can also fly in the rain, their wings are angled like sloping roofs and the wings have small scales that overlap and are hydrophobic. Wind is a problem but mild rain isn’t.
Hopefully the weather next year will be more favorable. Over the winter we will be arranging an information board ready for the spring.