Autumnwatch at Thurstaston

Last weekend found the Watch group out and about looking for signs of Autumn. We thought about how plants and animals survive the winter...



...noticing the seeds and berries on the trees and bushes and remembering the birds we saw in spring which have now migrated.



When we got to The Dungeons we collected short branches from the woodland floor and placed them carefully, covering them with leaves to create a habitat pile. This will provide a winter home for many invertebrates.

Award Winners

Four members of Wirral Wildlife's committee were honoured to be presented with Eric Thurston Awards at the recent Cheshire Wildlife Trust AGM at Burton Manor.

The award is given for their support of wildlife conservation and the work of the Trust.

Left to right:

John Somerville (North group), Linda Higginbottom, Ruth Dann, Paul Loughnane, Mike Maher

Apple Weekend

Another successful Apple Weekend with our annual events at Brimstage Hall and Eastham Country Park.

Lots of tasty local apples to sample...


The return of the 'Longest Apple Peel' competition...

For more pictures see the slideshow on the events page of our website.

Elephant Hawk Moth

After the success of our moth night, Fay Samuels has sent us some of her photographs of an Elephant Hawk Moth throughout its life cycle.

Caterpillar...


Chrysallis...


Beautiful moth...

National Moth Night - update

David, our Events Organiser, has sent this species list following the moth night event.

Wirral Wildlife: Moth Night Event - Friday 18th September 2009 at Claremont Farm, Bebington (SJ325826)

Species List

Lamp on sheet

New Zealand apple moth E. postvittana - 11
Marbled Carpet C.truncata - 7
Satellite E. transversata - 1
Large Yellow Underwing N. pronuba - 13
Common Wainscot M. pallens - 8
Setaceous Hebrew Character A. c-nigrum (Xestia) - 9
Grey Pin Carpet T. obeliscata - 4
Centre-barred Sallow A. centrago - 1
Angle Shades P. meticulosa - 3

MV lamp

Blastobasis lignea - 2
Copper Underwing A. pyrimidea - 3
Flame Shoulder O. plecta - 1
Silver-Y A. gamma - 5
Smoky Wainscot M. impura - 1
Rosy Rustic H. micacea - 3
Shuttle-shaped Dart A. puta - 2
Red-green Carpet C. siterata - 2
Square-spot Rustic A.xanthographa (Xestia) - 3
Frosted Orange G. flavago - 1
*Oak nycteoline N. revayana - 1
Lesser Yellow Underwing N. comes - 3
N. fimbriata - 1

Peronea variegana/ Hedya nubiferana

Clepsis consimilana/ unifasciana Duponchel

A total of 24 species.

* New species to Alan Creaser and new to grid reference SJ38.

Events at Ness Gardens

Andrew Lambie, co-ordinator of adult education at Ness Gardens has sent us information about courses and talks that might be of interest. Coming soon...

29th September

Autumn Fruit and Berries - Guided Walk

4th October

Talk from the Estate Manager at Dunham Massey

6th October

Gardening Club

7th October

Magnificent Trees - Guided Walk

The full list can be found on the 'Courses' page of the Ness Gardens website, along with booking details:

www.liv.ac.uk/nessgardens/events/courses.htm

National Moth Night

On Friday night seventeen intrepid members joined Alan Creaser to trap moths as part of the National Moth Weekend. Around the country about 500 similar events were taking place. Alan told us that although there are now more species of moths being caught, the number of specimens of each has decreased.

Passers-by might have wondered what a circle of people gathered around a bright light and a white sheet were up to in the darkness of a field at Claremont Farm...



The species attracted to the lamp were:

Light Brown Apple Moth
Carpet Moth
Satellite Moth
Large Yellow Underwing
Common Wainscot
Setaceous Hebrew Character
Grey Pine Carpet Moth
Sallow
Tortrix

Here Alan Creaser and Ed Samuels, Wirral Wildlife's Recording Officer, are trying to identify one of their finds...