Dragonfly and butterfly survey

A
SURVEY OF THE BUTTERFLIES AND DRAGONFLIES
ON
SELECTED NORTHUMBRIAN WATER SITES
IN
NORTHUMBERLAND AND COUNTY DURHAM
DURING 2012.
Photograph Copyright © Tom Tams.
Broad-bodied Chaser. Libellula depressa. (female).
BY
HARRY T. EALES.
Submitted November 2012.
Contents.
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Page No.
Introduction.
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i.
Weather Observations. .
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ii.
Insect Migration 2012. .
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iv.
Sites.
Brasside STW.
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1.
Browney STW.
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5.
Lumley WTW.
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9.
Mosswood WTW.
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13.
Tudhoe Mill STW.
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18.
Appendix ‘A’ Insects recorded per site. .
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23.
Brasside.
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1.
Browney.
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2.
Lumley.
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3.
Mosswood. .
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4.
Tudhoe.
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5.
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6.
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Acknowledgements.
i
Introduction.
This is the eleventh report in a series which commenced in 2002 which
investigates the occurrence of certain insect species occurring on various land
holding of Northumbrian Water within the counties of Northumberland,
Durham and North Yorkshire. The main observations were on the Butterflies
and the Dragonflies found to be present on each site with additional casual
comment of Bumblebees and other species of wildlife that come to the
authors attention during site visits.
In previous surveys sites have been investigated on a one visit per site per
month basis. However, with experience it has become apparent that the flight
periods of certain species may be shorter than the time between the
individual site visits and therefore with the approval with the staff of the
Conservation Department of Northumbrian Water visits from 2011 onwards,
would be made on a two weekly basis. The timing of these visits proved to be
somewhat difficult due to the very wet weather conditions that prevailed
throughout the whole period of the current survey. On many occasions when
the weather improved slightly two sites were visited in one day, especially
when previous visits had been spoiled by sudden changes in the weather.
A classic example of this was during a visit by Mr. Stuart Pudney of the NW
Conservation Dept on 20th May to Mosswood WTW he saw two specimens of
The Dingy Skipper butterfly Erynnis tages. These were not in flight when I
had visited this site a few days earlier, and were over by the time of my next
visit. This butterfly usually is on the wing for a period of about six weeks but
this flight time can be seriously curtailed by bad weather. The foodplant of
this species is abundant in the immediate vicinity where they were seen but
nowhere else on this very large site.
Of the five sites chosen for this year’s survey only one of these, Mosswood
WTW., had been visited previously in 2002 and again in 2006. But these two
reports were only in relation to observations made in the settling and sludge
pond areas, rather than the area of the whole site. As can be seen from the
site maps, the sizes of the STW’s and WTW vary considerably. The smallest
being Brasside STW and the largest, Lumley WTW. However the larger sites
are not fully occupied by operational plant equipment and occasionally unused
land is rented out to farmers or individuals for the grazing of horses, cattle
and sheep. On other sites the local farmer is permitted to take a hay crop.
Almost all of the sites are surrounded by tall metal fencing which tends to
keep many of the larger wild mammals in the surrounding area out of the
site, but on sites such as Mosswood and Lumley WTW’s there are no such
encumbrances and at Mosswood in particular Roe Deer were to be frequently
seen and in April and early May anything up to sixteen Hares could be seen at
one time going through their usual spring rituals of chasing each other and
boxing to establish breeding rights. The Tudhoe STW has a Badger set oddly
accessed by holes in the floor of a derelict building. None were actually seen
ii
during my visits but hairs were found and old grass bedding from the set was
scattered near the entrance to the set. Like most Badger sets it is likely that
there will be other access tunnels but these were not sought out.
Weather.
After two very bad winters and two equally poor summers, the author had
hoped that once the slightly milder winter of 2011-2012 was over that there
may have been a considerable improvement in the spring and summer
weather conditions. Sadly this was not to be, and records of rainfall for each
month January to October inclusive were the highest recorded for a Century.
Temperatures were not anywhere near seasonal averages. The maximum
temperature recorded in Co. Durham during this year was 25 degrees C., and
the lowest was minus 6.7 degrees C. Sunshine when not hidden by cloud
came in fits and starts. The best period of sunshine came in the first two
weeks of March when the temperatures reached 20.6 degrees C. Although
welcome at the time, it had disastrous consequences for hibernating
Butterflies and Bumblebee Queens as the increase in temperature brought
them out of their winter sleep into a world where there were very few nectar
plants available, they having been retarded in growth by the cold conditions.
As a result many Bumblebees died of starvation or were too weak to start a
viable colony. Butterflies having survived hibernation were very weak, their
body fat reserves having been used up, were weakened even further by the
lack of suitable flowers on which to nectar, and many of these died as well. To
compound this disaster it rained just about continuously for the next six
weeks. April was a cold month with the highest temperature being 12.2
degrees C. Butterflies do not fly in such temperatures as they need a
minimum of 14 degree C. to warm up sufficiently to take flight.
Month.
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
July.
August.
September.
October.
No. of days without
rain.
12
10
10
4
16
3
7
6
17
14
Max. Monthly temp. Deg.
C.
8.4
12.8
20.6
12.2
25.0
18.9
20.6
22.8
21.1
13.4
Min. Monthly temp. Deg.
C.
-5.6
-6.7
-2.2
-1.7
-3.3
2.8
4.4
2.2
0.0
-1.1
Chart compiled from Copley (Co. Durham) Weather Station records.
(The author is well aware that that other locations in Northumberland and
Durham may have produced slight variances in climate and temperature but
the figures above give a good idea of the local weather statistics during
2012).
iii
When fruit bushes and trees both wild and cultivated came into flower there
were very few Bumblebees to pollinate them and many trees and bushes that
would usually produce very good crops were totally devoid of fruit. I only saw
one apple tree with a reasonable crop of fruit in 2012 and that was in a
friends garden, but the only reason that this tree successfully fruited was due
to the fact there was a beekeeper living next door and it was his honeybees
that had done the pollinating on their very infrequent forays out of the hive.
In the whole of April there were only four days that were rain free, but even
these were overcast. Dragonflies were not immune just because most of their
life span is spent underwater. Rain free conditions are vital as are warm
temperatures for a successful emergence into their adult form. Many
dragonflies and Damselflies were seen floating dead on the surface of ponds
with crippled wings. Both sub-orders need an hour or two for their wings to
expand and harden depending on the air temperature. A single raindrop
hitting an emerging insect can, during this very critical time, damage a wing
so badly the insect will never be able to fly and therefore to catch their food
during their maturation period, so they too would starve to death. Emergence
from the nymphal stage is also fraught with danger as they are defenceless,
and very ‘easy to catch’ prey item for a large number of birds who are looking
for food for themselves and/or their chicks. All bird nestlings require to be fed
on protein even if, in later life, they are solely seed or vegetation eaters.
It was not just Butterflies and Dragonflies that were affected by the wet
weather other aquatic species especially those in rivers and streams and
those species of insects that usually inhabit river or streamside embankments
suffered due to the serious rise in water levels and high water speeds which
scoured the waterways and flooded the adjacent lands. Very large areas of
low lying land became flooded and although these floods may have only
lasted a few days the larvae and pupae of insects were simply drowned as
were any Bumblebee nests underground or on the surface of the ground.
Insectivorous birds had a very hard time and out of ten Swallow nests in my
own street only one produced any offspring, in the rest of the nests the chicks
died of starvation. Of all the insect species only the Hoverflies appeared to
have had a good year and these appeared in very large numbers as the
conditions for them breeding were perhaps ideal. The larvae of these flies
feed mainly on rotting vegetation in damp conditions and there was a super
abundance of suitable breeding habitat for them during this year.
All things considered, 2012 has probably been the worst for insect recording
since 1871-2 when several species of butterfly were exterminated in these
counties and also over vast areas of the north of England and Scotland. Some
of these species did not return for nearly a century.
The website on North East Moths on Yahoo Groups, lists the daily captures
made by moth trappers operating in Northumberland and Durham along with
the numbers of each species caught. It is very apparent from the figures
given to see that many species have been very considerably reduced in
iv
population numbers compared with previous years.
It is known that some butterfly species, especially those that are single
brooded have evolved survival tactics that will ensure that at least some will
survive in the larval or pupae form by slowing down their pupal
metamorphosis, or extending the larval life into another year. Just how
successful our local species have been will not be known until next year,
providing of course, that the weather conditions are more amenable.
The Metrological Office TV presenters have been at pains to try and explain to
their viewers the reasons for the poor weather that prevailed throughout the
year. This is apparently due to a ‘Jet Stream’ which occurs between the
altitudes of 30,000 to 50,000 feet over Britain. During a normal summer it
would be passing west to east over the north of Scotland and inducing any
depressions coming towards us from the North Atlantic to divert northwards,
thus permitting areas of higher pressure to bring warmer weather to us from
the south. Usually very stable, in recent years the jet stream has been
repeatedly diverted southwards and then returning to a more northerly
position in a movement called ‘Fishtailing’ which seems to be a very apt
description indeed. This accounted for the south of England having Hosepipe
Bans earlier in the year due to the lack of rainfall, whilst the north of the
country had more rainfall than it could cope with. The jet stream eventually
swung so far south that the southern counties of England got their fair share
of rainfall as well, and the Hosepipe Bans and Drought Orders were lifted one
by one as reservoirs, aquifers and rivers filled up, only to be replaced by
Flood Warnings all over Britain.
Insect Migration.
As may be supposed, insect migration was very limited, especially in north
east England this year and thus very few migrant species were noted. A single
Red-veined Darter Dragonfly Sympetrum fonscolombii was reported from
north Northumberland, possibly a stray from a very small swarm that reached
the south coast a month earlier. Migrant butterflies were equally as scarce and
only a very few Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta were noted locally in August.
Painted Lady butterflies Vanessa cardui were very scarce indeed. Even
migrant moths were seldom reported by moth recorders, and only two
Convolvulous Hawkmoths Agrius convolvuli were seen locally. This latter
species is one of the most powerful flyers in the moth world and has in the
past been often recorded as far north as the Shetland Islands. The Silver Y
moth Autographa gamma, one of the commonest of migrant moths did occur,
but only in very small numbers, whereas in years of good weather they can
be seen in scores if not hundreds flying during the daytime and caught in
large numbers nightly in moth traps.
v
The sites visited.
1
Brasside STW.
Grid Ref. NZ286546.
Altitude 50-52 m.
A rather small and discretely positioned site, situated at the end of a narrow country
lane. It has a westerly aspect, and is sheltered to the west and north my mature
broadleaf timber. To the south there are farm fields and to the east a disused WW2
munitions and explosives storage site. The whole site is surrounded by tall steel
fencing. Locked steel gates secure the site which is not permanently manned.
On the western edge of the site immediately inside the fence line are a series of
concrete filter tanks shown on the site overhead picture at (A). Only three of these
appear to be is use, the remainder are empty and dry and contain various wild
plants. These tanks are heavily shaded by trees on the site picture. This site has
within the boundary fence to the east, a fairly young woodland comprising of mixed
broadleaf trees and bushes marked B-B on the site picture. There is a narrow grass
covered footpath between this woodland and the boundary fence which is hedged
on its inner side. Distributed across the site are the usual buildings, filter beds,
pump buildings industrial pipe work other items associated with the sites operations.
One of the four circular filter beds is none operational and has been so for some
time as stunted tree saplings have grown on the gravel along with some wild plants.
The great majority of the site is heavily mown on a regular basis the only exception
being between the trees in the young woodland. Even the grass pathway on the
eastern boundary is mown. This produces stunted versions of any flowering plants
that may seed and often the flower heads are cut off before seeding can take place.
The grass mowings are not collected and are simply left to rot down where they lie.
Even though the site slopes the grassed areas were waterlogged for the duration of
this survey, the water table being at the surface. This suggests a clay pan beneath
the topsoil preventing easy drainage.
The tanks at ‘A’.
2
Brasside STW.
3
Pictures of the young woodland showing grassy clearing and mowing regime.
View of the site’s southern edge.
Shrubs growing in the disused filter bed.
The only useful butterfly habitat is in, and immediately around the edges of the
wood. There is no other suitable habitat on this site. The only butterflies that can be
expected to breed here are all grass feeders in their larval stage. No other butterfly
food plant species are to be found this site apart from the occasional Thistle. Any
butterfly species that are not grass feeding that may be seen on the site will
certainly be in transit from elsewhere else. As the woodland matures the few
flowering plants on the woodland floor will be shaded out leaving the area even
more depauperate than it is today.
The very few Bumblebees that were seen on the site were nectaring on Thistle
flowers in the woodland area.
The three settling tanks were examined on every trip to the site but no Dragonflies
were seen in any stage of their development until nearly the end of the survey when
single adult male specimens of three different species, namely Migrant and
Southern Hawker and Common Darter were seen examining the moss covered
tank sides apparently searching for females. I am of the opinion that these
originated from the two large ponds adjacent to H.M. Prison Frankland some 800
metres to the south. Good Dragonfly populations have been known to breed there
4
for some eight decades, although there is some considerable difficulty in accessing
this site now due to the increase in the security surrounding all prisons today.
Conservation.
Despite the poor habitat quality of this small STW, there is considerable scope for
improvement here. Providing that there are no underground obstructions in the way
of pipes or other STW equipment then it is suggested that a pond of reasonably
generous dimensions be constructed in area ‘C’ on the picture of the site on page 2.
At the lowest point of the site it would be kept partially topped up be water run off
from a large area of the site and the soils excavated could be utilised in building a
raised banking on the north, west and south sides of such a pond leaving the
eastern edge clear from obstruction to permit drainage of water from the rest of the
site easy access into the pond. It is suggested that a variety of suitable wild flower
seed mixture could then be scattered over the banking. These would attract
Butterflies and Bumblebees, as well as many other insect species that would provide
food for Dragonflies and a place for maturing Dragonflies to rest in relative safety.
Obviously there would have to be some aquatic plant introduced initially, but as can
be seen from the recently re-excavated pond at Tudhoe STW also visited during this
survey, such plants rapidly spread. These are of course vital to the health of any
pond and the insects breeding in them as they oxygenate the water, provide shade
and protection from predators and also provide supports for the emerging Dragonfly
nymph to climb up.
Should such a project meet with approval and construction does take place It is
suggested that the Grass cutting contractors be advised not to cut within a minimum
distance of 3 metres of the embankments as this is the area where maturing
Damselflies would seek shelter whereas the larger Dragonflies frequently leave the
area of the pond only to return when fully mature and wanting to breed.
Insect records.
All insects recorded for this site are to be found in Appendix ‘A’ page 1. In a
spreadsheet format which gives the dates the site was visited, the temperature, the
species seen on each visit and the numbers recorded.
5
Browney STW.
Grid Reference NZ257386.
Altitude 50-56 m.
A small and very secluded, fenced site on the south bank of the River
Browney. The site is bounded on three sides by mature woodland
beyond which are a large Golf Course and fields and to the west a very
busy railway line. Within the site fencing the area is packed with a
considerable number of buildings, filter beds, tanks and associated pipe
work. The grassland between these areas is heavily mown on a regular
basis and the only suitable insect habitat is on the northern part of the
site which has been left to grow wild. This area is to be seen to the
north of the various buildings and appears as a darker green on the site
picture opposite. Plants here include a number of mixed species
including Nettle both Stinging and White Dead Nettle, banks of Rosebay
Willowherb, Thistles and Teasel all of which are attractive to insect
species.
There are also plant species shorter in height mostly confined to the
edges of the two gravel vehicle parks positioned at ‘A’ and ‘B’. Areas ‘C’
and ‘D’ are where the tallest vegetation grows. These latter two areas
are accessible during the early months of the survey but as the plants
grew to full height became an almost impenetrable jungle taller than the
author. To add to the difficulty traversing this area it appears that in
previous times it also contained works equipment and remnants have
been left behind and prove difficult to see but are all too easily found by
tripping over their grass covered forms. It is dangerous to walk in these
areas at any time. The tall plant growth from previous years having
fallen but not rotted away. However, areas ‘C’ and ‘D’ provide a larger
range of nectar plants than can be found in the surrounding countryside
and yet the number of insect species seen here as elsewhere were few
in number and nothing of great interest was seen. Those that were
observed were all common species. Whilst all the plants benefited from
the heavy rainfall over the whole year, insects and birds suffered badly.
No mammals were observed here other than Mice, Voles and Shrews
and the occasional Rabbit. Kestrels are frequently seen here hunting
food.
On the site picture the fenced boundary can be seen as a thin green line
within the outer red boundary line. To the north and west of the fence
line is a large area of grassland. This is grazed heavily. Horses were
noted here. This area contains no suitable insect habitat due to grazing
apart from the occasional Ragwort, a plant species that most farm and
wild animals avoid because of the chemical poisons it contains.
6
Browney STW.
7
The gravel parking areas A and B showing the low growth of vegetation due to poor soil.
Areas B and C in early spring before the rapid growth of vegetation took place.
Views of the industrial side of the site showing the mowing regime and cuttings left in situ
to rot down. Had drier weather occurred these cuttings would have simply blown away.
8
I was somewhat disappointed at the results obtained on this site as it has more suitable
insect habitat than most Northumbrian Water owned properties of a similar size. Under
more normal climatic conditions I would have expected to see at least fourteen butterfly
species as a minimum, occurring here during the survey period. There should have been
at least eight Bumblebee species present as well. There is no suitable Dragonfly habitat
on this site and none were seen. The nearest such habitat is the River Browney which
flows through dense wooded gorge a mere 25 metres to the east of the site, but the fast
flow of the water and the woodland shade preclude their presence in the near vicinity of
this site, although the Banded Demoiselle has been recorded from broader, flatter and
slow flowing stretches of this waterway.
On a visit to this site late in the season with Mark Morris of the Conservation Dept a little
excitement was generated by a large Bumblebee which appeared to be quite weak and
which had an unusual or different look to it. I returned to my vehicle for a net and box in
order to catch it for a positive identification but unfortunately on my return it had taken
flight and was not seen again. I thought at the time it was a colour variant of Bombus
lapidarius a common red-tailed Bumblebee. From the size of the insect it was obviously a
Queen. This specimen had a black and red banded tail and I later found out through
research, that I was correct in my identification of the species. I was an old Queen from
the previous year and the banding effect was due to the loss of hair so that in places the
colour of the insect’s exoskeleton showed through as a black bands. It is very unusual for
a queen Bumblebee to leave a nest after it has been established but many of the colonies
were very short lived this year, and with her brood of new Queens and Males having
emerged, her job was over and she left her nest site to find food for herself. This is only
the second Queen Bumblebee I have seen in a lifetime of insect recording that had left a
colony at the end of her breeding season, usually they die in the nest.
Conservation.
I have no recommendations to make regarding this site. There is no suitable place where
a pond could be excavated. The wild areas ‘C’ and ‘D’ of overgrown vegetation contain
such a large number of plants that are so very attractive to insects, they should be left
alone and no attempt made to improve those areas.
Insect records.
All insects recorded for this site are to be found in Appendix ‘A’ page 2. In a spreadsheet
format which gives the dates the site was visited, the temperature, the species seen on
each visit and the numbers recorded.
9
Lumley WTW.
Grid Reference NZ301494.
Altitude 65-71m.
This is the second largest site examined during the current survey, and from its size it
could be expected to contain some descent insect habitat. In actual fact a variety of
factors conspired against this. The operational area of this site occupies only a small part
of it, but the land area of the site is probably some six or seven times larger.
Contained within this land are four ponds, Pond 1 in area ‘B’ is a subsidence pond which
although being very large in area is also very shallow, and both Horses and Cattle were
seen to walk straight across the pond instead of walking around it There are no water
weeds present here and no Dragonflies were seen at this pond on any of my visits. Area
‘B’ is grazed by a number of horses and cattle which keep the grassland vegetation very
short, right up to the fence lines. Pond no.1 does have a resident population of Canada
Geese and a pair of Sheld Duck successfully bred here in 2012.
In area ‘A’ are three old settling ponds which have recently been fenced off and gated.
This was done to keep the horses and cattle which graze this area out of the ponds which
are of unknown depth due to sludge deposits. Of these three ponds, no.2 is perhaps the
best with a very good growth of aquatic plants providing good habitat for the Damselflies
that breed in it. Pond no.3 contains virtually no pond weed growth except along the
western edge, the rest of bottom is covered in some form of slime mould. Pond no.4 is
only partially filled despite the heavy rainfall this year. Like Pond no.2 it contains aquatic
weed growth, and small numbers of Damselflies occurred here. The author had learned
from experience that old and new settling ponds never contain any of the larger
Dragonflies, just those species whose nymphs breathe through Caudal Lamellae, in other
words Damselflies only. It has been noted that larger Dragonflies do occasionally visit
settling ponds, but I have never seen a female ovipositing, or indeed found the cast larval
skins (exuvia) which provide the necessary evidence of a species breeding.
Areas ‘C’, ‘D’ and ‘E’ which encompass most of the Operational Area of the site are also
fenced off, and are grazed Horses or Cattle, or both.
The woodlands which surround the site with the sole exception of area ‘A’ are in places
densely planted, and little light gets to the woodland floor, thus flowering plants are very
scarce. Brashing of these trees has taken place in the past and these cuttings have been
stacked in piles on the woodland floor or in some cases just outside the woodland
boundary. These piles of brushwood may have conservation interest to several mammal
and occasionally reptile species, but not to the insects subject to this survey.
This leaves the Operational Area of the site which is, unfortunately, very regularly mown.
There are some small areas of planting near the main office building which contain some
flowering plants and also some wild flowers but they are few in number and do not hold
a great deal of attraction to most insect species.
Only the grass around the woodland edges of the Operational Area of the site, where the
mowers cannot get easy access provides any butterfly habitat at all, these very narrow
margins could support a small population of grass feeding larvae of some of the
commoner Butterflies.
10
Lumley WTW.
11
In the North West corner of the Operational Area is a storage area where large blue
portable water tanks are kept. At some time in the recent past a fire has occurred and a
number of these tanks were melted under the heat. This molten plastic formed a skin
over the ground. Gaps in this plastic skin have permitted the growth of sporadic patches
of Grass, Thistles and Ragwort. The latter two plant species being attractive nectar plants
for both Bees and Butterflies.
Pond No.1
Pond No.2
Pond No. 3
Pond No.4
Cattle grazed area.
Regularly cut grass, mown again that day.
12
Pond No.2.
The best area of insect habitat on this WTW is Pond No.2, with submerged and emergent
vegetation. Even so, Damselflies were not common even here. Other insect Orders are
present, including Caddis flies (Trichoptera) and at least one species of aquatic Alder Fly
(Megaloptera).
Despite its huge area, this entire site can hardly be termed environmentally friendly. The
vast majority of the site is either grazed or mown mechanically on a very regular basis
which means that only the very hardiest of flowering plants can survive. These comprise
mainly of Buttercup, Dandelion and Common Daisy. Of these only Dandelion has any
insect appeal and that is to the Bees. The flowering of Dandelion reaches a peak on or
about St. David’s Day which is the 14th April, after which its flower production declines
rapidly. Bumblebees in particular like this plant as it provides large amounts of pollen.
Sadly during this year, April was very cold and wet and so Bees did not benefit from
those flowers that were produced.
Conservation.
Given that a large part of this site is apparently leased out for grazing and additional
ponds would provide a hazard to stock animals and would have to be fenced off, at no
small expense, no recommendations are therefore made.
Insect records.
All insects recorded for this site are to be found in Appendix ‘A’ page 3. In a spreadsheet
format which gives the dates the site was visited, the temperature and the species seen
on each visit and the numbers recorded.
13
Mosswood WTW.
Grid Ref. NZ063505.
Altitude 200-206m.
This site is the largest in area and also the highest site examined this year. The
operational area of the site occupies less than 25% of the total site area. Within the site
boundary there are several small mixed woods of various ages. The boundary of the site
along the western, southern and eastern boundary are wooded my mature trees of
various species. There is a fairly recently banking shown by the letters ‘A’-‘A’-‘A’, this land
was altered recently during site modifications and has been seeded with a flower mixture,
some of these plants would not normally be found in a location such as this e.g. Kidney
Vetch which an inhabitant of sandy or gravely situations. However the plant is a useful
nectar source for insects and should be retained. This embankment provides some
shelter from the westerly winds and it will be very beneficial for many insect species.
Several large areas of grassland are distributed around the site, at least two of these
areas are leased, area ‘B’ being cut for by a local farmer for silage or baling. Area ‘C’ is
sheep grazed. The four areas marked with the letter ‘D’ is grassland with very few plant
species. The woodlands provide excellent cover for Roe Deer and these can frequently be
seen to the south and west of the operational areas where there is very little disturbance
by vehicular movement. Hares are also common on the large areas of grassland with
numbers well into double figures in the breeding season. The mature woodlands are too
shaded by the leaf canopy have a ground layer of plants attractive to insects but the
young copses being more open and with less canopy have currently a reasonably good
plant fauna which is attractive to insects and birds alike. A small stream traversed the site
and can be clearly seen on the picture of the site running roughly from west to across the
site. This is narrow and in summer is almost hidden by vegetation, but in periods of
strong wind it does provide shelter for Damselflies who may not actually breed in the
stream but come from the exposed adjacent ponds.
Ponds 1, 2 and 3 appear to be still operational and there is a small but continuous flow of
water through them. Ponds 1 and 3 in particular have a good aquatic flora. Some areas
of pond 2 were recently partially cleared of a large amount of Reed Mace Typha latifolia
there is still some remaining and also more present in pond 1. These are large ponds and
it may not be possible to get machinery with a long enough reach to clear all this invasive
plant away completely. Ponds 1 and 2 provide excellent habitat for Damselflies but as yet
no breeding of larger Dragonfly species has been proven although on occasions some of
these larger species have been seen patrolling the margins looking for females but never
successfully. It may well be, as suggested elsewhere, that there are still too many
particulants held in suspension in the water which the rectal breathing nymphs cannot
cope with.
Ponds 4, 5 and 6 are sludge ponds and do not support any breeding Dragonfly species,
the water depth is usually too shallow and there are no aquatic plants present. Pond 4 is
however used by Damselflies during their maturation period as the western end of the
pond is well sheltered from the prevailing westerly winds by an adjacent woodland and
high bank sides. There is also a large Midge population in the vicinity upon which the
maturing adults feed. A single male Southern Hawker was seen here examining the tall
rushes at the sludge pond margins seeking a female without success and it flew off. No
exuvia of larger Dragonflies have ever been found on this site.
14
Mosswood WTW.
15
Pond 1 with some invasion of Reed Mace.
Pond 2 after the Reed Mace removal.
Pond 3 the best of the ponds here.
Thistles on the heaps of waste soil.
One of the ‘D’ areas, poor grass growth.
Area ‘B’ later cut for hay/silage.
Between ponds 2 and 3 the land has since 2006, has had a lot of waste spoil tipped
here and the soils present have naturally grown a selection of course grasses,
Common Stinging Nettle, Thistles and Docks. The Thistle flowers are very attractive
to both Bees and Butterflies; sadly very few were seen here this year. The large
areas of land indicated with the letter ‘D’ were either grass monocultures or with
poor grass growth as shown above. This section is flat and was waterlogged most of
the survey period and few flowers other than Dandelion grew here and these
16
flowers were over by early May. Other sections marked ‘D’ were sloping and water
ran off from these and the grasses grew prolifically. The best area of wild flowers is
undoubtedly along the embankment marked ‘A’-’A’-’A’ which of course was seeded
after excavation work. This area was particularly attractive to Hoverflies which
flourished in their thousands due to the damp weather providing them with ideal
breeding habitat. Apart from a narrow margin at the road side this area is not
mown, and I would recommend that it never is.
Above is a photograph of part of the embankment ‘A’-‘A’-‘A’ showing the variety of
wild flowers growing here. The Bird’s foot Trefoil, Red and White Clovers and Kidney
Vetch are all very good nectar sources for insects. Elsewhere along this section can
be found a number of Umbellifferous plants which with their large flat flower heads
were very popular with Hover flies and other species of Diptera. Several of these
flowering plants are also Butterfly larval food plants.
The operational area of the site north of the stream is very closely mown; the only
exception is the embankment. Until at least 2006 there was no mowing to the south
of the stream, and a good variety of flowering plants many of which were attractive
to insects grew around the three ponds and the embankments around the sludge
ponds. There is a gravel track surrounding ponds 1 and 2 and the edges were never
mown, and were productive in Butterfly and Bumblebee species as well as attracting
small insect that are adult Dragonfly food. These have all been mowed as far as the
worker can get the mowing machines to operate on the slopes. I cannot see any
17
good reason why this mowing needs to take place here as it severely damages the
insect habitat.
The mown edges on either side of the track around ponds 1 and 2.
The mown edges along the sides of sludge ponds 1-3.
Conservation.
It is suggested that the mowing regime around the ponds and other areas south of the
stream be terminated if at all possible. It has only started recently so was not considered
necessary in the past.
Insect records.
All insects recorded for this site are to be found in Appendix ‘A’, page 4. In a spreadsheet
format which gives the dates the site was visited, the temperature, the species seen on
each visit and the numbers recorded. Of particular interest on this site is The Purple
Hairstreak Butterfly detected here in a previous survey which is still present although it
was very scarce this year, like so many insect species have been.
Other observations.
Roe Deer are regularly seen here, these included one mature Doe which was a very dark
melanic specimen, only the second one I have seen in a lifetime of recording, the other
being in the Kielder Forest some twenty years ago.
18
Tudhoe Mill STW.
Grid Ref. NZ251356.
Altitude 83-86m.
Another discretely positioned STW located well away from human habitation. The entire
site is metal fenced and gated. It is not permanently manned, at least over the weekend
period, but is subject to regular visits by a variety of workers. To the north the site is
bounded by farmer’s fields and to the south by mature broadleaf woodland. Within the
site there are patches of woodland on the southern half of the site, and the margins and
surrounds are heavily mown as is most of the operational area. The only parts not
regularly mown surround the pond at ‘A’ moving along to point ‘C’ and on to area ‘B’-‘B’‘B’ the latter being a raised embankment which has been left to grow wild. There are
dense patches of Willowherb, Stinging Nettle, Thistle and many course grasses are also
present, it is lacking in a good variety of common flowering plants.
Like several sites examined this year the water table was at the surface due to the very
heavy rainfall throughout the survey period. It was a common site to see water welling
up around the footwear used by the surveyor when walking around the site.
The pond at ‘A’ was first seen by this author several years ago when it was filled with the
bane of all pond owners, the aquatic plant Reedmace Typha latifolia. This plant is an
aggressive coloniser of all lakes and ponds and is sadly introduced by many people who
create lakes or ponds on their property, often to their regret after a few years. It spreads
by releasing many hundreds of small seeds from each seed head and whilst most never
get to germinate is a suitable habitat enough do get through to colonise new areas. It is
difficult to eradicate other then by using machine tools to excavate the areas of pond in
which it grows. This had to be undertaken here, and as a result a large and very
attractive pond has emerged. The pond is well vegetated by aquatic plants both
submerged and emergent, thus providing hiding and hunting areas for Dragonfly nymphs
as well as providing emergence posts for the fully developed nymph.
Tudhoe Mill STW Pond in early spring.
19
Tudhoe Mill STW.
20
The bank sides are fairly steep and difficult to get down especially in the wet
conditions underfoot that prevailed this year. After excavation the bare soils on the
bands of the pond were seeded with a seed mixture similar to that used at
Mosswood WTW with the exception that there were no seeds of Kidney Vetch
included. In later months these plants grew and made the area surrounding the
pond very attractive to insects of all species.
Tudhoe Mill pond in early summer.
Several Damselfly species were found to occur here, but the best views were
provided by a good number of Broad-bodied Chaser Dragonflies. These are a
species that has only recently become resident in the North East counties of
England. They are well known to be early colonisers of new ponds and may be the
first species seen at any new aquatic site. These had obviously bred here so must
have colonised this pond perhaps one or two years ago. Other aquatic creatures
seen but not specifically identified to species level were Tadpoles, Newts, Pond
Skaters and Water Beetles. The heavily flowered banks held prodigious numbers of
Hoverflies.
The only downside is that the pond is heavily shaded during the mornings due to
the height of the mature trees growing on two sides of boundary fence around the
pond. The lack of sunshine earlier in the day probably curtailed the development of
some aquatic species due to it taking longer to warm the ponds water up. The
situation did improve by mid summer as the sun cleared the tree tops earlier as it
rose higher above the horizon. I have great expectations for this pond and believe
that providing we don’t have too many years of bad weather like 2012 several more
species will colonise this pond. It would be of interest to resurvey this site in say
three years from now.
21
Area ‘C’ indicated on the site picture is a narrow band of rough unmown and
sparsely vegetated land. The poor soil does not support many plants but a few grow
here including Thistle. This plant also provided one record of a Bumblebee that was
only discovered in Britain in 2002. This is Bombus hypnorum a species that prefers
to live in woodland. Only a single worker specimen was seen, but that indicated a
nest site nearby. This species is double brooded in a single year, a very uncommon
occurrence in the British species, so the colony sizes are quite small by necessity.
The queen has to produce new Queens and Males by mid summer in order for them
to raise a new generation by autumn. This means the resident Queen cannot
produce too many workers in the spring colony or there simply won’t be time for
there to be a second successful colony.
Area ‘C’ looking towards the pond.
The embankment showing last years dead Willowherb stems.
22
The embankment by mid summer was like parts of the Browney STW in that it
became increasingly difficult to get into, due to the height of the vegetation. Most of
the insects that were seen here were along the margins between the higher
vegetation and the mown edges. As with every other site surveyed this year
Butterflies, Bumblebees and Dragonflies were well below the numbers I would have
expected to see simply due to the weather.
The small woodland plantations within the site boundary were planted in a dense
formation and were not properly thinned out later to a wider spacing that would
have allowed light to penetrate to the floor this would give plants and other species
a chance to take advantage of the shelter offered, with room to move around. With
the exception of around the pond, area ‘C’ and the embankment, everywhere was
mown or strimmed to the detriment of almost all plant species except for grass.
Conservation.
Some really excellent conservation work has been carried out here in the vicinity of
the pond. The excavation has been done with thought; the pond is neither too
shallow nor too deep. Most wildlife, both plants and insects live in the top in the top
650cm (approx 2 feet) of the water. The Typha plants that were removed have been
neatly stacked and along with a railway sleeper box like construction, some distance
away will provide winter hibernating quarters for many small mammals, insects and
reptiles.
I am very confident that the pond will attract several more species of Dragonfly to
colonise it in the next two or three years. The larger Dragonflies especially range
over many miles during their maturation period and some are always looking for
new habitat in which to breed. I have no conservation comments or suggestions to
make regarding this site.
Insect records.
All insects recorded for this site are to be found in Appendix ‘A’ page 5. In a
spreadsheet format which gives the dates the site was visited, the temperature, the
species seen on each visit and the numbers recorded. Of particular interest on this
site is The Purple Hairstreak Butterfly although the tree it was seen on overhung the
site, rather than being within the site boundary, and also of great interest was the
finding of the recent addition to the British List of a Bumblebee species, Bombus
hypnorum mentioned above.
23
Appendix A.
28.04.12
06.05.12.
22.05.12
20.06.12.
29.06.12
12.07.12
29.07.12
14.08.12.
28.08.12
05.09.12
28.09.12
09.10.12
11
NZ 286 464
Temperature during visit. Degrees C.
14.04.12.
Brasside STW.
9
19
25
18
16
15
15
14
14
13
14
11
Butterflies
Green-veined White P.napi.
Large White P.brassicae
Orange Tip A.cardamines.
Small White P. rapae.
Purple Hairstreak N.quercus.
Holly Blue C.argiolus.
Red Admiral V.atalanta.
Peacock I io.
Small Tortoiseshell A.urticae.
Speckled Wood P.aegeria .
Meadow Brown M.jurtina.
Ringlet A.hyperantus.
2
3
4
2
1
3
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
17
2
4
1
Dragonflies.
Southern Hawker. Aeshna cyanea.
Migrant Hawker. Aeshna mixta.
Common Darter. Sympetrum striolatum.
1
1
1
Bumblebees. No English names for these
species are in common useage.
B.lucorum.
B.pascuorum.
B.hortorum.
B.lapidarius.
No insects No insects
seen in flight
seen in flight
Too cold. Too cold.
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
2
1
4
5
4
2
1
1
3
2
1
2
1
1
2
7
3
2
3
1
No insects
seen in flight
Too cold.
28.04 12.
04.05.12.
24.05.12.
05.06.12.
26.06.12.
17.07.12
28.07.12.
11.08.12.
23.08.12.
16.09.12
28.09.12.
NZ 257 386
Temperature during visit. Degrees C.
10.04.12.
Browney STW.
11
12
17
22
17
19
16-20
16
15
16
14
12
Butterflies
Small Skipper T.sylvestris.
Small White P. rapae.
Large White P. Brassicae.
Green-veined White P.napi.
Orange Tip A.cardamines.
Small Copper L.phlaeas.
Red Admiral V.atalanta.
Small Tortoiseshell A.urticae.
Peacock I io.
Meadow Brown M.jurtina.
Ringlet A.hyperantus.
1
1
2
9
3
2
7
2
2
5
1
1
1
3
1
1
4
1
2
1
3
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
1
1
1
11
3
4
2
1
6
2
1
5
1
2
1
2
6
3
1
1
1
1
1
Dragonflies.
None seen on this site.
Bumblebees. No English names for these
species are in common useage.
B.terrestris.
B.lucorum.
B.pascuorum.
B.hortorum.
B.lapidarius.
B.(P) bohemicus.
No insects No insects
seen in flight seen in flight
Too cold.
Too cold.
1
2
2
1
2
2
1
3
2
4
2
1
2
3
1
1
4
3
3
1
5
2
1
6
1
11
No insects
seen in flight
Too cold.
27.04.12
08.05.12
22.05.12
06.06.12.
19.06.12.
28.06.12
12.07.12
20.07.12.
09.08.12.
21.08.12
09.09.12.
24.09.12.
NZ 301 492
Temperature during visit. Degrees C.
15.04.12
Lumley WTW.
13
12
19
12
14
15
16
15
14
14
15
15
13
Green-veined White P.napi .
Large White. P. brassicae.
Orange Tip A.cardamines.
Small Copper L.phlaeas.
Red Admiral V.atalanta.
Small Tortoiseshell A.urticae.
3
1
7
1
2
1
1
2
1
2
1
1
4
1
1
1
1
Dragonflies.
Large Red Damselfly. Pyrrhosoma nymphula.
Blue-tailed Damselfly. Ischnura elegans.
Common Blue Damselfly.Enallagma cyathigerum.
Emerald Damselfly. Lestes sponsa
2
1
2
Bumblebees. No English names for these
species are in common useage.
B.lucorum.
B.pratorum.
B.pascuorum.
B.lapidarius.
B.(P) bohemicus.
2
1
3
2
No insects No insects
seen in flightseen in flight
Too cold. Too cold.
1
1
2
4
29
21
1
1
1
2
1
2
10
1
19
1
4
1
2
1
5
2
1
2
1
3
4
5
2
3
7
8
4
9
4
1
1
2
7
2
1
2
6
1
1
4
9
No insects
seen in flight
Too cold.
08.05.12.
15.05.12
20.05.12
23.05.12
04.06.12.
18.06.12.
03.07.12.
15.07.12
27.07.12.
09.08.12
30.08.12.
04.09.12
28.09.12.
NZ 063 505
Temperature during visit. Degrees C.
24.04.12
Mosswood STW.
12
13
14
Unknown.
23
14
18
15
13-16
15
16-20
14
19
14
Butterflies
Small Skipper T.sylvestris.
Dingy Skipper E. tages.
Large White P.brassicae
Small White P. rapae.
Green-veined White P.napi.
Orange Tip A.cardamines.
Purple Hairstreak N.quercus.
Small Copper L.phlaeas.
Red Admiral V.atalanta.
Small Tortoiseshell A.urticae.
Peacock I.io.
Speckled Wood P.aegeria .
Meadow Brown M.jurtina.
Ringlet A.hyperantus.
2
7
1
2
1
2
1
3
4
1
3
2
2
2
7
2
1
5
2
1
6
4
3
1
1
1
1
2
1
1
2
4
2
1
2
1
1
1
Dragonflies.
Large Red Damselfly. Pyrrhosoma nymphula.
Blue-tailed Damselfly. Ischnura elegans.
Common Blue Damselfly.Enallagma cyathigerum.
Emerald Damselfly. Lestes sponsa
Southern Hawker. Aeshna cyanea.
1
3
1
13
9
Bumblebees. No English names for these
species are in general useage.
B.terrestris.
B.lucorum.
B.pascuorum.
B.hortorum.
B.lapidarius.
B.(P) bohemicus.
17
12
14
1
1
2
1
No insects No insects
seen in flightseen in flight
Too cold. Too cold.
1
24
4
1
1
3
1
7
Seen by Mr.
S. Pudney
NWL.
1
1
1
2
2
8
17
2
14
21
4
1
1
1
1
5
19
2
3
1
14
3
3
1
1
2
1
15
7
12
4
1
4
1
2
8
2
10
7
2
1
3
1
30
2
1
1
4
5
4
7
1
1
1
1
2
4
1
2
2
1
6
1
1
23.04.12
12.05.12
20.05.12.
12.06.12
20.06.12.
17.07.12.
28.07.12.
14.08.12
07.09.12
18.09.12.
NZ 250 356
Temperature during visit. Degrees C.
09.04.12.
Tudhoe Mill STW.
10
12
18
21
13
18
16
15
14
14
10
Butterflies
Green-veined White P.napi.
Large White. Pieris brassicae.
Purple Hairstreak. See note below
Red Admiral V.atalanta.
Small White Pieris rapae.
Meadow Brown M.jurtina.
Ringlet A.hyperantus.
3
11
6
1
10
1
Dragonflies.
Large Red Damselfly. Pyrrhosoma nymphula.
Blue-tailed Damselfly. Ischnura elegans.
Common Blue Damselfly.Enallagma cyathigerum.
Emerald Damselfly. Lestes sponsa
Common Darter. Sympetrum striolatum.
Broad-bodied Chaser. Libellula depressa.
Bumblebees. No English names for these
species are in common useage.
B.lucorum.
B.pascuorum.
B.hortorum.
B.hypnorum.
B.lapidarius.
B.(P) bohemicus.
B.(P) vestalis.
Note. The Purple Hairstreak was on an Oak tree
hanging over the site boundary fence.
2
1
4
2
7
4
1
2
1
3
9
11
1
16
7
2
1
1
12
3
3
8
2
5
1
2
19
32
15
30+
7
13
27
14
21
7
1
8
11
9
2
2
6
3
7
2
1
2
1
4
2
4
8
4
2
1
2
1
1
12
2
1
1
8
2
1
1
3
1
16
1
7
1
No insects No insects
seen. Too seen. Too
cold
cold.
9
2
3
1
2
1
1
1
1
2
1
2
No insects
seen. Too
cold.
6.
Acknowledgements.
The author would like to thank Mr. Mark Morris and Mr. Stuart
Pudney of Northumbrian Water’s Conservation Department for
commissioning this report and for their continued support and
interest in this project.
My thanks are also due to the Managers and the Staff of the
various sites visited during this year’s survey for their co-operation
and interest in what was going on. A large number of these
employers had not encountered an entomological surveyor before
and were somewhat bemused when they first met me. I have had
nothing but interest expressed in my work. Indeed some of the
site personnel didn’t know there were Dragonflies or Butterflies
occurring on the sites where they were working until I pointed
them out. They simply hadn’t any idea of what to look for.