Mammals, Moths and Minibeasts

St John's Church in Hurst Green was the location for a Bioblitz held at the start of Cherishing Churchyards' Week which ran from June 9 to June 17. With help from staff and volunteers from Lancashire Wildlife Trust, members of the congegation and A Rocha UK, we started on the Friday evening in lovely late spring weather. The first task was setting humane mammal traps in the grassland then moth traps around the church itself.

 At sunset we held a bat walk with several church members there, using bat detectors. John Hyde, a member of the congregation led us round part of the village. It was an exciting evening with at least three species, Common Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle and Noctule easily noticed. David from A Rocha UK helped with the identification. We also heard a male Tawny Owl.

Saturday morning starting early with bacon butties at eight as Rob Yates and Bob Pyefinch checked the moth traps and Joan Hunter opened the small mammal traps. There were only two mammals caught, a Wood Mouse and this Bank Vole

Several species of moth were identified even before opening the traps.

 Some on the outside of the trap, and in one case on the wall of the church. It is the moth pictured on the left, a Peach Blossom. We walked past it twice before spotting it. Camouflage is a wonderful adaptation as demonstrated by the Buff Tip in the photograph on the right. The other moth pictured is a Beautiful Golden Y 

           

Surveying had a slight break when Joe Wilson, a reporter from Radio Lancashire turned up to interview some of the organisers. Activities for younger folk were available including checking owl pellets, finding minibeasts and making the life cycle of a moth from pasta
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 As the morning progressed, Phil and Elspeth came to record flies and hoverflies, but botany we left to the County recorder, David Earle. Phil is in the foreground and David to the right of the group surveying the plants. Some of the flowers included Common Dog Violet, Greater Stitchwort and Eyebright. John Wright, ably assisted by his son surveyed hoverflies.

 Refreshments were in constant supply which helped us keep going all morning. As usual for this time of year, birds were difficult to spot. The one exception being a Barn Owl that had perched in a tree in the other part of the church grounds across the road.

Thanking all those mentioned above involved in the two days especially Julia Simonds from The Wildlife Trust, Clare Hyde from St John's, and David Beattie from A Rocha UK. At the end of the day, all the records were sent via iRecord to the various County Recorders.