News from the West Wickham Commons

Each month, the rangers who look after Wickham Common and Spring Park send an update. If you don’t subscribe, here’s their latest news.

Thank you for your continued support and for helping us care for Spring Park and West Wickham Common throughout the year. Best wishes for the New Year from all the Rangers and the wider team!

Species of the month: Winter Moth

The Winter Moth (Operophtera brumata) is one of the few moth species active during the chilly winter months, able to withstand freezing temperatures that would stop many other insects in their tracks. It flies from October to January and comes to light.

It can often be found resting on tree trunks. Interestingly, males and females look very different, almost resembling an entirely different species: while the males have wings and can fly, the females have only short, stubby wings and are unable to take flight. To find a mate, the flightless female climbs up tree trunks and releases pheromones to attract a male. Winter Moth caterpillars play a vital role in the woodland ecosystem, providing an important food source for birds such as great tits and blue tits.

(Photo borrowed from Wickham Commons newsletter)

Tiny treasures in the thorns

Winter is a particularly quiet time for butterflies, with the occasional exception of a few Red Admirals or Peacocks emerging on warm days. During this season, most butterfly sightings are of eggs laid in the autumn, such as those from Brown Hairstreaks, which are typically laid on blackthorn.

While adult hairstreaks (active in late summer) can be elusive and challenging to spot, especially the males, spending much of their time high in the canopy of tall trees, the eggs are relatively easy to observe in winter. Counting Brown Hairstreak eggs provides an effective method for estimating the local population, considering the challenges in finding the butterflies.

At Spring Park, young blackthorn trees are surveyed, and the number of eggs is tallied. In recent years, Spring Park has shown a robust Brown Hairstreak population. This data is not only crucial for assessing the success of our site management but also contributes to the broader UK database, offering insights into how species are faring overall amid changes in climate and landscapes.

Volunteering

If you are interested in joining their monthly practical conservation work at Spring Park and West Wickham Common, or want to know more about what they get up to, visit the West Wickham Common and Spring Park volunteers page.

If you’d like to volunteer slightly closer to home, there’s also a team of volunteers at Well Wood. Look out for the signs as you enter the wood. They usually meet on the third Saturday of the month at 10am, at the Layhams Road Car Park.