EVENING MEETING TO SUGLEY WOOD

On Wednesday 6 July, the HFFS enjoyed an evening guided tour of Sugley Wood adjoining to Gamlingay Wood, given by warden James Bonfield.

It was a balmy night with some cloud cover and a warm breeze, making it reasonably good conditions for insects. We walked through Gamlingay Wood, passing by the pond in Knibbs Glade, where we were lucky to see a rare Silver Washed Fritillary, several moth species and a burying beetle. We then went through the gate into Sugley Wood, which was been created as a new wood around 20 years ago by firstly growing barley on the site to reduce the nutrient content and then scattering the mowings from the rides in Gamlingay Wood onto the site. It was very encouraging that in this short time, the biodiversity had increased significantly. It is now mainly a rich grassland with a small amount of scrub but is likely to become more wooded with time.

In Sugley Wood, we found there was a lot of Yellow Rattle which had appeared naturally. Other typical plants found on the site were Meadow Vetchling, Betony, Red Bartsia, Tufted Vetch and Wild Carrot. Less common, we recorded Wild Anjelica, Meadow Barley, Wild Parsnip, Fairy Flax and Pyramidal Orchid. We were also lucky to be able to record a good list of butterflies on the site – Marbled White, Small Skipper, Essex Skipper, Gatekeeper and Meadow Brown.

Gamlingay Wood

VC31:

Chicory

Phllonorycter coryli (leaf miner on hazel)

Common Spotted Orchid

VC29:

Small Fan Footed Wave

Knibbs Glade

Chrysoteuchia culmella (a common grass moth)

Green Oak Tortrix (moth)

Ringlets (2x)

Broad Bodied Chaser

Burying Beetle

Silver Washed Fritillary (butterfly)

Betony

Sugley Wood

Yellow Rattle

Meadow Vetchling

Betony

Goatsbeard

Fairy Flax

Knapweed

Marbled White

Pyramidal Orchid

Red Bartsia

Meadow Barley

Wild Anjelica

Tufted Vetch

Agrimony

Wild Carrot

Small Skipper

Essex Skipper

Gatekeeper

Hoary Ragwort

Hedge Bedstraw

Meadow Browns

Wild Parnip

Field Scabious

On exit through Gamlingay Wood:

Hedge Woundwort

Soft Shield Fern – a rare sighting, possibly a new record

Nettle Leaved Bellflower

Wood Sedge

Dead Common Shrew

Trichaptum Albatina – a slime mould on a dead pine