Visit to Willington Gravel Pits/Hilton Gravel Pits Derbyshire Wildlife Trust 11th June 2017

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1 Visit to Willington Gravel Pits/Hilton Gravel Pits Derbyshire Wildlife Trust 11th June members met at Greendale at 8.30 am. Eileen & Graham Gill, Linda & Mick Fairest, Charles Seymour, Brian Smithson & Malcolm Swift. We set off in 2 cars for Willington on a fine and dry Sunday morning. On arrival we found the small car park to be quite full but managed to squeeze in. Cetti s Warbler was in good singing voice as was Garden Warbler and Chiff Chaff as we set off along the lane towards the viewing platforms. It was soon obvious our flower list was going to be a long one as we noted Yellow Flag Iris, Silverweed, Bramble, Cow Parsley, Dog Rose, Moonpenny. We hesitated for a few minutes in the Nature Reserve area towards the old gravel pits and there noted Cut-leaved Crane s-bill, White Dead Nettle, Lesser Trefoil, Goat sbeard and Hedgerow Crane s-bill. We returned to the lane and soon had good views of a Treecreeper. Carrying on to the first platform noting Reed Bunting, Mute Swan, Black-headed Gull, and several Common Tern diving for fish in front of us. Cetti s Warbler s explosive call could be heard in several directions but of course not easy to see. A good specimen of Common Spotted Orchid flowered below the platform as did Yellow Water Lily. At the end of the lane we approached the new hide which now can only be accessed by combination lock. Luckily Charles had his Derbyshire Wildlife Trust membership card and therefore access could be gained, hurrah!! Beneath the hide provision has been made for a Sand Martin hotel (concrete base with nest holes). But unfortunately there were none to be seen. A Great Crested Grebe with 2 chicks riding on her back was seen in the distance as was a Buzzard and Grey Heron. The 2 Osprey nesting platforms were empty. On the far bank 4 Konik ponies were grazing along with a small flock of Hebridean Sheep presumably brought in to keep the grass down. After our packed lunch we re-traced our steps down the lane and as the sun came out so did various butterflies including Speckled Wood, Small Tortoiseshell and Comma. Also noted were Banded Demoiselles and Azure Damselflies. We arrived back at the Nature Reserve and meandered through the many wild flowers noting the rare Grass Vetchling (often overlooked) Evening Primrose, Common Sorrell and Mallow amongst many others. We followed a circular path which brought us back to the lane near to the car park. We jumped in the cars and travelled the short distance to the Nature Reserve at Hilton where we knew from a visit in April 2016 that areas had been set aside for an Orchid meadow and also Lichen meadow to encourage butterflies. There were orchids in this area identified as Early Purple and also Common Twayblade in large numbers. Further on into the reserve we came across a solitary Southern Marsh Orchid. Along the woodland path back to the main path we came across a patch of Lousewort growing right in the middle of the path and to one side. It appeared to have moved a foot or so since we were last here in April 2016!! Birds 46 Flora 70 Insects 12 Fungi 2 Mammal 2 Amphibian 1 (Common Frog) Reporter: Linda Fairest

2 Birds Birds Flora Willington Hilton Willington Blackbird Blackcap Yellow Flag Iris Blackcap Black-headed Gulls Silverweed Black-headed Gull Blackbird Cow Parsley Blue Tit Blue Tit Bramble Buzzard Buzzard Dandelion Canada Goose Canada Goose Pineapple Mayweed Carrion Crow Coot Dog Rose Cetti s Warbler Chiff Chaff Meadow Buttercup Chiff Chaff Goldfinch Nettle Common Tern Great Crested Grebe Moonpenny Coot Jackdaw Goosegrass Cormorant Kestrel Hogweed Dunnock Green Woodpecker Elderflower Gadwall Mallard White Clover Garden Warbler Robin Prickly Sow Thistle Goldfinch Tufted Duck White Dead Nettle Great Crested Grebe Sedge Warbler Cut-leaved Crane s-bill Great Tit Wren Bugle Grey Heron Jay Wood Avens Greylag Goose Greater Plantain House Martin Nipplewort Jackdaw Flora Lesser Trefoil Lesser Black-backed Gull Willington Goat s-beard Magpie Hedgerow Crane s-bill Mallard Ribwort Plantain Red Clover Moorhen Forget-me-not Common Figwort Mute Swan Selfheal Water Forget-me-not Oystercatcher Common Spotted Orchid Yellow Water Lily Pheasant Dogwood Knapweed Reed Bunting Weld Meadow Sweet Reed Warbler Reed Mace Tufted Vetch Robin Bird s-foot-trefoil Burdock Sedge Warbler Herb Robert White Campion Skylark Daisy Black Medick Song Thrush Lesser Stitchwort Cinquefoil Swallow Cuckoo Flower Hairy Tare Swift Woundwort Common Sorrell Teal Bush Vetch Groundsel Treecreeper Grass Vetchling Red Campion Tufted Duck Mallow Evening Primrose Whitethroat Creeping Thistle Willow Warbler Woodpigeon Wren Insects over both Reserves 7 spot Ladybird Azure Damselfly Banded Demoiselle Buff, White and also Red-tailed Bumble Bees. Comma, Common Blue, Meadow Brown, Skipper, Small Tortoiseshell and Speckled Wood butterflies.

3 Hilton Flora Foxglove Bramble Hogweed Lesser Stitchwort Meadow Buttercup Burdock Red Campion Cow Parsley White Dead Nettle Forget-me-not Goosegrass Daisy Bird s-foot-trefoil Broad-leaved Willow Herb Broom Bush Vetch Common Spotted Orchid Common Twayblade Cut-leaved Crane s-bill Early Purple Orchid Elderflower Field Poppy Figwort Germander Speedwell Hay Rattle Herb Robert Honeysuckle Lousewort Meadow Crane s-bill Moonpenny Ragged Robin Red Clover Selfheal Silverweed Southern Marsh Orchid Tufted Vetch White Clover Wood Avens Woundwort Yellow Flag Iris Hilton Fungi Piptoporus Betulinus Jew s Ear Hilton Mammals Grey Squirrel Mole Hills

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