Wildlife Journal | Hainault Forest

AUGUST 2025

European Hornet

Vespa Crabro

TQ4792 01/08/2025* ©Mike Rumble

Black-headed Gull

Chroicocephalus ridibundus

TQ4792 04/07/2025 ©Michael Trump

Black-headed Gulls are regarded as winter visitors but are also seen in fewer numbers during summer. When in winter plumage there is only a small dot on the side of the head, come summer and the head is totally dark.

Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

TQ4792 19/07/2025 ©Mike Rumble

The Grey Heron has a wingspan up to 195cm.

TQ4792 19/07/2025 ©Mike Rumble

Greylag Goose

Anser anser

TQ4792 19/07/2025 ©Mike Rumble

The Greylag is the commonest native goose.

Canada Goose

Branta canadensis

TQ4792 19/07/2025 ©Mike Rumble

The Canada Goose has a distinctive black head and neck, and a large white patch on the throat.

Jewel Wasp

Chrysididae

TQ4792 08/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

Members of the family Chrysididae are known as Jewel or Cuckoo Wasps. They are small (4-11mm) and their bodies often have a metallic iridescence. Their eggs are laid in nests of unrelated species. The larvae hatch to feed on eggs and young belonging to the host before eating the host's food supply. Chrysidids are always solitary, usually flying on hot, dry, sunny days. There are a number of similar-looking species.

Purple Thorn

Selenia tetralunaria

TQ4692 10/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

There are two generations of the Purple Thorn each year. The first generation which flies in April and May has more purple in its colouration. The summer generation that appears in July and August has smaller and paler individuals. This moth can be found in woodland, heathland and scrub. Its larvae feed on broadleaved trees such as Hazel and Birch.

TQ4692 10/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

Chocolate-tip

Clostera curtula

TQ4792 25/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

Chocolate-tip moths can be found in woodland, scrub and on hedgerows. Foodplants include Aspen, Poplar, Sallow and Willow.

TQ4792 25/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

Lime-speck Pug

Eupithecia centaureata

TQ4792 23/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

The Lime-speck Pug flies from April to October in two broods. Its larvae feed on a wide range of plants.

Jersey Tiger

Euplagia quadripunctaria

TQ4792 23/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

The Jersey Tiger is a moth that originates from the Channel Islands. Since 2017 it has become a prolific sight in Hainault flying during daytime from July to September. Many people mistake it for an orange-coloured butterfly when flying. The larvae feed on nettles, hemp-agrimony, plantains and other shrubs.

Oak Processionary

Thaumetopoea processionea

TQ4692 17/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

Contact with hairs of Oak Processionary caterpillars can cause severe, occasionally life-threatening, symptoms. However, adults do not pose the same health problems. Adults fly from July until September.

Black Arches

Lymantria monacha

TQ4692 10/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

The Black Arches moth is on the wing during July and August. It frequents places that contain oak trees. Its caterpillars feed on oak in spring.

Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing

Noctua janthe

TQ4692 11/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

The Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing has one generation a year flying from July until September. Its larvae feed on Herbaceous plants.

Fig-leaf Skeletoniser

Choreutis nemorana

TQ4692 13/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

This tiny micro-moth with a wingspan of 16-20mm was first recorded in Britain during 2014 when caterpillars and cocoons were discovered in Hyde Park, London, on a Fig tree. Since that time these moths have now been found in Kent and Essex and appear to be spreading fast. The larvae feed on the soft tissue of Fig leaves leaving behind a network of veins that resemble a skeleton.

Cinnamon Bug

Corizus hyoscyami

TQ4792 06/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

This brightly coloured bug was once considered a coastal species but is now becoming more frequent inland. About 9mm long.

24-spot Ladybird

Subcoccinella vigintiquattuorpunctata

TQ4792 07/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

The Twenty-four Spot Ladybird has a dusty appearance. It feeds on fungal moulds and is mostly found on grasses, thistle, nettle, mugwort, knapweed and other low vegetation.

Adonis Ladybird

Hippodamia variegata

TQ4792 23/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

The body of the Adonis Ladybird (4-5mm) is more elongated than other ladybirds with the number of spots varying from 3 to 15 with most located towards the rear. This species is found on wild carrot and other low vegetation on warm summer days.

Roesel's Bush-cricket

Metrioptera roeselii

TQ4792 01/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

Roesel's Bush Cricket is omnivorous, but mainly feeds on grass and other greenery. There are two forms; one short-winged that cannot fly and a less common fully-winged form that can. Found in long grass and scrub, this species usually has a cream-coloured edge to the pronotum and three yellow spots on the thorax. Nymphs appear late May and June and adults (13-26mm long) in July and August.

Speckled Bush-cricket

Leptophyes punctatissima

TQ4792 08/07/2025 ©Mike Rumble

The Speckled Bush-cricket is a common woodland species with adults that appear from July until November. Their bodies are covered in tiny black spots and there is a light brown stripe along the back. Females lay eggs in bark of trees and shrubs using an ovipositor to deposit eggs.

Meadow Grasshopper

Pseudochorthippus parallelus

TQ4792 23/07/2025 ©Raymond Small

The Meadow Grasshopper is a common insect often found in long grass during the summer months. Females grow to approximately 2cm and are larger and less active than males that grow to about 1.5cm. Males are long-winged, while females are usually short-winged. This species has parallel pronotal side-keels and normally has black 'knees' on its hind legs .

Gatekeeper

Pyronia tithonus

TQ4792 05/07/2025 ©Michael Trump

The Gatekeeper is a common butterfly that flies during summer. The sexes are easy to tell apart because males have distinctive dark bars on the forewings. The larger female is usually lighter in colour. This species is also known as the 'Hedge Brown'.

Common Red Soldier Beetle

Rhagonycha fulva

This Soldier Beetle has a reddish-orange body with a black tip. Adults are a common sight in the meadows during July and August when they visit flowers of Knapweed, Wild Carrot, Cow Parsley and Hogweed. They feed on nectar, pollen and other insects.

Wasp Spider

Argiope bruennichi

Wasp Spiders build large orb webs in grassland which catch grasshoppers and crickets.

Red Clover

Trifolium pratense

Red clover is a common perennial plant, widely found in grassy areas. It has pinkish-red flower heads and trifoliate leaves. The green leaflets are marked with a white V-shape. The plant provides a valuable source of nectar for bees.

Common Mallow

Malva sylvestris

Common mallow has pink purple-striped flowers with five petals, hairy stalks and five-lobed leaves. Plants are seen from June to October and are usually found on waste ground and along footpaths.

Curled Dock

Rumex crispus

Curled Dock grows up to one metre tall usually on disturbed ground. It is very hardy and can survive several months submerged in floodwaters.

The tall flower spikes are densely packed with flowers and seeds. The leaves are slender with wavy edges and normally taper to a point.

Teasel

Dipsacus fullonum

During July and August the spiky flower-heads of Teasel display rings of purple flowers. The plant attracts goldfinches and other birds which feed on its seeds.

Creeping Cinquefoil

Potentilla reptans

Creeping Cinquefoil is a perennial that spreads using long rooting runners. The solitary yellow flowers have five yellow notched petals surrounding twenty stamens and many pistils. The palmate leaves are divided into five (sometimes seven) toothed leaflets.

Common Toad

Bufo bufo

The toad migration from Hainault Lake continued into July to a much lesser degree than in June. Mike placed his finger next to this toad for a size comparison.

The sight of this 'Humming-bird Hawk-moth' amazed Catherine Newbiggin as it hovered over flower-heads to drink nectar using its long tongue. Unlike most hawk-moths, this regular migrant is mainly a day-flying species usually seen visiting flowers on sunny days.

Thank you to everyone that has contributed this month.

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