If you are anything like me you probably spend as much of your valuable free time as possible at one of Worcestershire’s prime wildlife ‘hotspots’, in my case Tiddesley Wood; renowned for it’s rich flora and fauna.
However, on occasions it’s only possible to snatch a short half-hour break in the middle of a busy schedule, so what we do is take the dogs for a run across a small network of public footpaths on the outskirts of our village; Drakes Broughton. One path leads through an area of orchards from which I have compiled an interesting list of ‘casual’ records covering the last three years.
The orchards, centred on grid-ref; SO923487, occupy an area of land roughly equating to that of a couple of football pitches, (I’m not intending to get too technical in this article)! At first glance the site appears fairly unremarkable with regimental rows of commercially grown varieties of apple trees. There is however an element of some neglect which gives the place an immediate sense of appeal to the naturalist. By far the best aspect of the site is the presence of a very good hedgerow on its northern and eastern boundaries. I don’t know for certain but I suspect these could be ancient boundaries; there is a ditch system and a healthy variety of overgrown and entangled trees and shrubs including Pedunculate and Sessile Oak, Crab-Apple, Pear, Plum, Damson, Field Maple, Hazel, Holly, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Dutch Elm (I think), and Sallow. In addition there are entanglements of Ivy, Bramble, Dog-Rose species and the odd Birch sapling. There is an ‘ordinary’ mix of associated hedgerow flowers, Cow-Parsley and Hogweed being very prominent. (I’m no botanist but I haven’t found anything unusual). As I understand it these small neglected corners of Worcestershire’s fruit-growing orchards are fast disappearing, but are home for a wealth of species, often in areas surrounded by ‘deserts’ of agricultural Rye Grass. Indeed, I suspect many of the so-called ‘common’ species are only able to maintain present population levels because of these small scattered corners of ‘neglected’ agricultural land. It could be that these inter-connecting corridors of good wildlife habitat deserve as much attention from a conservation point of view as do our ‘jewels-in-the-crown’ like Tiddesley.
If you can, it’s very worthwhile keeping an eye open for anything unusual at your own ‘local’; as well as it being good fun to maintain a list of species recorded, you can quickly get to know it intimately, rather like keeping a list of birds in your garden. The real thrill comes when you find something of genuine importance, and I’m certain that Worcestershire still holds many surprises that need to be discovered and, above all, preserved.
My own areas of interest are ornithology and entomology. There now follows an account of my findings from casual records at Drakes Broughton Orchards over the last three years.
The most noteworthy records are;
| Woodcock | Scolopax rusticola | One flushed from ditch on 21.3.1998 |
| Turtle Dove | Streptopelia turtur | Breeding pair each year. May to July |
| Lesser Whitethroat | Sylvia curruca | At least one breeding pair each year. July is best month |
| Hobby | Falco subbuteo | One present briefly on 31.5.1999. was chased off by a Mistle Thrush! |
| Bullfinch | Pyrrhula pyrrhula | At least one breeding pair annually. Up to six present in winter |
| Linnet | Carduelis cannabina | Very rare winter visitor only |
| Yellowhammer | Emberiza citrinella | Very rare winter visitor only |
Other known breeding residents are;
Woodpigeon Columba palumbus
Collared dove Streptopelia decaocto
Cuckoo Cuculus canorus
Great spotted Woodpecker Dendrocopos major
Pied Wagtail Motacilla alba
Wren Troglodytes troglodytes
Dunnock Prunella modularis
Robin Erithacus rubecula
Blackbird Turdus merula
Mistle Thrush Turdus viscivorus
Garden Warbler Sylvia borin
Whitethroat Sylvia communis
Blackcap Sylvia atricapilla
Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus
Chiffchaff Phylloscopus collybita
Blue Tit Parus caeruleus
Great Tit Parus major
Long-tailed Tit Aegithalos caudatus
Starling Sturnus vulgaris
Magpie Pica pica
Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs
Greenfinch Carduelis chloris
Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis
A total of 17 species recorded. The most noteworthy records are:
| Holly blue | Celastrina argiolus | Occasional singletons. Probably breeding resident |
| Marbled White | Melanargia galathea | Occasional singletons, probably wanderers from the nearby colony at the Mill Meadow reserve |
| Ringlet | Aphantopus hyperantus | Healthy colony exists. For example; up to 20 on 8.7.98 |
Other species recorded at Drakes Broughton orchards;
Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni
Comma Polygonia c-album
Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus
Green-veined White Pieris napi
Large Skipper Ochlodes venata
Large White Pieris brassicae
Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina
Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines
Peacock Inachis io
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
Small White Pieris rapae
Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae
Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris
Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria
All from casual day-time records only.
The ‘Group’ letters are taken from the system devised by Dr. A.N.B.Simpson to determine the status of each species within the county: Group A being common, Group D extinct.
| 1 | Angle-shades | Phlogophora meticulosa | Group A |
| 2 | Buff-tip | Phalera bucephala | Group A |
| 3 | Beautiful Golden-Y | Autographa pulchrina | Group A |
| 4 | Cinnabar | Tyria jacobaeae | Group A |
| 5 | Common Carpet | Epirrhoe alternata alternata | Group A |
| 6 | Common Marbled Carpet | Chloroclysta truncata | Group A |
| 7 | Common White-wave | Cabera pusaria | Group A |
| 8 | Common Footman | Eilema lurideola | Group A. Larval records only |
| 9 | Hebrew Character | Orthosia gothica | Group A |
| 10 | Knot Grass | Acronicta rumicis | Group A |
| 11 | Large Yellow Underwing | Noctua pronuba | Group A |
| 12 | Light Emerald | Campaea margaritata | Group A |
| 13 | Mottled Beauty | Alcis repandata repandata | Group A |
| 14 | Mother Shipton | Callistege mi | Group B. Adult on 21.6.1998 |
| 15 | Oak Nyceteoline | Nyceteola revayana | Group B. Larva on oak, 4.8.1999 |
| 17 | Silver-Y | Autographa gamma | Group A |
| 18 | Shaded Broad-bar | Scotopteryx chenopodiata | Group A |
| 19 | Scarce Footman | Eilema complana | Group A. Larval records only |
| 20 | Small Yellow Underwing | Panemeria tenebrata | Group B. Adults on 18.5.1997. & 25.5.1998 |
| 21 | The Drinker | Philudoria potatoria | Group A. Larval records only |
| 22 | The Vapourer | Orgyia antiqua | Group A |
| 23 | Yellow-tail | Euproctis similes | Group A. Larval records only |
| 24 | Yellow Shell | Camptogramma bilineata bilineata | Group A |
One species of note recorded;
Cydia aurana. Tortricidae. One at Hogweed flowers on 24.5.1999.
Not surprisingly, this site is of little importance in so far as breeding is concerned, no significant bodies of water occur. This is reflected in the list below, however, it’s worth bearing in mind that it does provide a ‘food & rest’ station for any species prepared to wander between sites.
| 1 | Azure Damselfly | Coenagrion puella | Frequent |
| 2 | Banded Demoiselle | Agrion splendens | One record, (female) on 19.6.1998 |
| 3 | Blue-tailed Damselfly | Ischnura elegans | Scarce |
| 4 | >Broad-bodied Chaser | Libellula depressa | Two records, (imm) on 18.5.1998, (female) on 21.6.1998 |
| 5 | Common blue Damselfly | Enallagma cyathigerum | Scarce, occasional male |
| 6 | Common Darter | Sympetrum striolatum | Scarce |
| 7 | Emerald Damselfly | Lestes sponsa | One record, (female) on 14.8.1999 |
| 8 | Large red Damselfly | Pyrrhosoma nymphula | Two records, (female) on 25.5.1998, (female) on 6.6.1999 |
| 9 | Migrant Hawker | Aeshna mixta | One record, on 16.8.1998 |
| 10 | Southern Hawker | Aeshna cyanea | One record, on 2.8.1998 |
| 11 | White-legged Damselfly | Platycnemis pennipes | Notable B. Four records of singles. June/July. An indication of how far this species will travel, the nearest breeding habitat must be about half a mile away at Bow Brook |
Records from easily identified species or from slides determined by P.F. Whitehead. National status guides are taken from recognised coleoptera literature.
| 1 | Agonum dorsale. (Carabidae) | Common. |
| 2 | Anaglyptus mysticus. (Cerambycidae) | Notable B. One, at Hogweed flowers, 6.6.1999 |
| 3 | Cryptocephalus pusillus. (Chrysomelidae) | Local. A few at one Sallow |
| 4 | Cantharis decipiens. (Cantharidae) | Common |
| 5 | Chrysolina oricalcia. (Chrysomelidae) | Notable B. One photographed on Cow Parsley, 30.5.1998. & 12.6.1998 |
| 6 | Cantharis nigra. (Cantharidae) | Common |
| 7 | Calvia quattuordecimguttata. (Coccinellidae) | Common |
| 8 | Crioceris asparagi. (Chrysomelidae) | Synanthropic. ‘Escaped’ asparagus plants flourish in places! |
| 9 | Clytus arietis. (Cerambycidae) | Common |
| 10 | Grammoptera ruficornis. (Cerambycidae) | Common |
| 11 | Ischnomera cyanea. (Oedemeridae) | Notable B. One photographed at Hogweed flowers, 31.5.1998. Also 6.6.1999 |
| 12 | Lagria hirta. (Tenebrionidae) | Common |
| 13 | Leptura livida. (Cerambycidae) | Local. Two photographed on Mayweed flowers, 3.7.1999 |
| 14 | Lochmaea crataegi. (Chrysomelidae) | Common |
| 15 | Molorchus umbellatarum. (Cerambycidae) | Notable A. One photographed at Hogweed flowers, 19.6.1998. Known to be associated with fruit trees |
| 16 | Melolontha melolontha. (Scarabaeidae) | Common |
| 17 | Oedemera lurida. (Oedemeridae) | Local |
| 18 | Oedemera nobilis. (Oedemeridae) | Local |
| 19 | Phaedon tumidulus. (Chrysomelidae) | Common |
| 20 | Propylea quattuordecimpunctata. (Coccinellidae) | Common |
| 21 | Phytoecia cylindrica. (Cerambycidae) | Notable B. Pr in- cop, photographed on Cow Parsley, 30.4.1999. Also 25.5.1999 |
| 22 | Rhynchites aequatus. (Attelabidae) | Common |
| 23 | Subcoccinella 24-punctata. (Coccinellidae) | Common |
| 24 | Stenocorus meridianus. (Cerambycidae) | Local |
| 25 | Tetrops praeusta. (Cerambycidae) | Local. Only at a couple of old crab-apples and plums |
A few easily recognised species.
| 1 | Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale. (Hawthorn Shieldbug) | One record, on 14.5.1999 |
| 2 | Coreus marginatus | Two records on 27.9.1997, and one at blackberry fruit on 3.10.1998 |
| 3 | Deraeocoris ruber | 20 |
| 4 | Leptopterna dolobrata | Two photographed on 19.6.1998. (male & female) |
| 5 | Miris striatus | LOCAL. Up to three on Oak foliage, 23.5 & 25.5.1998. A very striking species |
| 6 | Sehirus bicolour. (Pied Shieldbug) | Frequent on White Deadnettle during April |
| 7 | Palomena prasina. (Green Shieldbug) | 20 |
| 1 | Stoat | Mustela nivalis | One seen on 15.3.1997 |
With grateful thanks to Mr. P.F.Whitehead for his determination of some of my slides.
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