My friend John has been working on a farm cottage on the moors to the west of Alnwick and the land owner has given permission to 'do as he pleased'. So, along with Johns colleague, Derek, who has a nice generator and a quad bike we are looking good to transport the gear to a place where no man has gone before...well, not for moths anyway.
The site is in a strip of mature birch woodland with a large heather moor on the north side and a blanket sphagnum bog on the south side...Clearings like this above, look ideal.
This is the view north.
Very old lichen and fungi covered birches...
Above - View south, sphagnum bog with cotton grass in summer.
So, we are hoping to start in May, when the weather up here is milder, and maybe do monthly visits until September. I hope this all comes together, there are sure to be some good records to be had in this habitat...
Looks superb. Any targets in mind .. Haworth's Minor, Anomalous, Glaucous Shears ....
ReplyDeleteStewart, go and fill your mothing boots!
ReplyDeleteMark - Yes Haworths Minor is one plus Dark Tussock and maybe Clouded Buff? etc...but anything of interest will do me.
ReplyDeleteSteve - Hope so..
It looks like a foreign landscape to a Southerner, Stewart! Good luck with it-
ReplyDeleteSuperb habitat is that! heather moorland...drool! we get none of that down here in Essex, mature woodland is about as diverse as it gets here! Good luck in May and keep us all posted.
ReplyDeleteTerrific site Stewart, we'll be watching with interest...Good luck
ReplyDeleteHope so chaps, maybe some photos on a nice day would do it more justice. As soo as we have a go, the report will be on here....
ReplyDelete