The Wanstead Wildlife Weekend is the perfect opportunity to experience the fine array of butterflies and moths that Wanstead Park is blessed with during spring and summer, says Tim Harris from the Wren Wildlife Group
The reason butterflies thrive here is the rich variety of habitats. Chocolate and cream Speckled Wood butterflies can be seen flying low in sun-dappled woodland glades on warm days, while Purple Hairstreaks (bottom left photo) are denizens of the high oak canopy, often visible only when the sun catches their wings as they flit through the foliage.
Wanstead Park’s untidy scrubby areas, especially where there’s plenty of brambles, attract Green Hairstreaks, Marbled Whites (centre photo), Gatekeepers (bottom right photo) and Ringlets. Then again, the open grassland between the tea hut and the Temple has its own suite of specialist species, including the skippers, Small Coppers and Small Heaths. Occasionally, a wanderer from further north in Epping Forest – such as a Silver-Washed Fritillary (top left image) – finds its way here in high summer. A surprise visitor is always possible if you keep searching.
This diversity has been recognised by the Big City Butterflies project, which is working with the Wren Wildlife Group to monitor these beautiful insects. Volunteers will go out every week over the summer months to count numbers and species, with the findings being fed into a national database. Over time, this information will contribute to finding out how our butterflies are faring nationally – and inform conservation measures to help them.
Children are naturally drawn to the beautiful colours and graceful flight of butterflies and, with that in mind, the Wren Wildlife Group’s Wildlife Weekend this month (22 and 23 June) will feature a butterfly trail. Just turn up at our information tent by the Wanstead Park tea hut and ask for a children’s butterfly pack.
Wanstead Park is also renowned for butterflies’ close relatives, the moths. More than 700 species have been spotted locally, and for those prepared to leave the comfort of their beds early on the Saturday morning of the Wildlife Weekend, the contents of a light-trap will be revealed at 6am. We are hoping for a repeat of last year’s event when one of the moths lured to the light was a magnificent Large Emerald (top right photo) – the first ever recorded locally.
For more information on Wanstead Wildlife Weekend events, visit wnstd.com/wild24