Hainault Forest | April Journal

APRIL

April Journal

2024

Early Grey Xylocampa areola is one of the earliest moths to emerge in the year flying from March to May. Honeysuckle is its foodplant.

Towards the end of the month a female Mallard appeared with 13 ducklings on Roe's Well, or a "Baker's dozen" as Mike put it in his email. The term is thought to have started in medieval England when there were strict laws controlling the price of bread. Bakers would throw an extra loaf into orders of a dozen in case the bread was underweight, a crime for which they would get flogged with a whip or stick as punishment.

Greylag Geese parents are very protective and get involved in the care of the offspring. Two youngsters appeared at Hainault Lake on April 4th. Goslings become fully-fledged at 8-9 weeks.

A larger family with ten Greylag goslings appeared later in April.

A Pied Wagtail searching for food at the edge of the 2nd car park in Foxburrow Road.

The 14-spot Ladybird measures 4-5mm long. It is common in Hainault Forest and is found in a range of habitats, especially on hedgerows along woodland rides. The adults and larvae feed on aphids. There are three yellow species in Britain, this one often has the spots fused together forming an anchor shape across the elytra (wing cases).

Tapered Drone Fly Eristalis pertinax flies from April until October and is a fairly common sight on hedgerows and along woodland rides. The eyes separated by a gap indicates that this a female.

Tapered Drone Flies have pale front legs and there are usually orange markings on tergite 2 which are often brighter in summer specimens.

Epistrophe eligans does not appear to have a common name at present. It is a species mainly seen in spring and can be rather variable regarding the level of the yellow striping on its abdomen. Some specimens, especially males, can be almost totally black, but the overall pattern is normally similar. This Hoverfly has a preference for sunny woodland rides and hedges where it can be found resting on brambles.

As with many other Hoverfly species eyes close together indicate that this is a male.

This Pipiza Hoverfly was basking in the sun on a hedgerow near Sheepwater. Due to similarity in species it can only be recorded to genus from a photograph.

Bronze Sap Hoverfly Ferdinandea cuprea has a brassy coloured abdomen and two dark marks on each wing. It inhabits hedgerows and woodland from March to November where it is sometimes found basking in the sun.

Black legs and dark wing spots enable Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula to be distinguished from the smaller and rarer Small Red Damselfly. Usually found in wetland habitats with still or slow-running waters this is one of the earliest Damselflies to appear in the year.

This Muntjac's skull was discovered in woodland near Wedrell's Plain. Muntjac deer skulls can be identified by their large suborbital pits, the bones that sit beneath the eye sockets. Tusks sticking out indicate a male.

Coltsfoot is a perennial usually found at the edge of Hainault Lake during March and April. After pollination the heads droop, becoming upright again when the white fluffy parachutes (clocks) containing seeds have ripened and are ready to be dispersed on the wind.

Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum has dense clusters of reddish-pink flowers in whorls around its square stem. Usually found on disturbed ground and waste spaces. This year large patches are looking particularly pretty.

Herb-robert Geranium robertianum is a low-growing woodland plant that flowers from April to September. It has small, pink, five-petalled flowers and reddish stems. The leaves have deeply divided lobed leaves often tinged with red.

Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis appears in damp meadows during spring. It has an upright stem, a rosette of leaves at the base. and small, pale pink. four-petalled flowers that appear in clusters at the top of the stem. The plant is also known as Lady's Smock.

Cuckoopint Arum maculatum is a woodland flowering plant that appears during April and May. The plant has many common names which normally have risque meanings. However, it is possible that "Lords and Ladies" is a reference to this plant being used for starching ruffs worn around gentry necks during the 16th century. The roots were once a traditional source of starch used for stiffening clothes. In the Middle Ages, Nuns from Syon Abbey, which stood on the banks of the River Thames at Isleworth, used the roots to produce starch. Starch "made from herbes" was the only starch permitted for use with communion linen.

The Goldilocks Buttercup Ranunculus auricomus has scruffy-looking flowers; petals are often imperfect or missing. The upper stem leaves of this slightly hairy plant are deeply lobed with 3-5 narrow segments. Goldilocks Buttercup often appears during spring along the side of the path that leads from Roe's Well towards Sheepwater.

Sticky Mouse-ear Cerastium glomeratum is a short hairy annual that appears from April until October. The white flowers, measuring 5-8mm across, have petals that are as long as sepals and five styles. The petals are shallowly notched and leaves are oval to elliptical.

Large yellow flowers of Marsh Marigold Caltha palustris often appear at Sheepwater, Roe's Well and Hainault Lodge during April. The plants provide an early source of nectar for insects and the large rounded leaves offer a place for frogs to shelter.

Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys is a low-growing plant producing upright spikes holding bright blue four-petalled flowers with white centres. It has two rows of long white hairs on opposite sites of its stems.

Grape Hyacinth Muscari is a garden plant which spreads easily and can become invasive. They grow in well-drained soils and can be particularly vigorous in sunny locations. Despite the common name this species is not related to hyacinths, but it is now considered to be part of the Asparagaceae family. It is occasionally seen in grassy areas of Hainault Forest, but is not a natural woodland plant.

Ramsons Allium ursinum, also known as Wild Garlic, appears in ancient woodlands during April and May. Most of the year it exists as a bulb underground only emerging in spring to flower. It has rounded clusters of white flowers growing on straight green stems. The narrow oval leaves grow around the base of the stem.

Mare's-tail Hippuris vulgaris is a mud loving flowering plant, not to be confused with Horsetails. Found in Sheepwater.

Anemone galls form on fertilised Turkey oak female flowers. They are induced by the sexual generation of gall wasp Neuroterus saliens. Several larvae live in each gall and emerge as adults during summer. The first record of this gall in the UK was during 2004.

Oak Apples are caused by larvae of gall wasp Biorhiza pallida. Eggs laid in oak buds produce spongy apple-like galls. Every 'apple' contains many chambers each enclosing a larva.

Thank you to all contributors.

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