Rob Stallard led a walk through some of the Tilehurst copses and parks on the hot, sunny morning of Wednesday 18 April, starting from Tilehurst Recreation Ground. The first stop was in an alleyway leading to the Recreation Road car park, where two spiky black and yellow caterpillars of the Scarlet Tiger moth were feeding on the leaves of Green Alkanet. The route continued across Blagrave Recreation Ground to Blundell’s Copse. Wood Anemones were at their peak and the first Bluebells were coming into flower. Other flowers included Wood Sorrel, Early Dog-violet, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage, Wavy Bittercress and Moschatel. A few clumps of Hairy Woodrush were in flower beside the path, a number of Scarlet Elf-cup fungi were spotted and Soft-Shield-fern and Hart’s-tongue Fern were identified. Newly-emerged Speckled Wood and Holly Blue butterflies were seen, together with Brimstone, Peacock and Comma butterflies which had over-wintered as adults. Turning over a stone in the stream which runs through the copse revealed a small grey freshwater shrimp Gammarus pulex, an indicator of good water quality. In the north-east corner of the wood, there was a big patch of flowering Three-cornered Garlic. The walk continued along roads to Lousehill Copse, passing a patch of grass with the pink flowers of Common Stork’s-bill. The route led steeply down through the copse to a large pond at the bottom. Several Orange-tip butterflies were on the wing, and plant species added to the tally included Yellow Archangel, Wood Speedwell, Common Dog-violet, Brooklime, Gooseberry, Colt’s-foot and Woodruff. A Treecreeper, Jays and a Great Spotted Woodpecker were seen, and Chiffchaff, Blackcap and Stock Dove were heard. After crossing Norcot Road, the next part of the walk went through McIlroy Park. A number of old trackways lead through the park. On the banks of the entrance track were Greater Stitchwort and Bush Vetch and more Speckled Wood and Brimstone butterflies were seen here. The track along the west side of the park led through some big old Beech trees, with some large multi-stemmed specimens growing on the bank beside the track. After a short steep climb, the group emerged on the grassy area at the top, with splendid views down into Reading and across the Thames. The route led along the grassy top, past Wild Cherry trees covered in white blossom, and back into the woods at the north-west end of the park. A sunny stretch of woods here had the best display of Bluebells of the morning and a big black and orange Red-tailed Bumblebee queen was visiting the flowers. After a steep descent and a long climb, the next destination was Arthur Newbery Park. English Elm trees in the south-east corner of the park had flowered a few weeks previously and their green seed clusters were inspected. At the south-west corner of the park is an old thatched cottage, next to a spring which feeds a small stream, which soon vanishes as it drops down into drains near the boundary with the top of the Chalk. The walk continued back through allotments, with an unsuccessful hunt for Slow-worms under old carpet and in compost bins, before heading back to the Victoria pub for lunch.
Pictures by Rob Stallard, Sue White and Laurie Haseler
| RDNHS Walk to West Reading Woods, Leader Rob Stallard, 20 people attending | ||
| English name | Scientific name | Comments |
| Blundells Copse SU671734 | ||
| Plant species | ||
| Bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | Just starting to flower |
| Lesser Celandine | Ficaria verna | Flowering |
| Dandelion | Taraxacum officinale | Flowering |
| Wood Anemone | Anemone nemorosa | Flowering |
| Hairy Wood-rush | Luzula pilosa | Flowering |
| Enchanter’s-nightshade | Circaea lutetiana | Leaves |
| Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage | Chrysosplenium oppositifolium | Flowering |
| Ivy-leaved Speeedwell | Veronica hederifolia | Flowering |
| Moschatel or Townhouse Clock | Adoxa moschatellina | Flowering |
| Early Dog-violet | Viola reichenbachiana | Flowering |
| Soft Shield-fern | Polystichum setiferum | |
| Hart’s-tongue | Asplenium scolopendrium | |
| Wood Forget-me-not | Myosotis sylvatica | Flowering |
| Brooklime | Veronica beccabunga | Leaves |
| Wavy Bitter-cress | Cardamine flexuosa | Flowering |
| Garlic Mustard | Alliaria petiolata | Flowering |
| Three-cornered Leek | Allium triquetrum | Flowering |
| Species of Lepidoptera | ||
| Scarlet Tiger-moth | Callimorpha dominula | |
| Speckled Wood | Pararge aegeria | |
| Holly Blue | Celastrina argiolus | |
| Brimstone | Gonepteryx rhamni | |
| Peacock | Aglais io | |
| Comma | Polygonia c-album | |
| Bird species | ||
| Blackbird | Turdus merula | Singing |
| Song Thrush | Turdus philomelos | Singing |
| Nuthatch | Sitta europaea | Calling |
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | Singing |
| Fungus species | ||
| Scarlet Elf-cup | Sarcoscypha coccinea | On dead wood |
| Walk from Blundells Copse to Lousehill Copse SU6873 | ||
| Sticky Mouse-ear | Cerastium glomeratum | Flowering |
| Common Field-speedwell | Veronica persica | Flowering |
| Shepherd’s-purse | Capsella bursa-pastoris | Flowering |
| Common Stork’s-bill | Erodium cicutarium | Flowering |
| Common Witlow-grass | Erophila verna | Flowering |
| Lousehill Copse SU681733 | ||
| Plant species | ||
| Gooseberry | Ribes uva-crispa | Leaves |
| Red Currant | Ribes rubrum | Leaves |
| Brooklime | Veronica beccabunga | Leaves |
| Yellow Archangel | Lamiastrum galeobdolon | In bud |
| Wood Anemone | Anemone nemorosa | Flowering |
| Bluebell | Hyacinthoides non-scripta | Flowering |
| Lesser Celandine | Ficaria verna | Flowering |
| Wood Speedwell | Veronica montana | Leaves |
| Woodruff | Galium odoratum | Leaves |
| Common Dog-violet | Viola riviniana | Flowering |
| Greater Stitchwort | Stellaria holostea | Flowering |
| Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage | Chrysosplenium oppositifolium | Flowering |
| Cow Parsley | Anthriscus sylvestris | Flowering |
| Colt’s-foot | Tussilago farfara | Flowering |
| Insect species | ||
| Orange-tip | Anthocharis cardamines | |
| Bee Fly | Bombylius major | |
| Bird Species | ||
| Chiffchaff | Phylloscopus collybita | Singing |
| Nuthatch | Sitta europaea | Calling |
| Jay | Garrulus glandarius | On tree |
| Treecreeper | Certhia familiaris | On tree |
| Stock Dove | Columba oenas | Calling |
| Fungus species | ||
| King Alfred’s-steak | Daldinia concentrica | On dead wood |
| McIlroy Park SU678738 | ||
| (lovely views) | ||
| Plant species | ||
| Greater Stitchwort | Stellaria holostea | Flowering |
| Bush Vetch | Vicia sepium | Leaves |
| Raspberry | Rubus idaeus | Leaves |
| Lords-and-Ladies | Arum maculatum | In bud |
| Honesty | Lunaria annua | Flowering |
| Insect species | ||
| Speckled Wood | Pararge aegeria | |
| Small Tortoiseshell | Aglais urticae | |
| Holly Blue | Celastrina argiolus | |
| Orange tip | Anthocharis cardamines | |
| Red-tailed Bumblebee | Bombus lapidarius | queen |
| Bird species | ||
| Red Kite | Milvus milvus | Flying over |
| Blackcap | Sylvia atricapilla | On tree and singing |
| Wren | Troglodytes troglodytes | Singing |
| Arthur Newbery Park SU673744 | ||
| Plant species | ||
| English Elm | Ulmus procera | In fruit |
| Gorse | Ulex europaeus | Flowering |
| Broom | Cytisus scoparius | Leaves |
| Broad-leaved Dock | Rumex obtusifolius | Leaves |
| Insect species | ||
| Bee Fly | Bombylius major | |
List by Renée Grayer