Over a period of 24 hours, about 30 members and friends conducted a Bioblitz of some of the remoter areas of the National Trust’s Basildon Park which are not normally seen by visitors to the mansion and gardens. The aim was to note as many different species as possible in the 24 hour period.
Chris Bucke led a walk on Saturday afternoon which started at Coddesdon Lodge and meandered through areas of ancient woodland, more recent woodland with some exotic species, into the species-rich chalk grassland of the Hidden Valley, up into ancient woodland again and back through the bluebell woods. The plant species of the Hidden Valley were studied thoroughly: 10 specimens of bee orchid were found, also large numbers of common spotted orchid, some twayblades and a few pyramidal orchids. Many adder’s tongue ferns remained. Some members ventured into the adjacent more acid grassland area and located two trees remarkable for their very unusual forms, a lime that had fallen and produced 17 new poles and a Robinia whose trunk has twisted through over 3600 and then produced vertical poles.
As the light faded, the moth-trappers set up their equipment at various locations round the park. Ricki Bull set up the society’s Robinson trap on the south west side of the park, at the corner of the woodland near the top of the Pheasant Park. 16 cows in the adjoining field watched her activities with interest. She spent the night in her car and got up at 3:45 am to check the catch. Highlights of her trap included Wood Carpet, Purple Thorn, Privet Hawkmoth and a very ugly collection of Lobster Moths. Laurie and Jan Haseler headed for the south east side of the park, where they set up a light over a sheet in the Hidden Valley and a Skinner trap in the woods above the valley. Their highlights included Beautiful Carpet, Clay Triple-lines, Fern and Dark Umber. Unlike the other hardy moth trappers, they packed up at 1am, but were rewarded with a glimpse of a badger crossing the A327 towards the railway line, just beyond the park wall. Norman Hall set up a battery of lights around Coddesdon Lodge on the southern side of the park, including a light in warden Granville Nicholl’s garden. His highlights included Waved Black, August Thorn, Small Mottled Willow and 2 Pine Hawkmoths. Norman retired to his van at 1:30am and got up to inspect his catch at 4:30am, retaining some of his specimens for visitors to see later in the morning.
At dusk, members of the Berks and S. Bucks Bat Group set out with their bat detectors. In fact only two types of pipistrelle were noted, in excitingly large numbers in some locations. The writer learned that populations of pipistrelle have a boss male, which is presumably the alpha-bat! Hopes that badgers would be seen were not realised but roe deer were noted in places.
A party of 12 regrouped in the morning and had the considerable pleasure of seeing the moths that had been trapped, which included several different species of hawk moth, before doing an intensive survey of the plants in an area of woodland in the centre of the park.
Lists of the moths, butterflies, insects, fungi and plants noted will be available on the website. Thanks are due to National Trust and, in particular, Granville Nicholls, for their hospitality. It is likely that further areas of the park will be bioblitzed at different times of year.
Report by Chris Bucke
Pictures by Jan Haseler
Moths recorded in Basildon Park, list compiled by Norman Hall
| Code | Taxon | English Name |
| 0014 | Hepialus humuli | Ghost Moth |
| 0246 | Tinea semifulvella | |
| 0427 | Yponomeuta cagnagella | Spindle Ermine |
| 0647 | Hofmannophila pseudospretella | Brown House-moth |
| 0658 | Carcina quercana | |
| 0726 | Metzneria metzneriella | |
| 0765 | Teleiodes vulgella | |
| 0873 | Blastobasis adustella | |
| 0937 | Agapeta hamana | |
| 0970 | Pandemis cerasana | Barred Fruit-tree Tortrix |
| 0972 | Pandemis heparana | Dark Fruit-tree Tortrix |
| 0977 | Archips podana | Large Fruit-tree Tortrix |
| 0980 | Archips xylosteana | Variegated Golden Tortrix |
| 0994 | Clepsis consimilana | |
| 1006 | Epagoge grotiana | |
| 1011 | Pseudargyrotoza conwagana | |
| 1020 | Cnephasia stephensiana | Grey Tortrix |
| 1032 | Aleimma loeflingiana | |
| 1033 | Tortrix viridana | Green Oak Tortrix |
| 1036 | Acleris forsskaleana | |
| 1063 | Celypha striana | |
| 1076 | Celypha lacunana | |
| 1082 | Hedya pruniana | Plum Tortrix |
| 1083 | Hedya nubiferana | Marbled Orchard Tortrix |
| 1175 | Epiblema uddmanniana | Bramble Shoot Moth |
| 1201 | Eucosma cana | |
| 1259 | Cydia fagiglandana | |
| 1293 | Chrysoteuchia culmella | Garden Grass-veneer |
| 1302 | Crambus perlella | |
| 1304 | Agriphila straminella | |
| 1331 | Acentria ephemerella | Water Veneer |
| 1333 | Scoparia pyralella | |
| 1334A | Scoparia basistrigalis | |
| 1338 | Dipleurina lacustrata | |
| 1362 | Pyrausta purpuralis | |
| 1376 | Eurrhypara hortulata | Small Magpie |
| 1378 | Phlyctaenia coronata | |
| 1390 | Udea prunalis | |
| 1392 | Udea olivalis | |
| 1405 | Pleuroptya ruralis | Mother of Pearl |
| 1428 | Aphomia sociella | Bee Moth |
| 1435 | Conobathra tumidana | |
| 1452 | Phycita roborella | |
| 1483 | Phycitodes binaevella | |
| 1652 | Thyatira batis | Peach Blossom |
| 1666 | Geometra papilionaria | Large Emerald |
| 1669 | Hemithea aestivaria | Common Emerald |
| 1681 | Cyclophora linearia | Clay Triple-lines |
| 1690 | Scopula imitaria | Small Blood-vein |
| 1702 | Idaea biselata | Small Fan-footed Wave |
| 1711 | Idaea trigeminata | Treble Brown Spot |
| 1713 | Idaea aversata | Riband Wave |
| 1739 | Epirrhoe rivata | Wood Carpet |
| 1742 | Camptogramma bilineata | Yellow Shell |
| 1748 | Mesoleuca albicillata | Beautiful Carpet |
| 1758 | Eulithis pyraliata | Barred Straw |
| 1777 | Hydriomena furcata | July Highflyer |
| 1782 | Horisme tersata | Fern |
| 1784 | Melanthia procellata | Pretty Chalk Carpet |
| 1791 | Philereme vetulata | Brown Scallop |
| 1792 | Philereme transversata | Dark Umber |
| 1817 | Eupithecia pulchellata | Foxglove Pug |
| 1858 | Chloroclystis v-ata | The V-Pug |
| 1860 | Pasiphila rectangulata | Green Pug |
| 1862 | Gymnoscelis rufifasciata | Double-striped Pug |
| 1906 | Opisthograptis luteolata | Brimstone Moth |
| 1912 | Ennomos quercinaria | August Thorn |
| 1915 | Ennomos erosaria | September Thorn |
| 1917 | Selenia dentaria | Early Thorn |
| 1919 | Selenia tetralunaria | Purple Thorn |
| 1921 | Crocallis elinguaria | Scalloped Oak |
| 1922 | Ourapteryx sambucaria | Swallow-tailed Moth |
| 1931 | Biston betularia | Peppered Moth |
| 1937 | Peribatodes rhomboidaria | Willow Beauty |
| 1941 | Alcis repandata | Mottled Beauty |
| 1947x | Ectropis bistortata/crepuscularia | Engrailed/Small Engrailed |
| 1955 | Cabera pusaria | Common White Wave |
| 1958 | Lomographa temerata | Clouded Silver |
| 1961 | Campaea margaritata | Light Emerald |
| 1962 | Hylaea fasciaria | Barred Red |
| 1976 | Sphinx ligustri | Privet Hawk-moth |
| 1978 | Hyloicus pinastri | Pine Hawk-moth |
| 1981 | Laothoe populi | Poplar Hawk-moth |
| 1991 | Deilephila elpenor | Elephant Hawk-moth |
| 1992 | Deilephila porcellus | Small Elephant Hawk-moth |
| 1994 | Phalera bucephala | Buff-tip |
| 1999 | Stauropus fagi | Lobster Moth |
| 2000 | Notodonta dromedarius | Iron Prominent |
| 2006 | Pheosia gnoma | Lesser Swallow Prominent |
| 2009 | Ptilodon cucullina | Maple Prominent |
| 2030 | Euproctis similis | Yellow-tail |
| 2037 | Miltochrista miniata | Rosy Footman |
| 2047 | Eilema complana | Scarce Footman |
| 2049 | Eilema depressa | Buff Footman |
| 2050 | Eilema lurideola | Common Footman |
| 2069 | Tyria jacobaeae | The Cinnabar |
| 2077 | Nola cucullatella | Short-cloaked Moth |
| 2087 | Agrotis segetum | Turnip Moth |
| 2088 | Agrotis clavis | Heart & Club |
| 2089 | Agrotis exclamationis | Heart & Dart |
| 2098 | Axylia putris | The Flame |
| 2107 | Noctua pronuba | Large Yellow Underwing |
| 2110 | Noctua fimbriata | Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing |
| 2126 | Xestia c-nigrum | Setaceous Hebrew Character |
| 2128 | Xestia triangulum | Double Square Spot |
| 2155 | Melanchra persicariae | Dot Moth |
| 2192 | Mythimna conigera | Brown-line Bright-eye |
| 2193 | Mythimna ferrago | The Clay |
| 2194 | Mythimna albipuncta | White-point |
| 2198 | Mythimna impura | Smoky Wainscot |
| 2199 | Mythimna pallens | Common Wainscot |
| 2205 | Mythimna comma | Shoulder-striped Wainscot |
| 2278 | Acronicta megacephala | Poplar Grey |
| 2280 | Acronicta leporina | The Miller |
| 2291 | Craniophora ligustri | The Coronet |
| 2302 | Rusina ferruginea | Brown Rustic |
| 2318 | Cosmia trapezina | The Dun-bar |
| 2321 | Apamea monoglypha | Dark Arches |
| 2322 | Apamea lithoxylaea | Light Arches |
| 2327 | Apamea epomidion | Clouded Brindle |
| 2337x | Oligia strigilis agg. | Marbled Minor agg |
| 2345 | Photedes minima | Small Dotted Buff |
| 2381 | Hoplodrina alsines | The Uncertain |
| 2384 | Hoplodrina ambigua | Vines Rustic |
| 2385 | Spodoptera exigua | Small Mottled Willow |
| 2387 | Caradrina morpheus | Mottled Rustic |
| 2423 | Nycteola revayana | Oak Nycteoline |
| 2442 | Autographa pulchrina | Beautiful Golden Y |
| 2443 | Autographa jota | Plain Golden Y |
| 2450 | Abrostola tripartita | The Spectacle |
| 2473 | Laspeyria flexula | Beautiful Hook-tip |
| 2474 | Rivula sericealis | Straw Dot |
| 2475 | Parascotia fuliginaria | Waved Black |
| 2477 | Hypena proboscidalis | The Snout |
| 2489 | Zanclognatha tarsipennalis | The Fan-foot |
| 2492 | Herminia grisealis | Small Fan-foot |