North Lancashire Wildlife Group

Field Meeting Report — Summer Walk at Heysham Nature Reserve on August 2 2026

On a sunny, calm morning, 14 people met in the nature reserve car park. Our walk leader, Linda Renshaw, explained that we would spend the morning exploring the small, protected section of the reserve. After lunch we would cross the road to follow a narrow path through the Landscape Strip towards the shore. The 16-hectare reserve lies beside Heysham Power Stations. It was established through a partnership between EDF and the Lancashire Wildlife Trust and is managed by Trust officers based on site.

We set off walking up an easy slope beside an established meadow area, colourful with Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra. Common Blue butterflies flew, together with Meadow Browns, Painted Ladies and Common Blue Damselflies.

At the top of the slope, we went through a gate and down a mown path bordered by gorse, bramble and various trees. We found Physcia adscendens lichen growing on a twig: through a hand lens, hair-like projections called cilia were visible, resembling eyelashes. We also examined the distinctive golden lichen Xanthoria parietina. Small Copper, Speckled Wood and Brimstone butterflies were all seen. Rob Zloch found a Red-legged Shieldbug Pentatoma rufipes on a leaf and a Green Shieldbug nymph Palomena prasina. We found several cobwebs in the dense scrub and Chris Workman pointed out the differences in their structures and purpose. The Labyrinth Spider Agelena labyrinthia builds a web to trap prey whilst the Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis web houses and protects its young. Chris also showed us a small Candy-striped spider Enoplognatha ovata sitting on a leaf. A 7-spot Coccinella septempunctata and a 14-spot Propylea quattuordecimpunctata Ladybird were identified alongside a Bishop`s Mitre Shieldbug Nymph Aelia acuminata. A variety of flowers grew in this area including Common Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica, Red Bartsia Odontites vernus, Black Medick Medicago lupulina and Hemp Agrimony Eupatoria cannabinum.

Alder Spittlebug

We followed the path around a meadow, before descending a short slope and walked to a boardwalk overlooking a large reed-covered pond. A Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis dragonfly flew overhead, and Linda found a small exuvium on the fence. Water Mint Mentha aquatica grew among the Phragmites and Water Horsetail Equisetum fluviatile, along with Greater Spearwort Ranunculus lingua and Gypsywort Lycopus europaeus. Continuing along the lower path, we reached a small dipping pond containing a shoal of about 12 Rudd, including a few young, which had been anonymously introduced several years ago. We saw Dust Lichen Lepraria sp, growing on the bark of a tree, and Black Stone Flower Lichen Parmotrema perlatum which can be used as an ingredient in Indian curries. Both lichens favour damp habitats.

After lunch, we crossed to the Landscape Strip and followed a rough, narrow path towards the shore and harbour wall. The route ran between the power station’s security fence and a broad screen of trees and bushes which created a sheltered corridor. The earlier sunshine had turned to cloud, but no rain was expected and the temperature remained mild. Along the path, Jeff Gorse spotted two adult female Speckled Bush-crickets Leptophyes punctatissima on bramble. We paused at a small pond in the centre of the Landscape Strip in which two large golden carp were swimming (they had been deposited there anonymously): another Brown Hawker flew past.

We made our way through a gate and turned right towards the shore. Passing some buddleia shrubs, Linda saw a Humming-bird Hawk-moth flying away whilst other buddleia hosted Peacock, Painted Lady and Red Admiral butterflies. Using her bat detector, Linda picked up the stridulations of Short-winged Conehead crickets Conocephalus dorsalis in the shoreline shrubs. After a patient search, one was eventually seen by a member of the group. Jeff walked to the end of the harbour wall and was rewarded to find a grey seal swimming off the jetty.

We walked back along the main path to the car park where we thanked Linda for leading us around the varied habitats of the reserve.

Barbara Crooks

Eristalinus aeneus

Species recorded on the day