Stanwick Lakes Pride flag - a showcase of diversity

Why diversity of species and people are important to our planet in equal measure.

1. Common Poppy Once considered a weed of cornfields, the Common poppy is now in decline due to intensive agricultural practices. It can be found on roadside verges and at Stanwick, in field and path margins and our wildflower meadows Fly agaric The classic fairy tale toadstool, this red and white fungus is often found beneath birch trees in autumn. It can be spotted in the wooded areas at Stanwick but beware, these fungi are poisonous and should not be eaten! Aspen Aspen is a deciduous, slender poplar tree of heathland, woodland and wet woodland. It is a colonial tree, spreading via suckers. It is also a favourite food of the beaver! Harlequin Ladybird The harlequin is a non-native species of ladybird, originating from Asia. In just a decade it became widespread across the UK. It is common in parks and gardens and gathers in large numbers in the Autumn to hibernate. Bonfire At Stanwick, we sometimes have bonfires to dispose of the huge amounts of cuttings created by our habitat conservation work. This is the most efficient way to dispose of the waste but we always compost and make habitat piles where possible! Garden Rose The rose is England’s National flower – but there are actually around 150 species of rose across the world. At Stanwick, the best place to see ornamental roses is in the heritage gardens. Look out for wild dog rose in the hedgerows! Russula emetica This fungus is commonly known as ‘The Sickener ’ because of the severe stomach upsets caused by eating it raw! It favours grows primarily around conifers so can be tricky to spot at Stanwick – keep your eyes peeled! Robin Probably one of our most recognisable birds, the robin is common in parks, gardens and woodland. They are very territorial and are one of the very few bird species that can be heard singing in the winter months. Velvet shank The velvet shank can be found clustered on the dead and dying wood of deciduous trees, such as elm, ash, beech or oak. It has a bright orange cap and can be seen throughout winter. Small skipper Often found basking on tall grasses, or buzzing between stems from June-August, the small skipper is a small, orange butterfly. It prefers rough grassland, verges and woodland edges. The caterpillars feed on grasses. Seven-spot ladybird This ladybird has just emerged from it’s pupa. The seven-spot is a native species to Britain and is great at pest control, with aphids making up a large proportion of its diet. Peacock butterfly When alarmed, the peacock butterfly is able to make a hissing noise by rubbing its wings quickly together. It uses this alongside the striking ‘eye’ marks on its wings to scare away and distract predators. Velvet shank gills Gills are one of the most common structures used by mushrooms for spore dispersal. These thin, papery veils hang vertically beneath the cap of a mushroom and produce and release spores. Ragwort The yellow flower heads of common ragwort are highly attractive to bees and other insects, including the cinnabar moth. Ragwort is poisonous to some species and the Ranger team pull it in fields where livestock graze or where hay cuts will take place. Lady’s bedstraw This honey-scented plant creates a carpet in the meadows of Stanwick Lakes during the summer. It is named so possibly due to its function as a mattress filler, predominantly for pregnant women. It was also used to curdle milk, for cheese-making! Buttercup These flowers are usually one of three species in the UK; Creeping, Meadow and Bulbous buttercups. Although we often associate them with a love of butter, they are all toxic! Which is why we see plenty left uneaten in cattle fields. White-lipped snail Found at Stanwick Lakes in our woodlands, hedges and grass. It kindly eats Ragwort, Hogweed and Nettles, which we have plenty of! By allowing our native plant species to thrive, this snail can make a home here. Yellow flag iris Seen in warmer months, the iris can be found surrounding our lakes as well as in our wet woodland. You can spot their yellow petals peeking through reeds around the reserve. This plant can sometimes be invasive to small ponds so is monitored here. Red fescue - grass A very abundant and adaptable species, this grass grows all over Stanwick Lakes. Over warmer months, we mow lots of it, to keep pathways clear and manage our flower meadows. Common reed A staple plant at Stanwick Lakes. This wetland species creates habitats for many rare birds such as Bittern and Bearded Tit. We spend lots of time protecting our reedbeds from encroaching trees, to protect these specialists. English Oak An iconic tree, bearing acorns and distinctive lobed leaves. At Stanwick Lakes, our most majestic example is on Oak Island, seen from the bird hide overlooking Celtic Lake. Moss Moss is actually the name of a group of species, which total to over 1000 in the UK. Moss reproduces by releasing spores, often by exploding a capsule of them into the air. They all provide microhabitats for minibeasts which attracts birds and mammals! Cucumber spider Found in our woodlands and hedges, this small spider sits in the open, as their camouflaged body allows them to pounce on unsuspecting prey. There are 5 species of cucumber spider in the UK but they are very hard to tell apart! Common blue butterfly Commonly seen in woodland clearings and grassland, this species lives up to its name.. Well, the males do at least! The female butterflies are actually mostly brown. Banded demoiselle This damselfly species can be seen all over Stanwick Lakes and are beautiful to watch in the sun. They mostly stay around lakes and rivers as the females' lay eggs inside plant stems underwater. Emperor dragonfly Found almost solely around water, this impressive dragonfly catches prey mid-air and can finish its meal before landing. As a flooded gravel pit, Stanwick Lakes is an ideal home for this species. Oxeye daisies Seen in our meadows, and along our pathways, these tall flowers add charm when walking at Stanwick Lakes. These flowers are so bright, that they are sometimes called moon daisies as they “glow in the dark”. Green elfcup fungus A small fungus, which lets you know its coming before it emerges. The fungus colours the decomposing wood it grows on to a strong blue. This blue wood used to be prized for decorative woodwork. Green Alkanet A nectar rich flower, this species attracts many pollinators, and its leaves are a food of the Scarlet Tiger Moth. The plants grow forming a dense ground cover, creating shelter and habitats for many invertebrates. English bluebell Bluebells form carpets in ancient woodlands and attract many pollinators. Bluebells can be hard to spot at Stanwick Lakes as most of our woodland is too young for the plants to have naturally colonized yet. However, introductions are underway! Teasel As tall as a person but with the opposite effect of a scarecrow, this spiky plant attracts birds, especially goldfinches, who specialise in “teasing” the seeds from the spiney seed heads. Teasels are a common sight at Stanwick Lakes. Wild thyme Thyme produces a strong smell in the summer and grows in carpets over grassland or in rockfaces. In many cultures it has strong medicinal and culinary uses! At our nature reserve it mostly serves honeybees and caterpillars. Tufted vetch This species has historically been a crop for cattle feed. Here, it is mostly seen along our woodland edges and fields. This means it is still feeding cattle here, as we having grazing livestock paddocks around Stanwick Lakes. Spanish bluebell Introduced to Britain by Victorians, it can be told apart from our native species. English bluebells have flowers on one side of their dropping stems, whereas the Spanish have flowers all around their upright stem. Lavender Grown historically for its iconic scent in perfume making, lander grows here at Stanwick Lakes in our managed gardens close to the visitor centre . Be sure to stop and have a smell on your next visit! Sunset Sunsets are beautiful anywhere, however the best in our books is at Stanwick Lakes in Wintertime. Magic happens as starling murmuration's grace our skies and make an evening walk into a complete show! Dandelion A classic native flower, featuring in most of our childhoods when we blew their fluffy seeds to make wishes! The humble dandelion is not only a great source of nectar for pollinators, all parts of the plant are edible to humans too! Green Alkanet This important species grows in carpets over grassland. Sometimes, green alkanet can spread rapidly and grow tall, shading out other vegetation, so must be managed carefully. The flowers are edible and the roots historically used as a dye. Sprawler moth This beautiful moth lives in the woodland areas at Stanwick Lakes. Its name is derived from its larva's defensive behavior of throwing back its head; sprawling out. Hoar frost Hoar frost is a feathery frost named long ago for its resemblance to hair. It is made up of tiny ice crystals which are essentially frozen dew. It can best be seen on a still, clear and cold night. The Moon You may have heard that moths and other insects are attracted to the moon, which is why they fly into light sources. This is not true! Moths generally fly at a height where they cannot see or interact with moonlight. Black headed gull egg Black headed gulls like to nest on the islands at Stanwick Lakes where they are protected from land-based predators. The UK holds about 6% of the world’s population of this species and they are amber listed on the UK’s list of Birds of conservation concern Cloudy skies Clouds are a familiar sight across UK skies and, while they often signal rain, they are essential to life on Earth. As well as providing water, clouds also protect the Earth from some of the sun’s heat and act like a blanket at night, trapping warmth in the atmosphere. Badger prints in snow Badgers, one of our most distinctive mustelids, are often tricky to spot. At Stanwick, we rely on trail cameras and tracks to spot them. Badger tracks have a distinctive kidney-shaped ‘palm-pad’, 5 toes and very obvious claw marks. Mallow Mallow is considered a ‘weed’ of roadside verges and wasteground but is a very valuable nectar source for insects through the summer. The French word for mallow is 'mauve', which is where we get the word for the colour mauve from. Pyramidal orchid The blooms of the pyramidal orchid are true to its name and the triangular displays are made up of up to 100 flowers. Interestingly, orchid seeds don’t store enough food to grow on their own, so they team up with a mat-forming fungus in the soil. Offering protection in return. Common spotted orchid These beautiful blooms have a particularly lovely smell which attracts people and day-flying moths alike. One of our most common orchids, look out for these tall blooms along the path edges at Stanwick. Bramble Despite their pesky prickles, brambles provide an important source of nectar for brimstone and speckled wood butterflies; fruits for song thrushes and yellowhammers; and hiding places for hedgehogs and dormice. Scarce chaser Listed as Near threatened on the British Red list, the males of this species are chalky blue, while the females are ochre in colour with black markings on the abdomen. They favour slow-flowing water with tree shade. Blue skies on conservation volunteer days! Every Wednesday our amazing team of dedicated conservation volunteers join the Ranger team to undertake practical conservation tasks! We couldn’t do it without them! Green elfcup mycelium The fruiting body of a fungus (the mushroom or cap) is only a tiny part of the organism. Functioning similarly to the roots of a plant, mycelium often make up a huge proportion of each fungus. In this case, they colour the wood they are feeding on. Forget-me-not There is a theory that once a forget-me-not flower has been visited by a pollinator, it’s yellow central ring will fade to white, letting other pollinators know which ones to avoid and making sure no flower gets forgotten! Muntjac deer The muntjac deer was introduced into the UK from China in the 20th century. Also known as ‘barking deer’ for their dog-like calls, Muntjac can cause problems for native wildlife by overgrazing the woodland understory, Ruby tiger moth caterpillar Hairy caterpillars, like this Ruby tiger, are the favourite food of the Common cuckoo, a species which can be heard and seen frequently throughout the summer at Stanwick. Cuckoos are specially adapted to process the toxic hairs and regurgitate them as pellets! Dunnock Also known as the Hedge sparrow, Dunnocks are unusual among birds as the females sing to attract a mate, not the other way around. Female dunnocks also commonly have two male partners per brood of young. Branch with Witch’s Butter Witches butter is a parasitic jelly fungus – feeding on other fungus that in turn are feeding on dead wood. Legend has it that wherever Witch’s butter grows, a witch has cast a spell, Common toad Common toads can live for 12 years! The rugby-ball shaped lumps behind their eyes help with their longevity – they contain bufotoxins which taste horrible and make them unpalatable to predators! Check under logs for toads at Stanwick! Woodland Much of the woodland at Stanwick Lakes has been planted by humans and thus, as it develops, needs a helping hand to grow into a thriving habitat for wildlife. Removing some trees that are sick or shading out others makes for healthier trees and more light reaching the woodland floor. Ashy mining bee These solitary bees fly between March and June. Females dig nesting burrows (check the edges of the paths at Stanwick for little holes and mounds of soil!). When it rains, they hide in these and close them behind them! Bee orchid The bee orchid exhibits reproductive mimicry - the flower looks, and smells, like a female bee. Males fly in to try to mate with it and end up collecting pollen which they then take to another flower! Stanwick sunset As the sun sets, light must travel through the thickest part of the atmosphere. This causes more scattering to occur, resulting in longer wavelengths (red, orange, and yellow), creating beautiful colours in the sky. Rain beetle A type of Carabid (ground beetle), Rain beetles are brilliant at pest control, eating a range of invertebrates including slugs! It is a very adaptable species and can live in a range of habitats. Common centaury Common centaury is a low-growing biennial that is found on sand dunes, heaths, woodland rides, quarries and other dry, grassy areas. It blooms between June and its pink flowers close during the afternoon.