8/8/10: Croydon - Coombe Lane heath to chalk slopes near New Addington

LNHS field trip from the Coombe Lane tram stop to heathland on the Addington Hills for invertebrates, followed by chalk downland further down the line at New Addington.

Addington Hills heathland

Species seen here included:

• A few Common Lizards
• Tawny Cockroach
• Beautiful Yellow Underwing moth (larva and adult)
• Emperor butterfly - very brief view
• Common Green Grasshopper
• Mottled Grasshopper
• Meadow Grasshopper
• Long-winged Conehead
• Gorse Shield Bug
• Gorse Lace Bug

LNHS members search Hutchinson's Bank - a rich chalk slope surreally close to a New Addington housing estate - for unusual invertebrates

Species here included:

• Marjoram
• Agrimony
• Eyebright
• Greater Yellow Rattle
• one plant of Sainfoin
• Kidney Vetch
• baby Common Lizards
• a Brown Argus

plus ......

Stemless Thistle (Cirsium acaule)

My first ever Small Blue (Cupido minimus) butterflies

Restharrow (Ononis repens)

On the way to Chapel Bank were ......

a lot of Wild Parsnip in flower

a couple of Brimstone butterflies, a Large Skipper, a Ringlet, Black Bryony, Woodruff, Wood Spurge, Figwort, Bush Vetch,

this Broad-leaved Helleborine in flower

and on/in the environs of the bank Thyme, Hemp Agrimony and Common Gromwell (a new species for me).