Lympne Airfield Ecology and Wildlife
Since flying ceased in 1978 the plants and the wildlife have made a strong recovery as you can see from the pictures below. We will be reporting in the News and Updates page on Lympne airfield ecology and wildlife, as new species appear in the Archive page. The Airfield now supports a rich and diverse ecology that is an invaluable asset to the health of our local and regional environment. The wealth of invertebrate pollinators now supported by the Airfield, especially honey and bumble bees and butterflies is a boon to farmers and gardeners of the area.
We are working to secure the Airfield’s long term future conserved as a substantial Wildflower Meadow forming the hub of a series of wildlife corridors radiating north to connect with the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Lyminge Forest, the Woodland Trust’s Blean Woods north of Canterbury and Plantlife’s Ranscombe Farm in north Kent.
Corridors running south will connect with the Lympne Scarp Site of Scientific Interest (SSSI), Romney Marsh, the Royal Military Canal and Dungeness, all of which reflects current Government Policy set out in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPR) and the thinking of professional biologists and ecological researchers, large sections of the agricultural industry and the National Trust to name but a few.
Dr Lynne Dicks, Research Fellow in the Dept. of Zoology at Cambridge University speaking on BBC Rado 4 very recently about her research work into pollinating insects made a very strong case for the conservation of pollinators and the wildflowers they rely on for their food.
Professional gardener and author Alan Titchmarsh who has recently launched a campaign to curtail the mowing of roadside verges, motorway embankments and all areas supporting wild flowers recently voiced his support for our campaign to save the Airfield from development and its reversion to a wildflower meadow.
“I would like to add my support to the residents of Lympne in their campaign for a wildflower meadow on their historic airfield.
“Most life on Earth depends on the interaction between plants and sunlight, among the most important are our wildflowers. The post war loss of 98% of our wildflower meadows should be ringing the loudest of alarm bells, especially in the densely populated southeast of England.”
Alan Titchmarsh
All wildlife pictures, unless otherwise stated have been taken by Nick Hollands
(click on images to enlarge)
Burnet-Moth caterpillar
Drinker moth caterpillar
Brown-tailed moth caterpillar
Peacock Butterfly caterpillar
Peacock Butterfly caterpillar
Common Blue butterfly
Holly Blue butterfly
Small Skipper butterfly
Small Skipper butterfly
Small Skipper butterfly
Painted Lady butterfly
Painted Lady butterfly
Painted Lady butterfly close up
Silver Y moth well camouflaged
Silver Y moth
Cinnabar moth
Holly Blue butterfly
6 Spot Burnet moth
6 Spot Burnet moth
Clouded Yellow butterfly
Clouded Yellow butterfly
Comma butterfly
Peacock butterfly
Common Blue butterfly
Common Blue butterfly
Comma butterfly
Red Admiral butterfly
Essex Skipper butterfly
Gatekeeper butterfly
Gatekepper butterfly
Green-veined white butterfly
Large Skipper butterfly
Large Skipper butterfly
Large Skipper butterfly
Essex Skipper butterfly
Large White butterfly
Marbled White butterfly
Narrow-bordered 5 spot Burnet moth
Meadow Brown butterfly
Meadow Brown butterfly
Narrow-bordered 5 spot Burnet moth
Painted Lady butterfly
Peacock butterfly
Red Admiral butterfly
Red Admiral butterfly
Orange tips mating
Small copper butterfly
Small heath butterfly
Small tortoiseshell
Clouded border Moth
Green-veined white butterfly
Small Skipper butterfly
Snout moth
Speckled Wood butterfly
Wall brown butterfly
Elephant-Hawk moth
Rosy rustic moth
Dusky sallow moth
Shaded-broadbar moth
Tree Bumblebee
Red-tailed Bumblebee
White-tailed Bumblebee
Red-tailed Bumblebee
Red-tailed Bumblebee male
White-tailed Bumblebee male
Garden Bumblebee
Southern Cuckoo Bumblebee
Bumblebee and Honey Bee
White-tailed Bumblebee
Buff-tailed Bumblebee
Ashy mining bee (solitary species)
Solitary bee (Colletes species)
Ivy bee (colletes species)
Solitary bee (Colletes species)
All black Bumblebee (Bombus ruderatus)
Asy mining bee (solitary species)
Field Digger wasp (solitary species)
Common carder bumblebee
Solitary bee (Colletes species)
Hill cuckoo Bumblebee
Honey bee
Sawfly
Tree Wasp
Tawny mining bee
Mating Turnip sawfly
Sawfly
Parasitiod wasp
Parasitoid wasp
Self-heal
Red Bartsia
Welted Thistle
Red Bartsia
Wild Carrot
Welted Thistle
Common-Dog Violet
Honeysuckle
Agrimony
Common Fleabane
Creeping Thistle
Bee Orchid
Black-Nightshade
Birdsfoot-Trefoil
Blackthorn
Bristly-ox Tongue
Bush-Vetch
Coltsfoot
Bugle
Common-Mallow
Common-Vetch
Dog-Rose
Creeping-Tormentil
Dandelion
Field-Bindweed
Bee-Orchid unusual Chlorantha variety
Field-Scabious
Germander-Speedwell
Field-For Get Me Not
Masses of Dandelions carpet the Airfield early in the year
Grass-Vetchling
Green-Alkanet
Greater-Stitchwort
Ground-Ivy
Hedge-Woundwort
Lesser-Celandine
Lucerne
Ivy-Leaved Speedwell
Meadow-Vetchling
Musk-Mallow
Musk-Mallow close up
Primrose
Red-Campion
Pyramidal-Orchid
Red-Deadnettle
Snowdrop
Rosebay-Willowherb
Slender-Speedwell
Toadflax
Spear-Thistle
Sweet-Violet
Tuffted-Vetch
White-Deadnettle
Woody-Nightshade
Southern-Marsh Orchid found by Frances Jordan
Southern-Marsh Orchid found by Frances Jordan
Blackening Wax cap
Scarlet Wax cap
Parrot Wax cap
Snowy Wax cap
Pleated ink cap
Yellow field cap
Banded Mottlegill
unknown
unknown
Shaggy Ink Cap
unknown
Unknown
unknown
Shaggy Ink Cap
unknown
unknown
Field Blewit
unknown
unknown
Fairy Fingers or White Spindle found by Frances Jordan
Fairy Fingers or White Spindle found by Frances Jordan
Fairy Fingers or White Spindle found by Frances Jordan
Fairy Fingers or White Spindle found by Frances Jordan
Possible shaggy Parasol found by Frances Jordan
possible field Mushroom
unknown
Yellow field cap
unknown
Giant Puff ball found by Frances Jordan
Giant Puff ball found by Frances Jordan
unknown large toadstool
Devils fingers/Octopus stinkhorn found by Frances Jordan and Steve
Devils fingers/Octopus stinkhorn found by Frances Jordan and Steve
Devils fingers/Octopus stinkhorn found by Frances Jordan and Steve
Devils fingers/Octopus stinkhorn found by Frances Jordan and Steve
Earth Star, photographed by Frances Jordan
Common Starling
Meadow Pipit
Long-tailed Tit
Starling close up
Blackbird
Meadow Pipit
Meadow Pipit
Long-tailed Tit
Cuckoo
Wren
Stonechat
Common Buzzard
Stonechat
Dunnock
Stonechat
Chiffchaff
Carrion Crow
Goldcrest
Greater-spotted Woodpecker
House Sparrow
Greenfinch
Eurasian Jay
Common Kestrel
Linnet
Long-Tailed Tit
Redwing
Robin
Wheatear
Male Pheasant close up
Jackdaw
Male Pheasant
Wood Pigeon
Stonechat
Stonechat
Stonechat
Stonechat
Green Woodpecker
Sky lark
Great tit
Blue tit
Birch Polypore
Birch Polypore
Birch Polypore
Robin close up
Little Owl
Grey Heron
Grey Heron
Mallard
Grey Heron
Azure Blue Damselfly
Common Blue Damselfly
Male Kingfisher
Male Kingfisher
Coral fungus
unknown
Honey-Fungus
Mistle-Thrush
First Snowdrops of 2015
Fieldfare
Winter Heliotrope
Teal
Bullfinch male
Bullfinch male
Siskin close up
Harlequin (succinea)
Pine Ladybird
Pine Ladybird
Pine Ladybird
Brimsone
Slow worm
Tree Creeper
Hornet
Hornet
Pale-tussock moth caterpillar
Garden Carpet moth
Hornets at the entrance of nest
Hornet worker
Hornet nest
Hedgehog
Field Mouse
Field Vole
Eurasian Badger
Eurasian Red Fox
Rabbit
Stoat
Weasel
Grey Squirrel
Grass Snake
Grass Snake
Grass Snake
Grass Snake
Grass Snake
Grass Snake
Common Lizard
Basking Lizards
More basking Lizards
Very pregnant Common Lizard
Slow Worm
Pregnant Lizard
Grass Snake (wikipedia)
Very young Common Lizards
Basking Common Lizards
Adult common Lizard
Close up adult Common Lizard
Adult Common Lizard
Wasp Spider close up
Wasp Spider guarding egg sac
Close up Wasp Spider
Wasp Spider feeding on a Crane fly
Wasp Spider close up
Nursery wb Spider
Nursery web Spider
Four Spot Orb weaver
Comb- footed Spider
Garden cross Spider
Comb-footed Spider
Orb web Spider
Long-jawed orb weaver
Furrow Spider
Wasp Spider
Nursery web Spider
Cranefly
Harvestman close up
Harvestman
Dock bug
Dock bug
Violet ground beetle
Dock bug
Violet ground beetle
Nettle ground bug
Nettle ground bug
Red legged Shield bug
Brown-lipped snail
Black-slug
Garden Snail
White lipped snail
22 Spot Ladybird
24 Spot Ladybird
24 Spot Ladybird
22 Spot Ladybird
24 Spot Ladybird
7 Spot Ladybird
24 Spot Ladybird
14 Spot Ladybird
Harlequin (spectabilis)
Harlequin (spectabilis)
Harlequin (succenea)
Harlequin (succenea)
7 Spot Ladybird
24 Spot Ladybird
Dark-Bush Cricket female
Roesel's Bush-Cricket female
Meadow Grasshopper
Dark-Bush Cricket brown form female
Dark-Bush Cricket grey form female
Dark-Bush Cricket male
Field-Grasshopper purple form
Field-Grasshopper
Green-Bush Cricket
Field-Grasshopper
Roesel's Bush-Cricket female
Meadow Grasshopper
Speckled-Bush Cricket female
Field-Grasshopper close up
Black-tailed Skimmer male
Common Darter female
Black-tailed Skimmer female
Common Darter
Common Darter male
common Darter close up
Emperor Dragonfly close up
common Darter mating
Emperor Dragonfly
Migrant Hawker
Common Darter male
Migrant Hawker