This was a joint recording day with the Sorby Invertebrate Group.
United Utilities owned Macclesfield Forest covers an area of approximately 400 hectares (990 acres), dominated by woodland or plantation. Most of the woodland is designated a Site of Biological Importance, while part of the area including Trentabank Reservoir is a nature reserve managed by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust. The predominant species are Sitka Spruce and Japanese Larch, with some Scots Pine, Lodgepole Pine, Corsican Pine and Norway Spruce. There are also areas of semi-natural mixed and broadleaved woodland, mainly oak, sycamore and beech; in 2004, broadleaved species made up 23% of the total. The area also includes areas of acidic unimproved upland grassland, including approximately a hectare within the Trentabank nature reserve.
Notable Records:
Lasiommata megera (Nymphalidae) – Wall Brown – Rob Foster and Jane Hewitt
- A sun-loving butterfly typically found on open grassy paths and woodland edges. This record represents a second brood adult. Wall brown is scarce in Cheshire but occurs in a few sites in VC58 on the edge of the peak district.
