Finding the entrance to this sliver of wood was a challenge.  I locked up my bike to make investigating easier and finally, what looked like a private driveway between two imposing gateposts took me into the wood.

This remnant of the Great North Wood and the adjacent meadows, the Lawns, are owned by the Borough of Croydon and my understanding is that they have to be managed as an open space in perpetuity.

This morning I wander along the upper path to the entrance on Grange Road to find a notable and very ancient oak.  While admiring it’s sumptuous girth I’m distracted by insects about a centimetre long with antennae five times their body length which are dancing in the sun over a patch of brambles.

Their vertical movements remind me of mayflies but when they’re finally at rest, I can see they’re probably moths with striking chestnut and gold markings on their wings. The dance is hypnotic and I realised I’ve been watching for some time.

Later I look them up to find these are male yellow-barred longhorn moths. My insect field guide says they’re common in damp woods but I’ve never noticed them before.