Knighton Ward is in the south-east of the City of Leicester. The population at the time of the 2011 census was 16,805. The ward covers an area of 415 hectares (1.6 square miles). Knighton Park is a significant area of green open space at the southern boundary of the ward, where it meets with Oadby and Wigston. There is not a lot of public open space in the rest of the ward, but parts of the ward are characterised by large gardens with mature trees, which are gradually being diminished by backland development. Leicester University manages the Attenborough Arboretum, which is a good place to view native and introduced trees and a variety of wildlife. There is a small local nature reserve at the Wash Brook Nature Reserve on the edge of the ward next to the Midland Mainline.
Total species seen in this parish: 1280
Thanks to NatureSpot, Leicester City Council and Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust for supporting the work of Knighton Wild in Knighton.
Welcome to the Knighton Ward page in NatureSpot. Knighton Wild is the local wildlife group in Knighton and exists to encourage people to enjoy and record our local wildlife and improve the local environment for wildlife. News in this section. Upcoming events in the Parish Update section below.
Knighton Wild members took part in two events for the City Nature Challenge 2019 between 26th and 29th May.
On Saturday 27th, members worked with Friends of Knighton Green to record as many species as possible in Knighton Green, helping to establish a baseline of what is present before the wildflower sowing and other management changes take effect.
Members of Knighton Wild walked round Knighton Park on 13th April and recorded around 56 species, including 20 birds. In the arboretum area to the east side of the park, there were laurel bushes with large numbers of bees sunning themselves on the leaves, including the tawny mining bee, and a probable ashy mining bee.
Chris Leach led a walk round the park and Spinney on Sunday 9th September 2018. We found 37 different plant galls and also identified a leaf miner, a fungus and an inquiline (a species that lives in a gall but doesn't cause it).
Get involved this year with Knighton Wild in meetings and practical activities.
AGM and Talk about Swifts
Knighton Wild's AGM is on 15th May 2019 at 7.30 pm in the Lounge at Knighton Parish Centre, Church Lane, LE2 3WG. After a short business session, we shall be hearing all about swifts from Peter Williams of the Leicestershire and Rutland Swift Partnership. Swifts are one of the birds that have experienced a decline in numbers, and Peter will tell about work that is being done to monitor swifts and provide additional nesting sites to supplement their traditional sites under the eaves of houses. £1 members, £3 non-members. All welcome.
Practical Work on Knighton Green
Knighton Green is the area between the ends of Kenwood Road and Church Lane. Friends of Knighton Green have planted a wildflower meadow and some local varieties of apple trees in a small community orchard. Check out the Friends of Knighton Green page on Knighton Wild's website for details of future activities.
If you are interested and have ideas for local activities then please contact us:
| Common Name | Latin Name | Date Recorded | Recorded By | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linyphia triangularis | 17/09/2019 | AJ Cann | ||
| Neriene montana | 17/09/2019 | AJ Cann | ||
| Zygiella x-notata | 17/09/2019 | AJ Cann | ||
| Common Darter | Sympetrum striolatum | 17/09/2019 | Maggie Frankum | |
| Smooth Newt | Lissotriton vulgaris | 17/09/2019 | Maggie Frankum | |
| Daddy Long-legs Spider | Pholcus phalangioides | 17/09/2019 | AJ Cann | |
| Giant House-spider | Tegenaria duellica | 17/09/2019 | AJ Cann | |
| Zygiella x-notata | 16/09/2019 | AJ Cann | ||
| Orchesella cincta | 16/09/2019 | AJ Cann | ||
| Garden Spider | Araneus diadematus | 15/09/2019 | Maggie Frankum | |
| Comma | Polygonia c-album | 15/09/2019 | Maggie Frankum | |
| Red Admiral | Vanessa atalanta | 15/09/2019 | Maggie Frankum | |
| Tree Bumblebee | Bombus hypnorum | 15/09/2019 | Maggie Frankum | |
| Common Carder Bumblebee | Bombus pascuorum | 15/09/2019 | Maggie Frankum | |
| Southern Hawker | Aeshna cyanea | 15/09/2019 | Maggie Frankum | |
| Species group | Total no. of species | Total no. of records | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferns & Horsetails | 4 | 5 | |
| Amphibians | 3 | 69 | |
| insect - hymenopteran | 2 | 3 | |
| Algae, Bacteria, Virus | 2 | 4 | |
| Mayflies | 1 | 1 | |
| Lacewings & Scorpionflies | 1 | 2 | |
| Thrips | 1 | 1 | |
| Silverfish | 1 | 1 | |
| Unknown | 1 | 2 | |
| Earwigs | 1 | 2 | |
| insect - true fly (Diptera) | 1 | 1 | |
| Slime Moulds | 1 | 1 | |
| millipede | 1 | 1 | |
