Venturing into the unknown
Berkshire vice-county is fairly well covered by moth records, although there are still 'holes' in the maps, and nearly all the 10km squares in the county have at least some records. But there are still opportunities for the intrepid moth explorer to claim the first ever moth records for four 10km squares! However, to tick them off you'll need good navigational skills, as rather small amounts of land are involved. There is virgin territory in SP41 (tiny), SU19 (tiny), SU26 (really tiny), SU85 (really, really, really tiny!).
To see these areas, click on the links below, which will take you to the excellent "Grab-a-grid-reference" sites (set up by Keith Balmer for Bedfordshire Natural History Society). When you arrive at the map, click on the drop-down list headed "Toggle Vice-County" and choose Berkshire.
This square includes a small piece of Thames-side Berkshire, at the north-west end of the vice-county, in modern Oxfordshire near Wytham Wood and Wolvercote. A footpath runs through it. Looks rather nice for moths!
The Berkshire bit of SU19 is basically just a field, to the south of Lechlade on Thames. A footpath skirts the tip of this field, but you might need binoculars to record a moth in the field.
South-west of Hungerford a narrow strip of Berkshire land falls into SU26, containing farm fields and thin strips of woodland. A footpath crosses the northernmost section. Should be able to find a few day-flyers at least!
One for the really dedicated square-basher - a small area of land by the A30/A331 road junction in a business park/industrial area in Blackwater! However, it is also bounded on one side by the Blackwater River, so could have hidden rarities. We won't know until someone goes there!
The unrecorded 10km squares that include fragments of Berkshire:
