The Naturalists' Notebook

The MNA Coach parked beside the Yorkshire Dales Visitor Centre in Malham village and after donning waterproofs against the typical English Summer weather we were soon listing slightly unusual botanical sights like a huge coppiced Laburnum Laburnum anagyroides and a Bay Willow Salix pentandra beside Malham Methodist Chapel. Butterbur Petasites hybridus leaves lined the banks of Malham Beck and a Tree of note in Dingle Dell was Yellow Buckeye Aesculus flava with similar shaped leaves to Horse Chestnut. Swallows, House Martins, Sand Martins and Swifts were hovering insects at speed above and around us. Wren and Song Thrush in full song, twittering Goldfinch and a Grey Wagtail perched in a tree beside the Beck. John Clegg tried to add Kingfisher but the larger than life sculpture on the bridge didn’t fool us.

Meadow Cranesbill

White Stonecrop

Wandering through the village the various Fern species growing on the stone walls were identified as Hart’s Tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium, Black Spleenwort Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes, Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria and Brittle Bladder-fern Cystopteris fragilis. Also in the banksides and walls was Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica, Garlic Mustard a.k.a. Jack-By-The-Hedge Alliaria petiolata, Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre, White Stonecrop Sedum album, Wood Avens Geum urbanum, Meadow Crane’s-bill Geranium pratense, Shining Crane’s-bill Geranium lucidum, Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum, Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum, Cleavers Galium aparine, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Wall Lettuce Mycelis muralis etc.

We turned off beside the Youth Hostel passing some fragrant Sweet Cicely Myrrhis odorata and wandered along a small track adjacent to a stone wall that held some impressive cushions of Moss before stopping for lunch, sheltering from the rain underneath the trees. A Harvestmen wandering along the stone wall had a number of scarlet parasitic Mite larvae belonging to the genus Leptus attached to its legs and body. We crossed over farm fields adding another plethora of plants to the list – Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris, Trailing Tormentil Potentilla anglica, Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Bush Vetch Vicia sepium, White Clover Trifolium repens, Red Clover Trifolium pratense, Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris, Ground-elder Aegopodium podagraria, Selfheal Prunella vulgaris, Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare, Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Prickly Sow-thistle Sonchus asper.

Selfheal

After watching a Treecreeper spiralling around a tree and a couple of Spotted Flycatchers chasing after Insects we crossed over Malham Beck using one of the traditional stone clapper bridges. Amongst the Yellow Meadows Ant Lasius flavus hills we found Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia, Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile, Mouse-ear-hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, Yarrow Achillea millefolium and Betony Stachys officinalis. Marsh Valerian Valeriana dioica grew along the Beck’s bankside, Water-cress Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum in the Beck itself and across the Beck were a few flowering Jacob’s-ladder Polemonium caeruleum.

Wild Thyme

In front of us was the curved limestone ampitheatre of Malham Cove. This cliff face was formed along the line of the Middle Craven Fault through ice and water erosion but nowadays the water flows underground through fissures in the limestone exiting at the foot of the Cove into Malham Beck. (On our return coach journey DaveB passed around an aerial photo from December 2015 when torrential rainfall from Storm Desmond briefly created a waterfall as it sent torrents cascading over the 260ft cliff face for the first time in hundreds of years.)

Belted Galloway

We headed over to the Peregrine Viewpoint where staff and volunteers from the RSPB and the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA) had scopes set up on the two Peregrine chicks that have fledged this year. Given the inclement weather they were hunkered onto the cliff but for the past few weeks have been honing their flying skills around the cove. This is the 20^th year that Peregrines have successfully raised chicks at this site. A small herd of Belted Galloway cattle were providing alternative entertainment browsing on the Ash trees running along the beck edge, craning up their necks and extending their tongues to grab the leaflets – or given a helping hand by ChrisB and our driver Jed.

Yellow Loosestrife

We wandered back along the track towards the village and in the absence of any ‘Corpse of the Day’ we decided on ‘Mollusc of the Day’ the cutey Brown-lipped Snail Cepaea nemoralis. Their slimier cousins adorned the Meadow Buttercups in the form of Black Slug Arion ater red form and Slug Deroceras sp. Back in the village a profusion of Yellow Loosestrife Lysimachia vulgaris was growing beside a stone wall and we decided a new Fern for the day was Southern Polypody Polypodium cambricum. Trooping Crumble Cap Coprinellus disseminatus and some Artist’s Bracket Ganoderma applanatum were growing on the remains of a dead Tree.

Southern Polypody

At the entrance to the Beck Hall car park were a couple of fine wooden sculptures of Boxing Hares

Whilst ChrisB and I sat outside the Lister Arms with a pint busy putting the world (or should I say academia) to rights, DaveB led a small group of members along to Gordale Scar. They had a Blackcap singing and a brief snatch of Redstart song coming from a grove of Sycamores and Ash, Green Woodpecker in flight and a very ragged Common Buzzard hovering in the breeze above the crags with fairly large prey in its talons. More plants with Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare, Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria, Upright Hedge-parsley Torilis japonica, Imperforate St John’s-wort Hypericum maculatum and Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia. On the return walk they heard a Curlew frequently calling.

John Clegg wandered along to the waterfall at Janet’s Foss where Gordale Beck flows over a limestone outcrop topped with tufa into a pool below that was once used for sheep dipping. Janet was apparently a fairy queen that lived in a cave nearby. John didn’t spot Janet but did see half a dozen Dippers along the beck.

If you are interested in the wildlife of the north-west of England and would like to join the walks and coach trips run by the Merseyside Naturalists’ Association, see the main MNA website for details of our programme and how to join us.

A natural history packed day as DaveB and I visited a couple of sites in the Wrexham area using public transport. We initially took the train to Chester then boarded Arriva’s 1 bus alighting at the village of Marford famous for its quaint Gothic revival cottages, built as part of the former Trevalyn Hall estates. Crosses also feature in the cottage designs to protect the inhabitants from the ghost of Marford “Lady Blackbird”, who is said to tap at the windows.

The land around Marford and nearby Gresford was formed at the end of the last Ice Age when two ice sheets joined. When the ice melted, about 14,000 years ago, it left behind huge areas of sand and gravel and Marford Quarry was opened in 1972 providing the source of the aggregate for the Mersey Tunnel. The site was designated a SSSI in 1989 primarily because of its rare Invertebrate species including solitary and spider hunting Wasp species and Plants including Wild Liquorice Astragalus glycyphyllos, Green-flowered Helleborine Epipactis phyllanthes. North Wales Wildlife Trust bought the site the following year.

A range of notable Plants included Greater Spearwort Ranunculus lingua growing in the small pond, Stinking Hellebore Helleborus foetidus, Thyme-leaved Sandwort Arenaria serpyllifolia, Perforate St John’s-wort Hypericum perforatum, Weld Reseda luteola, Scarlet Pimpernel Anagallis arvensis, Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans, Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca, Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium, Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea, Yellow-wort Blackstonia perfoliata, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris, Musk Thistle Carduus nutans, Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis and Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia. Dave identified a speciality favouring lime soils in quarries and the edges of woodland as Common Gromwell Lithospermum officinale.

Woodlice

We turned over a few logs and disturbed groups of Common Striped Woodlouse Philoscia muscorum, Common Shiny Woodlouse Oniscus asellus and a couple of Pill Millipedes Glomeris marginata. Another log had a few Ground Beetles including one of the two species of Violet Ground Beetle called Carabus problematicus which has ridges and dimples on its elytra. A small felt mat that is designed to absorb heat and attract Reptiles to hide underneath had done its job well with a female Slow Worm Anguis fragilis adopting a sinusoidal pose.

Slow Worm

A Sand-tailed Digger Wasp Cerceris arenaria sat on a leaf for a photo and later we saw a number of others entering the nest holes in a sandy bank, from which side-tunnels radiate leading to cells. An egg is laid in each cell and the growing larvae are provisioned with paralysed prey, mostly Weevils Curculionidae sp.

Sand-tailed Digger Wasp

The leaves of the tall flowering Great Mulleins Verbascum thapsus around the site had been almost completely decimated by the caterpillars of the Mullein Moth Cucullia verbasci leaving noticeable frass (pelleted excreta). However there were no caterpillars now visible – we searched on and under those remaining leaves, amongst the flowers and in nearby vegetation. We then found a few flowering spikes of White Mullein Verbascum lychnitis which had half a dozen caterpillars of varying sizes.

Mullein Caterpillar

There were a few small but bright red Robin’s Pincushion Galls a.k.a. ‘Bedeguar Gall on Dog Rose Rosa canina caused by the Gall Wasp Dipoloepis rosae, Willow Rust Melampsora spp. on the leaves of Salix sp. and a Yellow Waxcap Hygrocybe flavescens.

Robin’s Pincushion Gall

Willow Rust

Butterflies included a Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina and plenty of Ringlets Aphantopus hyperantus with Odonata including a patrolling male Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa and a very obliging Migrant Hawker Aeshna mixta.

Migrant Hawker

We returned to Marford Village along Springfield Lane noting Green Alkanet Pentaglottis sempervirens, Ivy-leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis, Red Valerian Centranthus ruber and Feverfew Tanacetum parthenium before boarding an Arriva 1 bus again to Wrexham.

After quickly eating our lunch we boarded the Arriva 10 bus to Minera  whose name derives from the Latin for “mine” or “ore” (the Welsh name Mwynglawdd translates roughly as “ore mine”). We disembarked at the village triangle walked down the road and crossed the newly re-pointed stone bridge over the River Clywedog where Dave spotted a Dipper flying upstream before turning onto Ty Brith Ln and onto the track leading up to the Quarry. Plants included Greater Celandine Chelidonium majus, Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica and the feathery-looking leaves of Brittle Bladder-fern Cystopteris fragilis growing amongst the Polypody Polypodium vulgare.

A scrubby area with flowering Blackberry Rubus fruticosus and Field-rose Rosa arvensis attracted Mountain Bumblebees Bombus monticola and the Hoverfly Volucella pellucens with the umbellifer heads of Ground-elder Aegopodium podagraria holding a scattering of other Insects.

Next the wooded area growing on the old lime slag heaps had Common Spotted Orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii in a variety of colours, Common Twayblade Neottia ovata along with Broad-leaved Helleborines Epipactis helleborine that were just in bud and a few spikes of the green fruits of Lords-and-Ladies Arum maculatum.

Minera Quarry

We arrived in the main quarry the sun putting in an appearance which brought out a selection of Butterflies including Large Skipper Ochlodes venata, Common Blue Polyommatus icarus, Grayling Hipparchia semele, Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina, Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus and Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus.

A feast of Wildflowers with Lady’s-mantle Alchemilla sp. Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca, Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Selfheal Prunella vulgaris, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum, Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria, Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris, Welted Thistle Carduus crispus, Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare and the leaves of Colt’s-foot Tussilago farfara. Pyramidal Orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis joined masses of Common Spotted Orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsia, a handful of Heath Spotted-orchids Dactylorhiza maculata and Fragrant Orchids Gymnadenia conopsea that were just beginning to bloom.

Pyramidal Orchid

The small pond fringed with Marsh Horsetail Equisetum palustre held a Great Diving Beetle Dytiscus marginalis, a couple of Pond Skaters Gerris lacustris along with a Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula and a few Common Blue Damselflies Enallagma cyathigerum.

Frog Orchid

We climbed up a path through woodland along the bottom edge of the quarry before emerging at a ridge giving great views over the whole quarry complex. A few more Wildflowers with Salad Burnet Sanguisorba minor and Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria but the best was kept until last. I’d only read a few days before our visit that Frog Orchids Coeloglossum viride had been re-discovered at the quarry in 2014 and lo and behold there was a small flowering spike. The compact cowl of three sepals forms a globular shape with the tongue only just protruding from beneath the cowl. Once we had our eye in, we counted forty small spikes!

If you are interested in the wildlife of the north-west of England and would like to join the walks and coach trips run by the Merseyside Naturalists’ Association, see the main MNA website for details of our programme and how to join us.

A few days visiting some familiar sites in Anglesey and the Great Orme in late June proved fruitful.

At Breakwater Country Park the initial clouds did give way to some blue sky giving a great backdrop to the dramatic rocky coastline. Highlights included the wildflowers growing on the cliff path – Thrift Armeria maritima, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Sea Plantain Plantago maritima, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis agg. Sheep’s-bit Jasione montana along with the dark purple hues of Northern Marsh-orchids Dactylorhiza purpurella.

Northern-marsh Orchid

On the path to the Magazines was Common Toadflax Linaria vulgaris and elsewhere Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor looked somewhat incongruous growing amongst Bracken Pteridium aquilinum – this plant is more usually seen in meadows being hemi-parasitic on grasses.

Common Toadflax

Chough mosaic

We closely approached two Chough as they fed close to the cliff top path and occasionally calling their names. In the Quarry one of the Peregrines wasted no time in seeing off six Ravens from its patch as they flew by. The Ravens settled further along the Quarry face and uttered some deep throated ‘kraa’ calls in indignation.

Along at Holyhead Harbour a few people were peering over the railings pointing to something in the water below. I went to investigate and saw around twenty sack-shaped Comb Jellies ranging in size from 5-12cm. They were particularly impressed by the multi-coloured shimmering effect of the longitudinal combs which consist of plates of transverse rows of hairs that beat in waves downwards allowing the Comb Jelly to swim. I later identified them as Beroe cucumis which apparently may reach up to 15 cm in length. Also floating around was a Moon Jellyfish Aurelia aurita with another one stranded, a Lion’s Mane Jellyfish Cyanea capillata and three Sea Gooseberries Pleurobrachia pileus.

Comb Jelly

Along at Penmon Point we watched a Black Guillemot and fishing Sandwich Terns, three passing Little Egrets and a Rock Pipit that was hopping around the rocky beach foraging for insects. In one of the deep rock pool a dozen Brown Shrimp Crangon crangon were darting around and finding cover amongst the various Seaweeds. A few interesting plants with Rock Sea-spurrey Spergularia rupicola, Thrift Armeria maritima, Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, Chamomile Chamaemelum nobile and Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia. Whilst parked up eating a picnic lunch overlooking the Menai Strait we had two Common Scoters fly past.

At Victoria Park, Llandudno at the foot of the Great Orme a few Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera spikes were still in flower.

Near the artificial ski slope the hyperactive Silver-studded Blues Plebejus argus led me a merry dance before one finally posed on Bloody Cranesbill Geranium sanguineum .

Silver-studded Blue

The usual Wildflowers were in evidence with Common Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium, Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum, Thrift Armeria maritima, Wild Thyme Thymus serpyllum,  Red Valerian Centranthus ruber and Dropwort Filipendula vulgaris that has a passing resemblance to its cousin Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria.

Dropwort

If you are interested in the wildlife of the north-west of England and would like to join the walks and coach trips run by the Merseyside Naturalists’ Association, see the main MNA website for details of our programme and how to join us.

Four years have passed since the previous MNA Coach Trip to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve at Potteric Carr, close to Doncaster. Most members headed to the far side of the reserve with the scrapes and Huxter Well and Piper Marshes. They returned bubbling with news of fantastic views of Bittern, Black-necked Grebe, Marsh Harrier, Little Ringed Plover, Little Egret etc. and seemed pleased with the Odonata including an Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator and a few Migrant Hawkers Aeshna mixta. The usual Summer Reedbed Warblers were around with Reed, Sedge and Cettis heard and seen in many cases. Mammals included a few Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus, Grey Squirrels Sciurus carolinensis tucking into the bird feeders and Bryan Workman had views of a young Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi.

Bumblebee Sculpture

I concentrated my efforts around the main Reedbed filtration system and Willow Marsh in my usual guise becoming tangled amongst the vegetation and reeds looking for real Insects amongst the fine wood carvings. I certainly had a packed day with a Spotted Longhorn Beetle Leptura maculata formerly Strangalia maculata, a Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle Agapanthia villoviridescens, a Wasp Beetle Clytus arietis, a couple of Red-headed Cardinal Beetles Pyrochroa serraticornis, a Pine Weevil Hylobius abietis and Black and Red Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata. Biting critters included half a dozen Black-horned Clegs Haematopota crassicornis failing to look innocent on a wooden boardwalk railing.

Leptura maculata

Pine Weevil

Large Rose Sawfly

Three Large Rose Sawfly Arge pagana were egg-laying all in a line along the stem of a Dog Rose Rosa canina and there were Alder Vein Angle Galls caused by the Gall Mite Eriophyes inangulis. Hoverfly species included Heliophilus pendulus, Volucella pellucens and Syrphus ribesii, Parhelophilus frutetorum and Eristalis pertinax.

Volucella pellucens

Butterflies and Moths included a Large Skipper Ochlodes venata, Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae, the striking caterpillar of the Rusty Tussock Moth a.k.a. Vapourer Orgyia antiqua and Small Magpie Anania hortulata.

Brimstone

Rusty Tussock Moth Caterpillar

As well as Dragonflies the Damselflies were well represented with males, females, tenerals and some interesting colour forms noted. They included Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella, Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum and Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans with colour forms rufescens and rufescens-obsoleta represented.

Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans female form rufescens-obsoleta

Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans female form rufescens

Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum female

Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella male

Common Spotted-orchid

Plant Species included Perforate St. John’s Wort Hypericum perforatum, Silverweed Potentilla anserina, Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca, Wood Avens a.k.a Herb Bennet Geum urbanum, Dog-rose Rosa canina, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca, Black Medick Medicago lupulina, White Clover Trifolium repens, Field Forget-me-not Myosotis arvensis, Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica, Selfheal Prunella vulgaris, Wild Teasel Dipsacus fullonum, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Beaked Hawk’s-beard Crepis vesicaria, Fox-and-cubs Pilosella aurantiaca, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea, Bulrush Typha latifolia, Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia and a profusion of Southern Marsh-orchids Dactylorhiza praetermissa.

Southern Marsh-orchid

If you are interested in the wildlife of the north-west of England and would like to join the walks and coach trips run by the Merseyside Naturalists’ Association, see the main MNA website for details of our programme and how to join us.