The Naturalists' Notebook

Richard Surman, DaveB and I headed down the Conwy Valley to Llanwrst and crossed Pont Fawr, the narrow three-arch stone bridge before taking a steep road up to the Gwydir Forest Park Offices and the adjacent 17th-century Gwydir Uchaf Chapel. A few Indian Peafowls were wandering around.

Indian Peafowl

We decided we weren’t at the correct starting point for the walk so drove back down the hill and parked up on a small lay-by. Walking up a narrow lane with a surprising amount of traffic we began to get a feel for the plants and birds of this Forest that lies in the heart of Snowdonia National Park. A number of Garden Warblers bubbled away, a few more scratchy sounding Blackcaps, a Spotted Flycatcher darting after insects, Willow Warblers, Chiffchaffs, Coal Tits, Chaffinch, Wren, Robin, Song Thrush and Buzzard.

Plants included Broad Buckler-fern Dryopteris dilatata, Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris, Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica, Greater Celandine Chelidonium majus, Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea, Red Campion Silene dioica, Broad-leaved Dock Rumex obtusifolius, Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana, Garlic Mustard (a.k.a. Jack-by-the-Hedge) Alliaria petiolata, Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis, Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus, Hairy Bitter-cress Cardamine hirsuta, Yellow Pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum, Navelwort a.k.a. Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca, Water Avens Geum rivale – growing in a very dry looking area, Wood Avens Geum urbanum, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Red Clover Trifolium pratense, Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris in various colour from the usual bluey purple to cerise, Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella, Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum, Pignut Conopodium majus, Field Forget-me-not Myosotis arvensis, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Bugle Ajuga reptans, Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata, Foxglove Digitalis purpurea, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, Cleavers Galium aparine, Beaked Hawk’s-beard Crepis vesicaria, Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta still in full flower and masses of Sharp-flowered Rush Juncus acutiflorus.

Hafna Smelting Works

Between 1850 and 1919, lead and zinc mining dominated the area. The hillsides in Gwydir Forest Park are riddled with tunnels and hollowed out caverns where generations of miners toiled to extract lead and zinc ore. We came across the remains of Hafna smelt house and adjacent blowing house, built in the 1880s located behind a slime pit. Ore and fuel would have been mixed together and raked in the furnace, effectively roasting the ore. As the temperature was increased the molten metal would flow to the bottom of the furnace, from where it was tapped. Because of the toxic fumes from smelting the furnace chimney was set above and away from the mill.

We stopped here for lunch watching a male Redstart, fine views of the aerial performance from a Tree Pipit, Grey and Pied Wagtails and Coal Tits as well as a number of Large Red Damselflies Pyrrhosoma nymphula from the slime pit and Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas and Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus in the meadow grasses.

Further along we saw a Hoverfly Sericomyia lappona, Speckled Wood and a yellow coloured day-flying Moth called Speckled Yellow Pseudopanthera macularia. According to Butterfly Conservation the Speckled Yellow restricted in distribution in south and east Wales so a good sighting.

We reached the Cyffty Mine, operational until 1921, where the remains of a crusher house (used to process the lead ore) circular buddle pits (ponds) and a pump-shaft are preserved. On the path a piece of slate caught my attention with its cubic indentations in the surface (although some weird photo distortion effect makes them look plush to the surface!) – possibly caused by the lead ore mineral galena.

Nearby was Llyn Sarnau which means ‘lake of the old tracks’, this shallow lake was quite overgrown with Marsh Horsetail Equisetum palustre and also had a few patrolling female Four-spotted Chasers Libellula quadrimaculata.

Creigiau Gleision

More spoils from mine workings were dotted around and we saw more Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata, a female Common Darter Sympetrum striolatum and a metallic Green Tiger Beetle Cicindela campestris. Great views across the forest of the three peaked mountain Creigiau Gleision the easternmost of the high Carneddau. As we continued wandering along the lanes we heard plenty more Redstarts, stood beneath a tree listening to the gutsy trilling song of a Wood Warbler, a Great-spotted Woodpecker, a calling Cuckoo and I had a Redpoll.

Saplings were planted in rows in a meadow area beside more established trees as part of a project by Plant! (the Welsh word for children) and Natural Resources Wales to grow a native broad-leaved sapling for every new baby born or adopted in Wales. We soon reached Llyn Geirionydd, a mile long lake on the northern edge of the Gwydyr Forest with conifers planted along the western side to soften the effects of the mine waste from the nearby Pandora Mine. A couple of Herring Gulls were loafing on a small rocky island and a Common Sandpiper was flying around, Calling before landing with much bobbing of its tail.

Llyn Geirionydd

More plants with a shady area still having flowering Lesser Celandine Ranunculus ficaria, and further on Woodruff Galium odoratum, Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifoliumand Yellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon.

As we descended the land again back to the car Richard spotted a Dor Beetle Geotrupes stercorarius ambling across the road, Corpse of the Day was a Beautiful Demoiselle Calopteryx virgo whose abdomen had been run over and a few metres further on a Cockchafer Melolontha melolontha was looking a bit bashed on its elytra.

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.

Six Swifts were screaming overhead in blue skies as I wandered down The Rake towards the Reserve On the now infamous fallen tree trunk on the slope running down from Bromborough Rake Station were a large number of impressive plates of Dryad’s Saddle Polyporus squamosus and the inevitable King Alfred’s Cakes Daldinia concentrica, elsewhere in the Beechwood was a group of Sheathed Woodtuft Kuehneromyces mutabilis. Crossing the small bridge at the bottom on the slope there was a nice clump of Pink Purslane Claytonia sibirica on the edge of Dibbin Brook. On the edge of the pools were plenty of Yellow Flag Iris pseudacorus further along Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis and a mother Coot was feeding her red bald headed youngster.

Yellow Flag

Grasses: l-r Crested Dog’s-tail, Timothy, Sweet Vernal-grass

Yellow-rattle

Sheep’s Sorrel

Bodens Hay Meadow came up trumps with a fabulous selection of Grasses and Sedges including Crested Dog’s-tail Cynosurus cristatus, Sweet Vernal-grass Anthoxanthum odoratum, Timothy Phleum pratense and a good selection of Wild Flowers with Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus aeris, Lesser Stitchwort Stellaria graminea, Ragged-Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi, Red Campion Silene dioica, Sheep’s Sorrel Rumex acetosella, Common Vetch Vicia sativa, Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata and Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor. These in turn had attracted plenty of Insects with Thick-legged Flower Beetles Oedemera nobilis being the most numerous favouring the Buttercups, also Soldier Beetle Cantharis nigricans 20+ I found a mating pair – the male having damaged elytra.

Mating Soldier Beetles

Black and Red Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata 12+, 22-spot Ladybird Psyllobora vigintiduopunctata 1, Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis 1m, 2f, Snipe Fly Rhagio sp. 3, Dance Fly Empis tessellata, Green Lacewing Chrysoperla sp. 5+, Green Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula 30+ larvae on Broad-leaved Dock Rumex obtusifolius, Common Malachite Beetle (a.k.a. Red-tipped Flower Beetle) Malachius bipustulatus 1, Click Beetle 1, Green Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus 6+ and Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum 2, Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans adult and teneral and a lone Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana. Best find was a Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle Agapanthia villoviridescens.

Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle

A Buzzard was mewing overhead as I entered the woodland. Although bird song was quieter than recent weeks Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Blackbird and Robin were still singing along with calling Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker and Bullfinch. More plants with Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica, Herb Bennet a.k.a Wood Avens Geum urbanum, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys and still the lingering smell of Ramsons Allium ursium that had now gone to seed. Butterflies included a Large White Pieris brassicae, Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria and in a small patch of recently planted wildflower meadow close to the Rangers Office a Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas.

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 much welcome burst of sunshine for the first part of DaveBs and my walk along the Sefton Coast starting on the Green Beach at Ainsdale and continuing in a meandering line along the saltmarsh, shoreline and dunes in a Southerly direction before ominous clouds rolled in as we approached Ainsdale .

Kidney Vetch

Sea-milkwort

Always a great area for honing your skills on maritime plants we were pointed in the direction of a few by a local naturalist we met and pondered over others with the assistance of the Collins Field Guide to Wildflowers. A varied list included: Marsh Horsetail Equisetum palustre, Polypody Polypodium vulgare, Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris, Sea-purslane Atriplex portulacoides, Sea Sandwort Honckenya peploides, Common Mouse-ear Cerastium fontanum, Sea Campion Silene uniflora, Red Campion Silene dioica, Thrift Armeria maritima, Creeping Willow Salix repens, Common Scurvygrass Cochlearia officinalis, Sea-milkwort Glaux maritima, Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre, Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, Silverweed Potentilla anserine, Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Bush Vetch Vicia sepium, Common Vetch Vicia sativa, Black Medick Medicago lupulina, Red Clover Trifolium pratense, Evening Primrose Oenothera sp. Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris, Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum, Common Stork’s-bill Erodium cicutarium, Sea-holly Eryngium maritimum, Parsley Water-Dropwort Oenanthe lachenalii, Hemlock Water-Dropwort Oenanthe crocata, Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris, Wild Parsnip Pastinaca sativa, leaves of Yellow-wort Blackstonia perfoliata, Field Forget-me-not Myosotis arvensis, Hound’s-tongue Cynoglossum officinale, Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata, leaves of Great Mullein Verbascum thapsus, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Hemp-agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum and Sea Arrowgrass Triglochin maritimum.

Sea Arrowgrass

Germander Speedwell

In one of the dune slacks dedicated to Natterjack Toads Bufo calamita there was a good number of wriggling tadpoles mainly confined to the edge of the pool. A couple of dessicated Common Frogs Rana temporaria were found later on in the dunes.

Swallows zipped around and Skylarks, Mepits and a good number of Reed Buntings were in fine voice in the dunes. We watched a couple of Sedgies non-stop in their grating repetitive song plus a Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and a few Wrens. A mob of Jackdaws took offence to a Carrion Crow in their patch.

Masked Crab – such a fine Corpse of the Day you get it twice 😉

A bit of beachcombing produced finds of Hornwrack Flustra foliacea, Pod Razorshell Ensis siliqua, Rayed Trough Shell Mactra stultorum, Common Whelk Buccinium undatum, Prickly Cockle Acanthocardia echinata, Necklace Shell Euspira catena, Sea Wash Ball Egg Case of Common Whelk Buccinium undatum, Sea Potato Heart Urchin Echinocardium cordatum, Sand Mason Worm Tubes Lanice conchilega, Mermaid’s Purse of Thornback Ray Raja clavata, dead Common Shore Crab Carcinus maenas. I mentioned to Dave that I quite often find the remains of Masked Crabs Corystes cassivelaunus along this coastline and true to form we found a few skeletons that definitely made Corpse of the Day. I posed one on some old fishing net. Algae washed up on the shore were mostly Spiral Wrack Fucus spiralis with a few fronds of Knotted (Egg) Wrack Ascophyllum nodosum.

Heart Urchin

On the shoreline there was hundreds of Dunlin with approx. equal numbers of Ringed Plover some of which allowed us to approach quite close, twenty of so Bar-tailed Godwits strode about the shallows and cackling Shelduck were around along with the usual Gulls and two Sandwich Terns.

Wader footprints in the sand

Returning to the dunes in one of the slacks containing flowering Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis and Yellow Flag Iris pseudacorus we watched a Little Egret stalking about, waggling one of its feet in the hope of disturbing any fish. We’d seen a few Butterflies with a couple of Large White Pieris brassicae, a Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas, and a Peacock Inachis io. Best sightings were of three Wall Lasiommata megera feeding on Dandelions but too flighty to catch on camera and around ten Small Heaths Coenonympha pamphilus. Two caterpillars of Yellow-tail Euproctis similis favoured the leaves of Alder Alnus glutinosa whereas another two favoured those of the invasive Japanese Rose Rosa rugosa.

Japanese Rose

Woolly Bear

Two ‘Woolly Bears’ the caterpillars of the Garden Tiger Moth Arctia caja were on the path.

Other insects included Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum, a Northern Dune Tiger Beetle Cicindela hybrida, a Harlequin Ladybird Harmonia axyridis conspicua, a 2-spot Ladybird Adalia bipunctata, half a dozen Green Lacewings Chrysoperla sp. and a couple of Stretch Spiders Tetragnatha sp. Three female Four-spotted Chasers Libellula quadrimaculata were patrolling the dunes.

As we approached Ainsdale we notched up a few more plants with Sea Spurge Euphorbia paralias, Beaked Hawk’s-beard Crepis vesicaria, Early Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp. coccinea and Northern Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella. Walking back up the Shore Road to Ainsdale station we then added English Stonecrop Sedum anglicum and Common Restharrow Ononis repens.

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 return MNA Coach Trip to Stocks Reservoir lying within the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We passed through the picturesque village of Slaidburn before driving through the south-west edge of Gisburn Forest managed by the Forestry Commision and parking in School Lane Car Park. The heavens had opened and after passing round maps most members quickly walked and spread themselves in the two bird hides overlooking the reservoir. En route to the hides I noted Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea, Common Bugle Ajuga reptans, Water Avens Geum rivale and Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Half a dozen Great Crested Grebes were joined by Greylags with goslings, Canada Geese, Lapwings, Oystercatcher, Little Ringed Plover, Common Sandpiper, Curlew, BHG and LBBGs with DaveB & co seeing a Sanderling flying by. Sand Martins, Swallows and a couple of House Martins were zipping around.

Wood Horsetail

Curled Bracken

As the rain eased to a constant drizzle members began walking along the trail, Blackcap, Willow Warbler, Chiffchaff and a Garden warbler were heard along with Coal Tits, the odd Wren and Robin. The Norway Spruce Picea abies had fresh growth, the Bird Cherry Prunus padus was in flower, the young fronds of bracken were about to uncurl Bracken Pteridium aquilinum and a few feathery looking Wood Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum were scattered around. Other plants included Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis, Opposite-leaved Golden-saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Bush Vetch Vicia sepium, Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys with Lynn Roper also noting Alpine Lady’s-mantle Alchemilla alpina. A small pool held twenty or so Common Frog Rana temporaria tadpoles.

Bird Cherry

Richard Surman saw a Kestrel near the dilapidated stone building that is all that remains of Birch Hill Farm, and as we wandered down the track through the forest edge a few buzzing Redpolls flew overhead. We wandered through a soggy meadow, a few tiny flowers of Heath Speedwell Veronica officinalis in evidence and over Lock Bridge crossing over Hasgill Beck before up onto the fell passing Swaledale Sheep their associated dung attracting Yellow Dung-fly Scatophaga stercoraria. Jackdaws and Carrion Crows along with BHGs were visible on the fell; Curlews were flying around calling their plaintive cry, a distant Buzzzard, Meadow Pipits and Skylarks singing and the odd Oystercatcher piping.

Swarms of dangly legs St Mark’s Fly Bibio marci followed us as we climbed. In a patch of Common Nettles Urtica dioica was a lone Nettle-tap Moth Anthophila fabriciana and our driver pointed out the orange clusters of Nettle Rust Fungi Puccinia urticata. On the nearby stone wall were a few inch long black Caterpillars with a faint orange strip along their side. We admired a Tree which had a large knobbly and gnarled base, eventually deciding it was two conjoined Trees probably Ash Fraxinus excelsior that was only beginning to come into leaf and Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna.

New House Farm ruins

We stopped at the atmospheric derelict house and barn of New House Farm before deciding which route to take. A few members headed back with the remainder continuing along the track before dropping down a wooded vale and again out onto farmland. A couple of Grey Wagtails flew overhead, perching on wires near a fast flowing stream, a couple of Snipe put on quite a show with their winnowing or drumming display flight – the sound produced by the vibration of the modified outer tail feathers. Calling Curlews, Lapwings and Oyks were joined further along the track by two calling Cuckoo and a chiswicking Pied Wagtail. Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana and Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus were flowering in the swarthy verge. We could hear Redstart and it wasn’t long before we located a superb male perched on electricity wires.

River Hodder

We descended a field and a fancy stone slab path led us down to a wooden footbridge crossing the River Hodder adding Blue Tit to the day’s tally before climbing up to the ruins of New House Farm again, a Raven croaking overhead. On entering the Forest again during the return walk back I had two rattling Mistle Thrushes. Corpse of the Day went to Harry Standaloft’s find of a dead Common Newt Triturus vulgaris that had a damaged tail.

Common Newt

John Clegg and co had watched a female Goosander with 10 ducklings – four were riding on their mothers back with a few of the others desperate to clamber on. They also noted a male Red-breasted Merganser. Close to the Coach eight or so Black and Red Froghoppers Cercopis vulnerata were sat amongst some shrubs.

Black and Red Froghopper

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.