The Naturalists' Notebook

Had a rather nice Scalloped Oak Crocallis elinguaria resting near the entrance to my flat in Toxteth this evening 🙂

Richard Surman, Dave B and I headed down to the Welsh Borders to visit a couple of Shropshire Wildlife Trust Reserves close to Oswestry. Our first stop was Llynclys Common where we parked beside the Lime Kiln Pub, which had Fox-and-cubs Pilosella aurantiaca growing in the beer garden, crossed over to the nearby bridleway and climbed up a steep path through mixed woodland noting the green berries of Lords-and-Ladies Arum maculatum, Hart’s-tongue Phyllitis scolopendrium and Hard Shield-fern Polystichum aculeatum that is most commonly found on limestone rocks. It is a bipinnate fern with pinnules that have sharply pointed teeth and spine-pointed tips.

Hard Shield-fern

A few Fungi Species with Artist’s Bracket Ganoderma applanatum, Birch Woodwart Hypoxylon multiforme and Common Tarcrust Diatrype stigma.

Common Tarcrust

We passed large patches of Enchanter’s-nightshade Circaea lutetiana and crossed through bracken scrubland where a few pale coloured Common Spotted-orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsia were growing and into the limestone meadow areas with a scattering of Yellow Meadow Ant Lasius flavus hills. Butterflies included a rather tattered Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta, a few Speckled Woods Pararge aegeria, plenty of Meadow Browns Maniola jurtina and Ringlets Aphantopus hyperantus. A number of large fast flying Fritillaries were swooping around the open glades between the woodland. Thankfully one settled for a photo that allowed for identification – a Silver-washed Fritillary Argynnis paphia whose caterpillar’s main foodplant is Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana.

Silver-washed Fritillary

A small pond with Lesser Spearwort Ranunculus flammula and Broad-leaved Willowherb Epilobium montanum growing around its edges held Greater Water Boatman Notonecta glauca, a few unidentified Pond Snails and the reeds had a handful of Damselflies – Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula and mating Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum. A rather spectacular metallic green-golden insect with fat body and shading on the wings landed close to me. It was a female Sawfly Abia sericea of the family Cimbicidae who are recognisable by their five segmented antennae ending in distinctive ‘clubs’.

Sawfly Abia sericea

A Botanists paradise with lots of summer flowering plants- Red Campion Silene dioica, Perforate St John’s-wort Hypericum perforatum, Slender St John’s-wort Hypericum pulchrum, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Wood Avens Geum urbanum, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum, Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica, Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Selfheal Prunella vulgaris, Common Figwort Scrophularia nodosa, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis agg. Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum, Greater Burdock Arctium lappa, Welted Thistle Carduus crispus, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Black Bryony Tamus communis, Common Twayblade Listera ovata and Broad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine which had gone to seed.

Common Twayblade

Walking back towards the car we spotted a Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis, a hedgerow umbellifer was identified as Ground-elder Aegopodium podagraria which had a few Hoverflies Cheilosia illustrata – a furry bumblebee mimic typically seen settled with its wings closed tightly over its back. Its body is usually pale haired with a black band across the centre of the thorax. We also had an unusual sighting of a Grey Heron standing on the tracks of a disused railway line – we thought that it could possibly be hunting for Lizards basking in the sun.

Our next stop was Llanymenech Rocks Reserve where limestone mining was carried out for more than 2000 years, right up until the First World War. Reminders of this ancient industry can be seen in the old stone tramways and a few winding houses. The village is home to one of only three remaining Hoffmann kilns in the British Isles.

Winding House

We walked through woodland noting a few tiers of Dryad’s Saddle Polyporus squamosus. AMigrant Hawker Aeshna mixta was zipping around and a Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis was flying around a small pond in a field with yurt tents. Entering the quarry a Spotted Flycatcher was seen chasing insects from its launch pad on the cliff face, Richard had a possible sighting of a Pied Flycatcher. There were half a dozen Common Swifts screeching around also Common Buzzard, Wood Pigeon, Pied Wagtail, Wren, Blackbird, Song Thrush, Common Chiffchaff, Long-tailed Tit, Magpie and Common Bullfinch.

Harvestman

We ate lunch a Harvestman Phalangium opilio crawling around Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare at my feet in search of prey. A few Butterflies were flitting around – Small White Pieris rapae, Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina and Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus.

Six-spot Burnet Moth

Day-flying Moths included over a dozen Six-Spot Burnets Zygaena filipendulae, a few ‘Waves’, a Barred Yellow Cidaria fulvata and a showy Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha dominula with dramatic blood-red underwings.

Meadow Grasshopper

Common Field Grasshopper nymph

Plenty of stridulating Grasshoppers including Meadow Grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus and Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus – whose nymphs, including a ‘pink form’ were much in evidence amongst the rocky scree where Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes was growing in profusion. Insects noted included Tapered Drone Fly Eristalis pertinax, Hoverfly Leucozona glaucia, Sloe Bug Dolycoris baccarum, Dock Bug Coreus marginatus and a female Thick-legged Flower Beetle Oedemera nobilis. A few Rose Sawflies Arge ochropus were foraging on umbellifers of Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium. This distinctive species has a black head and thorax and an orange body. The wings have a dark mark along the border, but no dark cross band. The legs are banded and look like its wearing football socks.

Rose Sawfly

A viewpoint offered spectacular views and also a lone Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae caterpillar feeding on Oxford Ragwort Senecio squalidus – later on an adult trapped in a web becoming our ‘Corpse of the Day’, a Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae and our first sightings of Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus that seemed to favour this end of the quarry.

Small Scabious

Again fantastic botanically with new species for the day including Common Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium, Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria, Field-rose Rosa arvensis, Common Vetch Vicia sativa, Common Restharrow Ononis repens, Black Medick Medicago lupulina, White Clover Trifolium repens, Red Clover Trifolium pratense, Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium, Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris, Upright Hedge-parsley Torilis japonica, Wild Basil Clinopodium vulgare, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Greater Plantain Plantago major, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Red Valerian Centranthus ruber, Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria, Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare, Goat’s-beard Tragopogon pratensis seedhead, Beaked Hawk’s-beard Crepis vesicaria, Yarrow Achillea millefolium, False Fox-sedge Carex otrubae and Pyramidal Orchids Anacamptis pyramidalis by the score.

False Fox-sedge

Goat’s-beard

Nine MNA members met at Freshfield station at 10.30, for a planned walk to Ainsdale. In the event, the wildlife in the woods and gorse on the inland side of the railway was so absorbing that by the time we got to the beach at the end of Fisherman’s Path, it was time to return. It was a hot and sunny day, too, so we made the right decision.

There were plenty of flowers and butterflies, even on the first part of the walk along the railway.  There were Meadow Browns, a large White, two Gatekeepers mating and a Small Skipper on Spear Thistle.

Sid found a sluggish Tree Bee in the shade, which posed obligingly on his hand before we released it into the sunshine.

There was a Robin on the path, and in the woods we heard a Chiffchaff calling. Some Coal Tits were flitting about in the pines, together with some Long Tailed Tits. We spotted a female Chaffinch, a Blue Tit and a Carrion Crow poking about in the short turf. A peeping noise overhead announced an Oyster Catcher flying north. Tony C was looking for Cramp Balls on burnt gorse, and he also found Tawny Grisette Amanita fulva, Common Fieldcap Agrocybe pediades and one that he thought looked like a young jelly fungus called Leafy Brain Tremella foliacea. He later reported that it was too young to get any spores so he couldn’t confirm its identification.

In a small pool in the stream there were Sticklebacks, Water Crowfoot and Watercress. On the wing were Broad bodied Chaser and Common Blue and Blue-tailed damselflies. The gorse held a Cinnabar moth, a Red Admiral, and several large Labyrinth spiders with their funnel-like webs.

Both a Kestrel and Buzzard flew overhead at different times, and we noted a Whitethroat, a Dunnock, a Swallow and a Small Heath butterfly. As we lunched amongst the gorse we were joined by Dorothy C, who always manages to find us. A small brown Meadow Grasshopper perched on John C’s blanket. Beyond the railway and golf course Sid found a large hairy caterpillar on the path. We think it was a Drinker moth caterpillar. (Thanks to Sid for the use of his hand, again).

Along Fisherman’s Path we tried to identify as many flowers as possible, including Honeysuckle, Lady’s Mantle, Common Centaury, Self-heal, Wild Parsnip and Mullein.

There was a light brown Campion Moth caterpillar on the seed heads of White Campion. It eats the seeds, and we could see a small hole in one seed head where presumably it had emerged.

In the woody undergrowth we spotted a Wren and a young Robin. Speckled Wood butterflies were in the sunny glades, and there was a Comma in the sunshine. By the edge of the path were some Bloody Brittlegill Russula sanguinea, looking rather faded and chewed. (This photo by Jane Parker).

When we reached the beach we went hunting in the sandy slack behind the first dune for Northern Dune Tiger Beetles. One or two people spotted one, but they are very fast and fleeting, and most people missed them. Chris B picked up a spiral Auger Shell, and commented that it couldn’t have been washed from the sea over the tall beachfront dune, so it may have been there for many years, from before the dune grew so high. He also said they are rarely seen much further north than here, although they are commoner towards Crosby.  Growing in amongst the Marram grass were small single toadstools of Dune Brittlestem Psathyrella ammophila.

We saw several Linnets while we were on our way back to the station, and a flower head of Wild Parsley with at least 15 Soldier Beetles, many of them in mating pairs. This picture by Tony Carter is better, though, showing them on a white Umbellifer head.

And finally we spotted the plant we had been hoping for, the rare Dune Helleborine, growing right beside the path.

Here is Tony Carter’s full fungus list for the day.
Agrocybe pediades – Common Fieldcap
Amanita fulva – Tawny Grisette
Russula sanguinaria – Bloody Brittlegill
Tremella foliacea – Leafy Brain (probable)
Psathyrella candolleana – Pale Brittlestem
Psathyrella ammophila – Dune Brittlestem
Melanotus horizontalis – Wood Oysterling
Inocybe napipes – Bulbous Fibrecap
Daldinia fissa on the burnt Gorse
Botryobasidium conspersum

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 rather wet and bedraggled group of MNA members boarded the coach for our outing to South Stack RSPB Reserve on Anglesey. Although there was continued rain and  patches of fog during our drive along the scenic north Wales coast by the time we reached Holyhead the weather had thankfully dried somewhat but was very breezy.  A Silver-studded Blue Plebeius argus feeding on Bell Heather Erica cinerea and a Rose Chafer Cetonia aurata on the umbellifer Sea Carrot Daucus carota subsp. gummifer caught our attention as we walked along to Ellen’s Tower.

Rose Chafer

We peered over the edge to the cliffs at the nesting auks, Razorbills, Common Guillemots (Terry finding a bridled form Guillemot amongst the masses) and Herring Gulls all having their own community groups on different zones on the cliff. The lack of chicks was apparent, we would have expected the parents to be busy feeding hungry mouths but many birds appeared to be still on eggs due to their late arrival back here during the spring. Also present were Kittewakes, Lesser Black backed Gulls, the odd Fulmar, a few Gannets flying by and a few Manx Shearwaters twisting in flight. Our first mammal was a Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena it’s dorsal fin occasionally breaking the surface quite close to the Lighthouse Island. Ron Crossley later noted at least 3 or 4 of these cetaceans. A young Peregrine perched on top of a rock above the cliffs surveying the scene below before taking off and flying directly over the member’s heads and a fine male Stonechat perched on the heather.

The Sea Carrot was proving popular with numerous Marmalade Hoverflies Episyrphus balteatus, a lone Pied Hoverfly Scaeva pyrastri, a few Common Malachite Beetle (a.k.a. Red-tipped Flower Beetle) Malachius bipustulatus, a few Tachinid Flies Tachina fera and many unidentified smaller insects.

Tachina fera

There were a number of pale yellow Grasshopper nymphs springing amongst the heather. Walking up the rocky path towards the road I noted Sea Campion Silene uniflora, Red Campion Silene dioica, Thrift Armeria maritima subsp. maritima, English Stonecrop Sedum anglicum, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca, Bittersweet a.k.a. Woody Nightshade Solanum dulcamara, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Foxglove Digitalis purpurea, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum and Pineappleweed Matricaria discoidea.

Thrift

I wandered along to road to where the steps descend to the Lighthouse Island and began the walk down. Peering over the edge I could see masses of Oxeye Daisies Leucanthemum vulgare plus some Golden-samphire Inula crithmoides with its upright fleshy stems. Growing around the steps was Sea Beet Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima, the delicate pink flowers of Rock Sea-spurrey Spergularia rupicola and Sea Plantain Plantago maritima. A variety of maritime Lichens were covering the rocks with Verrucaria maura, plenty of Sea Ivory Ramalina siliquosaas well as unidentified species.

Rock Sea-spurrey

I climbed back to the top and met up with Barbara and co who pointed out a few spikes of Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia. There were a few Butterflies with Large Skipper Ochlodes venata, Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae, Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta, Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina and Six-spot Burnet Moth Zygaena filipendulae. We wandered along a path through a field where more Silver-studded Blues Plebeius argus were trying to find sheltered positions from the wind to sun themselves – later heard that Alexander and Camilla had seen a mating pair close to the car-park. A boggy patch of ground held Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides and Selfheal Prunella vulgaris.

Silver-studded Blue

I briefly stopped at the visitor centre – another double treat for ‘Corpse of the Day’ a Razorbill and a Manx Shearwater skull.

Razorbill Skull

Manx Shearwater Skull

In a sheltered sunny spot behind Ellen’s Tower a Common Lizard Zootoca vivipara (formerly Lacerta vivipara) was sunning itself on a rock. Close by a Magpie Moth Abraxas grossulariata was flitting around, Common Red Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulva were bonking on the Sea Carrot – many of the females seemingly unimpressed and continuing feeding and a hyper-active Ruby-tail Wasp Chrysis sp. was manically running around a rock. Chris B caught another Rose Chafer and also a Thick-legged Flower Beetle (a.k.a. False Oil Beetle) Oedemera nobilis.

Common Lizard

Ruby-tailed Wasp

We walked along the cliff path noting Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Common Restharrow Ononis repens, Sheep’s-bit Jasione montana, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis agg. and Hedge Bedstraw Galium mollugo and staring in awe at the spectacular cliff scenery.

Sheep’s-bit

Common Restharrow

Kidney Vetch

Our jaws were to drop even further when the young Peregrine that we had been watching during the day patrolling the cliff face and having a go at the Herring Gulls decided to fly in and perch on a rock on the cliff edge not 12feet from us! Chris B, Richard Surman, Christine Barton and I were privileged to this amazing view noting the heavily streaked breast and small head features of this bold youngster, probably a male.

Out in the water bobbing around was our second mammal of the day an Atlantic Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus. Further along the path six Chough took to the air, adjusting their wings to hang in the breeze. The others took the main path to the coach but I headed across the heath adding our second Reptile – a small Adder Vipera berus that quickly slithered into cover as I passed.

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 wide photographic selection of birds, marine life, insects, mammals, orchids & wildflowers, fungi, tribal people, travel, ethnography, fossils, hominids, rocks & minerals etc. is available on my Alamy webpage

       Making the most of a glorious sunny day we headed over to Llandudno and the Great Orme. Richard Surman dropped DaveB and me at the beginning of the marine drive and for a few minutes we watched a hyper-active Humming-bird Hawk-moth Macroglossum stellatarum zipping around low to the ground, occasionally hovering for a second to feed with its long proboscis on flowers. We’d just been talking about how these Sphingidae are becoming increasingly common in the UK migrating here from Southern Europe. We soon found another migrant, this one a Noctuidae – a Silver Y Moth Autographa gamma, this moth can turn up in thousands under the right conditionsAfter introducing some MNA members to Thick-legged Flower Beetles (a.k.a. False Oil Beetle) Oedemera nobilis on the Norfolk holiday we soon started spotting a few here feeding on Red Valerian Centranthu ruber.

Bloody Cranesbill

The strikingly coloured Bloody Cranesbill Geranium sanguineum contrasted with the Common Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium on the slopes beneath the towering limestone outcrops. Dave spotted a plant called Dropwort Filipendula vulgaris that has a passing resemblance to its cousin Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria. A pair of visitors was peering down at something on the stone wall edging the path so we went to investigate – it was a Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae – we told them they would more likely to be familiar with the Cinnabars yellow and black stripey caterpillars. We also pointed out a flowering Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera spike – ‘how did you see that?’ they asked. I spotted a Drinker Moth Euthrix potatoria caterpillar that clearly had been taking lessons from the rock-climbing lads, attached half-way up a rock-face.

Bee Orchid

Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum, Thrift Armeria maritima, Wild Thyme Thymus serpyllum and the odd Harebell Campanula rotundifolia were the main flowers growing on the cliff edge with Rustyback Fern Ceterach officinarum growing on the stone wall There was a scattering of butterflies with lone Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris, Large Skipper Ochlodes venata, Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas, Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae, Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus and half a dozenSilver-studded Blues Plebejus argus. We watched as a Kestrel zoomed overhead vocally chasing a Raven all along the outcrop face and off its patch. A few Shelduck had joined a group of Cormorants on a wave cut platform above the sea and I briefly had views of a Black Guillemot but couldn’t re-locate it after it had dived.

Maritime Lichens

We met up with Richard who had climbed over the stone wall and was on the cliff meadow with scope trained on the cliff nesting ledges below the lighthouse. We watched the comings and goings of the lines of Kittewakes, Fulmars, Razorbills, Guillemots and Cormorants. We noted that sometimes the seabirds were quite noisy especially the Kittewakes calling their name but suddenly for no apparent reason the cliffs became quite silent for a while before the racquet started up again. The characteristic ‘Chough’ call drew our sight back to the outcrop behind us – one Chough heading into a hole in the turf, another perched close by and a further six birds flying away from us. We also watched the antics of a few Rock Pipits – a few displaying and one tucking into some Common Rock-rose flowers. We headed to the car parked beside the Rest and Be Thankful Café to park and drove along to an undisclosed location.

V-shaped Valley

Why the secrecy? It is the location of the most northerly and elevated Dartford Warblers in the UK. We parked up  overlooking a beautiful V-shaped valley and walked along a track passing a huge outcrop of Rhyollite stained black in places with manganese and supporting a collection of Navelwort a.k.a. Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris.

Rhyolite

A few birds with Mistle Thrush, Swallow, House Martin, Swift, Jackdaws and Raven. A marshy area held a few male Broad-bodied Chasers Libellula depressa, flowering Lesser Spearwort Ranunculus flammula, Water Forget-me-not Myosotis scorpioides along with a skittish Pied Wagtail that was unsure of whether to land with our presence. Plenty of Nettle Rust Puccinia urticata on the Stinging Nettles Urtica dioica. The trees outside a Farm held Long-tailed Tits, Chaffinch and Linnets also a Redpoll buzzed overhead. We took the path skirting the property Stonechats calling and giving good views from the bracken. The track emerged at a shallow pond where wild Welsh Ponies were grazing around the edge. A few more Broad-bodied Chasers Libellula depressa along with a few Common Blue Damselflies Enallagma cyathigerum. ‘Corpse of the Day’ was a desiccated Common Toad Bufo bufo.

Toad Corpse

Foxglove

English Stonecrop

Flowering plants included White Campion Silene latifolia, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Foxglove Digitalis purpurea, English Stonecrop Sedum anglicum and Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile. We walked through the Bell Heather Erica cinerea and Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus to the spot where Dave had seen these birds previously.

Bilberry

We waited and scanned for movement but things were quite in the heat of the afternoon, only a few Meadow Pipits putting in an appearance, another Redpoll overhead and a Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus.

Peacock Caterpillars

No luck so we called it a day and began the walk back. From a distance I noticed a patch of black amongst the nettles and on investigating found a writhing mass of Peacock Inachis io caterpillars on Nettles, later on a stone wall we had a Ruby-tailed Wasp Chrysis sp.