The Naturalists' Notebook

       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.

From David Bryant: A cool breeze and low cloud accompanied our walk out to Hilbre and persisted much of the morning. As the tide advanced around the island Common Terns flew by with their screeching calls while to the north Gannets flew west, some much closer than usual. One settled on the water, only to splash about and begin preening. Two other birds flew past from an upriver direction which is rather unusual.

The commonest birds on Hilbre were half a dozen Linnets flitting about and Meadow pipits, some indulging in their song flight which attracted our attention. A Dunnock sang from the roof of the bird observatory, Swallows swooped low over the springy turf and a female Stonechat made a brief appearance in the Bracken.A pair of Great Crested Grebes swam slowly by towards Red Rocks. On the ebb tide four Little Egrets settled in one of the shallow gutters. One of the highlights was a male Scoter at the north end during the afternoon when blue skies prevailed; extremely close in, so that its admirers could easily see the yellow tip to the bill. Earlier we had had a female towards Middle Eye and a string of 16 flying towards the wind turbines.

The flora put on a good show with Sea Pink, Thrift, Common Centaury, Rock Sea Spurrey, Heath and Ladys Bedstraw, Pignut, Lesser Stitchwort, Common Scurvey Grass and three Plantains – Ribwort, Sea and Buckshorn. Naturally we couldn’t visit Hilbre without looking up its two specialities, namely Rock Sea Lavender and Sea Spleenwort fern which prefer the bare rock.

Variety was added to by a large Common Frog, several gaudy Cinnabar Moths, a Short-tailed Vole speeding along a well-defined run in the grass and five very hairy, chestnut and black Garden Tiger caterpillars, their speed of movement astonishing their observers!

A spectacular conclusion to the day was Christine Barton’s discovery of large numbers of colourful caterpillars in the Brambles and shrubs around the observatory which proved to be those of the Yellow-tailed Moth – a small white moth with a yellow tip to the abdomen.

Pictures by Christine Barton

Plenty of highlights on the MNA holiday to East Anglia during the first week in June. Raptors included Marsh Harriers, Hobby, Red Kite, Buzzard. Nightjars and roding Woodcock at dusk close to the Wolferton Triangle. Common Cranes at the Lakenheath RSPB Reserve. Stone Curlews nr RAF Lakenheath and at Minsmere RSPB Reserve. Booming Bitterns and fantastic flight views as they glided across the reeds at Lakenheath and Minsmere. Plenty of reedbed birds with Reed, Sedge, Cettis Warblers and Bearded Tits giving great views. An atypical Reed Warbler put on a fine Marsh Warbler impersonation at Cley mimicing everything from Black-headed Gull, Sandwich Tern, Oyks and Beardies aswell as its speeded up typical Reed Warbler phrases. Dartford Warblers posing on the heather at Dunwich Heath. We even had time to twitch the Spectacled Warbler at Burham Overy!

Mammals included Brown Hare Lepus europaeus, Roe Deer Capreolus capreolus, Red Deer Cervus elaphus, Chinese Muntjac Deer Muntiacus reevesi andChinese Water Deer Hydropotes inermis inermis.

Some memorable Dragonflies with Norfolk Hawker Aeshna isosceles, Hairy Dragonfly Brachytron pratense, Scarce Chaser Libellula fulva and Red-eyed Damselfly Erythromma najas being new ticks for me along with Swallowtail Butterfly Papilio machaon britannicus at Strumpshaw Fen RSPB reserve.

Here’s a few minibeast photos from the trip

Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans Immature violacea form

Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans Female rufescens –obsoleta form

Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum Male eating prey

Variable Damselfly Coenagrion pulchellum Female dark form

Brown-tail Moth Euproctis chrysorrhoea caterpillar

Drinker Moth Euthrix potatoria caterpillar

Common Blue Polyommatus icarus

Black-tailed Skimmer Orthetrum cancellatum teneral Male

Mating Tiger Craneflies Nephrotoma appendiculata

Mayfly Ephemera sp.

The Snout Hypena proboscidalis

Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae female laying eggs

Common Stretch Spider Tetragnatha extensa

Crab Spider Xysticus ulmi 

Thick-legged Flower Beetle (a.k.a. False Oil Beetle) Oedemera nobilis male

Hoverfly Volucella pellucens

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

Ken says: I thought you would like to see some of my images taken this year.

Black Grouse Lekking on Ruabon Moor

Black Grouse fighting on the Lek

Great Crested Grebes at Carr Mill Dam, mating

Great Crested Grebes feeding a feather to a chick

For more pictures by Ken, see his website at KEL Images.

Richard Surman, Dave Bryant and I headed over to Wales driving through Corwen and onto Cynwyd where we passed through the village for a mile before climbing a narrow road for another mile parking at the end beside a barn. The raptor list soon began with Red Kites lazily flapping their wings and effortlessly turning using their forked tails, a Peregrine shooting by with its fast determined flight on pointed wings and Buzzards soaring around with outstretched tails and a few pale looking individuals perched on fence posts. A pair of Ravens occasionally did sorties after the Red Kites if they glided too close to their patch.

The road continued on a muddy track beside stone-walled fields containing ewes and the lambs, a few curly horned rams and some skittish cows. Some lambs had escaped and were gambolling along the track in front of us for a while before doubling back and finding a gap in the stone wall to return to their mums. Some fabulous Lichen with Map Lichen Rhizocarpon geographicum and Lecidea lithophila – a crustose lichen on iron-rich silicaceous rocks with a cracked-areolate greyish thallus usually with patches that are stained rusty-red and large flat black apothecia.

Lichens

Lecidea lithophila

The track continued by flowering Hawthorn Trees giving off a wonderful smell and a small copse with fresh cones on the European Larch Larix decidua with sweet-smelling resin.

Larch Cones

A Cuckoo was calling, a few Redstarts proved elusive yet again and Willow Warbler and Chiffchaff were in hearty song. A Pied Wagtail flitted along a stone wall and we nosed at a flock of Ewes and lambs rounded up in a stockade ready to be sheared. Large numbers of Pheasants were hanging around in the fields with the livestock, showy males including one with drooping tail feathers trying to impress the smaller numbers of hens. Rabbits were also in abundance.

Flowers included English Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, Heath Speedwell Veronica officinalis, Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Wood Forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile,Pignut Conopodium majus, Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris, Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and a lone Common Dog-violet Viola riviniana. A number of the Stinging Nettles Urtica dioica were infected with Nettle Rust Puccinia urticata causing swelling, distortion and discoloration of stems and forming aecia – cluster cups.

Nettle Rust

A few Insect species with large numbers of Yellow Dung Flies Scathophaga stercoraria on the sheep droppings, a couple of Buff-tailed Bumblebees Bombus terrestris and a Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum.

Continuing out onto more exposed moorland there were a few parachuting Meadow Pipits,  Skylarks, twittering Linnets and a couple of Swifts. Half a dozen Lesser Black Backed Gulls flew overhead and as we sat down for lunch a low flying LBBG that dropped out of sight had us going for a short while, was it a male Hen Harrier? – No such luck. There was a Geology interlude examining great boulders of Milky Quartz dotted about a few fields.

Milky Quartz

We then returned spotting a male Redstart sat on top of a Hawthorn close to the car. We continued back to Cynwyd Village before parking up and walking through the hodge-podge of cottages and houses. The stone walls and stone bridge across the small River were covered in Ivy-leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis, Shining Cranesbill Geranium lucidum, Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes and Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria.

We climbed up the small lane passing a garden with flowering Japanese Rose Rosa rugosa with Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica and plenty of Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris. Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler and Blackcap were in song along with Great Tit. There was some humongous Dryad’s Saddles Polyporus squamosus approx. 40cm diameter growing in tiers at the base of a Sycamore Tree.

Dryad’s Saddle

Currant Galls were noted On Sessile Oak Leaves Quercus petraea caused By the Gall Wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum.

Currant Galls

Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Herb Robert Geranium robertianum, Herb Bennet Geum urbanum, Foxglove Digitalis purpurea and Red Campion Silene dioica were added to the day’s plant list. The path continued passing a coniferous plantation that was being quite ruthlessly felled where a Redpoll was buzzing around.

The sun put in an appearance and it became quite humid – that made it ideal for Insects. A Two-banded Longhorn Beetle Rhagium bifasciatum settled on my coat but flew off quickly before I could get a photo but luckily another played ball and posed on a white version of Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre. Another Longhorn – Speckled Longhorn Beetle Pachytodes (Judolia) cerambyciformis was less co-operative swaying on an umbellifer.

Two-banded Longhorn Beetle

Snipe Fly

Soldier Beetles Cantharis nigricans, a Click Beetle Athous haemorrhoidalis, Scorpion Flies Panorpa sp. Snipe Flies Rhagio sp. a single Dance Fly Empis sp. and a single Red-and-black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata were also noted. A few Butterflies and Moths with single Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, single Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas and half a dozen Common Nettle-tap Moths Anthophila fabriciana.

As we headed back along the lane a few Dunnocks hopped around some felled branches and a Garden Warbler sung from cover.

Four MNA members met at Bootle Post Office and another joined us on the way. I suspect most people were worried about the weather forecast, which had predicted heavy rain all day. However, it was dry when we set out. The magnificent sweep of Weeping Willows just north of Stanley Road was planted by John Clegg when he was working for Bootle parks and gardens, several decades ago.

We saw the usual canal birds, Canada Geese, Coots, Moorhens, Mallards (one with eight ducklings), a couple of Mute Swans (no leg rings and no sign of nests). Many of the Coots had chicks, with each parent taking one or two to care for. Moorhens were scarcer, but this one had two of its usual ugly little chicks.

Other birds included Blackbird, Wood Pigeon, Lesser Black-backed gull, Magpie, Pied Wagtail, Goldfinch, Chaffinch, Blue Tit, Robin, Wren, Collared Dove. On some bird feeders in a garden there were Great Tits and Goldfinches. Opposite Tesco Litherland we heard House Sparrows and Greenfinches. Flowers included Wild Rose, Buttercups, Daisies, Ragwort, and the leaves of Fringed Water Lily on the canal.

We crossed the canal near Hatton Hill Park to eat our lunches. Swallows flew by and there were Swifts high overhead. The sun nearly came out. Under the bridge were masses of Cow Parsley and the Elder was blooming through the railings.

As we set off again we were joined by a lady who was interested in wildlife walks. We gave her a leaflet and she walked with us for a little way, although she hurried off when rain threatened. There were some orangey-brown Acer seeds ripening, wings almost straight out, which Joe identified as Field Maple Acer campestre.

On the verge near Rimrose Valley Country park was a display of Lupins.

We detoured from the towpath to the Fulwood wetland in Rimrose Valley, and amongst the reeds we heard three different Sedge Warblers singing, each competing against the others with their scratchy songs. Some of us saw one in the reeds, and also a Reed Bunting. In the hedgerow was a good display of blooming Guelder Rose.

As we headed towards Cookson’s Bridge pub the heavens opened and we had to shelter under the trees for a while. Then it settled into a gentle, steady rain for the rest of the day. There were two dead young Coots in water, Crows and a Rook in the fields. About a dozen House Martins flew low over the water in the rain, white rumps gleaming in the murk. A Heron was on the bank, doing its usual stupid trick of flying a few yards ahead, then being disturbed again.

We got to Wally’s Steps at Old Roan about 3 o’ clock. Some went off to the bus and some to train.

Public transport details: X2 bus from Queen Square bus station at 10.06, arriving Bootle New Strand at 10.21. Returned to Liverpool by the train from Old Roan at 3.15.

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.

After circumnavigating the Staffordshire Market Town of Leek on a road diversion we eventually arrived at the RSPB Reserve at Coombes Valley. Coombes Valley was formed at the end of the last ice age, some 10,000yrs ago. A massive ice sheet covered the Cheshire Plain and as it retreated the trapped melt-water formed a huge lake which found an escape, carving the impressive V-shaped valley.

Coombes Valley is predominantly ancient broadleaved woodland dominated by Oak (Quercus sp.) with Birch (Betula sp.), Rowan Sorbus aucuparia, Holly Ilex aquifolium, Ash Fraxinus excelsior and Hazel Corylus avellana. Although much of the woodland was felled in the 1920s and 30s and charcoal production, used in the production of iron, occurred until the 1950s small areas of this ancient woodland remain. Currently the woodland areas are managed to provide a network of open rides and glades for the benefit of breeding Warblers and a UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority species – the Argent & Sable Moth Rheumaptera hastata. Argent and sable are heraldic terms that mean ‘white and black.’ Two different races occur associated with different habitats. The smaller race nigrescens is a moorland species whose caterpillars feed on bog myrtle whereas for the slightly larger and darker race hastata which occurs in Coombes Valley sapling Birch (Betula spp.) up to a metre tall that are in full sun for most of the day appears to be essential.

The sunny conditions had brought out the Insects and Spiders – so the macro lens was quickly attached to the camera. A Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis was characteristically sun basking on vegetation with the first two pairs of legs together, stretched out at an angle – giving the impression on first glance that it only had six-legs. They usually stay motionless in this position until a fly or insect passes by, quickly sprinting to capture it. After mating the female produces a very large egg sac which she carries around in her fangs! When the time for the Spiderlings to hatch approaches, the female deposits the egg sac on a leaf and spins a protective silk ‘nursery web’ tent around.  She can often be seen standing guard on the tent until the Spiderlings eventually disperse.

Nusery Web Spider

Snipe Fly

Scrambling in the undergrowth I noted Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis, plenty of Snipe Flies Rhagio sp. Red and Black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata, Green Tortoise Beetle Cassida viridis and a number of Cranefly species including Tipula luna and a pair of mating Tipula vitatta.

The leaves of Broad-leaved Dock Rumex obtusifolius had a number of Green Dock Beetles Gastrophysa viridula and the leaf undersides held groups of the oval yellow eggs.

The most numerous Hoverfly was Rhingia campestris – this distinctive species with a long snout, orange abdomen with a black line along the axis and along the lateral margins of the tergites was happily feeding on the masses of flowering Bugle Ajuga reptans and Lady’s Smock Cardamine pratensis. Other Hoverflies noted included Heliophilus pendulus and Eristalis abusivus.

Rhingia campestris

A couple of members had found a Leaf Beetle Chrysomelidae that I later identified as a Brown Willow Beetle Chrysolina staphylaea whose food plant is noted as Creeping Buttercup Ranunculus repens. Another interesting find was a male Slender Groundhopper Tetrix subulata –this small Grasshopper-like insect has wide ‘shoulders’ and a narrow tapering abdomen hidden beneath an extended pronotum.

Slender Groundhopper

Most members had good views of one of the reserve’s specialities Pied Flycatcher with both male and female active around their nest-box close to the trail. A tree close held impressive tiers of the Fungi Dryad’s Saddle Polyporus squamosus. The Redstarts were slightly more skulking than the Pied Flys; although a number of males could be heard singing only a few members had brief glimpses. Willow Warblers, Chiffchaff and Blackcap were also in song. The woodland appeared ideal habitat for Wood Warbler – the young volunteer warden mentioned that they are in surrounding woodland but he hadn’t heard any singing in the reserve itself. A Nuthatch was seen entering its nest-hole and John Clegg observed a Great Spotted Woodpecker attempting to peck into one of the nest boxes.

Pink Purslane

The botanists had a great day with a small group led by Pat Lockwood identifying over seventy species! Everyone was impressed by the abundance of flowers such as Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea, English Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta & hybrids, Herb Robert Geranium robertianum, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Pink Purslane Claytonia sibirica, Red Campion Silene dioica, Bitter-vetch Lathyrus linifolius, Yellow Pimpernel Lysimachia nemorum etc. I particularly liked the slender, delicate drooping branches of Wood Horsetail Equisetum sylvaticum.

Yellow Pimpernel

Wood Horsetail

A good selection of Butterflies was noted including Green-veined White Pieris napi, Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, Small Copper Lycaena phlaeas, Peacock Inachis io and Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria. Walking back through the meadow area I was treated to a swarm of around twenty Longhorn Micro-moths Adela reaumurella dancing in the sunshine along the edge of a young Oak (Quercus sp.) hedge. A day-flying Moth – Small Yellow Underwing Panemeria tenebrata, was flitting around feeding on various plant species including Common Mouse-ear Cerastium holosteoides and Lady’s Smock Cardamine pratensis.

Small  Yellow Underwing

Love was in the air for a couple of Soldier Beetles Cantharis pellucida –they can more usually be seen feeding on both nectar and pollen from Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna and umbellifers.

Cantharis pellucida

Back at the reception we caught up with other member’s sightings – Lynn and friend struck lucky with the Argent and Sable Moth on one of the woodland rides, they also noted Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi and a stunning Two-banded Longhorn Beetle Rhagium bifasciatum.

As a finale there was not one but two Corpse Of The Day! A European Badger Meles meles skull – the jaw is normally permanently attached to the skull due to the “wrap-around” articulation and the presence of a sagittal crest that tends to overhang the back of the skull as it gets older.

Badger Skull

A Red Fox Vulpes vulpes skull – similar to a Dog but with flat or concave surfaces to the post-orbital processes.

Fox Skull

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