The Naturalists' Notebook

Just to add to Sabena’s post below, here are the snowdrops she mentioned.

And here is a Witch’s broom on a tree in the woods.

It’s a disease or deformity of a tree, where a dense mass of shoots grows from a single point. The causes are varied – infection, injury, parasites.  See this Wikipedia article.   Wikipedia adds that Witchs’ Brooms are of wide ecological importance. They generally tend to be inhabited by a wide variety of organisms apart from the causative organisms. Some of the invading organisms, such as some species of moths, are specific to particular types of witches’ brooms, relying on them for food and shelter for their larvae. Various larger animals may also nest in them.

 Seventeen MNA members joined our first coach trip of the year to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve at Brockholes just off the M6. Given the recent prolonged heavy rains exceptional foresight was shown by Adam Khan architects design of the visitor centre named ‘A Floating World’ comprising of a cluster of buildings based on an ancient marshland village that floats amongst the reedbeds on one of the site’s lakes.

After looking around the visitor centre and a couple of members talking to BBC Lancashire Local Radio about our visit we braved the blustery winds and drizzle and headed off. I became side-tracked looking at fungi on the twig fence leading down to the visitor centre from the car-park finding Exidia plana – a shiny black gelatinous fungi with individual fruit-bodies blending into one another like the folds of a brain; Waxy Crust Vuilleminia comedens – a grey resupinate fungi with purple tinges growing beneath the bark on dead branches causing the bark to characteristically roll-back and Tukeytail Trametes versicolor. On looking up the group had disappeared! However upon catching up with everyone at the end of the day we seemed to have seen most of the same species.

Exidia plana

Waxy Crust

The lakes held resident and winter wildfowl with Canada Geese, a few Mute Swans, Grey Heron, Mallard, Teal, Gadwall, Tufted Duck, Great Crested Grebe, a couple of male Shovelers, a pair of Goldeneye and a motley collection of Cormorants stood in line on the edge of one of the islands. The feeding table had a male Pheasant and Woodpigeon perched on top, Mallards hovering up any spilt feed, along with Chaffinch and Great Tits. The woodland was productive with singing Wrens, Dunnocks, Robins and Blackbirds; Great and Blue Tits, Goldcrest, Nuthatch and Treecreeper. John Clegg’s group noted flowering Snowdrops in the woodland.

I spent most of the day scrambling about the fallen and felled trees in the ancient woodland of Red Scar Wood where I found a scattering of Fungi. Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae – large numbers of this common pinkish brown ear-shaped gelatinous fungi growing on Elder, Common Inkcap Coprinus atramentarius, Glistening Inkcap Coprinus micaceus – dense clusters of this tawny-coloured bell-shaped Fungi growing on a fallen log.

Jelly Ear

Glistening Inkcap

King Alfred’s Cakes Daldinia concentrica the common ball-shaped Fungus usually found on dead wood of ash trees, Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes this common bright orange winter Fungi was growing in clusters on a few deciduous tree stumps, Crystal Brain Exidia nucleata, Beech Woodwart Hypoxylon fragiforme – with small warty brown growths swarming over dead branches of Beech.

King Alfred’s Cakes a.k.a. Cramp Balls

Beech Woodwart

Rosy Crust Peniophora incarnata and also Peniophora quercina a pinkish resupinate fungus growing on Oak branches, Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea one fallen tree was covered in the black bootlace like flattened rhizomorphs of Honey Fungus that develop beneath the bark and Jelly Rot Phlebia tremellosa.

Peniophora incarnata

Peniophora quercina

Honey Fungus rhizomorphs

Find of the day was Scarlet Elfcup Sarcoscypha austriaca – a friend had noted seeing lots of these recently at nearby Leighton Moss RSPB reserve so I was hopeful I’d see some today. I spotted my first group of these bright red cup-shaped beauties close to the path – Dave Bryant’s group also saw these particular ones. The inside of the cup is smooth whereas the outside has whitish hairs that are curly or corkscrew shaped. With more searching I found four cups in pristine condition 🙂

Scarlet Elfcup

Also noted was Bleeding Oak Crust Stereum gausapatum, Bleeding Broadleaf Crust Stereum rugosum, Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum, Lumpy Bracket Trametes gibbosa, Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica – a yellow gelatinous mass of lobes and folds sometimes called Yellow Witches Butter and Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon.

Lichen covered a number of the smooth-barked trees these included Lecidella elaeochroma f. elaeochroma – an early colonist with an grey thallus and small black spot-like apothecia and Lecanora chlarotera – with crustose grey thallus and apothecia with thick margins and buff brown discs.

Tree Lichens

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, rocks & minerals etc. is available on my Alamy webpage

Ten of us met at Sir Thomas Street for the 487 at 9.46, arriving Neston Cross, Brook Street at 10.38. Despite the forecast of heavy, persistent rain and strong winds, we were lured out by one of the highest tides of the year, due about lunchtime. In fact, it was bright and sunny, if a little blustery. As we passed through the church St Mary and St Helen we spotted our first birds, Long-tailed Tits and Great Tits.

We crossed the Wirral Way and some muddy fields near the sewage works. A tree was full of Carrion Crows, Jackdaws were calling and Goldfinches were twittering. The combination of recent heavy rains and, later, the high tide, turned our walk into a bit of an obstacle course, the first of which was the well-puddled kissing gate, which most of us preferred to avoid, climbing through the fence instead.

This is horse country, and one paddock had lots of Redwings, Song Thrushes, Starlings and Chaffinches on the ground. In the hedges near the quay we noted Robin, Blackbird, Meadow Pipits and a Reed Bunting.

When we reached the Old Quay the marshes were filling up. Greylag Geese, Cormorants, a big flock of Pink-footed Geese in the distance. 100+ Oyster Catchers were in flight, a couple of dozen Black-tailed Godwits clustered in a pool, Carrion Crows hunted in the shallows, Skylarks flew up as the water advanced and Black-headed Gulls wheeled overhead. A huge flock of Curlews took off and the Pinkfeet all started to fly upriver. Shelduck and Redshank came nearer and a Little Egret poked about the clumps of grass. There were Teal, with a few Pintail amongst them, Mallards, a Heron, Lapwings wheeling and Lesser Black-backed Gulls joining the hunt. A scatter of showers produced a rainbow, then it was sunny again. And the tide just kept on rising.

As the water passed the fence line the little beasties started swimming in. The first was a small unidentified mammal which disappeared into the rough grass below the fence. Then a bigger creature emerged, either a Water Vole or a Rat, but that hid itself quickly, too. Then the best one of the day arrived, a Field Vole aka Short-tailed Vole Microtus agrestis, which ran right up to us in its panic, briefly skulked by my feet as if it was hoping to run up my trouser leg, then burrowed into a pile of mulch. I managed to get two rather hurried pictures of it, though.

We ate our lunch while we waited for the waters to go down. A Grey Wagtail flitted past, then out onto the marsh. Drama was provided by a Cormorant which had caught a huge eel. Part of the eel was down the bird’s throat, but at least a foot was still hanging out. The semi-throttled Cormorant thrashed and plunged, the eel flexed and jerked, and there was much splashing as the Cormorant struggled to overpower its catch. Eventually it swallowed it all down and took off, but then thought the better of it, perhaps finding itself too heavy. As it settled back onto the water we could see its swollen crop.

Jim H arrived, having walked from Gayton. He had seen a Great White Egret at Parkgate, three Short-eared Owls and eight Little Egrets. He said it was pandemonium back there, with thousands of people crowding the prom and chaotic traffic. We had had a far better view where we were. The only problem was the time it was taking for the water to recede and the path to emerge from the water. Eventually we got tired of waiting and went around by a field and struggled through a barbed wire fence, our second obstacle of the day. A party of young Ramblers was doing the same.

Our third obstacle was the flooded Marshlands Road before the Harp Inn. We went around it by  Orchard Drive and spotted a Tree Sparrow behind the Harp, so that was an unexpected bonus. It was still sunny and blustery with just a few spots of rain. Where was the downpour we had heard about? From the Harp Inn we saw two Mute Swans and thousands of Oyster Catchers in a black line out on a bank. Further along the cycle path was another bit of flooding, our fourth obstacle. Jim commented that Commando training was essential today!

As we approached Denhall Lane we saw a Great White Egret ahead. We hadn’t seen the one from Parkgate pass us, so was this a second bird?  A female Kestrel was hovering, with her head into the onshore wind. Someone spotted an old damaged nest, probably made by a Goldfinch, and there was some yellow lichen on a Blackthorn twig. I think it’s Xanthoria parietina, called Common Orange Lichen, Yellow Scale, Maritime Sunburst Lichen or Shore Lichen. It is said to be widespread and often found near the shore.

There was now some very thick grey cloud and rain behind us and over to the Welsh side, so we picked up our pace, stopping briefly to admire a weather vane near Denhall Fishery, made in the likeness of a pair of Pintail.

Dave B pointed out the verge below the sandstone wall on the corner of Denhall Lane, which is a known spot for the rare Early Purple variety of Sweet Violet, Viola odorata var. praecox. It was still there, flowering daintily. Eric Hardy wrote about it in January 1984, and you can read it on page 30, column 1 of In the Footsteps of Eric Hardy.

The Daffodils were nearly out in Denhall Lane, Lesser Periwinkle was flowering, and there were two types of fern, Hart’s Tongue Fern and a big spread of what might be Royal Fern, although David B said he would have to see it in flower later in the year to be sure. (Added 12th Feb – DB now thinks is is merely Common Polypody.)

As we neared the top of Denhall Lane skeins of Pink-footed Geese were flying overhead, heading back to the Marsh. The two people who were in front managed to jump on to the 2.31 bus at the turnaround, but the rest of us headed the few hundred yards to Ness Gardens. Just as we arrived the torrential rain and wind came in, and roared against the windows of the shop and café area. Excellent timing!  On the next 487 bus back to Liverpool, we compared notes and counted 36 or 37 bird species for the day.

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 members travelled by bus, which arrived a bit late, so those meeting at the published time had already set off southwards. We met Gary and Linda Broad of The Friends of Pickerings Pasture,  who had the Visitors’ Centre open for us.

The bird table near the car park had already offered  Blue Tits, Goldfinch and Linnet and as we made our way southwards we added Herring Gull, Blackbird and Redshank. The tide was coming in strongly, and we noticed some Mallards facing upstream to Liverpool but being swept backwards to Runcorn. The hedgerows had a wonderful display of Sea Buckthorn berries, orange against the blue sky, and the Alder catkins were out, another sign of spring.

We met the earlier group near the cycle bridge, making about 14 of us altogether, including at least one new member. In the Ditton Brook inlet there were Teal and Heron.

On the other side of the bridge Sabena photographed this nice lichen “growing on the wooden fence beside the zigzag path up the ‘mounds’ – it’s a Lecanora species with disk-shaped apothecia (fruiting bodies).”

As we made our way back to the Visitors’ Centre (some of us hoping for lunch!) Carol Cockbain of FoPP said her husband Rob would meet us at the hide at 12.30, and there was a Kingfisher! We made it in time to see the Kingfisher sitting on a post. Not only that, but a Great White Egret.

Great White Egret by Carol Cockbain.

We ate our lunches at the hide, building up a long list of bird species, and I know I didn’t write them all down. John Clegg had 41 by the end of the day, plus a Jay which he heard but didn’t see. There were Shelduck, a Little Grebe being elusive, various geese and gulls. After a while a Little Egret came in, too. Rob Cockbain had his telescope out and was scanning the far fields. He spotted a Mediterranean Gull at extreme range, wheeling amongst a flock of commoner gulls. Some waders went up and we saw a Peregrine chasing them, but we didn’t see if it made a kill.

On the feeders were Great Tits, Chaffinch, Greenfinch, Long-tailed Tits and a Blackbird.

There was a Robin in the wood and a Great Spotted Woodpecker perching overhead. Last spring it or another woodpecker had attacked a nest box high in the trees, opening up the entrance hole to get at the chicks inside. (Sorry the picture is “washed out”, but it was necessary to show the detail of the damage.)

As we made out way back a Thrush was singing in the treetops and there was a Redwing on the grass. The woods had a collection of fungi, which Sabena tracked down. Here’s her list.
Turkeytail Trametes versicolor
Yellow Brain Tremella mesenterica
Crystal Brain Exidia nucleata
Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae
Inkcap Coprinus sp.
Velvet Shank Flammulina velutipes
Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon
Coral Spot Nectria cinnabarina
Oysterling Crepidotus sp.
Silverleaf Fungus Chondrostereum purpureum
Scurfy Twiglet Tubaria furfuracea


Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae by Sabena Blackbird

Silverleaf Fungus Chondrostereum purpureum by Sabena Blackbird

We had planned to go to the Duck Decoy today, but the recent heavy rains and the demise of FoPP’s pump made it impossible. Carol Cockbain has sent me a picture of the main walkway, which is now underwater. It would have been impossible for us to visit, so we’ll have to take up the offer some other time.  Our thanks to Gary and Linda Broad, and Carol and Rob Cockbain for giving us such a good day.

The waterlogged Hale Duck Decoy, by Carol Cockbain

Our last sign of spring was a Lesser Periwinkle in flower on the verge by the bus stop.

Public transport details: Liverpool ONE bus station for the 82A at 10.14. Arrived Mersey View Road late, about 11.10. Return bus at 2.20, arriving back at Liverpool ONE at about 3.10.

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.

About 13 or 14 MNA members gathered at Kings Gap, plus a few other joint members who came with an RSPB party and many independent birders. There were several “civilians” too, drawn by the Wirral Rangers High Tide Birdwatch or attracted to the gathering of dozens of birders and telescopes.

We were very lucky with the weather. It was a calm, mild, dry day, sandwiched in amongst the storms and gales of the previous days and following forecasts. The highest tide was due at about quarter to two, 10.1 metres.

With two hours to go the tide was way out, so the interest was in a Pied Wagtail on the edge of prom and the gulls on the beach: Herring Gulls, Common Gulls, Lesser Black-backed Gulls and Black-headed Gulls. Some Cormorants and a lot of Oyster Catchers were on the distant water’s edge. Various small flocks of birds flew past and then 100+ Bar-tailed Godwits came in. Some telescopes spotted a Peregrine, just sitting on the sand a long way out, waiting for the food to arrive. Also on the beach was, unusually, a Great Crested Grebe. Several times it reared up and tottered towards the sea for a few steps, leaning forward like an unsteady penguin, then flopped onto its breast again. Grebes’ legs are too far back for them to walk well. Many of us had never seen one attempting to walk before. Had this one been stranded by the receding tide several hours before, or had it mistakenly landed on a glistening beach, thinking it was water?

Then several thousand Knot and Dunlin came in, and as the water came nearer, the birds on the tideline sorted themselves into bands. The Bar-tailed Godwits were the outermost, breast-deep in the water. Then a mixed flock of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plovers on the water’s edge and finally the Sanderlings scurrying about in front. There were also some single Greater Black-backed Gulls out on the water.  One of the WEBS counters later estimated there were 450 Barwits, 5000 Knot, 5000 Dunlin, 200-300 Grey Plover and 200 Sanderlings.

Then suddenly a female Peregrine flew into a wheeling mass of Knot and pursued one out beyond the rest of the flock. We saw her jink and strike then fly off with her prey towards Hilbre.

With 15 minutes to go to high tide the water was lapping the bottom of the slipway railings and most of the birds had flown. Knot were circling in the sky, sometimes making interesting patterns like murmurations of Starlings. Some birders were discussing the theory of “aerial roosting”, suggesting that birds with nowhere left to land circle slowly in the sky, resting, and waiting for the water to recede.

As five Redshanks flew past, another Peregrine appeared, this time a smaller male. He drove some small bird onto the surface of the water, probably a Dunlin, then plucked it up. But then a larger female appeared, perhaps the same one as before, and she forced the male to drop the bird it had just caught (which was still alive and fluttering) and then flew off with her stolen lunch towards Hilbre. What a show!

At about 1.30 we moved on to Red Rocks. At the bottom of Stanley Road there were House Sparrows twittering in a thick hedge but we couldn’t see them. There was a Carrion Crow on the bit of remaining beach on the right and a Pied Wagtail on the slipway railing.

Little Eye was just two low humps in the water, topped with Cormorants. Towards Hilbre there were some Pale-Bellied Brent Geese on the water, perhaps a couple of dozen. More Redshanks flew past and Chris B saw a seal poke its head up. In the very far distance, out by the wind farm at extreme telescope range was a Diver. The group thought it might be a Red-throated Diver, but I see that the Birdguides website had several reports that day of a Great Northern Diver at Hoylake or Hilbre.

Then we set off along the shore towards West Kirby. In the tall bare hedge Les H spotted a tiny cup-shaped nest made of fine fibres, and on the edge of the water was a Redshank with a bad limp. It took a few lurching steps then hunkered down again. Perhaps another victim of a Peregrine?  There were loads of Oyster Catchers on the edge of the salt marsh with several Curlews in amongst them.

Something was calling from the reeds. A Water Rail?  Christine B played the Water Rail call on her phone, and there was an instant response of repeated squeals from deep in the reeds. That’s confirmed, then!

As we approached West Kirby there were Starlings on the bank, and a pair of Stonechats were flycatching from the fence. Chris B led a bit of shell identification on the beach. The pink shells are Baltic Tellins Macoma balthica.

The long straight razors with the hinge at the end are Pod Razors Ensis siliqua.

The smaller curved razor shells with the hinge in the middle aren’t razor shells at all, they are clams. The Latin name is Pharus legumen, but they don’t seem to have a common name.

The one curved on both sides is Ensis ensis, which Chris called the Common Razor, and is also known as the Sword Razor. (It would be better named after a scimitar, I think, to emphasise the double curve.) Chris adds “The ones we saw were E. ensis, as both margins were curved, even though they didn’t look as curved or slender as the ones you find on the Sefton coast. One of the problems with molluscs is that shell shape can alter according to the habitat. Open coast individuals can, on occasion, look totally different to those from estuaries.”

There is another one, which we didn’t see, which is curved on one side but straight on the other, called the Razor Clam Ensis arcuatus.

As we approached the Dee Lane Slipway at West Kirby we noticed tangles of weed caught in the railings, a souvenir of the recent high tides and storm surges.

Other reported sightings for the record: Ron Crossley saw about 80 Waxwings yesterday (3rd January) west and downhill from the Mons Hotel in Bootle.  Jean Lund saw a Red Admiral butterfly in flight at Cabin Hill beach on 2nd January.

Report from Tony Carter:
In the course of a year, numerous species of fungi are collected and recorded. Most are common, some are unusual. But it is a bad year if something special fails to turn up.  These are my highlights of 2013.

Alternaria anagallidis

This might not be everybody’s idea of special but this is a fungus I have been trying to identify for twenty years. It is a tiny rust fungus that grows on Scarlet Pimpernel. There is only one previous British record. Scarlet Pimpernel grows on my allotment and every year the same small area supports this fungus but I can never find a spore, which looks a bit like like a tadpole, and is essential to identify the species. The leaves are very soft and dehydrate quickly making it very difficult to get a decent sample and even this depends on the fungus sporulating at the time. This year, at last, I found them. The samples were sent to Kew. There are now two British records.

Tephrocybe impexa

Not previously recorded for VC59, this fungus grows on old bonfire sites. It is black. So are bonfire sites. It is a difficult one to spot. I found this at Speke Hall after they had burnt all the fallen branches and sticks they had cleared from the woodland.  Personally, I wish they would be less tidy and just leave all this woody material in situ as it is good for fungi and insects. At least some good came from this exercise. Kew Herbarium asked for my specimens.

Gymnopus fuscopurpureus

Until recently this was considered a rarity but is now being found regularly in southern England. This is another example of a species moving north. Global warming? The tale of this find illustrates the problems faced by the urban mycologist. I saw a lot of them growing on old woodchip on one of the scrubby flowerbeds immediately outside the main entrance to Tesco in Allerton. So how to collect it without appearing totally mad?  I dropped my car keys, grabbed some quickly and legged it.

Sowerbyella radiculata

There is a small copse of mixed conifer at Allerton Tower where I regularly find a rare Earthstar, Geatrum striatum. I could not find it this year but was very surprised to find this Sowerybella, another rarity. It is a pine-loving cup fungus which has a long stalk that is embedded in the ground. Kew Herbarium declared an interest so it has also been sent there.

Paxillus obscurosporus

Many of you will know of Paxillus involutus (Brown Rollrim), a very common fungus frequently to be seen growing along central reservations in south Liverpool. This is Big Brother, measuring 28cms diameter, only recently arrived from Europe, probably on imported trees. It likes Lime trees which are very commonly planted along grass verges and roadsides. This one was growing under such a tree, immediately outside Booker Avenue Junior School, where parents park their cars to pick up their children. How something of this size survived is a mystery. Too big to kick? It was too big for Kew. They turned it down.

Astrosphaeriella stellata

While I was tending my allotment  I noticed this small fungus embedded in an old bamboo cane. I knew it was unusual because bamboo does not support many fungal species. I could not identify it. I had to send it to a colleague in Oban. He had his suspicions but had to send it to the expert at Kew before the final identification could be confirmed. Recorded from India and the Far East, this was a first for the United Kingdom.  I have hundreds of bits of bamboo cane but I have not yet found another specimen of this fungus.

This is the second ‘new to the UK’ fungus found on my allotment site. Perhaps it should be given SSSI status?