The Naturalists' Notebook

Taking advantage of the continuing heatwave Richard Surman, the two Daves and I headed over to Anglesey to visit the stunning location of Llanddwyn Island (Ynys Llanddwyn) at the far end of the beach at Newborough Warren.

We drove down the small road through the shady NewboroughForest before parking up amidst the crowds. After admiring the some artwork designed by local school children comprising three tree trunks carved to depict the local wildlife and history we briefly listened to a Siskin calling from the Pines then headed along the newly constructed boardwalk onto the sandy beach. A few shells were identified Common Cockle Cerastoderma edule, Common Mussel Mytilus edulis, Common Razor Shell Ensis ensis and Variegated Scallop Chlamys varia. A trio of Jellyfish: Moon Jellyfish Aurelia aurita, Lion’s Mane Jellyfish Cyanea capillata and one of my faves the Blue Jellyfish Cyanea lamarckii. A few crabs with dead Common Shore Crabs Carcinus maenas and the carapace of a European Spider Crab Maja squinado plus a live unidentified Hermit Crab hiding out in the shell of a Common Whelk Buccinum undatum.

Blue Jellyfish

Moon Jellyfish

Lugworms Arenicola diversicolor had exuded the coils of mud from their burrows on top of a small mound, there were a few Sand-mason Worms Lanice conchilega with their sand covered feeding tentacles and I found a Tube Case of the Bristleworm Pectinaria koreni. A shell was covered in the aptly named Volcano Barnacle Balanus perforatus.

Sand-mason Worms

Kelp Sea Mat

A large clump of Kelp Laminaria sp. had washed up on the beach its stem covered in the bryozoan Kelp Sea Mat Membranipora membranacea.

As we approached the island we passed several large rocks in the sand which are basaltic pillow lavas, part of the Pre-cambrian Gwna Group. They were formed by undersea volcanic eruptions; as the molten rock billowed out meeting the cold sea water the rock solidified producing this pillow shape.

Pillow Lava

We climbed the steps onto the island and noted the variety of plant species Sea Campion Silene uniflora, Thrift Armeria maritima, Wild Pansy Viola tricolor, Bell Heather Erica cinerea, Silverweed Potentilla anserina, Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans, Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Common Restharrow Ononis repens, Red Clover Trifolium pretense, Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum, Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium, Evening-primrose Oenothera sp. Sea Spurge Euphorbia paralias, Bloody Crane’s-bill Geranium sanguineum, Common Stork’s-bill Erodium cicutarium, Sea Holly Eryngium maritimum, Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea.

Common Centaury

Viper’s-bugloss Echium vulgare, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Selfheal Prunella vulgaris, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra,  Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Lyme -grass Leymus arenarius and five Pyramidal Orchid spikes Anacamptis pyramidalis.

Mating Sulphur Beetles

The flowering Sea Carrot Daucus carota subsp. gummifer had attracted a number of Sulphur Beetles Cteniopus sulphureus that were feeding and bonking away along with Common Red Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulva and a large number of unidentified small Flies. Butterflies on the wing included numerous Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina 60+, Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris 4+, a lone Small White Pieris rapae, Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja 6+, Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus 2+ , Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus 4+, a female Grass Eggar Lasiocampa trifolii and only a few Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae caterpillars on the Oxford Ragwort Senecio squalidus.

Llanddwyn Ruins

As the guys found a shady spot for lunch beside a rock face on which was growing Sea Spleenwort Asplenium marinum I photographed the ruins of Llanddeyn Chapel built in the 16^th Century dedicated to St. Dwynwen – who lived on the island in the 5^th Century and is a patron saint of lovers, making her the Welsh equivalent of St. Valentine.

A beacon, called Tŵr Bach, was built at the tip of LlandwynnIsland to provide guidance to ships entering the Menai Straits with a more effective lighthouse, Tŵr Mawr built nearby in 1845. We had a nose around Pilot’s Cove below the lighthouse where an isolated mass of rock shows various types of altered pillow lavas amid red jasper and green chlorite-rich material (altered mudstone). We also found plenty of Native Oyster Ostrea edulis shells plus the remnants of a European Spider Crab Maja squinado and an Oystercatcher and disturbed a Ringed Plover on the beach that Richard observed take over nest duties from its camouflaged mate hunkered down on their nest amongst the pebbles.

Llanddwyn Island Lighthouse

The lighthouse was a great place for a bit of sea-watching a number of small islets held Cormorants, Shags and Oyks. Manx Shearwaters were fishing out on the sea and Gannets passing by. A Lion’s Mane Jellyfish was floating out in the bay – at one point moving against the tidal flow of the water. We noted the candy pink and white Sea Bindweed Calystegia soldanella , a Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria holidaying away from it’s usual habitat and scrambled around the rocks which held Rock Sea-lavender Limonium binervosum, Rock Samphire Crithmum maritimum and Golden-samphire Inula crithmoides and a Grayling Hipparchia semele. A colony of Mining Bees were busy flying in and out of their holes in a sunny bank – DaveH managed to capture one of the small Mining Bees in a tube for identification.

We walked through a wooden gate and onto a secluded bay which had a profusion of Bladder Wrack Fucus vesiculosus with smaller patches of Gutweed Enteromorpha intestinalis and Sea Lettuce Ulva lactuca plus a couple of Lion’s Mane Jellyfish. The rocks had a few Common Limpet Patella vulgata and were covered in the usual maritime lichens Sea Ivory Ramalina siliquosa, Calcoplaca marina and Verrucaria maura whose thin black thallus can easily be mistaken for an oil spill.

Lion’s Mane Jellyfish

Wandering back onto the island we watched a close flock of around fifty Manxies which were feeding – flying low over the sea before quickly landing and swimming down into the water. They were joined by diving Sandwich Terns and a couple of Common Guillemots.

Returning back along the beach we found the desiccated remains of a large Lion’s Mane Jellyfish with another smaller individual floating in with the tide and a Wall Butterfly Lasiommata megera was seen flying along the sand. Back at the car a couple of croaky Ravens bade us farewell after a memorable day.

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

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.

(Report from John Clegg).  On the hottest day of the year so far, nine menbers joined the tailback of traffic that took 30 minutes to cross the Runcorn Bridge. Whitegate Way is an old railway line, opened on 1st June 1870, to transport salt from the mines along the west bank of the River Weaver to the main Chester-Manchester line at Cuddington.  The line closed in 1966 and is now a shared-use path.

From the car park at the old Whitegate Station the group walked eastwards towards Winsford. As the day was very hot, most of the birds took to cover, so we didn’t see many.  Those we did see were mostly warblers, although we did hear a Green Woodpecker in two places.

In the bright sunshine many butterflies came out, including Comma, Meadow Brown, Large and Small Whites and two sightings of Brimstones.

The only drawback was the large number of cyclists using the path as a race track, with no consideration for walkers. None of them had bells to warn when they were coming up behind, and one cyclist just missed runing into our group.

Small-spotted Catshark (a.k.a. Lesser Spotted Dogfish) Scyliorhinus canicula

Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus

Fantastic day Shark-tagging with the Liverpool Bay Marine Life Trust – unfortunately we didn’t catch any of the Shark species we were hoping to tag (Tope, Common or Starry Smooth Hound) but had lots more besides…

Thornback Ray Raja clavata

Grey Gurnard Eutrigla gurnardus

 Lesser Weever Fish Echiichthys vipera

Bull Huss (a.k.a. Nursehound, Greater Spotted Dogfish) Scyliorhinus stellaris

Red Gurnard Aspitrigla cuculus

Northern Fulmar

Cetacean’s seen included Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena and Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops truncatus. Also great birding with Storm Petrel, Manx Shearwater, Gannet, a Bonxie, Fulmar, Puffin, Guillemot, Med Gull etc. Full report in this years forthcoming MNA newsletter 🙂

As in previous years today’s MNA coach trip to Lathkill Dale was again blessed with hot and sunny weather. Lathkill Dale is one of the country’s finest limestone valleys and is one of five such valleys in the WhitePeak area that make up the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve.

Dog Rose

A large climbing Dog-rose Rosa canina covered a fence beside the entrance gate to the meadow area at the beginning of the walk was covered in Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris along with Lady’s Smock a.k.a. Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis, Salad Burnet Sanguisorba minor, Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca, Common Vetch Vicia sativa, Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris, Meadow Crane’s-bill Geranium pratense, Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill Geranium molle, Herb Robert Geranium robertianum, Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris, Pignut Conopodium majus, Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium, Field Forget-me-not Myosotis arvensis, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Greater Plantain Plantago major, Hoary Plantain Plantago media, Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata.

Hoary Plantain

Heath Speedwell Veronica officinalis, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Welted Thistle Carduus crispus, Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare, Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense, Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Nipplewort Lapsana communis, Common Cat’s-ear Hypochaeris radicata, Goat’s-beard Tragopogon pratensis, Prickly Sow-thistle Sonchus asper, Beaked Hawk’s-beard Crepis vesicaria, Mouse-ear Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, Yarrow Achillea millefolium, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Pineappleweed Matricaria discoidea, Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea, Early-purple Orchid Orchis mascula and there was Nettle Rust Puccinia urticata on Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica.

Meadow Crane’s-bill

A few Common Green Grasshoppers Omocestus viridulus were stridulating away and numerous Chimney Sweep Moths Odezia atrata were flying around along with a few Snout Moths Hypena proboscidalis and ‘Grass’ Moths.

A whole range of Ferns were identified including Common Polypody Polypodium vulgare, Black Spleenwort Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes, Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria, Brittle Bladder-fern Cystopteris fragilis and Male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas.

Common Stretch Spider

An unidentified Spider was wandering about its web, a Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus was on a stone wall and a Common Stretch Spider Tetragnatha extensa was in camouflage mode on a grass head. We noted our first Large Red Damselflies Pyrrhosoma nymphula and Common Blue Damselflies Enallagma cyathigerum attracted by the small pond hidden from immediate view behind a stone wall.

A few stunning male Redstarts were calling, Wrens in song, Barn Swallows and Swifts zooming overhead, Rooks and Jackdaws flying over

Entering the wooded area there was Herb Bennet aka Wood Avens Geum urbanum and some large clumps of Water Avens Geum rivale that were being visited by the Hoverfly Rhingia campestri plus Lords and Ladies Arum maculatum. A lone Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia was hiding amid some ferns.

Common Spotted Orchid

I noted a few insects with a few Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva, a lone Soldier Beetle Cantharis rustica, three Orchid Beetles Dascillus cervinus, a handful of Scorpion Flies Panorpa communis and a Nettle-tap Moth Anthophila fabriciana. There wasn’t the usual profusion of Hoverflies on the umbellifers with only a single Volucella pellucens. Ash Leaflet Roll Gall on Ash Fraxinus excelsior leaves caused by the plant louse Psyllopsis fraxini was noted.

Orchid Beetle

We were now in the dramatic setting of the central gorge with limestone cliffs on either side. A fenced off area was to protect the mass of Jacob’s Ladder plants. A few plants were situated outside the fence area which allowed for photos.

Jacob’s Ladder

Biting Stonecrop

Rocky boulders were covered in Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia, Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum, Limestone Bedstraw Galium sterneri and some orange patches of Lichen.

Lichen

The botanists noted a multitude of other flora including Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea, Red Campion Silene dioica, Large Bitter-cress Cardamine amara, Hairy Rock-cress Arabis hirsuta, Orpine Sedum telephium, Dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, Silverweed Potentilla anserina, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Black Medick Medicago lupulina, Red Clover Trifolium pratense, Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum, Broad-leaved Willowherb Epilobium montanum, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, Cleavers Galium aparine, Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis, Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria.

Common Blue

We were encouraged to see the variety and numbers of Butterflies on the wing noting Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris, Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages, Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, Common Blue Polyommatus icarus, Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae, Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta, Peacock Inachis io, Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne, Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja, Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina, Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus and a couple of Brown Plume Moths Emmelina monodactyla.

Ravens flew over the gorge croaking and an adult Peregrine circled overhead. Those members that reached the River now a mere trickle added Mallard and Grey Wagtail to the list.

Returning to the start of the walk an Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator was on the small pond behind the stone wall and at a large fenced off pond four male and two female Broad-bodied Chasers Libellula depressa were in high-speed aerial combat mode. Plenty of Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum and Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans with a few mating pairs.

Common Blue Damselfly

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

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.

Escaping from work for the day Richard Surman kindly drove Dave Bryant and I to the Llyn Peninsula in Gwynedd, North Wales. Our first stop was the small fishing village of Trefor. The tide was out leaving the fishing boats resting on the wet sand beside the harbour wall.

Yellow-horned Poppy

Typical maritime plant species growing amongst the shingle edge of the harbour and on the path included Yellow Horned-poppy Glaucium flavum, Spear-leaved Orache Atriplex prostrate, Thrift Armeria maritima, Common Mallow Malva sylvestris, Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Hemlock Water-dropwort Oenanthe crocata, Sea Carrot Daucus carota, Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea, Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris, Yarrow Achillea millefolium and also three spikes of Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia.

A small meadow area held a few Butterflies with Common Blue Polyommatus icarus and Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina along with half a dozen Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae including a mating pair.

Six-spot Burnet Moths

A gathering of Herring with a few Great Black Backed Gulls was on the beach and a few close Gannets flew by on the sea. Blackcap and Chiffchaff were singing and Greenfinch uttering their wheezy call from bushes on the path, a Rock Pipit was noted, Jackdaws were chacking and House Martins circling over the village.

Gutweed

A Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus watched us from the sea as we mooched around the beach and rock pools finding Common Shore Crab Carcinus maenas, Grey Topshell Gibbula cineraria, Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea, Flat Periwinkle Littorina obtusata, Common Limpet Patella vulgata, Black-footed Limpet Patella depressa, Channel Wrack Pelvetia canaliculata, Sea Belt Kelp Laminaria saccharina, Gutweed Enteromorpha intestinalis, Red Algae Corallina officinalis and an Encrusting Algae Lithothamnia sp.

Black-footed Limpet on Bed Of Lithothamnia

Common Shore Crab with Grey Turban Shell – left and Common Periwinkle -right

Our next stop on the Llyn Peninsula was at Pistyll, close to Nefyn. We wandered down to St Beuno’s Church – the original church was established here by St Beuno in the sixth century with the present building completed around the twelfth century and was popular with pilgrims as a stop-off on their way to Ynys Enlli – Bardsey Island. The floor of the church was strewn with rushes and sweet smelling wild herbs and pots held Red Valerian Centranthus ruber.      

St Beuno’s Church

We ate lunch in the graveyard with stridulating Common Green Grasshoppers Omocestus viridulus in the grass, a few Meadow Browns Maniola jurtina and a lone Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus proving camera shy. A few Goldfinches were twittering in the trees, a Buzzard was circling and House Martins were zooming around.

We wandered along the Wales Coast Path, crossed through a field of sheep and exited a gate before descending down the steep cliff path to the beach below passing a wind-sculpted Hawthorn bush Crataegus monogyna and watching a few Pied Wagtails in the stream.

The shingle beach comprised of some quite large pebbles at the top that were graded down to smaller pebbles close to the waterline – these were slightly easier to walk along – only just!

We stumbled along the beach towards Birds’ Rock ‘Craig yr Adar’ – the majority of the cliff adjacent to the beach was composed of Boulder Clay and there had been a few large landslips.  Even larger boulders as stepping stones as we approached Birds’ Rock – Herring Gulls and Great Black Backs took off from the beach and the Cormorants on the main rock headed to the water.

It was a bit too dangerous to clamber over the rock to view the main seabird cliffs round the corner so we had to be content watching the continual passage of Razorbills and Guillemots to and from the cliffs through our bins. A mooch around the rock-pools revealed a scattering of Beadlet Anemones Actinia equina and similar species to those at Trefor: Grey Topshell Gibbula cineraria, Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea, Common Limpet Patella vulgata etc.

Rockpool

Beadlet Anemone

As we headed back along the beach we found a huge specimen of Furbellows Saccorhiza polyschides with undulating wings on the bottom of the stipe and a bobbly looking that attaches the Kelp to boulders in the sea.holdfast . There was also Sea Belt Laminaria saccharina this Kelp has a distinctive frilly undulating margin along the long fronds.

DaveB with Furbellows

Sea Belt

We climbed back up the cliff and again followed the Coast Path passing some rather confident sheep with their grown lambs that we had to shoo out from nestling in the field gates in order to pass through.

Cute Lamb

A Peregrine cried from its perch on a scree slope and a few Ravens croaked overhead. The stone wall that meandered its way adjacent to the path provided a vantage perch for the numerous Wheatears numbering over thirty individuals – it was encouraging to see that many of these were juvenile birds. There were also a good number of Stonechats, Whinchats and Linnets perched on the walls and Meadow Pipits were still indulging in their parachute display flights. We watched a male Dor Beetle Geotrupes sp. hopelessly chasing after a female – pausing only briefly to examine a pile of cow dung. A smaller than usual Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus was noted along with a mini Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva. A good find of a Bird Pellet – shimmering blue-black from the numerous Beetle elytra (the hardened outer wings) it contained.  Little Owls regurgitate pellets containing obvious Beetle elytra but this pellet was too large to be theirs measuring 4.5cm x 1.5cm.

Bird Pellet

Three Choughs flew over uttering their distinctive call – DaveB went off-roading and observed a pair – one of which was colour ringed – feeding a loudly begging youngster and also saw a sun basking Common Lizard Lacerta vivipara.

A few plants of note along the walk: Red Campion Silene dioica, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum, Skullcap Scutellaria galericulata, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Selfheal Prunella vulgaris, Foxglove Digitalis purpurea, Thyme-leaved Speedwell Veronica serpyllifolia and Sheep’s bit Scabious Jasione montana.

We re-traced our steps back along the Coast Path watching a flock of ten Mistle Thrushes taking flight from some Hawthorn bushes, two Choughs feeding on one of the Yellow Meadow Ant Hills Lasius flavus and as a finale four Magpies – unusual in these parts in a field beside the car and five distant Chough tumbling in the air.

A hedgehog slowly ambling across the road close to DaveB’s house was a nice end to the day.  The hog is known to one of DaveB’s neighbours and will even curl up with her cat.

Hedgehog

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

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.

Today the MNA coach trip visited another new venue Hutton Roof which has some of the best areas of limestone pavement in Britain We initially planned to visit this Cumbria Wildlife Trust Reserve last summer but a coach breakdown made us abandon our plans. Despite the appalling weather today we were determined to reach our destination!

Fairy Foxglove

We parked close to a limestone quarry where large patches of  Fairy Foxglove Erinus alpinus were in full bloom all along the quarry face and we also noticed some low-growing Juniper Juniperus communis and Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis. In the woodland area beside the quarry we noted Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica, Red Campion Silene dioica, Wood Avens a.k.a. Herb Bennet Geum urbanum, Lady’s Mantle Alchemilla sp. Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum and Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica.

We ate lunch at the bottom of the quarry sitting on limestone blocks arranged in a spiralling ammonite effect. I had a mooch around finding a mass of Dark-lipped Banded Snails Cepaea nemoralis and a few Garden Snails Cornu aspersum in the damp vegetation.

Dark-lipped Banded Snail

A few Wild Strawberries Fragaria vesca featured as member’s lunchtime dessert but they avoided the green Star Jelly Nostoc commune growing amongst the Strawberry plants – it is a colonial species of cyanobacterium. We noted Mouse-ear-Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum and another member of the Hawksbeard family with a large flower and square-ended leaves.

Star Jelly

We headed through the woodland on the slippery track beside and sometimes through the limestone pavement taking care to avoid the many Black Slugs Arion ater out and about. We stopped to look for some of the scarce plants growing in the grykes of the pavement including Hart’s Tongue Fern Asplenium scolopendrium, Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes, Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria, Broad Buckler-fern Dryopteris dilatata and Limestone Fern Gymnocarpium robertianum. The damp was getting to Olives brain! She thought that some of the limestone on the path resembled Queen Victoria 🙂

Queen Vic

Only a few insects braving the weather – Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis, Snipe Fly Rhagio sp. and a Green Lacewing Chrysopa perla.

Green Lacewing

The plants growing on the Yellow Meadow Ant Lasius flavus hills included Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus along with Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile, Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus and Black Medick Medicago lupulina. We continued through a more wooded area – very little in the way of bird song with only a few parties of Great Tits and Long-tailed Tits and singing Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler. Fungi on log piles and tree stumps included Beech Woodwart Hypoxylon fragiforme, Turkeytail Trametes versicolor, Lumpy Bracket Trametes gibbosa, Coprinus sp. an unidentified purple coloured fungi and the Slime Mould Lycogala terrestre.

Beech Woodwart

More botanical interest with Male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas, Elm Ulnus sp. Common Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium, Spring Cinquefoil Potentilla tabernaemontani, Broad-leaved Willowherb Epilobium montanum, Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris, Wood Speedwell Veronica montana, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes and Greater Burdock Arctium lappa.

We exited a gate before walking a short distance along the edge of a moss-coved stone-wall on which Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella was growing with some fine Bugle Ajuga reptans on the lane edge. We re-entered the reserve and climbed the track where I found some Dog Lichen Peltigera sp. growing on a tree stump.

Peltigera sp.

Some squelchy dog poo had a Red-breasted Carrion Beetle Oiceoptoma thoracium and the friendly cattle that we walked by had produced some dollops of dung on which was growing the tiny orange discs of the micro-fungi Cheilymenia granulata.

We arrived back to the quarry and decided to head along to Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve for the last hour. I had a quick nose at the bird feeders being visited by juvenile Great and Coal Tits along with Chaffinches, Robin and Dunnock.

Common Blue Damselfly

Donacia vulgaris

I then had a mooch around the vegetation close to Lillian’s Hide to see what insects were hiding and in the short time managed to find Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum, Leaf Beetle Donacia vulgaris, Nettle-tap Moth Anthophila fabriciana and what I initially thought to be a Long-horned Moth but I later identified as the Long-horned Caddisfly Mystacides longicornis.

Nettle-tap

Long-horned Caddisfly

A Bird Cherry Tree Prunus padus was taking a battering with some leaves having a covering of larval tents of the Bird Cherry Ermine Moth Yponomeuta evonymella and other leaves with the pink Nail Galls caused by the Gall Mite Phyllocoptes eupadi. Some Ash Fraxinus excelsior leaves had Leaflet Roll Gall caused by the Plant Louse Psyllopsis fraxini. Fungi included Dock Rust Puccinia phragmitis on Broad-leaved Dock Rumex obtusifolius leaves.

Bird Cherry Ermine Moth larval tent

The two Daves headed down to the causeway where a dozen Common Spotted-orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsii were growing along the bank. From Public Hide they watched a female Marsh Harrier carrying nest material and a juvenile playing in the air climbing high then dropping down. On the water a Great Crested Grebe had a line of chicks in tow. The Yellow Flag Iris Iris pseudacorus growing in front of the hide had a number of Common Amber Snails Succinea putris of various sizes crawling up the stems.

We boarded the coach and drove along the minor road running beside the coastal marsh where a dozen or so Little Egrets were stalking around and Swifts were scything the air.           

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

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. 

From Tony Carter

On Friday 14th June, I accepted an invitation to join Professor Tom Bultman of Hope College, Michigan at Court Hey Park.  He has been studying the fungi of the Epichloe family. This fungus causes Choke Disease in grasses. The fungus forms a sterilising ‘collar’ round the stem of the grass where the immature flowers are, and reduces flowering and seed production.  This has commercial consequences, particularly in the United States, where the fungus did not exist until it was introduced on infected seed from Europe in 1996. Professor Bultman is a leading expert in this subject.

My photograph shows the young white collars that form early in the cycle. Later, as the spores develop, they will turn yellow or orange. They remind me then of a small bullrush and they are also much easier to find. I shall try to take some photos later in the year. You can see lots of images on Google.

Infected grass

It had been thought that there was only one species, Epichloe typhina but DNA testing has shown that the fungus is often host specific. You have to be able to identify the grass in order to identify the fungus.

Professor Bultman was collecting samples from various grasses to take back for laboratory testing. We did manage to find some, in scattered patches but some distance apart. The reason may be because of its interesting reproduction method. The fungus has to cross-pollinate in order to reproduce. The fungus attracts a fly of the genus Botanophila. The fly feeds on the young ‘male and female’ fungal fruit bodies, ingesting the pollinating substances. It then deposits the mixture on another fungus when it lays its eggs. This pollinates that fungus enabling it to produce spores and also provide food for the fly larvae.

Botanophilia egg

The spores are ejected into the air to infect another plant. The larvae hatch and the process starts again. Interestingly, in order to benefit from the efforts of the fly, the fungus has to sacrifice some of its spore production to feed the larvae. Clever stuff.