The Naturalists' Notebook

Today’s coach trip was to a new location for the MNA – the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Reserve Wheldrake Ings and adjacent Natural England Reserve Bank Island in the heart of the Lower Derwent Valley. These 390 acres of flood meadow bordering the banks of the River Derwent have been traditionally managed for Centuries; it is a Wetland of International Significance, a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Garden Warbler and Blackcap heralded our arrival allowing for song comparison for the beginners in the group. A huge Mayfly emergence had occurred and swarms of male were dancing around in the air hoping to attract a female. At least two species were noted: Dark Mayfly Ephemera vulgata – the spotted wings and the dark triangles on the upper abdomen are characteristic of this species of mayfly; Green Drake Ephemera danica – whose body is creamy yellow with distinctive brown markings on the segments.

Dark Mayfly dun

Dark Mayfly spinner

Green Drake

Mayflies were one of the many highlights of the day – another was the Banded Demoiselles Calopteryx splendens the metallic blue males numbering at least twenty with around six of the metallic green females seen. Other Odonata included a male Azure Damselfly Coenagrion puella posed on a blade of grass – they are distinguished from the male Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum, that were also seen, by the U-shaped mark on the second abdominal segment separated from the segment’s narrow terminal black band. A few Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata females were noted and also Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans and a lone Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa.

Banded Demoiselle male

Azure Damselfly 

Out on the floodplain meadows I heard a distant Whimbrel utter its distinctive seven whistle call. Curlew were heard calling along with Cuckoo, Skylark and Yellowhammer and Pheasant.

The lush waterside vegetation along the path held a few molluscs identified by Chris Butterworth including the Common Amber Snail Succinea putris – which has a thin walled translucent shell often amber coloured and whose spire usually is very small compared to the huge apertural whorl and the Strawberry Snail Trochulus striolatus – which usually has five or six whorls in a flattened cone.

Butterflies seen included Large White Pieris brassicae, Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, caterpillars of the Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae on Nettle leaves, Peacock Inachis io, Comma Polygonia c-album and Wall Lasiommata megera. Moths included Nettle-tap Anthophila fabriciana and a Micro-moth Dave Hardy later identified as Glyphipterix thrasonella with its silver and black markings against a bronzy forewing. Its food-plant is the stem of Sharp-flowered Rush Juncus acutiflorus.

Small Tortoiseshell caterpillar

A pair of 14-spot Ladybird Propylea 14-punctata were seen mating and a 7-spot Ladybird Coccinella 7-punctata was noted Other insects included Dance Fly Empis tessellata, Scorpion Fly Panorpa communis, Snipe Fly Rhagio scolopacea, Muscid Fly Polietes lardarius, Phantom Cranefly Ptychoptera contaminata, Hoverflies: Heliophilus pendulus, Leucozona lucorum, Tapered Drone Fly Eristalis pertinax and a more unusual looking Hoverfly with mottled eyes Eristalinus aeneus.

Polietes lardarius

Eristalinus aenus

Beetles included a rather nicely marked Wasp Beetle Clytra arietis, Red-headed Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa serraticornis and a couple of species of Click Beetle: Athous haemorrhoidalis and the Wireworm Click Beetle Agriotes obscures.

Wasp Beetle

I noted a Cucumber Green Orb Spider Araniella cucurbitina feeding on a Fly – they are 5-8mm long and pale yellowish green in colour with a red mark under the abdomen. A Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus was in one of the hides and a Dark Stretch Spider Tetragnatha nigrita was sprawled out on its web in vegetation.

Dark Stretch Spider

We noted the bright orange Rust Fungus Triphragmium ulmariae which attacks the petioles and / or midribs of Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria leaves, causing swelling and distortion. Other Meadowsweet plants had smooth reddish rounded swellings on the upper leaf surface caused by the Gall Midge Dasineura ulmaria.

Triphragmium ulmariae

Another species of Rust Fungus Uromyces valerianae was found on Marsh Valerian leaves Valeriana dioica.

 Uromyces valerianae

From the Pool Hide we noted Mallards including a female with 4 ducklings, Coot, Moorhen, a male Shoveler, an unseasonal male Wigeon, Teal, Tufted Duck, pair of Mute Swans with 5 cygnets, Greylags herding a crèche of 4 goslings, Canada Goose, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Lapwings, scores of Swifts plus a few House Martins and Swallows, Sedge Warbler singing its scratchy song from the reedbed and a female Marsh Harrier which glided over.

Returning to the coach we caught up with those members who had visited Natural England reserve at Bank Island. Their sightings included – Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, a Brown Hare Lepus europaeus leveret hunkered down on the path, a Whimbrel which was digiscoped by Barbara through Eileen Houghton’s telescope.

Whimbrel Photo by Barbara

On a less positive note were the empty bird feeders outside the offices of Natural England. “Null points” to Natural England!

Empty feeders Photo by Barbara

As a finale Seema Aggarwal had heard a Grasshopper Warbler reeling from scrub close by so a few of us raced along there. Amongst the notes of singing Garden Warblers, Blackcap, Sedge Warbler etc. an occasional reeling was heard by those whose acoustic range are still able to hear the high frequency Gropper song.

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.

At last, a fine bright sunny day for a visit to Ness Gardens! As well as enjoying the fine collection of plants on display there was plenty wildlife to be seen. Growing broods of chicks were keeping the Blackbirds, Robins, Blue Tits and a Long-tailed Tit busy collecting juicy caterpillars.

At the main ponds a pair of Canada Geese were being protective parents of their three goslings, hissing at any visitor who approached to closely. The Coots were in an grumpy mood chasing each other round the pond. Single Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula and Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans were seen in the vegetation edging the pond along with a few Wolf Spiders Pardosa sp. and Ptychopteridae Flies which resemble a miniature Crane-fly with spotted wings.

Wolf Spider

Mayflies were dancing in the air over the ponds and Water Boatmen Notonecta glauca were doing backstrokes in the Wave Garden. A Buzzard circled and mewed overhead. A bloke mentioned that Crossbills had been seen in the pines in the Rock Garden – a wedding was occurring there though so I couldn’t check these out.  A colony of Mining Bees were digging holes in the sandy soil close to the waterfall and a Tawny Mining Bee Andrena fulva was also seen.

The sun had brought out the Butterflies with Small White Pieris rapae, Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, Peacock Inachis io, Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria – a pair of which I watched circling out 10m into the air in their mating dance and Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina. A Parent Bug Elasmucha grisea was a nice find – named for the female’s habit of standing guard over her eggs and nymphs to protect them from parasites.

Parent Bug

Various Flies were seen including a couple of Scorpion Flies Panorpa communis, a Dance Fly Empis tessellata – although Empid Flies are usually predatory on other Flies this one was taking nectar, Green Bottle Lucilla caesar and a mating pair of Yellow Dung Flies Scathophaga stercoraria.

Dance Fly

Yellow Dung Flies

Various Bees were buzzing around collecting nectar, favouring flowers such as Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale including Honey Bees Apis mellifera and Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum. Plenty of Hoverflies with Heliophilus pendulus and Eristalis species being prevalent, including the Bumblebee Mimic Hoverfly Eristalis intricarius which often has a white tail and always has a yellow scutellum.

Heliophilus pendulus

Eristalis intricarius

Whilst walking through a meadow area a bright scarlet red coloured Beetle flew in and landed on the stem of Ribwort Plantain. It was Pyrochroa serraticornis, a member of the Pyrochroidae Family whose adults and larvae are often predatory. It is similar in appearance to the Cardinal Beetle Pyrochroa coccinea but having a scarlet coloured head instead of the Cardinal’s black one.

Pyrochroa serraticornis

In the meadow I also found a female Green Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula and a couple of Spiders – Common Stretch Spider Tetragnatha extensa and a rather fine Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis.

Common Stretch Spider

Nursery Web Spider

Lots of Crane-flies including Tipula vernalis – one of the identification features is the light line that runs down the back of the abdomen, which is unusual because most other British species have a dark line.

Tipula vernalis

I also found a Common Earwig Forficula auricularia which was hiding in the leaves of a Nettle.

Common Earwig

All in all a great day with fantastic plants and insects!

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.

Our last MNA coach trip to Cannock Chase was back in July 2009 so members were eager to return. A Garden Warbler and Willow Warbler burst into song from the car park bushes, heralding our arrival. We had a quick nose around the small visitor centre where a couple of display cases exhibited a taxidermist’s treasure trove of local wildlife including Nightjar, Black Grouse, Fallow Deer, Weasel, Red Fox, Adder, Common Lizard etc.

Scary Weasel

Outside of the visitor centre John Clegg identified an evergreen shrub as Pieris ‘Forest Flame’. A member of the heather family Ericaceae, the young foliage is bright red, becoming pink, cream and finally green.

Forest Flame

We set off on the blue trail across the heathland. Whitethroat burst into their scratchy song, Willow Warblers uttered their descending notes and a couple of Tree Pipits performed their parachuting aerial display flight. A flock of eleven Crossbills were gathered in a Silver Birch tree busy munching on the late catkins. A new tick for a number of members we cautiously approached closer having fine views of the blood red coloured males and more brownish looking females, the crossed mandibles on their silver beaks also visible. They eventually flew off to another stand of Silver Birches uttering a twittering flight call slightly deeper in tone than that of a Linnet. Cuckoos were calling and we found one perched in a tree below us giving great views – later two were seen in flight.

The heathland was covered in the usual heather and also the low growing scrub with pinkish flowers Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus which is also known as Whortleberry, Blaeberry and Whimberry depending on which part of the UK you reside. Another scrub with evergreen leaves and pinkish white flowers was identified as Cowberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea.

Bilberry

Black Slug

Quite a few Black Slugs Arion ater, one of the brown –form variety were sliming their trails amongst the bushes. Plenty of evidence of Squirrels being around with nibbled pine cones found on tree stumps and other favourite feeding posts.

Nibbled Pine Cones

We ate lunch on the edge of woodland where some Alepo Pines Pinus halepensis were beginning to develop new cones. A Green Woodpecker yaffled away which was to be a feature of the rest of the day with approximately eight being heard – a couple of members eventually managed to see one but many didn’t and thought the Green Woodpeckers were mocking us with their laughing call. We entered the woodland – birdlife included Blue Tits, Coal Tits, a few Goldcrests, Chaffinch, Blackcaps, a lone Chiffchaff, Robin and a Wren carrying nesting material. A few Hoverflies were around including Eristalis sp. and they were particularly attracted to the flowering Bay Laurels Laurus nobilis which also attracted a Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria and Small White Pieris rapae.

Bay Laurel Flowers

Hoverfly Eristalis sp.

I took a rather poor photo of a Heather Beetle Lochmaea suturalis – in the Leaf Beetle family Chrysomelidae they are only 6 millimetres long and have a tendency to drop into cover if disturbed.

Heather Beetle

I also noted a few Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris and Nomada Wasps. A couple of Goat Willows Salix caprea were covered in the spiky pistillate (female) flowers, their bark looked as though it had been painted orange due to the carotene containing algae Trentepohlia aurea  and Pixie-cup Lichens Cladonia sp. were also present. The botanists identified a bush of Highclere Holly Ilex x altaclerensis = Ilex aquifolium x perado which originated in the gardens of Highclere Castle, Hampshire, home of the Earls of Carnavon.

Wood Sorrel

There was an impressive green carpet of Wood-sorrel leaves Oxalis acetosella with their delicate white flowers dotted around and we also noted Thyme-leaved Speedwell Veronica serpyllifolia. The mycologists found some Fungi with Birch Polypore Piptoporus betulinus, Hoof Fungi Fomes fomentarius, Bleeding Broadleaf Crust Stereum rugosum and the distinctive pink berry-like blobs of the Slime Mould Lycogala terrestre.

Lycogala terrestre

We descended back out onto the heathland where we quickly caught up with another of our target species for the day Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi, this petite butterfly took off as you walked through the Bilberry scrub but quickly settled, producing a flurry of clicking cameras.

Green Hairstreak

A couple of Peacock butterflies Inachis io were resting out of the wind in a shallow ditch with outstretched wings and a number of brown camouflage heathland Moths flitted around. A couple of male Stonechats were perched amongst the heather and yet more Cuckoos, Green Woodpeckers and Tree Pipits called. One young Oak sapling had a cluster of Oak Marble Galls caused by the Gall Wasp Andricus kollari and on overturning a large fallen tree trunk we found a small Black Millipede Tachypodoiulus niger curled up in a spiral and an unidentified Slug.

All too quickly we were back in the car park where we were to be given a final show from another flock of around ten Crossbills feeding on the cones in a Pine tree. A pair of Swallows was nesting in the ladies toilets 🙂

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 a wet and windy morning seven members started our walk by looking over the large expanse of water at the back of the Waterside pub.  Large numbers of Swallows and House Martins flew low over the water and we saw a group of about 20 more Swallows roosting out of the weather in one small tree on the bank. Out over the water two pairs of Great Crested Grebes were still doing their courtship display, very late in the year.

The woodland had carpets of white Ramsons (wild garlic) and of Bluebells, and in the wetter places there were yellow Marsh Marigolds.

Our lunch stop was, as usual, on the bridge, where we could see a nesting Great Crested Grebe. The Kingfisher wasn’t seen today because the water was far too rough for it to see any fish.

Below the bridge a Mute Swan was on her nest. When she moved off we could see her seven very large eggs. Later in the walk we met one of the water bailiffs who told us that the cob, her mate, had been seriously injured by a dog while protecting the nest. He was rescued and taken to a veterinary hospital but was too badly hurt and had to be put down. This was about four weeks ago, he said. The pen (the female) had laid about three eggs before he was killed and continued to lay (presumably infertile) eggs afterwards. The incubation period of the Mute Swan is 35 to 37 days, so there is still hope for the fertile ones.

The water bailiff also told us that six Mink have been trapped in the area this year.

Bird species seen (27): Mallard, Great Crested Grebe, Coot, Black-headed Gull, Blue Tit, Swallow, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Chaffinch, Blackbird, Goldfinch, Wood Pigeon, House Martin, Robin, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Magpie, Linnet, Great Tit, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail, Moorhen, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Dunnock, House Sparrow, Carrion Crow, Chiffchaff, Kestrel.

Today was our special event to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the MNA. A packed coach explored sites in north Wales and Anglesey led by the guides Alan Davies and Ruth Miller, noted for their global bird trek “The Biggest Twitch.” We met the pair at the RSPB reserve at Conwy and took a short walk through the reedbed where Greenfinches called their nasal wheezy notes from a tree, a Wren burst into song from deep in scrub, a Chiffchaff was calling from some willows and both Reed and Sedge Warblers burst into song  from the reeds – the Reed Warbler repeating the same phrase never stopping for breath whereas the Sedge Warbler song is more stuttering as it stops and changes phrases. A few spring flowers were blooming with Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum, Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna, Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Lady’s Smock a.k.a. Cuckoo Flower Cardamine pratensis, garden cultivars of Narcissus and a bank-side covered in Cowslips Primula veris. An unusual fungi find was a desiccated Stinkhorn Phallus impudicus.

Cowslips

We reached Tal-y-Fan hide giving good views over both the pools. Lapwings were nesting – their chicks are a favourite on the menu of the local Herring and Lesser Black Backed Gulls. Great Crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Shelduck, Canada Goose, Mute Swan, Gadwall, Mallard, Tufted Duck, Red-breasted Merganser female and Coot were all viewed. A Buzzard was circling on the far side of the marsh. Swallows, Sand and House Martins were skimming over the reedbeds and ponds and a handful of Swifts zoomed through on their scythe-shaped wings.

Barbara spotted this communal House Sparrow nesting box made from an old wooden barrel

House Sparrow nesting box Photo by Barbara

We drove along the coast heading towards Anglesey, the landscape splodged in yellow from the masses of Gorse bushes Ulex europaeus in flower. Bit of birding en route with three Greylag Geese performing a synchronised fly past, a couple of hovering Kestrels and a Sparrowhawk just as we crossed over the Britannia Bridge onto Anglesey.

 Beddmanarch Bay

MNA Members Photo by Barbara

We stopped for lunch at Arfordirol Penrhos CP, BeddmanarchBay. The tide was out so only distant views of Shelduck, Oystercatcher, Curlew and Black-tailed Godwit on the water’s edge. I had a quick root around in the seaweed and rocks on the edge of the mudflats – molluscs included Common Limpet Patella vulgata, Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea, Flat Periwinkle Littorina obtustata, Grey Top Shell Gibbula cinerea, and Dog Whelk Nucella lapillus. Polychaetes included the pyramid mud casts of Blow Lugworm Arenicola marina and groups of Sand Mason Worms Lanice conchilega with their sand covered feeding tentacles.

Sand Mason Worm

Common seaweeds were noted with Channelled Wrack Pelvetia canaliculata, Bladder Wrack Fucus vesiculosus and Spiral Wrack Fucus spiralis. Plants on the shoreline included the fleshy leaves of Sea Kale Crambe maritima and some flowering English Scurvy-grass Cochlearia anglica. The small pond held Moorhen, Mallards – a couple of dubious parentage plus scavenging Black-headed and Herring Gulls.

Holyhead Fishing Harbour

Negotiating a small side road in Holyhead brought us to the old fishing harbour. Star bird was the Black Guillemot in summer plumage. Anglesey is the southerly limit for this species and it nests in holes in the harbour wall – a BTO guy could be seen on a ladder checking the nest sites. On a concrete structure off from the harbour wall Cormorants were joined by a Shag and a couple of Common Guillemots were bobbing around on the sea. A Raven croaked overhead and landed on the roof of a dilapidated building where it was joined by its mate – possibly nesting there.

South Stack Lighthouse

A group of Jackdaws were wandering around a field and Meadow Pipits and Wheatears were perched on top of the stone walls as we approached South Stack RSPB Reserve. Blustery conditions prevailed so there was quick donning of jackets and woolly hats. We climbed down the stone steps and watched a male Stonechat flitting around the gorse. Peering over to look at the cliffs the lack of the usual lines of nesting auks was very apparent. This delayed arrival of spring must have kept the Common Guillemots and Razorbills out at sea.

There was still plenty of commotion though with nesting Herring Gulls, the odd pair of Lesser Black Backed Gulls, Kittewakes with their all black wing tips, Fulmars gliding by on stiff wings to land with their partners, a pair of Puffins bobbing around on the water in the bay in front of Lighthouse Island, Chough riding the wind with dangling red legs calling their name as they glided by, a couple of croaky Raven flying around the cliffs and a couple of Rock Pipits hopping around the rocks. Out at sea the odd Razorbill, Common Guillemot and a couple of distant young Gannets flew by, an adult Gannet was bobbing on the sea and small groups of Manx Shearwaters flew past the lighthouse occasionally flipping over to expose their white underbellies. Chris Butterworth heard the cry of a Peregrine.

Marine Life Mural In Ellin’s Tower

A good variety of plants with flowering English Scurvy-grass Cochlearia anglica, Spring Squill Scilla verna, Sea Campion Silene uniflora, Thrift a.k.a. Sea Pink Armeria maritinum, Coltsfoot Tussilago farfara and Bluebell Hyacinthoides non-scripta. Chris Derri also saw Red Campion Silene dioica and an Oxlip Primula elatior in a nearby garden and had a good sighting on an Emperor Moth Saturnia pavonia.

Spring Squill

On a previous visit I walked down to the bottom of the steps where you can cross to Lighthouse Island. Here there were great views of the cliffs which display some of the most magnificent exposures of folded rocks in Britain. These date back nearly 600 million years to the Precambrian. The layering of different materials making up the rocks is clearly visible. The sandstone and mudstone layers have acted differently as they’ve been folded: sandstone contains coarser materials and keeps its shape whereas the mudstone is more fluid and has been squashed into the gaps in-between.

We’d seen most of what we’d expect here so the group members were rounded up for the short drive to our last stop of the day – the lake beside the RAF base at Valley in Anglesey. A helicopter circled overhead as we scanned the lake noting Great Crested Grebe, a few Greylag Goose, Gadwall flying around, a small group of Pochard, Tufted Duck, a female Goldeneye, two Red-breasted Mergansers and Lesser Black Backed Gulls. A Willow Warbler, Wren and House Sparrow were in the bushes at the edge of the lake.

We boarded the coach again dropping off our guides back at Conwy RSPB reserve and thanking them for our mini twitch around their local sites.

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.