The Naturalists' Notebook

A few months ago David Bryant offered to plant a wildflower meadow on an unused bank next to Walton Station. Merseyrail were happy to allow it. It’s now up, the poppies are out, and it’s alive with bees. David asked me to go along and photograph it.

A packed MNA coach for our visit to Anglesey. Our first blustery location was Cors Erddreiniog the largest of the Anglesey fens. This extensive reserve is located between the small villages of Bryn Teg and Capel Coch and boasts NNR, SSSI, SAC and Ramsar status. This year’s corpse tally rose with dead Common Shrew Sorex araneus and Pygmy Shrew Sorex minutus.

Common Shrew

Large Skipper Ochlodes venata was the only butterfly but plenty of Dragonfly and Damselfly species with Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula including one female unusually holding it’s wings outstretched like an Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa, Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans, Southern Hawker Aeshna cyanaea and Four-spotted Chaser Libellula quadrimaculata.

Large Red Damselfly female

Hoverfly species included Heliophilus pendulus, Eristalis sp. Volucella bombylans var. plumata and Rhingia campestris.

Rhingia campestris

Other interesting Insects included a Weevil Sitona sp. Ichneumon Wasp sp. Sawfly Tenthredo mesomelas and a Conopid Fly – the larvae of Conopids are parasites on Hymenoptera, the female Conopid laying an egg in between the abdomen segments of their host.  

Tenthedro mesomelas

Conopid Fly 

It was the botanists who were really in their element though with Lesser Spearwort Ranunculus flammula, Tutsan Hypericum androsaemum, Red Campion Silene dioica, Ragged Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi, Greater Chickweed Stellaria neglecta, Cut-leaved Cranesbill Geranium dissectum, Bush Vetch Vicia sepium, Meadow Vetchling Lathyris pratensis, Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Harsh Downy-rose Rosa tomentosa, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, Herb Bennet Geum urbanum, Round-leaved Sundew Drosera rotundifolia, Marsh Pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris, Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris, Marsh Cinquefoil Potentilla palustris.

Marsh Cinquefoil

Bog Myrtle Myrica gale, Wild Angelica Angelica sylvestris, Amphibious Bistort Persicaria amphibian, Bogbean Menyanthes trifoliate, Marsh Lousewort Pedicularis palustris, Red Bartsia Odontites vernus, Water Mint Mentha aquatica, Common Skullcap Scutellaria galericulata, Self Heal Prunella vulgaris, Common Butterwort Pinguicula vulgaris, Southern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa, Northern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza purpurella, Early Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata, Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia, Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis, Marsh Valerian Valeriana dioica, Common Marsh Bedstraw Galium palustre, Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre, Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense, Common Water-Plantain Alisma plantago-aquatica and Lesser Water-plantain Baldellia ranunculoides.

Marsh Orchid

Sea Kale Growing On Cemlyn’s Shingle Bank

After a brief convenience stop at the loos at Penrhos CP it was off to the second venue for today’s coach trip Cemlyn Bay NR. Cemlyn is known mainly as a valuable site for terns with Common Terns, Sandwich Terns and Arctic Terns seen on the breeding colony – unfortunately no sign of the Roseate Tern that the warden noted.

Arctic Tern. Picture by Chris Derri.

Sandwich Tern. Picture by Chris Derri

Other Birdlife included a second year Northern Gannet, Mute Swan, Red-breasted Merganser, Goosander, Black Guillemot, Barn Swallow, Rock Pipit, male and two juv Stonechats and Raven. Grey Seal bobbing around and the corpse of a Bloody-nosed Beetle Timarcha tenebricosa.

Plenty of seashore life with Flat Periwinkle Littorina obtusata, Common Periwinkle Littorina littorea, Velvet Mite Entrombidium rostratus, Marine Springtail Anurida maritima, Common Limpet Patella vulgata, Black-footed Limpet Patella depressa, Beadlet Anemone Actinia equina, Encrusting Red Algae Lithothamnion sp., Red Algae Polysiphonia lanosa, Channel Wrack Pelvetia canaliculata, Egg Wrack Ascophyllum nodosum, Spiral Wrack Fucus spiralis.

Channel Wrack

Seashore Lichens of note included Xanthoria parietina, Sea Ivory Ramalina siliquosa and Black Shields Lecanora atra.

Sea Ivory Lichen against the yellow Xanthoria parietina

Botanists again were delighted with Cross-leaved Heath Erica tetralix, Bell Heather Erica cinerea, Thrift Armeria maritima, a rather interesting Centaury sp. with rounded leaves, Common Lousewort Pedicularis sylvatica, Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor, Heath Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza maculata, Southern Marsh-orchid Dactylorhiza praetermissa x Heath Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza maculata hybrid, Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile, Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris, Curled Dock Rumex crispus, Heath Groundsel Senecio sylvaticus, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, English Stonecrop Sedum anglicum, Spring Squill Scilla verna, Foxglove Digitalis purpurea, Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris, Sea Campion Silene maritima, Halberd-leaved Orache Atriplex hastate, Sea Kale Crambe maritima, Common Gorse Ulex europaeus, Western Gorse Ulex gallii and Wild Carrot Daucus carota.

English Stonecrop

A memorable last find of the day by Harry – a desiccated Lesser Spotted Dogfish Scyliorhinus canicula.

Lesser Spotted Dogfish

Thanks to Chris Butterworth for help with the species lists and Chris Derri for use of his macro lens when mine had a premature death.

Last Sunday, the 18th June, I assisted Merseyside Biobank who organised a Bioblitz, where various naturalist disciplines meet to record species over a period of twenty four hours. The event was held at Court Hey Park, the home of The National Wildflower Centre.  I agreed to record fungi and lead a foray at the same time. More eyes are most useful. Unfortunately the weather was not kind but eight people joined me and we recorded forty species, a good result for this time of year.

Most notable was Schizophyllum commune (Splitgill) on a fallen Beech trunk. It is found most often in southern Britain but as our climate warms up these species are moving north. Another good find was of an uncommon Bonnet fungus Mycena clavularis at the base of a Yew tree. Kew Herbarium asked me for a specimen but when I went the next day, overnight heavy rain had washed them away.

A separate visit to Calderstones Park in Liverpool produced a large group of twenty five Melanoleuca verrucipes (Warty Cavalier). Last year, a find of only three was sufficiently important to interest Kew Herbarium. This second find and in such quantity could be another sign that our climate is getting warmer.

Warty Cavalier Melanoleuca verrucipes

Another unusual find was of Panus conchatus (Lilac Oysterling) on a fallen Beech tree.

Lilac Oysterling Panus conchatus

Chris Butterworth, Dave Bryant and I had a hike up through a forestry reserve and across the moors between Cynwyd and Corwen in Denbighshire Wales. At Cynwyd we looked across a stone bridge at the cascading Trystion stream, a tributary of the River Dee (Afon Dyfrdwy) and saw our first Grey Wagtail. As we climbed up the small lane through the village a Nuthatch was calling and Chiffchaff singing.

Wall Pennywort

We found Welsh Poppy Meconopsis cambrica, English Stonecrop Sedum anglicum, plenty of Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris, Slender St John’s Wort Hypericum pulchrum, Fox ‘ n’ Cubs Hieracium aurantiacum, Dog Rose Rosa canina and the Harsh Downy-rose Rosa tomentosa with its furry leaves and cerise red flowers that seem to lighten to more pinky tones on aging. There were some humongous Dryad’s Saddles Polyporus squamosus growing at the base of a couple of Sycamore trees.

Harsh Downy-rose

We ate lunch at a sunny spot on the lane. A few Hoverflies mainly Eristalis sp. with a Xylota segnis and then found our first Garden Chafer Phyllopertha horticola one of many during the day.

Garden Chafer

We reached the small reservoir where nine Canada Geese were in residence, three Grey Wagtails and a few Siskin. As we continued to climb Mountain Bumblebees Bombus monticola were on the wing along with a White-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lucorum. There were plenty of plants with Greater Stitchwort – Stellaria holostea, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Heath Bedstraw Galium saxatile, Pignut Conopodium majus, Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, Common Field Speedwell Veronica persica, Heath Speedwell Veronica officinalis, Brooklime Veronica beccabunga, Wood Forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica, New Zealand Willowherb Epilobium brunnescens and Hard Fern Blechnum spicant. More fungi with Orange Birch Bolete Leccinum versipelle and the first corpse of the day – a European Mole Talpa europaea.

We heard our first Cuckoo, the odd scratchy Whitethroat, a Redstart, singing Willow Warblers, Blackcaps, Chaffinches, Goldcrest and Coal Tits carrying food in their beaks. A further corpse turned out to be a young Coal Tit whose body was covered in Flesh Flies Sarcophagidae sp. as we approached and had also attracted a Beetle Staphylinidae sp.  

More grossness with the aptly named Dog Vomit Slime Mould Fuligo septica on top on a conifer stump.

Dog Vomit Slime Mould

We found the footpath out onto the moorland heading towards the ruins of Liberty Hall. Only a few butterfly species with Green-veined White Pieris napi and a few Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus.

Small Heath

An interesting lichen on a fence post turned out to be Usnea florida – the apothecium show branched eyelash cilia.

Usnea florida

A Tree Pipit performed its aerial flight, plenty of Skylarks, the odd Mepit, two male Whinchats, we heard another Cuckoo and the babblings of a Red Grouse. The single spikelets of Hares tail-Cotton Grass Eriophorum vaginatum were swaying in the breeze and Lousewort Pedicularis sylvatica grew in a wet area further down the track. A Ground Beetle Carabidae sp. proved too fast for my lens and the last few miles down into Corwen were too fast for my legs! We had to march through bog and scramble down stone steps in order to catch our bus back into Wrexham and onwards to Chester then the train back into Liverpool.

The planned destination for today’s MNA coach trip was Hutton Roof but it was not to be… Our coach developed a mechanical problem close to Carnforth and we slowly trundled into the Truckhaven services in first gear.Nature is everywhere! so we took the opportunity to have a nose around a grassed area and hedgerow and were not disappointed. A Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae and Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages flitted over the grass and I found an Angle Shades Moth Phlogophora meticulosa resting on a leaf.

Plenty of Hoverflies with mating Helophilus pendulus, a few Volucella pellucens and a rather cool Chrysotoxum bicinctum – this distinctive species has two yellow bands, chocolate wing patches and long, forward pointing antennae.

There were a number of Sawflies including the vibrant green Rhogogaster viridis. There must have been a recent hatch as Green Lacewing Chrysopa perla flew up as we walked through a reedy area.

After a short deliberation we decided to change the venue to Leighton Moss RSPB Reserve and took the short drive in a local minibus taxi to the reserve. A group of MNA members led by John Clegg explored the reserve and had singing Cettis Warbler with some members having a glimpse of this skulking reedbed bird.

Photo courtesy of Barbara

Margaret Parry spotted an interesting caterpillar. It was an inch long, orange and black covered in fine tufty hairs and feeding on Pussy Willow. Barbara later identified it as the Yellow Tail Euproctis similis. An interesting wigwam built from reeds has been designed by the Leighton Moss warden David Mower for Bearded Tits to nest in. He had a dilemma as Bitterns prefer wet reedbeds whereas the Beardies prefer drier conditions. Luckily they love the wigwams and he now makes 40 a year.

Photo courtesy of Barbara

The other group of MNA members led by Dave Bryant headed up to Trowbarrow Quarry and onto Gait Barrows NNR. A female Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa and a number of Common Blue Damselflies Enallagma cyathigerum and Blue-tailed Damselflies Ischnura elegans were zooming around us as we ate lunch in Trowbarrow. I chased after a Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae which eventually settled and there were a couple of Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages. Plants included Common Rock-rose Helianthemum nummularium, Herb Bennet Geum urbanum, Common Dog Violet Viola riviniana, Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca and Common Twayblade Orchid Listera ovata. A photographer pointed out a Fly Orchid spike Ophrys insectifera! This mimic Orchid has evolved a flower structure and also produces a pheromone scent in order to attract male digger wasps to pollinate the orchid.

A small pond held Newts and three male Broad-bodied Chasers Libellula depressa were on patrol joined by a female.As we walked along the small lane joining Trowbarrow to Gait Barrows NNR Dave Bryant and Chris Butterworth both had glimpses of a male Pied Flycatcher. Not surprisingly given the recent rain there was some fungi about with three large Dryad’s Saddles Polyporus squamosus, Oyster Mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus, Deer Shield Pluteus cervinus and Birch Woodwart Hypoxylon multiforme.

We hot hoofed along the boardwalk beside Little Hawes Water stopping briefly to view the Bird’s-eye Primrose Primula farinosa – a native pink-flowered perennial herb that is a nationally scarce plant of the northern Pennines; Common Gromwell Lithospermum officinale – a green herbaceous plant with pale yellowish-white flowers and a few flitting Brimstones Gonepteryx rhamni.

We followed the trail onto the famous limestone pavement where rainwater has slowly eroded broad flat blocks (clints) to form a variety of solution features including deep fissures (grikes) and shallow runnels. Gait Barrows has the most diverse flora of any pavement in Britain and we soon found Herb Paris Paris quadrifolia and Angular Solomon’s Seal Polygonatum odoratum. Herb Paris is a plant that was used both in ancient marriage rituals and to guard against witches. Although it is noted to have four oval-shaped leaves we found a few plants with five and six leaves.

Our target species was Britain’s rarest flowering plant the Lady’s-Slipper Orchid Cypripedium calceolus. Victorian plant collectors caused Britain’s population to decline to near extinction. Indeed in 1917 the Lady’s Slipper Orchid was officially declared extinct until in 1930 a botanist found a single plant on a Yorkshire hillside. Natural England has worked closely with Kew Gardens to cross-pollinate this surviving wild plant and attempt to re-introduce it to some of its former flowering sites.

As we continued across the limestone pavement I noticed an orange and black coloured Leaf Beetle then a mating pair that I later identified as Cryptocephalus bipunctatus bipunctatus var. sanguinolentus.

A Garden Warbler heralded our arrival in the meadow area where the hemi-parasitic herbaceous plant Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor was doing a great job at restricting grass growth and thereby allowing other species to thrive – Common Spotted Orchids Dactylorhiza fuchsia were joined by Northern Marsh-orchids Dactylorhiza purpurella and Ragged Robin Lychnis flos-cuculi. Chris Butterworth found a Common Frog Rana temporaria and invertebrates included a Sexton Beetle Nicrophorus sp. and Soldier Beetle Cantharis rustica. All too soon it was time to return for our minibuses back to Liverpool.