The Naturalists' Notebook

MNA Coach Trip to Potteric Carr, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s flagship reserve, with a variety of habitats from open water and marsh to woodland. Although sunny when we arrived a huge thunder and lightning storm with a torrential downpour soon had us heading to hides for shelter. Voracious Mosquitoes Culicine sp. feasted on many members blood.

Mosquito feeding On Chris Derri’s hand

The Bird list included Grey Heron, Mute Swan, Canada Goose, Mallard, Common Pochard, Common Pheasant, Common Moorhen, Oystercatcher, Wood Pigeon, Common Kingfisher, Sedge Warbler, Reed Warbler, Blackcap, Common Chiffchaff, Great Tit, Magpie, Reed Bunting  Mammals included scat from a Red Fox Vulpes vulpes, a few Rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus and a young Grey Squirrel Sciurus carolinensis that tucked into food on one of the feeders despite the rain. 

Fox Scat

Chris Butterworth caught a Common Toad Bufo bufo and John Clegg & Co had glimpses of a Grass Snake Natrix natrix.   

Butterfly and Moth species included mating Large Skippers Ochlodes venata, Comma Polygonia c-album, Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina, Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus, Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae and plenty of their black and yellow stripey caterpillars on Ragwort Senecio jacobaea. 

Mating Large Skippers

Cinnabar Moth Caterpillars

Damselfly and Dragonfly species included a male Banded Demoiselle Calopteryx splendens, Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa, Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum, Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans, Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator and Broad-bodied Chaser Libellula depressa.  

Emerald Damselfly

Spider Species included Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus, Wolf Spider Pardosa sp. Common Stretch-spider Tetragnatha extensa and the tiny white sputnik egg sac from Paidiscura pallens.

Female Wolf Spider Carrying Egg Case

Common Stretch-spider

Hoverfly species included Heliophilus pendulus, Volucella pellucens and Syrphus ribesii. Chris Butterworth and Chris Derri had a couple of Long-horn Beetles Cerambycidae sp. 

Longhorn Beetle Strangalia maculata. Picture by Chris Derri.

Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn, Agapanthia villosoviridescens.  Picture by Chris Derri

Picture-winged fly Urophora cardui.  Picture by Chris Derri

Other Insect and Invertebrates species included Seven-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata, Ten-spot ladybird Adalia 10-punctata, Red-legged Shield-bug Pentatoma rufipes, Common Green Capsid Lygocoris pabulinus, Field Grasshopper nymph Chorthippus brunneus and Kentish Snail Monacha cantiana. Galls included Nail Galls on Sycamore caused by the Mite Aceria macrorhynchus and Pea Gall on Oak caused by the Wasp Cynips divisa, the latter covered in a mould.

Field Grasshopper Nymph

With the rain of the past few weeks Fungi species included Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae, Giant Puffball Calvatia gigantea, Black Witches’ Butter Exidia glandulosa, Crystal Brain Exidia nucleata, The Blusher Amanita rubescens, Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare, Coral Spot Nectria cinnabarina, Waxcap Hygrocybe sp. and the distinctive smell of a Common Stinkhorn Phallus impudicus. 

Waxcap

Black Witches Butter

Giant Puffball

Plant Species included Redshank Persicaria maculosa, Common Sorrel Rumex acetosa, Three-veined Sandwort Moerhingia trinervosa, Common Chickweed Stellaria media, White Campion Silene alba, Red Campion Silene dioica, Opium Poppy Papaver somniferum, Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca, Herb Bennet Geum urbanum, Bush Vetch Vicia sepium, Common Storksbill Erodium cicutarium, Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, Meadow Cranesbill Geranium pretense, Musk Mallow Malva moschata  sp. Perforate St. John’s Wort Hypericum perforatum, Enchanter’s Nightshade Circaea lutetiana, Yarrow Achillea millefolium, Common Centaury Centauruim erythraea, Vipers Bugloss Echium vulgare, Selfheal Prunella vulgaris including a pink variety, Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica, Woody Nightshade Solanum dulcamara, Great Mullein Verbascum thapsus, Common Toadflax Linaria vulgaris, Musk Thistle Carduus nutans, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa and Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia. 

Vipers Bugloss

Selfheal – pink variety

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.