The Naturalists' Notebook

Nine members joined the MNA walk around Wigan Flashes with the weather ranging from heavy downpours to glorious sunshine and strong breezes. Although a quiet time for birdlife we did see Great-crested Grebe, Grey Heron, Mute Swan pair with two cygnets, the cob being particularly protective when a group of Canada Geese swam too close, Mallard, plenty of Tufted Duck, Coot, a couple of Common Tern, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Pied Wagtail including a few juveniles beside the canal, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap, Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Jay, Magpie and Reed Bunting. Amphibians consisted of a couple of Common Frogs Rana temporaria.

A good selection of Butterflies and Moths with Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris, Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus, Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina, Six-spot Burnet Zygaena filipendulae, Cinnabar Moth caterpillars Tyria jacobaeae, Shaded Broad-bar Scotopteryx chenopodiata, Latticed Heath Chiasmia clathrata, Small Magpie Eurrhypara hortulata and Wainscot Mythimna sp. 

Six-spot Burnet

Dragonflies and Damselflies included Brown Hawker Aeshna grandis, Emerald Damselfly Lestes sponsa, Common Blue Damsel Enallagma cyathigerum, Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans.

Blue-tailed Damselfly female – pink form

Hoverflies included the Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, Heliophilus pendulus, Volucella pellucens and Syrphus ribesii. Plenty of Bumblebee Species with Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris, White-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lucorum, Red-tailed Bumblebee Bombus lapidarius and Common Carder Bee Bombus pascuorum.

Field Grasshopper

Other Insects and Invertebrates included Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus, Common Green Grasshopper Omocestus viridulus, Brown Mayfly Ephemera vulgata, Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva, a male Thick-Legged Flower Beetle Oedemera virescens, Alder Leaf Beetle Agelastica alni, Sexton Beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides and numerous Bladder Snails Physa sp.

Brown Mayfly

Sexton Beetle

Plenty of Botanical interest with Rosebay Willowherb Epilobium angustifolium, Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum, Himalayan Balsalm Impatiens glandulifera, Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum, Ribbed Melilot Melilotus officinalis, Self-heal Prunella vulgaris, Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca, Herb Robert Geranium robertianum, Herb Bennet Geum urbanum.

Herb Bennet seed pod

Ivy-leaved Toadflax Cymbalaria muralis, Black Medick Medicago lupulina, a good show of Orange Hawkweed Pilosella aurantiacum along the canal bank, Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Great Bindweed Calystegia sepium, Black Bryony Tamus communis, Gipsywort Lycopus europaeus, Hemlock Water-Dropwort Oenanthe crocata, Common Catsear Hypochaeris radicata, Perforate St John’s Wort Hypericum perforatum, Common Toadflax Linaria vulgaris, Wild Carrot Daucus carota, Wild Parsnip Pastinaca sativa, Wild Radish Raphanus raphanistrum, Common Figwort Scrophularia nodosa, Heather Calluna vulgaris, Common Hemp Nettle Galeopsis tetrahit, Dotted Loosestrife Lysimachia punctata, Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica, Marsh Woundwort Stachys palustris, Ox-eye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Evening Primrose Oenothera sp. Red Campion Silene dioica, White Campion Silene alba, Yellow Rattle Rhinanthus minor, Eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa.

Broad-leaved Helleborine

Broad-leaved Helleborine Epipactis helleborine four spikes on the canal path, Marsh Helleborine Epipactis palustris numerous spikes in a sheltered woodland glade and Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia.

Marsh Helleborine

Common Spotted Orchid 

Fungi included Common Earthball Scleroderma citrinum and Exidia plana.

Chris Butterworth, David Bryant and I made an early morning decision to head out to Llangollen. After alighting from the infamous X94 bus we took a taxi the short distance to World’s End. We walked up the lane towards the weir before continuing along the Offa’s Dyke Path which follows the limestone Eglwyseg Escarpment before dropping back down into Llangollen.

Although the weather clouded up there was plenty of interest to see and we came away with an impressive list and interesting finds. Birds included: Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard, Peregrine Falcon, Feral Rock Pigeon, Woodpigeon, Common Swift, Green Woodpecker was heard, Barn Swallow, House Martin, Tree Pipit, Meadow Pipit, Pied Wagtail, Dipper two birds on the stream close to World’s End, Common Redstart – a rather worn looking male, Northern Wheatear – a few young birds and again a haggard looking male, Song Thrush – a juvenile with a noticeably short tail, Common Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Nuthatch was heard, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Raven – including one feeding on a dead sheep carcass on the escarpment, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Lesser Redpoll was heard.

Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus was the only mammal excluding the numerous Shaun the Sheep. Butterflies and Moths included: Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria selene that were flighty and frustrated me as I tried and failed to get a shot, Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, Ringlet Aphantopus hyperantus including one individual whose wings were all crumpled usually caused when it is hot and they dry too quickly after emerging, Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus, Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae. A few Snails were noted with a number of Wrinkled Snails Candidula intersecta on the leaves of Dog’s Mercury Mecurialis perennis, a Cellar Glass Snail Oxychilus cellarius underneath a rotting log and a few Brown-lipped Banded Snail Cepaea nemoralis.Insects included Early Nesting Bumblebee Bombus pratorum, Mountain Bumblebee Bombus monticola, Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris, Sexton Beetle Nicrophorus sp. and a Spider Hunter Wasp Pompilidae sp.

A couple of Galls were noted on Common Alder Alnus glutinosa leaves:  Blister Galls caused by the Mite Eriophyes laevis and a Gall caused by the fungus Taphrina tosquinetii which can swell the leaf up to twice its normal size.

Alder Blister Galls

Fungi included: Eyelash Fungi Scutellinia sp. Chicken Of The Woods Laetiporus sulphureus, Meadow a.k.a Buff Waxcap Hygrocybe pratensis, Scarlet Waxcap Hygrocybe coccinea, Giant Puffball Calvatia gigantea, Horse Mushroom Agaricus arvensis, a young Red Cracking Bolete Boletus chrysenteron which was being eaten by a Slug – Chris split the cap in two to show the pore network and the blue bruising and the Slime Mould Lycogala epidendrum.

Meadow Waxcap

Red Cracking Bolete

We noted that a number of the plant species that have already gone over closer to home were still in full flower here and there seemed to be ‘smaller’ versions of species such as Eyebright and Herb Robert on  the scree slopes of the escarpment. Plants included: Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, Wall Speedwell Veronica arvensis, Brooklime Veronica beccabunga, Wood Forget-me-not Myosotis sylvatica, Herb Robert Geranium robertianum, Hedgerow Cranesbill Geranium pyrenaicum, Jack-By-The-Hedge Alliaria petiolata, Hedge Woundwort Stachys sylvatica, Bush Vetch Vicia sepium, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Wood Avens aka Herb Bennet Geum urbanum,  Dog’s Mercury Mecurialis perennis, Red Campion Silene dioica, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Lady’s-mantle Alchemilla sp. Foxglove Digitalis purpurea, Wall Pennywort Umbilicus rupestris.

Foxglove

Wall Pennywort

Common Comfrey Symphytum officinale, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia,  Crow Garlic Allium vineale, Common Cat’s-ear Hypochaeris radicata, Spotted Cat’s-ear Hypochaeris maculata, Mouse-ear Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, Nipplewort Lapsana communis, Slender St John’s Wort Hypericum pulchrum, Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis, Musk Mallow Malva moschata.

Musk Mallow

Wild Marjoram Origanum vulgare, Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria, Honeysuckle Lonicera sp. Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare, Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre, Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense, masses of Musk Thistle Carduus nutans,  Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia, Rosebay Willowherb Chamaenerion angustifolium, New Zealand Willowherb Epilobium brunnescens and a notable tree Rock Whitebeam Sorbus rupicola.

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.