“Where’s my wellies?”

Aston Locks Nature Reserves, Wednesday 29th July

One advantage of cold weather in high summer is that those insects that are foolish enough to venture out into the open are sluggish, making them easier to identify or, if necessary, capture. A few early hoverfly finds came about this way as Dasysyrphus albostriatus, Platychaeirus albimanus and the Marmalade Fly (Episyrphus balteatus) were recorded as we set off from the car park.

But I am getting ahead of myself. Ten of us gathered in the car park opposite the Queen’s Head pub under threatening skies. It was not t-shirt and shorts weather! Many layers of clothing were the order of the day, as were good, stout, waterproof boots or wellingtons. Ah! Who forgot their wellingtons? I will not embarrass him by naming names, but he had to spend his day in “crocs” avoiding wet areas of grassland and puddles.

For once the car park held little of interest so we set off for the site.

We were soon met by a huge yellow monster coming towards us on the towpath. 

Fortunately the monster was friendly and waited for us to pass.

Somehow I got left behind and by the time I caught up most of the group were staring intently across the canal towards an area from where a tremendous screeching was originating. “Sedge warblers” was their explanation. We stood and watched the area for a while as birds made fleeting appearances to accompany their calls. This would make a good photograph, I thought. But by the time I took it most had lost interest. Anyway here it is.

Sorry, were you expecting a photograph of the birds?

We were then met by a man in a high-visibility jacket and a hard hat. The canal had sprung a leak and they were repairing it. He was worried, quite rightly, that his driver of the yellow monster would not see us walking along and cause an incident. He would have preferred to close the tow-path but the Canal Trust had decided to keep it open. We promised not to dawdle on the tow path and be aware of the dangers posed by the yellow monster.

So for once in a while we may have exceeded the speed limit as we made for the first of the two reserves at Aston Locks.

I had the “throw-line” (or “brick” as it has been christened) ready to go as we negotiated the narrow lock gate to get onto the first reserve. Fortunately (or unfortunately if you are of a sporting mind) all negotiated the crossing safely and the brick was stowed away for possible use later.

Then we came across this sign 

“Dewatered”?. Is it a word in general usage? Apparently it is. A check of my dictionary informs me that “dewater”, a verb, is to “drain (a waterlogged or flooded area)” and to “remove water from (sediment or waste materials)”. So now we know. Here it indicated that the canal which was none of waterlogged, flooded, sediment or waste materials had had its water level reduced as a result of the leak further down.

We started to look for things of interest. As I have already mentioned it was cold so not much was flying about but if you spent time looking then you could find things hanging on to the vegetation. 

And of course, the flora was there whatever the temperature on the day.

We spent a while almost glued to the spot then started to venture further afield. It started raining, it stopped, it started again and continued. This meant that beating and sweeping, our main tools other than looking, were out of the question as the equipment became waterlogged (continually needing to be “dewatered”) which meant that anything we caught became in turn waterlogged which was harmful to the insects. (Note: most of what we find is let go or escapes.)

Still we were able to look and the group as a whole is very good at that so animals  and flowers were observed and records made.

For example a Gatekeeper on Thistle:

Perennial sow-thistle and Horsetails:

And a Green-veined white:

The rain stopped, the sun came out and it was quite pleasant in the warmth. Lunch was taken.

Refreshed we moved on to the second reserve which is situated between the second and third locks of Aston Locks. Somebody had very kindly laid a wooden carpet down for us along the tow path to stop us getting dirty boots.

Access to the site was again across a lock, but this time there was a small bridge, so the brick was not primed for action.

This site is in two sections the first major part is rough wet grassland and the second is a series of pools and streams. We started in the grassland. We did not make it to the pools as time ran out.

In sheltered spots it was now quite pleasant and this encouraged flies out into the open and we managed sightings of hoverflies in addition to the common Episyrphus balteatus and Eristalis species.

Amongst those identified were Syritta pipiens:

- Photograph: Susan Loose

And the rarely seen Volucella inflata: 

- Photograph: Susan Loose

This hoverfly, at a quick glance, could easily be mistaken for a Volucella pellucens. It differs in that the band of the abdomen is not as white as V. pellucens and the scutellum and side of the thorax are brown (black in pellucens). So, next time you see a potential pellucens check it more closely as it may be inflata.

On our way back we once again met the yellow monster:

It remembered us, greeted us warmly and told us that they were shoring up the banks of the canal with steel piles and laying the wooden road as they needed to bring in heavy equipment to fix the leak in the canal (which had caused it to be “dewatered”). The precautions were necessary to protect the rare plants found in the area. (I just hope that none of the rare plants were on the towpath.)

My thanks to the Canal Trust for allowing us to do what we like doing and to Keir Group’s employees. 

for their courtesy when we got in their way.

Keith Fowler