Just an ordinary day

Bucknell Wood, Wednesday 3rd October 2018

After the faffing around of last week, when we made two false starts after having an impasse on the way to the site, this trip went very smoothly. There were no incidents on the way there or back; everyone arrived more or less on time; we were reasonable in accord with which way to go around the site and the weather was fine if slightly on the side of cool rather than warm.

So all in all not much to report other than to include the pictures that I have been sent.

Bucknell Wood is a large Forestry Commission site where conifers of species unknown to me are grown but there are also smatterings of broadleaf woodland. Thankfully most of the forestry rides we used were bordered by non-conifer species, although I am quite happy to sweep or beat the occasional conifer. 

Here are a couple of photographs taken from our very high tripod. The first shows a swathe of conifers in the foreground with Bucknell in the mid-distance.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

The second shows the extent, looking north west, of the plantation and woodland over the hill top.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Having gathered in the car park and kitted ourselves out and, no doubt, talked about this and that we headed off on the forestry track that promised sunshine rather than the gloom in the opposite direction.

One of the party was keen to find Platypezid flies from high up on trees and employed a long net to achieve his aim. We watched in admiration as he swished too and fro.

Photograph: David Williams

In all he found three species of this fly family. All three are associated with Armillaria fungi, two of which he had not recorded before. So it was worth the effort (and cost of the extending handle). 

Platypeza fasciata:

Photograph: Nigel Jones

 Platypeza hirticeps:

Photograph: Nigel Jones

We soon tired of watching his attempts and set about looking for our own things of interest.

That was basically what we did as we described a circular route around the site then went home.

So, hurrah, without further ado here are photographs of some of the things we saw throughout the day.

Bucknell Wood is a haven for Wood ants:

Photograph: David Williams

A spider is their victim:

Photograph: David Williams

To redress the balance, here is a spider that was very much alive, unfortunately I do not know the species.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

One of the target groups for this visit was fungi. The long hot summer and lack of significant recent rainfall has led to a dearth of mushrooms but we were able to find a few.

Fly agaric:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Horn of plenty:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Magpie inkcap:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

And a lichen Baeomyces rufa growing on an earth bank in full sun.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

There were several species of Orthoptera:

Speckled bush-cricket:

Photograph: David Williams

Oak bush-cricket:

Photograph: David Williams

And Meadow grasshopper.

Photograph: David Williams

We found some shieldbugs, of course.

Gorse shieldbug (nowhere near gorse):

Photograph: David Williams

And a Green shieldbug nymph:

Photograph: David Williams

Coleoptera were represented by ladybirds and a very pale tortoise beetle, Cassida vibex.

Photograph: David Williams

A number of moth larvae were found. Unfortunately our normal source of identification has not responded to our request so some remain unidentified. If you know what they are please let me know.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

It was not all larval ignorance!! This fine specimen is a Pale tussock.

Photograph: David Williams

And for all those that have had the pleasure of reading "The Hungry Caterpillar" to our children and grandchildren umpteen times here is the sort of thing a larva (or caterpillar) may grow into … A beautiful Comma.

Photograph: David Williams

The larva (or caterpillar) may, of course, be eaten by something bigger - but we had better not tell the children that ... well, not until they are older than the target audience for the book.

And our final group were bees and wasps. First two bees for the price of one a Sphecodes (top left) and a Halictus rubicundus (bottom right).

Photograph: David Williams

Our final species is a bee that caused us a bit of a conundrum. It was an Ashy mining bee (Andrena cineraria).

Photograph: David Williams

Why a conundrum?

Because we normally see it early in the year - not October.

The information about this species of bee on the Bees, Wasps and Ants Recording Society's website informs us that it is "Usually univoltine. In southern England males fly from March until May but mainly during April, and females from April until June but mainly during April and May. In northern England the flight period is later, with males from April until June but mainly during May, and females from April until July but mainly during May and June. Rare records of males from July and August and females from August may represent a second brood.".

The website makes no mention of the species being found in October. This was a fresh specimen, so only recently emerged. And we saw more than one.

Was it a late second brood or had the prolonged warm dry weather prompted a third brood?

Any thoughts?

Here is another photograph.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

It remains for me to thank the Forestry Commission for giving us permission to do what we enjoy doing and the photographers Nigel Jones, Nigel Cane-Honeysett, Bob Kemp and David Williams for allowing me to use their photographs.