In my absence

Hodnet Heath, Wednesday 26th June 2019

Hodnet Heath is a privately owned patch of heathland just outside, do I really need to say, Hodnet. 

It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest as a remaining small segment of the more extensive heathland that was present in North Shropshire. This site is predominantly wet heath with patches of dry heath and pools surrounded by secondary woodland.

I missed this trip as I was away on the Isle of Wight for a week. However I had a very able deputy who was able to keep an eye on things in my absence and ensure that the outing passed without incident.

My deputy is a man of few words and here is what he wrote about the visit:

"Arrived on time (more or less); overcast but dry; plodded down main path; had lunch; headed off towards schwingmoor; found cranefly, grass wave etc; went home."

To be fair he did offer to flesh it out, but why take up more of his time when that sentence encapsulated the day!

I need to expand a little on this summary.

The "schwingmoor" is an area of bog formed over water or mud and it quakes when you walk on it.

The cranefly was the beautifully marked Idioptera pulchella. A species that is rarely seen making this an exceptional find:

Photograph: David Williams

The "grass wave" is a moth which is found on lowland heathland, moorland and bogs.

Photograph: David Williams

Well, that's about it for this week. But before I sign off, I know you like to see the excellent photographs of species observed during the day. Here they are.

Bog bush cricket nymph:

Photograph: David Williams

The eggs of a bronze shieldbug:

Photograph: David Williams

The nest of buff-tailed bumble bees:

Photograph: David Williams

A slime mould, Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

A group of Cinnabar moth caterpillars munching their way through a ragwort:

Photograph: David Williams

A weevil, one with a very long rostrum, Curculio venosus:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

A jumping spider, what big eyes it has:

Photograph: David Williams

A longhorn beetle, Leptura quadrifasciata:

Photograph: David Williams

Next a couple of bagworms. These are the larval stages of moths in the Psychidae family. The larvae of this family encase themselves in detritus to provide them with a disguise that protects them from predators. Often the moth can be identified from the structue of the case.

The first larva has included lichen in its case, this is Luffia ferchaultella:

Photograph: David Williams

The second is Psyche casta which has built its case from blades of grass and rush:

Photograph: David Williams

And finally a grasshopper - a meadow grasshopper.

Photograph: David Williams

My thanks to Pete Boardman for arranging access to this excellent site and permission to survey. My gratitude as always to the photographers David Williams and Bob Kemp for the use of their pictures. And special thanks to David as well for looking after the group in my absence.