Rolling hills

Wednesday 18th May 2022, Pentre Hodre Farm

The last minute cancellation of our planned visit to Cound Quarry, as they were moving heavy machinery, gave us the opportunity to visit Pentre Hodre Farm.

This is a large farm in the hills to the north of Chapel Lawn. Currently sheep graze the fields, but there are plans afoot to rewild the area. We were invited to provide information about some of their current non-sheep inhabitants as a baseline.

I cannot avoid mentioning the weather …

It was fine all day.

A relief for all concerned!

And I cannot avoid mentioning road works …

Yes, there was a road closure on our planned route.

Or at least the Shropshire Highways map indicated that the road between Clun and New Invention would be closed. Whether it was or not we did not find out as we all took alternative routes … just in case.

We met in one of the farmyards, where we were accompanied by some pigs.

Fortunately the pigs were in the barn!

There were lots of piglets and they seemed to move freely between the sows whenever they wanted a snack!

Our man with the very tall tripod took a snap of the area of the farm we were visiting taking in some of the surrounding countryside.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Whilst he was setting up and retrieving his tripod he spotted a Beautiful demoiselle.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Tearing ourselves away from the pigs we made our way, trying to avoid going downhill too much, to a field that was not grazed. On the way a quick beat of a bush dislodged a longhorn beetle, Anaglyptus mysticus. 

Photograph: David Williams

The sight of bluebells greeted us as we entered the field and started to explore. We spotted a Wall butterfly, but it avoided the photographers. Less flighty were this bee:

Lasioglossum laevigatum;

Photograph: David Williams

And moth, a Small yellow underwing.

Photograph: John Lyden

A flea weevil, Rhamphus oxyacanthe, was found at some time during the day. It is associated with hawthorn and, as this field was surrounded on two sides by a hawthorn dominated hedge, now is as good a time to include it as any.

Photograph: Emm Cane-Honeysett

Time to move on.

Attempting to stay on the level for as long as possible we made our way along a lane to the field that was furthest from the cars, passing a field with a small herd of longhorn cattle who appeared unperturbed by this motley collection of people with various bits of equipment filing past.

Photograph: John Lyden

A Nursery web spider was spotted in her nursery underneath a nettle leaf guarding her egg sac. She’s face downwards so you can only see her abdomen and legs.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a vacuum sample of some vegetation revealed two Clubonia spiders in, what I am told is, a passionate embrace.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Time for lunch, with a view, not dissimilar to the earlier aerial photograph.

Before we moved on we checked a cultivated field that was behind us.

One determined person made their way through a formidable nettle bed to reach a sloping area of good grassland. (Some of us made do with just wandering along the fence to the outside of the grassland and poking our nets and vacuum samplers into it to see what we could find.) 

Among the insects that we managed to find were:

A Bordered shieldbug;

Photograph: David Williams

A large click beetle, Agrypnus murinus;

Photograph: David Williams

And a very large sawfly which was later identified as a Rowan sawfly, Trichiosoma sorbi.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

It is such a handsome beast that it is worth another photograph.

Photograph: David Williams

Having put it off for so long we could avoid it no longer. It was now time to plunge down the hill to the lower border of the farm. This runs alongside a rather attractive stream that flows, about a mile later, into the River Redlake.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

We tracked the edge of the field following the downward flow of the stream, pausing periodically to inspect the vegetation. Here we found a Woundwort shieldbug;

Photograph: David Williams

And a mayfly that posed beautifully on a fence rail (sorry I do not know the species).

Photograph: John Lyden

Eventually we reached an enclosed area of wet grassland which had a small trickle of water running through it.

Some of the group decided to take a break at this point whilst others set about doing their thing.

There was one patch of yellow by the stream that signalled the presence of a patch of Marsh marigold. I can never resist photographing this plant (unless I do not have a camera with me, then I wish I had brought it).

The larva of a Blood-vein moth was observed;

Photograph: David Williams

And then a small adult moth, Pammene rhediella.

Photograph: John Lyden

There was a large oak and within its foliage the star find of the day was discovered. A snake-fly, so called due to its extended thorax that together with its head make it resemble the front end of a snake. Unfortunately the comparison falls down when you get to the wings and … ah yes … it is not a fly.

This splendid creature was identified as Atlantoraphidia maculicollis.

Photograph: David Williams

How can you not like this insect? Snake-flies are rarely found so this was a cause for celebration.

Time was marching on …

And we weren’t.

So with great effort we left this oasis and made our way through a patch of woodland ,still following the course of the stream, only to stumble upon a patch of Early-purple orchids.

Photograph: David Williams

Being now at the lowest point of the farm we had to start the slog back up to the top. We used a green lane that ran from the stream and rose steadily upwards along the edge of the fields. 

As it was very late we did not stop a great deal but we did notice this rather good example of the nettle rust Puccinia urticata.

Eventually we popped out of the lane onto the road that led back to our starting point and we left the farm much later than normal, exhausted after a thoroughly enjoyable day.

But I have not finished …

As well as the regular Wednesday Weevil of the Day we have two “Lichens of the Day”.

The first is Parmelina pastillifera, which was found on a fence rail;

Photograph: Bob Kemp

And the second is Physcia stellaris, which was located on a fallen branch of Ash.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Both lichens have been recorded rarely in Shropshire.

Our Wednesday Weevil of the Week is one that was found on an Elm, Magdalis armigera.

Photograph: Emm Cane-Honeysett

My thanks to the owners of Pentre Hodre Farm for inviting us to do what we enjoy doing and to the photographers for their excellent images.