February 2023 excursions Part 1

Wednesday 1st February 2023, Old Racecourse, Oswestry

Dry but cold and breezy weather greeted us as we made our delayed visit to this site.

The car park was very busy and there were lots of people milling around but they were not all with us. A group of walkers set off just before we were kitted up and raring to go.

We made our way along the ride heading north towards Racecourse Common.

Finding anything other than tiny flies was difficult (it is winter!). But the flies kept one member of the group very busy gathering up specimens for identification.

As usual at this time of the year, vacuum sampling proved the most effect tool in our arsenal. Each sample was inspected intently.

However, some preferred the quieter approach.

Wandering on we found ourselves by a pool. One oak close to the pool hosted several Cola-nut galls.

This is caused by the larva of the asexual generation of the gall wasp Andricus lignicola.

A bench was spotted and this became the focus point for lunch.

After lunch we made our way, sedately, to Racecourse Common, a large area of grassland and heathland, where we continued to do our thing until it was time to go home.

Wednesday 8th February 2023, Muxton Marsh, Granville Country Park, Telford

A lovely sunny day, but being early February the biting wind numbed unprotected bits of the body. 

After a brief reconnaissance of the grassland that opened out in front of the kissing gate used to enter the site we made for the marsh…

Photograph: David Williams

And the willow carr beyond the marsh.

We searched, beat and suction sampled to find things of interest:

Dead leaves of Reedmace were pealed back revealing:

A Brown willow beetle, Gallerucella lineola;

Photograph: David Williams

A ground bug Chilacis typhae.

Photograph: David Williams

Suction sampling captured:

A tiny wasp, Euplectrus intactus, a first record of this species for the county;

Photograph: Nigel Jones

A springtail, Dicyrtomina ornata;

Photograph: David Williams

And sifting grains sucked up earth under a microscope later revealed the minute fly Stilpon graminum.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

A Willow scale, Chionaspis salicis, was spotted on … a Willow!

Photograph: David Williams

In the site’s boundary hedge catkins were in abundance on this Hazel.

Finding shelter from the wind was impossible. But by lunchtime the sun was beginning to thaw us out enabling us to eat lunch with some feeling in our fingers.

During this break the very high tripod was employed to take this photograph of the marsh and the rest of us eating lunch.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Lunch over we made our way into the woodland behind the marsh and carr.

No trees were in leaf but Ivy abounded and where there is ivy there may be ivy ladybirds, Nephus quadrimaculatus. And, after some determined searching, one was found.

Photograph: David Williams

We like to think that we are a sociable bunch but looking at this photograph I am not so sure!

Photograph: John Martin

I can assure you that this stand off is very unusual. Apparently they were trying to decide which of the many paths to take.

We did not get lost and successfully socialised and circumnavigated the wood to return to the marsh and from there to our cars and home.

My thanks to the Shropshire County Council, Telford and Wrekin Council and Shropshire Wildlife Trust for allowing us to visit their sites. My gratitude to the photographers for providing their excellent images that supplement my efforts.