March 2023 excursions

Wednesday 1st March 2023, Ifton Meadows Nature Reserve, St. Martin’s

The start of March presented us with a fine day but tempered with a biting cold wind. 

Whenever we had visited this site before we forged an anti-clockwise circular trek around it. This time I was determined to go clockwise.

No-one disagreed.

However as soon as we got onto the site a wet ditch and its surrounding vegetation was the focus of our attention for quite some time, allowing two or three of the group to wander off in an anti-anticlockwise direction!

It is possible that our record of the lesser dung fly Coproica acutangula, a first for the county, was found in the sample taken by the ditch. Here is a photograph of this tiny black fly’s wing showing a curious fan of hairs on its training edge.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

What is the fan for?

We do not really know but our flyman suggests it is probably used in some way during courtship.

Undeterred by the breakaway group I set off clockwise. 

Two or three followed.

But not all.

After a while there was still no sign of the others. Someone went back to check and tell them where we were.

He returned alone.

We pressed on.

Eventually everyone got back together again…

Just before lunch.

Perhaps it was these mosses that delayed them:

Pseudoscleropodium purum, Neat feather-moss;

Photograph: John Martin

Hylocomium spendens, Glistening wood-moss.

Photograph: John Martin

In a distant field, but not too far away, a collection of Common and Black-headed gulls had gathered for reasons unknown.

Photograph: John Martin

An attempt was made to find shelter from the wind for lunch. This failed. In the end we settled down in a clearing in a wooded area.

Lunch over we continued on our merry way and descended to the far end of the site, an area that I had never visited before. There was plenty of moss amongst the grassland and woodland edge vegetation and it is possible that this is where this tiny lacebug, Acalypta parvula was found.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Eventually we climbed back  up to the higher area where there was an excellent view of the surrounding countryside which was not quite as idyllic as it could have been.

Photograph: John Martin

We completed our circuit and went our separate ways.

Wednesday 8th March 2023, Colemere

Cancelled due to the weather - snow.

Wednesday 15th March 2023, Rea Brook Valley

I was unable to join this trip as I was away but I know the group went there as I have been sent the following photograph showing them in action on site.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

The following photographs illustrate a few of the animals that they found:

A fly that has not been recorded in the county before, Aphanotrigonum trilineatum;

Photograph: Nigel Jones

A pseudoscorpion, Neobisium carcinoides;

Photograph: Nigel Jones

And a couple of hemipteran bugs, Tingis ampliata on the left and Lasiosomus enervis on the right.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

Wednesday 22nd March 2023, Stoney Hill, Telford

The forecast was for sunshine and showers with a gusting cool breeze. Two of these three elements were very prevalent during the day and the third only arrived as we were driving home.

Fortunately the missing element during our stay was showers.

Stoney Hill is an a mixture of heathland, pools, grassland, plantation and scrub bordering a landfill site.

On entering the site, after an inelegant duck or straddle of a broken fence, you can head either left or right. We went left and spent most of our time in the area shown in this high level photograph.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

When I first visited this site, about ten years ago, the area by the entrance was vey sparsely vegetated.

This is no longer the case.

This site along with Langley Fields in Telford has caught the attention of Buglife’s “Get the Marches Buzzing” project (see: https://www.buglife.org.uk/projects/get-the-marches-buzzing/). The project leader and a representative from Telford and Wrekin Council joined us for part of the day.

The Buglife project will clear some of the birch scrub and create some barer areas of sparse vegetation in the hope of attracting the Dingy skipper butterfly back to the site.

A large tachinid, Tachina ursina, paused and was photographed.

Photograph: John Martin

Meanwhile the suction samplers were at work and found a small ladybird, Nephus redtenbacheri.

Photograph: David Williams

Some of the group headed out of sight towards the pool whilst others continued searching the area near the entrance. Eventually the stragglers followed …

Only, something went wrong…

They ended up on the other side of the pool, staring at the vanguard, wondering hoe they got there.

A relatively uncommon bug for Shropshire, a Heather shieldbug, was observed when it decided to visit us and landed on a rucksack.

Photograph: David Williams

Close inspection of the pool revealed several toads ,under the surface, mating or attempting to mate.

Photograph: David Williams

We then collected a rather scary looking insect larva (imagine you are only a few millimetres in length).

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Just look at those jaws!

This is a lacewing larva. As you ca see it covers its body in bits of detritus as a disguise.

Eventually everyone negotiated their way to the same side of the pool and a grassy area by some primroses provided our picnic spot.

After lunch a Pussy willow in bloom attracted our attention, from which the fly Egle ciliata was swept.

Female - Photograph: Nigel Jones

Male - Photograph: Nigel Jones

Most of us then had a period of personal time …

Photograph: Nigel Jones

Before getting back together again.

A larva of a Blackneck moth was photographed.

Photograph: David Williams

The markings on the larva are far easier to see on the photograph than in the  field!

A suction sample by a member of the group of some heather collected three Heather ladybirds. This is as many as I had seen in 10 years or so of trying!

Photograph: David Williams

However this was later trumped by someone beating another patch of heather, which yielded FOUR.

Photograph: David Williams

As we made our way back to the cars another two were found. Talk about London buses!

Wednesday 29th March 2023, Prees Heath Butterfly Conservation Reserve

Our last “winter” outing before we commence our summer programme was to the Butterfly Conservation reserve at Prees Heath. Although the weather was breezy, cool and gloomy, the threat of rain, apart from a few bits of drizzle, did not materialise until we were about to leave.

During our visit we spent time close to the entrance before taking a bit of a wavy path to the pool. Here we lunched, then explored. From the pool we plotted a straighter course to some Pussy willows that were in bloom, before completing a triangular route by making our way more or less straight back to the cars.

The following photographs reflect our day.

The heathland close to the entrance.

An Adonis’ ladybird found in the sparsely vegetated area between the entrance and the pool.

Photograph: David Williams

A Drinker moth larva.

Photograph: Tony Jacques

The pool.

A horsetail emerging amongst the vegetation at the edge of the pool.

A Water measurer found in the poolside vegetation.

Photograph: David Williams

Another moth larva. This one is a Ruby tiger.

Photograph: Tony Jacques

An Orange underwing moth captured after a jinking, high-speed chase, greatly admired by everyone watching.

Photograph: David Williams

However the moth did not co-operate with the photographer who was trying to photograph the features that distinguish it from the similar looking Light orange underwing.

Eventually it settled in the bottom of a net, which prompted some improvisation.

Photograph: Neil Nash

Nearby a brief spell of sun and warmth encouraged some Andrena clarkella bees out of their burrows.

Photograph: David Williams

Finally, as we wandered back to the entrance, a female Minotaur beetle was found roaming about close to its burrow.

Photograph: David Williams

Thank you to Shropshire County, Shrewsbury and Telford and Wrekin Councils and Butterfly Conservation for giving us permission to enjoy ourselves and to the photographers for their many and varied images to illuminate these tales.