Wet

Wednesday 5th April 2023, Pam’s Pools, Underton

The title is very apt for this outing as it was wet from above and below.

After two days of excellent April weather we were reminded of how fickle the atmospheric conditions can be. It was drizzling when we arrived. It drizzled most of the morning and early afternoon then finally got heavier, by which time we decided to call it a day.

And there was little relief at ground level as many areas were waterlogged – a day for the wellies. 

We gathered by the Eco-cabin then set off through the orchard, skirting the first lake before pausing at the second to admire the Marsh marigold providing a splash of yellow in the dull, damp conditions.

From here we moved over the road to the far end of the site where advice was given as to where to place some bat boxes that had been donated to the owner.

Fortunately there was help at hand to fit the bat boxes allowing us to start looking in earnest for anything of interest that may be braving the conditions.

Here are a couple of photographs showing the newly installed boxes. 

Photograph: Neil Nash

Photograph: Neil Nash

We hope bats make good use of them.

Not surprisingly there was not a lot about but an early find was this fairly distinctive staphylinid beetle, Tachyporus obtusus.

Photograph: David Williams

Lunch was taken under a mature oak. There were two drawbacks to this decision. 1) the tree was leafless so provided little shelter from the drizzle and 2) the cattle on this site also favoured this tree and had left their waste deposits scattered around the trunk.

We coped!

After lunch we explored the area at the side of the nearby pool.

Last September, when the Shropshire Invertebrate Group visited the site this pool was dry and we were able to walk across it and explore the island in the middle. There was no chance of repeating that journey on this occasion.

Our last photographic encounter of the day is of a dung beetle that was found under one of the many deposits on site. The beetle is probably Aphodius pedellus.

Photograph: David Williams

As described above we retired early in the afternoon to go and dry out in the comfort of our homes.

Other news.

Frogs are croaking and bee-flies hovering in a garden in Horsehay:

Common frog;

Photograph: David Williams

And Dotted bee-fly brilliantly caught in flight;

Photograph: David Williams

Feeding;

Photograph: David Williams

And during a brief pause.

Photograph: David Williams

Bees are burrowing and squabbling in Madeley:

Andrena clarkella.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Moths were out and about at Presthope on the Wenlock Edge:

Twin-spotted quaker;

Photograph: David Williams

And a March moth.

Photograph: David Williams

Finally an Adder and Grass snake keep each other company whilst basking in the sunshine at Kilkenny. (No not in Ireland but in Gloustershire!)

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

And a lonely Adder.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Thank you to the owner of Pam’s Pools for giving us permission to enjoy ourselves (despite the weather) and to the photographers for their images to illuminate these tales.