Beware of the Bull!

Wednesday 19th July 2023, Heath Farm, Dudmaston

According to our programme, Joy of Wildlife were anticipating a visit to the Shropshire Wildlife Reserve at Holly Banks on this day. However, I received an email from the Trust explaining that amongst the cattle on site there was a bull.

Was this a problem?

Several regular attendees were consulted. They seemed quite laid back about the situation.

However, I was not happy. 

Visiting a site as individuals when each is content with the situation is not the same as taking a group. I decided to cancel this trip.

Fortunately, the National Trust came to the rescue and a trip to Dudmaston, specifically the restored heathland area within Heath Farm, was hastily arranged.

Despite the last-minute rearrangements, there was a good turn out on what turned out to be a pleasant summer’s day.

Having met in the car park we made our way with a purpose to the site.

The first thing that we noticed was a new fence. The access we had used on a couple of previous visits was no longer there! 

How do we get in?

Walking on further we found the main gated entrance and the gate was open. In we trooped.

There were a couple of people working on the site.We went to introduce ourselves.

They were National Trust volunteers. They had been asked to pull up the Ragwort.

“Why?” was our question.

Their response was to stop its spread to the neighbouring field which is to be included in the heathland restoration scheme.

To be fair there was an abundance of Ragwort; they reassured us that they were only removing plants that did not host Cinnabar larva.

There was another group at the far end of the meadow. They were much noisier as they were using powered tools to do whatever they were doing.

A couple of us wandered over to say “hello”.

They were removing scrub from the area with the aim of preventing the succession of the meadow to woodland.

Returning to the group we checked lots of Ragwort as we walked back. Disappointingly but with some relief we did not find any Cinnabar larvae.

The rest of the group had been busy whilst we were socialising …

A butterfly, Essex skipper, which has distinctive black tips to its antennae.

Photograph: David Williams

A small ladybird, Scymnus frontalis.

Photograph: David Williams

The following photograph is this ladybird on a finger so that you can get an idea of how small it was.

Photograph: David Williams

The larva of a Lime-speck pug moth.

Photograph: Neil Nash

A spider, Araneus quadratus.

Photograph: Neil Nash

Having not found a Cinnabar larva on the many plants checked earlier, here was one on the Ragwort in front of me.

And one on the plant over there …

And another one just there …

Etc.!

It’s strange how such a brightly coloured larva can remain unseen for so long, then, once you see one, you see them all over the place.

Three of the group were discussing matters of photographic importance. I stared intently at my tray trying to ignore them (my lack of knowledge/understanding of the minutiae of taking a photograph is a source of great amusement withing the group).

When suddenly one of them shouts “Scarlet tiger”.

This sets off a flurry activity as several men of a certain age attempt to follow its flight as it darts between plants, pausing occasionally, and briefly, in the hoping of getting a good look at it and a decent photograph.

Eventually the chase is abandoned and it is intercepted by a net.

Released from the net one would expect it to fly away immediately …

But it did not! It just settled on a flower and posed.

Photograph: David Williams

Eventually the moth decided it had had enough and it flew off into the trees.

Thank you.

Grasshoppers were common in the meadow. Taking steps through the vegetation was often accompanied by the sight of one or more getting out of the way. A couple of the species were:

Field grasshopper;

Photograph: David Williams

And Common green grasshopper.

Photograph: David Williams

Other interesting finds included:

A Hairy shieldbug nymph, Dolycoris baccarum;

Photograph: Bob Kemp

An Adonis’ ladybird;

Photograph: David Williams

A Denticulate leatherbug;

Photograph: David Williams

And Roesel’s bush crickets. 

This is a female.

Photograph: David Williams

This bush cricket is normally short-winged like the one above, but it also has long-winged individuals.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

This insect in the following photograph caused some consternation.

Photograph: David Williams

It was collected during a suction sampling of the grassland. The immediate thought was that it may be a Land caddis.

BUT

It was too big and the case did not look right.

There are some moth larvae that create cases, but these are normally found attached to trees. However, despite being found nowhere near a tree, the consensus was that it was probably a moth.

The moth was identified later from the photograph as Taleporia tubulosa. This was confirmed  by a local micro-moth expert.

Within the meadow there were several patches where heather plugs had been planted. These seemed to have taken successfully and were starting to develop.

In amongst the heather were several blue flowers of the plant Sheep’s-bit.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Another plant, present in profusion was a clover, Hare’s-foot clover.

It was now well into the afternoon (we had lunched at some point); we decided to move on to another meadow nearer to the Heath Farm buildings. This was much denser grassland, and its under-storey of low-lying bramble made walking through it tricky. Nevertheless, it was a different habitat and we thought we would find some different species.

And we did.

A Long-winged conehead;

Photograph: David Williams

A longhorn beetle, Rutpela maculata;

Photograph: Neil Nash

And a Forget-me-not shieldbug.

Photograph: David Williams

At the end of the meadow, where we were, there were two or three overhanging oak trees. A small butterfly was spotted on one of them, a Purple hairstreak.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

This find brought this highly enjoyable day to a close. We returned to our cars, packed up and returned home.

Especial thanks to the National Trust for coming to our assistance and allowing us to enjoy ourselves on their site, and to the to the photographers whose wonderful images that illuminate this tale.