It’s been a hard day!

Wednesday 17th April, Barnes Farm

After last week’s appalling weather that led to the cancellation of our trip to Bishop’s Wood Field Study Council site, we were relieved that the rain had relented for this trip. But rain was nearby as highlighted by this rainbow, which was very low in the sky.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

There was, however, a stiff cold wind, which made us wonder if we had donned enough layers!

Definitely a day for winter clothing and hand-warmers.

The day’s observations started before we had arrived on site as one car took the exciting route over the Long Mynd to do a bit of bird spotting. The target was Wheatear. Several were observed making the trip worthwhile.

Photograph: John Martin

Barnes Farm is now owned by the National Trust who are trying to improve the grassland, as part of the Stepping Stones project, for the benefit of wildlife. They are being assisted by Buglife who have done work on several of the fields as part of their B-Lines project. We were very pleased to welcome a member of the Buglife team who joined us for the day.

Wrapped up and kitted out, we set off. 

Not very far, as the lane from the parking area had a hedge that provided some protection from the wind, encouraging us to dally and see what we could find there.

Eventually we ventured out from this area and to the hedged track the led between the fields.

Unfortunately, the direction of the lane and the cold wind coincided, which discouraged searching the hedgerow and the vegetation.

But we are made of strong stuff and were able to make a few observations in this area, including these 16-spot and Rhyzobius litura ladybirds.

Photograph: David Williams

Oops, maybe the wind has flipped the Rhyzobius and one of the 16-spots. Let’s try again.

Photograph: David Williams

The Rhyzobius litura has been righted but one of the 16-spots has disappeared! Never mind, at least you can see what the underside of the ladybirds looks like.

Another find in this area was a Green dock beetle.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

At some point during the day we found this skull.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

I am informed that it may be the skull of a pheasant.

As we approached the end of the lane we were presented with this obstacle.

A huge and quite deep puddle.

Careful navigation was required around its edge to avoid wet feet.

From here we progressed relatively quickly across a couple of very wet fields to the Local Wildlife Site, passing a magnificent old oak on the way. We spotted this pupa embedded in the oak.

Photograph: David Williams

Once we had all arrived at the site, we settled down for lunch, shielded from the wind, thankfully, by the lie of the land.

Looking behind us we had a glorious view of the Long Mynd, now bathed in sunshine.

In amongst the vegetation we found:

Bitter vetch;

Photograph: John Martin

And swathes of Marsh marigold.

Photograph: David Williams

A search of the grassland around where we lunched revealed:

A small ladybird Nephus redtenbacheri;

Photograph: David Williams

A Walnut orb weaver;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a ground beetle Poecilus cupreus.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Its greenish-brown metallic hue earning it the “common” name Copper greenclock. “Copper” I understand, but “Greenclock” ???

We ventured into the marshy area.

Amongst some irises that were growing we observed this Iris flea beetle.

Photograph: David Williams

Investigation of the general vegetation in the marsh revealed a couple of uncommon craneflies that specialise in this type of habitat. 

The first was the distinctively marked “picture-wing” species Idioptera pulchellus.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

The second was Molophilus ater. Here is a pair mating.

Photograph: David Williams

This tiny black flightless fly, with striking white halteres, had only been found at one other site in Shropshire, so this was a very significant record. We found a lot of them. Every sweep, beat and suction sample collecting a few. Apparently the majority of the adults emerge within a few days and immediately get round to the task of producing the next generation, dying soon after. Thus you have to be in the right place at the right time to see them. Thankfully, for us, we were.

One significant find was followed by another. Grubbing around in an area with dead wood uncovered a Glow-worm larva.

Photograph: David Williams

Some of us then wandered into the adjacent field. 

There were many Marsh marigolds following the line of a shallow wet depression.

A Large red damselfly was observed.

Photograph: John Martin

Leaving this field, we followed the stream for a short while…

Before returning to the first field where a few of us were paparazzied taking a short break!

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

It had been a hard day!!!

(And it was quite a walk back to the start.)

Before we left we managed to find and photograph a harvestman that we do not find very often, Homolenotus quadrimaculatus.

Photograph: David Williams

Two events of note took place on our way back.

The first was a hare spotted racing across a field.

Photograph: John Martin

This is such a wonderful sight and it is worth a second photograph.

Photograph: John Martin

The second event was an impromptu game of “ring-a-ring a roses” as we searched for an Adder’s-tongue fern. It had been spotted earlier by a few of the group but missed by the rest.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We did not find it.

The black clouds gathering overhead hastened our return to the cars.

My thanks to the National Trust for allowing us to do what we enjoy doing. My gratitude to the photographers for sending me their images to illuminate the report.