By the time this report is available it will be 2025. May I wish you all a Happy New Year and thank you for the interest you have shown in the activities of the group.
Wednesday 11th December 2024, Blakeridge Wood
After Storm Darragh had done its worst throughout the country, I half expected our long-planned trip to Blakeridge Wood to be cancelled due to fallen or unsafe trees in the conifer plantation.
When I received an email from Forestry England the day before the visit, I expected the worst but, to my surprise, they were perfectly willing for our visit to go ahead even though, at that time, they had not inspected the wood for damage.
Forestry England did place some reasonable conditions on our visit: to keep away from any wind damaged areas; and not to venture past any fallen trees that blocked the forest track, as an emergency vehicle would not be able to reach us in the event of an accident.
Having agreed to these conditions, and finding no roads closed due to fallen trees (or road works), we met at the westernmost of the two entrances to the wood.
Following the entrance track into the wood we soon came across promising looking patches of Polytrichum moss.
Despite two suction samplers being trained on each patch we found, we did not, regrettably, find any snow fleas. They are proving highly elusive at present.
What we did find were several pseudoscorpions, which all turned out to be the same species Neobisium carcinoides.
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| Photograph: David Williams |
This species is known as the “Moss neobisium”. This name was most appropriate as they were found in and around moss.
Also uncovered in this early flourish of activity was a staphylinid beetle, Syntomium aeneum.
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| Photograph: David Williams |
We continued to follow the forest track as it slowly gained altitude. To the right side there was a narrow band of ground vegetation before the woodland took over on a gentle rising slope. To the left there was a larger band of ground vegetation before it fell away as woodland.
The above photograph is looking back at a section of the track we had followed. But it was taken a little later where the track had levelled out a little. However it gives you an idea of the terrain.
Finding an isolated fallen Douglas fir, we had the opportunity to search the upper branches, a treat normally denied to us.
Why?
Because it normally is out of reach.
In the event not much was found but we did notice a couple of Pine cone bugs, Gastrodes grossipes.
Finding a slightly sheltered spot with a convenient ledge in the banking we settled down for lunch.
Over lunch we spotted a flock of about 40 Siskin flitting about in the tops of the trees.
During the day we heard Crossbills but I do not remember any being spotted.
Refreshed we continued our gradual climb until we reached a more open area.
This area proved too attractive to the assembled company and quite a long time was spent exploring the area although invertebrates proved hard to find.
Whilst the others busied themselves in this area I had a little wander further along the track. The scenery changed very little until it suddenly opened up briefly on the left as the ground fell away sharply in a steep-sided valley.
When I came across a couple of trees lying across the track I remembered Forestry England's conditions and returned to the rest of the group.
Time was marching on, and the cold wind was starting to penetrate our defences so we returned down the track to the entrance.
At the entrance we noticed this gash in a tree that had grown a fungal garden.
Despite the difficulty we had in finding invertebrates our dipterist reported that he had found 16 species of a fly family known as Lesser dung flies, a record for a day’s visit to a site. This is no mean feat as these flies are very small, black, and, with a few exceptions, indistinguishable in the field.
Similarly our botanist stated that the flora found at the side of the track provided a selection of species that wasn't bad for December in an upland conifer wood. He felt that the limestone-rich track must have increased diversity on the edges.
Whilst not an exciting day out, the site still provided rewards for our efforts.
Wednesday 18th December 2024, Shelve
Another Wednesday, another trip to a Forestry England plantation!
This visit was to their plantation at Shelve.
On arrival we found other cars present in our chosen parking spot. This made it difficult for us to get all our cars in, as the site had attracted a bumper turn-out for this last outing of the year.
Fortunately, just as we were about to give up and move to an alternative parking spot, the owners of two cars returned and drove away providing us with enough space.
Phew!
That unexpected hitch had gone away.
I have started recent reports by noting our lack of success in locating our favourite winter invertebrate, Boreus hyemalis (Snow flea).
Well…
On this occasion we were SUCCESSFUL!!
Hooray!
A suction sample of some small Polytrichum patches about 10 yards into the woodland edge, revealed FOUR – 1 male and three females.
We were all delighted. Several of the attendees were excited as this was the first time they had seen this species. They have now been inducted into the Snow Flea Appreciation Society.
Here is one of the females, distinguished by its ovipositor at the tip of the abdomen.
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| Photograph: David Williams |
And here is the male, with the blunt tip to its abdomen and short erect wing stubs.
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| Photograph: David Williams |
Unfortunately, despite inspecting lots of other patches Polytrichum during the visit, we did not find any more.
From the car park we followed the main forestry track at snail-pace as it rose gently between lines of conifers. There was a generous amount of ground vegetation at the edge of the track.
We searched this thoroughly looking for things of interest, uncovering:
A Long-horned beetle, Pogonocherus hispidus;
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| Photograph: John Martin |
A fungus, Lycoperdon excipuliforme, known as the Pestle puffball;
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| Photograph: Liz Roberts |
A weevil, Otiorhynchus singularis, known as the Clay-coloured weevil;
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| Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett |
An attractive red and black staphylinid beetle, Scaphidium quadrimaculatum;
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| Photograph: David Williams |
And a second staphylinid beetle, Ontholestes tessellatus.
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| Photograph: David Williams |
We eventually came to a clearing where most of us spent the rest of the morning exploring the vegetation on the banks and slightly beyond.
Just to give you an idea of our progress we were now about 150 yards from the car park!
Finds around this time were:
A beetle, Loricera pilicornis;
A gall on Gorse caused by the weevil, Stenopterapion scutellare;
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| Photograph: John Martin |
And a liverwort, Diplophyllum albicans, known as White earwort.
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| Photograph: John Martin |
We lunched in the clearing then retraced our steps to a footpath that followed a wayleave, intending to follow it to the edge of the plantation, which bordered the road, then walk back along the road back to the cars.
Unfortunately, a tree blocked the path.
Plan B was enacted.
We followed a winding track through the woodland that we believed would also lead to the edge.
After a while we met another path that led back to the car park, visible through the trees.
Looking up we noticed the darkening clouds and after a little indecision(!) we decided to follow the path back to the cars.
It was just as well that we did, as no sooner than we got back to the car park than it started to rain.
My thanks to Forestry England for granting us permission to do what we enjoy doing, and to the photographers for their excellent images and allowing me to use them in this report.
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