Meadows and Margins

Wednesday 15th April 2026, Minsterley Meadows

In 2024, following a successful fund raising appeal, this pair of meadows on the outskirts of Minsterley was purchased for the community by the Middle Marches Community Land Trust. Further funding, including a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, will allow the MMCLT to manage this site for three years from purchase. The headline species for which this site is particularly notable is Green-winged Orchid. Our visit was a little too early in the season to see them in their full glory, but fortunately a few early individuals were in flower.

photo: John Martin

The weather was a major and ultimately terminal presence during our visit.

photo: Keith Fowler

Alternating between warming sunshine, howling wind and rain, the forecast suggested that we had better make the most of the morning, as the afternoon would be very unpleasant. For the time being at least, blue skies appeared periodically as we began our searches. 

photo: Keith Fowler

photo: Sarah Wallace-Johnson

The first meadow produced, fittingly, good numbers of Meadow Ladybirds, this one dwarfed by a springtail, Orchesella villosa, and in turn dwarfing another, tiny Neanurid springtail.

A second micro-ladybird species appeared: Red-rumped Ladybird, Scymnus haemorrhoidalis.

The larva of a Ringlet butterfly was persuaded from a grass tussock.

The sun continued to favour us...

photo: Sarah Wallace-Johnson

…bringing out several species of bee, including Andrena chrysosceles

And Andrena nitida.

The field margins were also hosting reasonable numbers of hoverflies. This is Epistrophe elegans

And this is Eristalis pertinax.

photo: John Martin

In fact the margins were, not unexpectedly, an excellent source of invertebrate life in our trays. These ‘edge habitats’ are usually rich in life and should be preserved at all costs. Field margins provide vital refuges for animal of all sorts when meadows are cut and where they grade into the hedgerows, the taller and woodier plants within them offer an alternative habitat, increasing the overall biodiversity of the site.

 
Finds were not confined to plants and animals. A very small and attractive parasol fungus was found on a log. Unfortunately I do not know if has been identified.

Nettles in the field margins produced this rust, identified as Puccinia urticaria.

photo: Liz Roberts

We tracked the western field boundary into the second meadow, where it continued to produce interesting finds. A pair of Celery Leaf Beetles, common on hogweed, had that Spring feeling.

Dock Bugs were frequently spotted on docks and nearby vegetation.

A 22-spot Ladybird emerged from a grass tussock.

More ladybirds emerged from Ivy in the hedge: 14-spot (left) and 10-spot (right).

The Ivy also produced a chunky weevil - Liophloes tessulatus.

We were now most of the way along the boundary of the second field, and lunch was calling. The weather was also closing in. As lunchboxes and flasks were unpacked the heavens opened and we were forced to huddle under umbrellas held at jaunty angles against the driving rain. In the middle of all this, a smart beetle, Badister bullatus, was vacuumed from the margins.

And then perhaps the best find of the day, a rather small and odd-looking harvestman, Anelasmocephalus cambridgei. This slow-moving species tends to cover itself in particles of dirt as camouflage, in which state it usually escapes attention. This one was unadorned but still very hard to spot - an excellent find in the sample tray.

With the rain abating there was time to spot a common rove beetle, Stenus bimaculatus

photo: John Martin

before the group set off into the middle of the second meadow, where another botanical highlight had been spotted: Moonwort.

photo: Keith Fowler

photo: John Martin

A very small fern found in grassland, like the orchids it was just in the process of warming up for its Spring performance. A few tiny fronds were barely visible in one small area of the meadow. I doubt I would have spotted any of them if they had not been pointed out to me.

 
Some of us continued to the top of the field.

photo: Keith Fowler

Forecasts had predicted that the rain would have set in by now. Barely had it been remarked that we were being very lucky when the sky filled in and the heavens opened again. Prayers were offered to the Rain Gods, but they were not answered…

photo: Sarah Wallace-Johnson

…so we retreated and went home! An early finish to a very interesting and productive day. Thank you to our hosts for allowing us to do what we do.

 
Addendum
Some extra photos from last week’s visit to Severn Valley Country Park have been sent to me, reminding us of the glorious (and dry!) weather which accompanied our visit.    

Bee Orchid rosette. Photo: John Martin

Bank Vole. Photo: John Martin

Myathropa florea. Photo: John Martin

Snakeshead Fritillary. Photo: John Martin

Wood Sorrel. Photo: John Martin

Photographs © the author except as noted