Tick VG?

 Wednesday 22nd April 2026, Oaks Wood, Habberley

Oaks Wood is, despite its name, a mixed woodland with much Norway Spruce and other tree species in addition to oaks. There are also meadows, ponds and clearfell areas within its 200 acres, so we were only ever going to scratch the surface of its possibilities during this, our first visit to the site.        
 
The entry point for the site was Brown’s Coppice, an area which, as you can see, contained much Silver Birch.

photo: Keith Fowler

An early find was, unsurprisingly, a Birch Shieldbug.

The UK’s largest ladybird, species, Eyed Ladybird, soon appeared.

At the other end of the scale, Ivy Ladybird, a sub-3mm micro ladybird species, was somewht surprisingly vacuumed from leaf litter.

Nettles produced the large, emerald green weevil Phyllobius pomaceous.

photo: John Martin

Snails do not feature much in these reports. But this does not mean that they are not recorded - we just tend not to photograph them very often. We will attempt to correct this deficiency! Here are a couple to begin with. Firstly Euconulus fulvus

photo: John Martin

And this one is probably a Balea species but identification is ongoing…

photo: John Martin

We progressed from Brown’s Coppice into an open area of grassland which afforded an excellent view of Earls/Pontesford Hill on the other side of the Habberley Brook valley.

photo: Keith Fowler

Many Orange-tips were patrolling the grassland and it wasn’t long before eggs were located on Cuckoo Flower.

Three Rhopald bugs were photographed: Rhopalus subrufus,

Corizus hyoscyami
 

photo: John Martin

And Stictopleurus punctatonervosus.

It was also a good day for hoverflies (sadly, an increasingly uncommon event). Ferdinandea cuprea had been sighted in Brown’s Coppice but evaded the cameras. However Xylota segnis,

photo: John Martin

Epistrophe elegans and

photo: John Martin

a pair of Helophilus pendulus all had their likenesses captured. 

photo: John Martin

Two very smart moth larvae attracted attention. This is The Drinker

And this is a Scarlet Tiger, an increasingly common species but always a nice find.

The next revelation could hardly be described as a nice find though, by any except the most dedicated arachnologist. A Sheep Tick.

Worse news followed a few days later when one of the participants reported finding one on their person. We rarely encounter ticks during our outings in Shropshire but it seems that they may be becoming more common. A timely reminder to take precautions during feld trips and inspect carefully afterwards.

To change the tone, here is the third snail of the day: Clausilia bidentata.

Several Slender Groundhoppers were discovered in a nettlebed.

Photographing them proved to be a rather painful process. In contrast, this beetle was presented in a pot, a much easier target! It is Leistus terminatus. 

Exiting the fields we now re-entered woodland. A single, female Green Longhorn moth, Adela reaumurella, appeared almost immediately.

Aside from the Eyed Ladybird, conifer-specialist ladybird species had thus far proved elusive. But, finally, several Larch Ladybirds showed themselves.

A short distance into this block of woodland is a pond.

photo: Keith Fowler

Staring into it eventually revealed the presence of several Palmate Newts which, however, proved impossible to photograph adequately. A Large Red Damselfly was more accommodating.

photo: John Martin

As was Sanicle, though being a plant, it was never going to be very good at evading the photographer's lens!. 

photo: John Martin

Another of the several ladybirds noticed is this 14-spot, which was unusually lightly marked.

Moving through the woodland brought us to the final part of this vast site that we reached on this visit: an area of regenerating Norway Spruce clearfell, giving another good view across to Earls Hill.

Norway Spruce isn’t a great species for native wildlife, but the ubiquitous 7-spot Ladybirds didn’t seem to mind.

A better species is Broom….

…which belatedly produced a number of Pine Ladybirds amongst other species.

At this point time was called on a warm, sunny and altogether very pleasant day (bloodsucking arachnids notwithstanding!). Thank you to the owners of Oaks Woods for allowing us to explore this interesting site.  
     
 
Photographs © the author except as noted.

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