Ouch! That hurt! by Keith Fowler

Wednesday 2nd July

Another Wednesday, another Joy of Invertebrates trip, this time to Prees Branch Canal part of which is a Shropshire Wildlife Trust reserve. The first issue was where to park. Looking at the map and aerial photographs there did not appear to be anywhere near the site that was suitable for our fleet of cars. So, I devised a cunning plan and decided we would park at the Morris’ Bridge car park for Whixall Moss. From there it was a short walk (!) along the towpath of the Llangollen Canal then down the Prees Branch Canal until we reached the reserve.

We arrived in three cars only to find that Natural England was carrying out essential maintenance on the car park and we were not able to use it. So we parked in the lay-by on the approach road to Morris’ Bridge. We checked how long the car park would be closed and were very politely informed it would be 1-2 hours. We had to make a decision – leave the cars in the lay-by or bimble our way up the road to the bridge by which time an hour or two may well have passed and the car park would be open. But at that rate we would never reach the reserve. So we left the cars where they were.

As always where we parked attracted our attention so a new cunning plan was devised. Let’s walk, without (too much) distraction to the target site – we could always dawdle on the way back. Well it was a plan. All agreed so we locked up and prepared to set off only to find that one of us had yet to change into appropriate footwear!! So we unlocked, waited, locked up again then set off. 

Four distractions later we crossed the bridge over the Llangollen Canal and started off along the towpath. Six more distractions later we crossed the next bridge to gain the towpath of the Prees Branch Canal. We wandered on in hope of soon reaching our target site. We reached another bridge – not the one that denotes the start of the reserve. We plodded on becoming increasing un-distracted as we clocked up the metres. My heart lifted when I espied another bridge. I walked on. My heart sank. It was not the right bridge.

Would we ever get there? One of the group had to leave early – would he get there before he had to turn back. Bold leadership was required. So I raced on and was rewarded a few minutes later by the sight of THE BRIDGE. I was now outpacing Mo Farah to get to the reserve (in my dreams).

Fortunately THE BRIDGE was not the one featured in recent Danish/Swedish crime series but Dobson’s Bridge. I was elated – we had got there before lunch. Then, realisation struck; on the road about 25 metres from the bridge was a pull-off at the side of the road easily big enough for three cars. A new plan was formulated. I would return with the early leaver after lunch and bring my car to the bridge so that we would not have to walk back. Everyone agreed wholeheartedly and the plan was executed in timely fashion without a hitch.

Right, this tale has yet to mention invertebrates so back to basics!

With relief and enthusiasm we set about inspecting, sweeping and beating the vegetation in search of insects.

There was an abundance of damselflies, mainly Azure and Common blue with the occasional Blue-tailed and Banded demoiselle. Surprisingly there were no dragonflies about although one (unidentified) did put in an appearance just before we left.

We stumbled across several Green shieldbug nymphs and a cluster of very distinctive nymphs which I dismissed as more Green but the unbelieving Great Stick Finder disagreed and determined that they were nymphs of Bronze shieldbugs. And, of course, he was correct. Shame on me.

Later we found an adult Forest bug which showed no inclination to move even when I got out my camera.

All these discoveries were within 100 metres of THE BRIDGE. We now moved along the towpath with the intent of getting to the other end of the reserve at Waterloo Bridge.

As I walked along I became aware of a pain in my arm. Horseflies were about, had one struck? I looked at my arm and found a Common Flower bug had buried its rostrum into my arm. 

It was taking revenge in the name of all Hemiptera.

Good luck to it, 
it deserved its meal ... 
but I removed it ... 
it hurt ... 
a lot.

The canal is navigable as far as the marina then it becomes a haven for plants and anything that lives within or off them. Yellow water-lilies were abundant and were starting to flower. We found several Beautiful China-mark moths which use the lily and other aquatic plants as a food plant.

Waterloo Bridge was nowhere to be seen. Time was pressing so we had to turn back and return home.

We must revisit this excellent site and see if we can complete the walk along the length of the reserve (parking, of course, a little nearer).

Friday 4th July 2014

To all our American readers – “Happy Day of Independence”. Will we soon also have a Scottish Independence Day?

This day saw our last Wildlife Site survey of this season. We visited Harley Brook between Hughley and Harley before its confluence with the Hughley Brook. I hope I have got all these similar names correct. This was a tricky trip for the Shropshire Wildlife Trust to organise as there are six different landowners involved. But they persevered and succeeded in getting permission for our visit.

Access was limited so we met in the main car park for the Wenlock Edge near Much Wenlock then proceeded in a couple of cars to close to the site. We made our way to the north eastern tip of the site where after some initial difficulty we managed to locate the Harley Brook where a public footpath crossed the stream and start the survey.

The stream banks were surveyed then we moved into a pleasant meadow strewn with ant-hills. There was plenty of interest here but it did raise the question of where was the boundary to the wildlife site? We decided on a practical “within 10 metres (or so) of the stream”. We eventually managed to tear ourselves away from the meadow and follow the stream for a few metres.

We came to a halt, a fence crossed our path. Then we noticed a mystery plant. The plant was examined by eye and with the aid of lenses; heads were scratched; eventually we resorted to “Poland”, not a course of action to be taken lightly. 

After many minutes of study the experts declared it to be a Broad-leaved helleborine.

We crossed the fence and a tributary to be met by a wall of cereal. The stream was no longer accessible as it was now surrounded by a tall dense hedgerow. We continued on way following the field edge in the narrow gap between cereal and hedge. And we continued to record what we found.

The cereal field was huge. We had to pause for lunch in it. Eventually we escaped along the second public footpath that crosses the site which took us to a gate in the hedge and a bridge across the stream. We were back within 100 yards of the cars but still only about a third of the way down the site. 

We pushed on across a grassy field that was used by cattle, through a rather muddy coppice and into another grassy field before turning back as time ran out and, coincidentally, rain began to fall. However the latter part of our survey brought rewards as we found Marsh marigold, Primrose and Bluebell.

At the cars we were met by one of the owners who whisked off the botanists to see a mystery tree. It was a Wild service tree. A handsome specimen by all accounts; a pleasant end to the day.

Thank you to the owners for permitting access and the Trust for making the arrangements.

Keith Fowler