Everything you wanted to know about root canal fillings

Millenheath, Wednesday 23rd May 2018

First things first. No doubt you have been bombarded by letters and emails concerning the change to the data protection laws. As a result of this Google specify that they will add a notice to this blog explaining their privacy policy to readers. I do not know where this will be placed, so you may have already seen it.

I wanted to make the title "Everything you wanted to know about root canal fillings but were afraid to ask" but that seemed a little unwieldy so I used a truncated version to give you a taster. What has this to do with our visit to Millenheath? Please be patient ... all will be revealed.

Millenheath is situated a couple of miles south of Prees Heath to the east of the A41. We had been asked by Shropshire Wildlife Trust to take a look at three sites within an area of farmland sandwiched between the A41 and Twenlows Big Wood consisting of a bridle path and two fields.

Finding the site was the first issue as spotting the turning off the A41, a busy road at the best of times, was not the easiest or safest occupation for a driver. As I got there early I posted myself at the end of the lane by the A41 in the hope that I would assists approaching drivers to realise where they were and not overshoot.

Eventually we had all arrived and assembled in a field that the owner had kindly offered to us for safe parking. After the usual greetings and preparation we set off and headed for the bridle path.

For once we had a firm plan of campaign - the bridle path first followed by Field 1, which bordered the path, then field 2, which was set apart from the other two areas.

The bridle path runs along a green lane that starts off very straight and tree-lined as though at one time it was a drive to somewhere now long gone. The vegetation here is very lush and dominated by nettle and cleavers.

In amongst the nettles a pair of mating Tipula maxima:

Photograph: David Williams

Despite the dominance of some plants the lane's vegetation and hedgerow provided plenty of interest.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

A moth larva was beaten out of a tree. This was later identified as a larva of The satellite moth.

Photograph: David Williams

The trunk of an oak provided a suitable look-out point for the downlooker fly Rhagio scolopaceus.

Photograph: David Williams

After a while the nature of the lane changed. The tall trees and unkempt hedge disappeared and were replaced by a maintained but dense hedgerow which allowed more light in and supported a more varied vegetation.

Star-of-Bethlehem was spotted in the verge.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Azure damselflies flitted about.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Towards the end of the lane we came across a rather splendid oak in the hedgerow. It was so large that I could not get all of it into my photograph.

You can get some idea of the size from the gate and the person at its foot on the left. We did not measure it but I estimate that its circumference is 5 - 6 metres.

We had now come to the gate into the first of the two fields that we were visiting. Time had passed quickly and so we entered the field and had lunch.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

The soil in this field is very sandy and supported a lush covering of grass but was dominated by nettle. At its lowest point there was a damp area in which marsh marigold grew. Some flowers were still evident.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

A robber fly Dioctria rufipes was found on nettle.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

We made our way across the field in the heat of the day via the shade of the two oaks. We were not alone in seeking shade as our passage disturbed a few sheep that were resting there.

As we approached the end of the field the longhorn beetle with a name whose length matches its magnificent antennae - Agapanthia villosoviridescens - was spotted on some thistles.

Leaving the field the conversation somehow moved on to dentistry and more specifically root canal fillings. Many of us had undergone this form of treatment and one of us had carried it out. How we got started on the subject is one of the many great mysteries of life ... but we did.

I will not burden you with the details but the discussion carried on ...

And on ....

And on until we reached the next field at least a quarter of an hour later.

The second field was completely different in character. On one side, bordering the woodland, it was very sandy and dry with sparse vegetation and on the other side it was damper supporting lusher vegetation with numerous marsh thistle spikes.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

An early find was a moth that reflected the nature of the field - Sandy carpet

Photograph: David Williams

A bordering oak harboured a Small quaker moth larva

Photograph: David Williams

Time had marched on but the site was proving very interesting so once more we did "overtime".

A teneral male Common blue damselfly was photographed clinging to a grass.

Photograph: David Williams

As we wandered amongst the lusher vegetation and inspected the Marsh thistle we found several more Agapanthia villosoviridescens. I make no excuses for including a second photograph of this species.

Photograph: David Williams

We were beginning to flag and more people were sitting in the shade than meandering about the site. It was time to go, but not before spotting a slender ground hopper.

Photograph: David Williams

My thanks to the owner of the sites we visited for permission to do what we enjoy doing and providing a suitable place to park; to Shropshire Wildlife Trust for suggesting the site and making the arrangements; to the photographers David Williams and Bob Kemp for providing most of the photographs and to everyone who turned up on an excellent day to enjoy what the sites had to offer.

It's the Sytch, not the Stych

Tibberton, The Sytch - Wednesday, 16th May 2018

Continuing on the confusion from last week when we were visiting one of the two Berrington Halls, this week we visited The Sytch. In all my preparation for the visit I had been calling it The Stych. Until we went no-one pointed out my incorrect naming ... so when someone did point out that it was called The Sytch I vehemently denied it!

Eventually I was persuaded. It is "The Sytch". My apologies to all concerned.

The Sytch is a privately owned wood near Tibberton. We had been invited by the owner to have a look around and report on what we found.

The wood is on former heathland and a previous use as a nursery has produced an interesting mix of natural woodland and plantation. 

The eastern end is more open but dominated by birch. The central area is plantation with mainly conifers but some deciduous trees such as whitebeam. The western end is denser woodland with some good patches of bluebells and contains a small pool.

We were met by the owner and after the usual delays chatting and getting ready we were taken on a "half-hour" tour of the site.

90 minutes later we were back where we started!

We are incapable of just walking around a site to take a look. We are addicted to investigating every tree and bit of vegetation as we go along. Here are some of the things we found on this initial tour.

Mating Parent bugs on a birch tree:

Photograph: David Williams

Following mating the female Parent bug will lay her eggs in a clutch on a leaf. After laying she lives up to her name by tending the eggs and, when hatched, the early stages of the nymphs

The cranefly Tipula submarmoarata which is commonly found in woodland:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Lepidoptera larvae were abundant. There were several species present but the most frequently encountered were

Mottle umber:

Photograph: David Williams

And Winter moth:

Photograph: David Williams

The Winter moth larva were in such huge numbers that they could be regarded as a pest, striping leaves and shrouding trees in silk. They even made beating and sweeping trees whilst looking for other invertebrates a hazard as after each beat or sweep one had to remove several of their larva from one's clothing.

The highlight of the tour was the Trash-line spider, Cyclosa conica.

Spot the spider? - Photograph: David Williams

This spider has been encountered before - at Shavington, when it conveniently wandered into a tray - but this is the first time we had found it on a web, with, as it colloquial name suggests, a line of trash (American). Here is a close-up of the spider (it's at the centre):

Photograph: David Williams

The trash appeared to be the remains of its meals plus other bits of detritus.

What is it for? Is it a boast to attract a member of the opposite sex? "Look how good I am at catching prey!" Or is it merely to camouflage the spider as it awaits its next victim?

Tour over, we were back at the cars .... and it was time for lunch.

Lunch over we started looking around the wood again!

Avoiding the worst of the winter moth infected trees, these are some of the things we managed to locate and identify.

Starting with the smallest - the springtail Allacma fusca and attendant unidentified mite just behind its head:

Photograph: David Williams

Brown silver-line, often found flying during the day around bracken:

Photograph: David Williams

The picturesque cranefly Epiphragma ocellare:

Photograph: David Williams

A Forest bug nymph.

Photograph: David Williams

Shieldbugs normally overwinter as adults. Forest bugs are unusual in that they overwinter as nymphs, making identification at this time of the year easy!

Our first Grammoptera ruficornis of the year, a longhorn beetle often found in hawthorn flowers.

Composite photograph: David Williams

A bee - Andrena haemorrhoa

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

And finally, many tiny, very early instar, Oak bush-cricket nymphs. These were found in the leaf litter, which is unexpected, as they live in the canopy of trees. Perhaps they had fallen off.

Photograph: David Williams

The day drew to a close and we prepared to leave the site. Unfortunately many Winter moth larvae had descended onto the cars. Lots were removed before we went, but many remained unnoticed.

As we were driving along larvae appeared from under the bonnet and climbed onto the windscreen only to be blown off as we sped along. However several made it to our homes and had to be removed.

Another excellent day made even better with the frequent calls from at least two cuckoos, one quite close, possibly in the wood, and a second, maybe a third more distant.

My thanks to the owners of the wood for allowing us access and to Jim Shaw for making the arrangements. My appreciation, as always, to the photographers for allowing me to use their photographs.

Berrington, Shropshire! Not the Shire of Hereford

Berrington Hall, Wednesday 5th May 2018

First things first. We visited Berrington Hall in Shropshire, not the place with the same name that is a National Trust house in Herefordshire.

Right! Having got that confusion out of the way....

Ten of us turned up at the correct site for a day wandering around the grounds of this former rectory.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

The house was built in 1805 and served as a rectory for many years. The current occupants are the Crabapple Community who were formed in 1975, taking on the house a couple of years later. The house is surrounded by extensive grounds including grassland, woodland and gardens. And it was these that we spent the day exploring.

After parking in front of the house the first thing we noticed were a couple of impressive trees. These were identified as Tulip trees. The following photograph is of the leaves.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

After kitting up we moved into the grassland at the front of the house.

This area and the woodland surrounding it proved very productive and we spent a considerable amount of time here. Some of the things we found were:

The tortoise beetle Cassida vibex:

Photograph: David Williams

A weevil that we found on oak and identified as Curculio venosus

Photograph: Bob Kemp

The hoverflies Leucozona lucorum:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

and Eristalis intricarius:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

A bee-fly Bombylius major:

Photograph: Tony Jacques

A noon-day fly Mesembrina meridiana:

Photograph: Tony Jacques

Mating dock bugs:

Photograph: David Williams

A lonely Sloe bug (also known as a Hairy shieldbug):

Photograph: David Williams

A Tawny mining-bee

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

And our first damselfly of the season, a Large red damselfly:

Photograph: David Williams

What a lot of photographs, and nothing about what happened! The best approach. This is about the wildlife we find after all.

Yes, we did move on and yes, it was time for lunch. But as we finally left the grassland looking for a suitable spot to eat we noticed a female Orange-tip just passing the time of day on a nettle leaf.

A path led from the grassland into a strip of woodland. We followed this for a while then settled down for lunch.

Settled down is not quite the right word. There was nowhere to sit apart from the ground, which was very damp. There was a circle of chairs set out in the grounds at the edge of the grassland but we had left those behind when entering the wooded area. It was too far to walk back to them (at least a hundred yards) so most ate their lunch standing.

Eating lunch standing gives you more opportunity to find things as you move around and your eyes wander. And so it proved.

Baccha elongata, a hoverfly with a long thin abdomen that normally skulks around the undergrowth, was resting on a nettle leaf.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

The groundbug Scolopostethus grandis was spotted, not living up to its general name, climbing a tree.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Lunch over we made our way along the path through the woods until it opened up into the garden. As we reached the end there was great excitement when a pair of mating Pebble hook-tip moths were spotted. Taking photographs did not disturb their activity.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Nearby a larva was found in a tree. This was later identified as a Mottled umber moth larva.

Photograph: David Williams

We now wandered around the garden and its surrounds. There were several beds either dug out or in use, a number of poly tunnels, a small more formal garden and plenty of areas of rough vegetation. There were also three compost heaps which immediately drew our attention, looking for compost heap specialists such as Lesser earwig and pseudoscorpions. Alas, despite extensive searching, none were found.

There are now a couple of photographs from several taken around the time we were in the garden showing insects busy attempting to preserve their species.

Tipula varipennis:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

Helophilus pendulus:

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

There was also the unwelcome sight for a gardener of a Large white which, thankfully, for the gardeners, flitted happily away. However a Small white had taken up residence.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

An ant was photographed carrying a springtail in its jaws.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Slime moulds rarely get a mention. I think the last one was when we went to Pentre Wood last year. Well, long overdue, here is another, spotted on a log - Lycogala terrestre.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Time was marching on; I checked the time - we were doing overtime! We left the garden passed through another patch of grassland then found our way to a walled garden.

The first thing to notice (or miss in my case) was a hole in the wall where a colony of Honey bees had made their nest. The wall was also a good host for lichens including lichens that parasitize other lichens.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Our master lichenologist provided the explanation - Phaeophyscia orbicularis is the grey, lobed, lichen on the middle and left of the photograph. The darker grey circles are the submerged apothecia (fruit bodies) of the parasitic lichen Arthonia phaeophysciae before they break through. 

I could not have expressed it any better!

What was going on over the far side of the garden?

It was another compost heap. Another opportunity to find Lesser earwig, etc.. 

All in vain. 

No earwigs and no pseudoscorpions.

We did go home ... eventually .... 

An excellent day in an excellent and varied site.

My thanks to the Crabapple Community for granting us permission to explore their grounds and the interest shown by members of the community. My thanks also to the photographers, David Williams, Bob Kemp, Jim Cresswell and Tony Jacques who willingly provided most of excellent photographs that make producing this report a pleasure. I apologise to all four for not using all their photographs.

Postscript

On the following Friday evening we re-visited Berrington Hall, this time to hold a moth night. The weather was unkind to humans - very wet - but, I am told, moths do not mind the rain!! 

We did not catch many moths but there was a good variety of species with some species that we do not see very often.

When the rain stopped as we were packing up our intrepid photographer managed to photograph a few of our finds. Unfortunately the weather meant that he had to take the shots with the moths in pots which is not the ideal background.

Small phoenix - Photograph: David Williams

Streamer - Photograph: David Williams

White-pinion spotted - Photograph: David Williams

Least black arches  - Photograph: David Williams