Absent ill

Wollerton Wetlands - Wednesday, 24th April 2019

Unfortunately the cold that struck me down on Sunday had not relented by the time of this visit so I had to absent myself. This was very disappointing as the Wetlands is a site I enjoy visiting.

It will be difficult to write a meaningful report in the circumstances but one of the attendees gave me a brief description of the outing which I will paraphrase. And our ever willing photographers have sent me lots of photographs to include which I hope you will enjoy.

The wetlands were created when the Hodnet by-pass was built. It is sandwiched between the road and the River Tern close to Wollerton. It is a level site consisting of a series of pools surrounded by grassland and woodland.

It was quite cool as the group got ready by the cars and then walked to the site. An unfamiliar plat was found at the side of the path.

Photograph: John Sweetland

This was identified as few-flowered garlic.

The group walked across the field, over the bridge then turned left to walk around the site. It soon started to warm up and by 11am the sun was getting through the thin cloud. The weather brought out good numbers of hoverflies and the occasional cranefly. Passing a pool a couple of swans were observed one patrolling the water the other sitting on the nest (just visible in the top left hand corner of the photograph).

Photograph: David Williams

Lunch was taken about halfway around but it was in the wind and cooler. After lunch the group made there way back to the start where it was much warmer being sheltered from the wind with the sun was still getting through the thin cloud.

However there was trouble brewing, rain clouds were fast approaching and with them came a stronger colder wind. The decision was taken to head back to the cars. 

The decision was justified as it started to rain as they made it back.

An excellent typically April day.

That's a precis of the day. Now for the photographs.

Andrena haemorrhoa:

Photograph: David Williams

 A male common earwig:

Photograph: David Williams

 A common lutestring moth larva:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

 A rhopalid bug Corizus hyoscyami:

Photograph: David Williams

A drinker moth larva:

Photograph: David Williams

 A green-veined white:

Photograph: John Sweetland

 A larva of the micro-moth Helcystrogramma rufescens:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

 A hoverfly Leucozona lucorum:

Photograph: David Williams

 Marsh marigold:

Photograph: John Sweetland

 An orange tip butterfly:

Photograph: David Williams

 The egg of an orange tip:

Photograph: David Williams

 A parent bug:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Ramsons, or wild garlic:

Photograph: John Sweetland

 Possibly Salticus scenicus:

Photograph: David Williams

 A hairy shieldbug (also known as a sloe bug), Dolycoris baccarum:

Photograph: John Sweetland

A speckled wood butterfly:

Photograph: John Sweetland

 A Tetragnatha spider:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

My thanks to Shropshire County Council for giving us permission to survey, to Jim Cresswell for the report and to the photographers David Williams, Nigel Cane-Honeysett and John Sweetland for allowing me to use their excellent photographs.