A bluebell sea

The Hem, Telford, Wednesday 1st May 2019

Photograph: David Williams

I have started with a picture to give you an idea of what greeted us when we entered this small woodland that borders the vast Halesfield industrial estate in Telford. What a sight, hundreds, nay, thousands of bluebells in flower.

But I get ahead of myself.

We met on one of the service roads within Halesfield but there was not enough room for us all to park there so the drivers of three cars decided to test the woodland track to the site and park there.

An interesting drive.

However we all got there safely.

Photograph: Peter and Deirdre Hodgkinson

Whist the three drivers were parking up others were already making discoveries. A long-horned moth Adela reaumurella:

Photograph: David Williams

This is a female, the males have much longer antennae and can often be seen swarming around trees in the sunlight at this time of year.

As some of the group had not been to the site before we were given a quick guided tour of the site.

Photograph: Peter and Deirdre Hodgkinson

Since our last visit the boundary of the site had been pushed back to expose areas of elm which host the white letter hairstreak butterfly which was seen here last year. Our tour continued through this area.

Photograph: Peter and Deirdre Hodgkinson

The tour over we set about our "work" with gusto by having a coffee break!

Photograph: Peter and Deirdre Hodgkinson

One excellent feature about this site, apart from the bluebells,

Photograph: John Sweetland

is the number of seats, providing plenty of opportunity for everyone to have a sit down whenever they wanted.

After coffee, tea and whatever drink of choice was consumed it was time for some entomologising and botanising.

The pools supported vast numbers of marsh marigolds.

Photograph: David Williams

What a glorious sight they are with their rich yellow colour - guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone's lips.

The most common bug seen was a mirid bug called Harpocera thoracica:

Photograph: David Williams

The adults of this bug emerge in spring and can be very common. However they have a short life and soon disappear again leaving the eggs of the next generation to develop in time for next spring.

An early season flower is common dog-violet. (We have had the best showing in years in our lawn this year.)

Photograph: John Sweetland

And another early May specialist is the St Mark's fly which "traditionally" appears on 1st May.

Photograph: David Williams

It started to rain, not heavy, just a persistent light drizzle. Our photographers put up umbrellas.

To shelter under?

No!

To protect their cameras.

Photograph: Peter and Deirdre Hodgkinson

No umbrella to keep this green shieldbug dry!

Photograph: David Williams

Lunch was taken.

Photograph: Peter and Deirdre Hodgkinson

After lunch we did much the same as we did before. Here are a few of the things we found:

Yellow archangel

Photograph: John Sweetland

A weevil, possibly Curculio venosus

Photograph: David Williams

Sanicle

Photograph: John Sweetland

Orange ladybird

Photograph: Peter and Deirdre Hodgkinson

Ragged robin

Photograph: John Sweetland

And, of course, MORE bluebells!

Photograph: Peter and Deirdre Hodgkinson

What a wonderful site.

My thanks to Mark Eccleston who works the wood for letting us visit and interrupt his usual routine. Thank you also to the photographers John Sweetland, David Williams and Deirdre and Peter Hodgkinson for providing their excellent photographs for me to use.