A raft of spiders

Wem Moss, Wednesday 25th September 2019

Our final outing of this year's programme was to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust Reserve at Wem Moss. 

On their website it states that the moss is "as ancient a piece of wilderness as you will find in Shropshire, a miraculous relic circled with trees beyond which the modern world gets on with intensive agricultural production. Wem Moss is an outstanding example of a lowland raised bog, a wildlife habitat that exists in Britain today in just tiny remnant fragments. Ninety-four per cent of its former range has been destroyed or degraded by drainage, intensive peat cutting, grazing, forestry and pollution, leaving just 503 hectares of unspoilt raised bog in England."

But before you can visit the moss you have to get to it. There is no handy car park on site, instead we had to park on the roadside by the entrance to a track that goes by the moss and walk to the site.

The half mile or so walk provided a surprise … sunflowers.

Photograph: David Williams

Two fields, one on each side of the track, boasting sunflowers and other "wild flowers" such as flax.

What was the purpose of these crops? We had no idea.

An Eristalis hoverfly was seen feeding on one of the sunflower heads.

 These fields were a distraction as was the large margin around the fields but we tore ourselves away and progressed steadily along to the footbridge off the track that provides access to the moss.

Once over the bridge we passed through a section of woodland.

We did not need to worry about trying to find the footpath it was clearly marked by the tracks of a heavy caterpillared vehicle.

In fact we were able to follow the vehicle's wide track for the rest of the day as we went about our searching, greatly easing our passage around the moss.

In the woodland we found a cranefly losing a fight for its life to a spider. The cranefly is probably Tipula paludosa, I am not sure of the spider species.

Photograph: David Williams

Within the wood there was hollow trunk of a dead tree that had fallen on its side. This was covered in moss and lichen including a Cladonia.

But within the shell of the trunk we found what can only be described as "yellow stuff".

Photograph: David Williams

Nearby a large hoverfly, Sericomyia silentis, paused long enough to be photographed.

Photograph: David Williams

A cry went up.

"Raft spider"

Just past the woodland as the path opened out onto the moss proper one of the group had found that iconic species of the site and the nearby Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses, the raft spider Dolomedes fimbriatus.

Photograph: David Williams

Well, it is probably Dolomedes fimbriatus. There is another species of spider Dolomedes plantarius which looks the same but this is typically found in fenland.

And to reassure avid readers of the Shropshire Wildlife Trust's website who describe the spider (to get you interested, I assume) as "a six-inch monster" it is neither six-inches nor a monster.

We found three very quickly in the same area. They were all just passing the time of day "lazing" about on leaves. None were waiting to pounce on unsuspecting human passers-by.

Time, as always, had marched on. It was lunchtime and we had only just got to the actual moss.

But lunchtime is lunchtime so we found a spot to sit down and ate our provisions.

Refreshed we made our way out onto the moss following one of the tracks left by the giant caterpillar.

We met a couple of Wildlife Trust volunteers who were monitoring the water levels. We were interested in what they were doing and they were interested in our activities so pleasantries were exchanged.

They informed us that the moss had been drying out as it was surrounded by drainage ditches that were doing their job rather too well and removing its water. As part of a recovery programme, according to my memory and understanding of the conversation, the moss has been protected from this draining by putting in a barrier that prevents leakage to the drains. This has been followed up by removing some of the vegetation to enable wet areas such as the ones below to develop as the water levels rise.

This work continues. Three large caterpillared vehicles were hard at work creating these wet areas. Here is one of them.

Back to the animals.

We rarely venture into the water but today we did and amongst the creatures we found were a number of water beetles and bugs, which we could not identify and a dragonfly larva, one of the chasers.

Photograph: David Williams

Mention of water brings me to the next subject which was another raft spider but this time it was on the surface of the water clearly demonstrating the strength of the surface tension.

Photograph: David Williams

And talk of spiders takes us to this:

Photograph: David Williams

An intensely coloured Araneus quadratus.

Beating the heather revealed a couple of larvae. The first as yet has not been identified:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a moth, a Beautiful Yellow Underwing.

Photograph: David Williams

In the area dominated by large heather bushes we found a gravid spiked shieldbug. Its state can be deduced from the distended shape of its abdomen.

Photograph: David Williams

This area of the moss was proving to be very rewarding for us.

Flitting around the pools was a small drangonfly. This was a black darter.

Photograph: David Williams

There was also a larger hawker buzzing about but we were unable to get close enough for long enough to identify it.

A bog bush-cricket was located and photographed.

Photograph: David Williams

As we walked along this track into the moss we came across a mystery object to add to the mystery fields:

from below

What is it, what is it used for? Was it a pheromone lure to attract a certain species of insect? We have no idea.

Time caught up with us earlier than usual. We had a long walk back to the cars so we set off on our return a bit earlier than normal. Also I knew that we always got distracted when we walked anywhere.

And so it proved as a Drinker caterpillar was found on the path.

Photograph: David Williams

Finally back at the cars we bade our farewells as another successful Joy of Wildlife programme drew to a close.

My thanks to Shropshire Wildlife Trust for giving us permission to do what we enjoy doing and to the photographers David Williams and Nigel Cane-Honeysett for allowing me to use their photographs.

Finally my thanks to all those who have joined us on our trips this year to see what nature has to offer, to enjoy each others company and help contribute to the wildlife records for Shropshire, Staffordshire and Montgomeryshire, and to you the readers of these little fancies that, I hope, keep you entertained and up to date with our activities.

Up, up and away ... again!

Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve, Wednesday 18th September 2019

How can we have been up, up and away again?

Pendeford Mill Nature Reserve whilst not as flat as a pancake is not remotely hilly, so how can we have had to go up?

Read on, all will be revealed.

This was our second out of the county experience of the season as we popped just over the Shropshire - Staffordshire border to visit this reserve a little south west of junction 2 of the M54. The reserve is owned and managed by Wolverhampton City Council. Soon after arriving we met the warden and his assistant who welcomed us to the site.

As always, having met in the car park, we took some time to get ready for the day ahead. One member got fed up of waiting and went off to explore the reserve's huge compost heap.

What was he looking for?

Pseudoscorpions. These are tiny arachnids that look a bit like a scorpion but without the tail that contains the sting. Most of the species are less than 3mm long; searching for them is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but needles are much bigger.

Did he find one?

No.

When everyone was ready we moved away from the car park and along the side of a woodland.

Peeping around the edge of an oak leaf was a forest bug.

Photograph: David Williams

And resting on another oak leaf was a hoverfly, Myathropa florea.

On the other side of the track in a small copse by a field hedge we spotted a spindle with its characteristic pink fruits.

Photograph: David Williams

The warden's assistant presented us with two fungi that she had found. The first was a velvet shield, Pluteus umbrosus.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Turning the fungus over you can see distinctively coloured gill edges.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

The second was an eathstar.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

One of the highlights of the reserve is an ancient yew which, it is claimed, is about 2000 years old. Here it is.

I do not know how they aged the tree but it is an impressive sight which, unfortunately, is not that evident from this photograph. We can only imagine what events it must have witnessed over its lifespan - it certainly puts our short time into perspective.

Accompanying us as we walked alongside the wood was a speckled wood butterfly which had clearly seen better days, but it was soldiering on.

At long last we were coming to the end of this initial track at the side of the wood and we reached the pool.

Photograph: David Williams

At the corner where the track we had been following met the lake there were some bird feeders. A great tit was pleased to receive some free nourishment from this fast food restaurant.

We made our way along the grassy path following the eastern edge of the pool.

A green shield bug and a sepsid fly were spotted on a clump of nettles.

Photograph: David Williams

And a little later the large mirid bug Pantilius tunicatus which is usually found at this time of the year on alder, hazel and birch. On this occasion it was sunbathing on a bramble leaf.

Photograph: David Williams

On the subject of bramble we noticed this peculiar growth on a leaf:

Was it a gall?

I do not think so, it looks like a hazel catkin, or similar, that has just happened to find a hole in the leaf and poked through.

Galls were found, however, on an oak. Here is one of them, a Ramshorn gall, so called because of its shape. The gall is caused by a gall wasp Andricus aries.

Other finds along this stretch of the path were a lily beetle:

Photograph: David Williams

And a female common earwig.

Photograph: David Williams

The shape of the "pincers" at the end of the tip of the abdomen are used to distinguish the sexes. The female's are fairly straight as can be seen from above, but are curved in almost a semicircle in the males.

Time was marching on and we were nowhere near our chosen spot for lunch - the remains of the mill after which the site is named. We needed to get a move on!

We turned off the grassy path into some woodland at the end of the pool. The abundance of yews here caused some to pause to search for a rare spider whose name I cannot remember. It remains rare as we did not find it.

The route again took us past the edge of the pool

Pausing at some poolside vegetation we saw the large hoverfly Volucella inanis. Unfortunately it was too flighty for us to photograph but we did manage to snap a rather more slow moving creature, a weevil, which we believe is Rhinocus pericarpius.

Photograph: John Martin

After this stop we made our way to the lunch spot at top speed (for us).

Refreshed we looked at the remains of the mill.

Clear as day?

Fortunately there was an information board close by to explain what we were looking at.

In case you cannot read what it says, here is a transcription: "This was an overshot mill, meaning water fell onto the wheel in order for it to turn. It is believed that the mill would have served local farms for the grinding of their corn for flour. Some of the water from the mill also fed into the large pool in the wooded area of the reserve."

Nearby were the remains of a well:

Again there was an information board which stated "This well was fed from water overflowing from the Mill pool through a pipe under the ground. When the well became full this would overflow into the small ponds in front of you. Water would have been drawn from the well by means of a hand pump mounted on top. This well could have supplied the stables and pigsties adjacent to the mill."

We continued on the path from the mill site around a small wooded area. At this point one of the group told us that he had got permission from the warden to fly his drone and take some aerial photographs. As he was going to do this in the first area we had visited he took his leave. We would have to wait to see the results.

An alder spittle bug, Aphropohora alni, was found close to the mill remains. It posed nicely for a photograph.

Photograph: David Williams

Nearby a hoverfly, Eristalis pertinax was relaxed enough to be snapped.

The River Penk was crossed using the footbridge rather than the ford.

This brought us to a meadow. Realising how warm it had got we had to stop, for some to enjoy the late summer sunshine and heat, and others to search the area.

A couple of interesting finds were made. The first was a small red beetle that is a member of the ladybird family. Not one of the larger species with which we are generally fairly familiar, but one of the what are known as the "inconspicuous ladybirds". This one is Coccidula rufa.

Photograph: David Williams

The second were a pair of pale tortoise bug, Cassida flaveola.

Photograph: David Williams

Time was pressing on and a return to the cars beckoned. The path on the west side of the pool was taken but this turned out to be rather less interesting as we progressed mainly in shadow from trees. At the end of the pool we paused on the platform to look out over the expanse of water.

Well one or two did, others were more interested in the vegetation that surrounded the platform.

As we passed the yew on our way back several members of the group paid homage to the tree.

Actually when I got closer I noticed that they were measuring its girth. 200 inches I seem to remember was the result of the measurement. I know that girth is important in aging oak trees but I have no idea if this is significant for yew trees.

From here we returned to the car park.

But what of our drone pilot?

Had he managed to get his machine to fly and take photographs?

Yes he had.

First here is a photograph up above the north end of the pool - the platform we were on can be seen at the top of the photograph.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

And a second up above the southern end.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Having taken the photographs and safely landed his drone he went away to his home.

So did the rest of us.

Another lovely day in an interesting site.

My thanks to Wolverhampton City Council for giving us permission to visit the site and do what we enjoy doing. My thanks also to the photographers David Williams, Bob Kemp and John Martin for the use use of their excellent photographs.