Barking

 Tuesday, 4th May 2021

The title of this instalment is provided by Graham Wenman who has sent me a report of an activity which will make its use very apparent. Over to Graham:

BARKING!

No, not the place, nor our mindset after lockdown and certainly nothing canine!

It was mid-April, lockdown has just ended, so Mike Shurmer and I spent a couple of hours at a local ‘wetlands’ site in Church Stretton.

We found nothing on the celandines, the knapweeds and the blackthorns and only a few Nettle tap larvae on young shoots.

However, we moved on to the next plot which had 3 or 4 trees on it, one of which was a fairly dead looking sycamore. 

The Tree - Photograph: Graham Wenman

As you will know, sycamore trees often have loose bark and the Pammene regiana moth can often be found there.

So, we looked and did not find any. But, and it is a big but, we did discover 4 moths ‘hiding’ behind the bark. The first was a Mompha langiella and the next 3 were Mompha jurassicella. 

Photograph: Mike Shurmer

This moth is relatively new to Shropshire, the first record was made less than 5 years ago and a real surprise, Also, there is nothing in the literature to indicate such behaviour of Momphidae species. 

Spurred on by this success, we searched on, even looking at old fallen bark round the tree and found a couple of macro larvae - a common footman: 

Photograph: Graham Wenman

And a noctuid larva, possibly Noctua pronuba as well as a couple of moth pupae. 

Photograph: Graham Wenman

What was also of interest was the huge diversity of other life forms also present under the bark: slugs, snails, flies and so on, and here is a selection of photos.

Thanasimus formicarius, ant beetle:

Photograph: Mike Shurmer

Ctesias serra, cobweb beetle larva:

Photograph: Graham Wenman

Walnut orb weaver:

Photograph: Mike Shurmer

Pachygnatha clerki:

Photograph: Graham Wenman

A millipede:

Photograph: Graham Wenman

A stonefly:

Photograph: Graham Wenman

Cochlicopa lubrica:

Photograph: Graham Wenman

A parasitised moth larva:

Photograph: Graham Wenman

The most abundant were the stone flies, woodlice and the centipedes. And on our way back to the exit I could not resist lifting a chunk of bark on a fallen willow branch and found a sawfly larva in pre-pupation mode.

Photograph: Graham Wenman

All in all, we certainly were not barking up the wrong tree!

Bioslog Update

The halfway point in the number of species has been reached in Neil's bioslog. His tally now stands at 505 species. A recent encounter was a bullhead which he found from a new site on the Weald Moors. 

He reports that Telford has proven something of a raptor magnet, the following been seen so far hobby, osprey, marsh harrier, goshawk, sparrowhawk, kestrel, red kite, peregrine, common buzzard, barn owl and tawny owl. Priorslee lake seems the place to be.

At the time Neil gave me this update redstarts have arrived on the Wrekin but there was no sign of pied flycatcher or wood warbler.

I can report, however, following a dawn chorus walk on the Wrekin on Sunday 2nd May that several pied catcher pairs are now established there, but there was no sight or sound of wood warblers.

Here are a few photographs of Neil's recent encounters:

Early-purple orchid

Photograph: Neil Nash

Herald

Photograph: Neil Nash

Herb paris

Photograph: Neil Nash

Streamer

Photograph: Neil Nash

All being well the Government's Covid Roadmap will enter Phase 3 on Monday May 17th. Once this phase is given the go ahead groups of up to 30 may meet outdoors. Whilst social distancing measures and other good covid practices will still need to be observed this change will allow us to restart the Joy of Wildlife walks programme. I have issued the programme of walks, but if for some reason you have not received a copy it can be viewed on this site by selecting the "Joy of Wildlife" link at the top of the page.

To finish this report a round-up of recent events. As always my thanks to the photographers for providing their efforts for inclusion.

 

We start in Whitchurch at the Greenfields SWT Reserve on a gloriously sunny and warm day before the current run of unseasonably cold weather started. An early encounter was the attractively marked beetle Hydrothassa marginella.

Whilst a couple of us puzzled over this beetle our lichenologist appeared, looking triumphant, holding a twig with some yellow material on it:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

This is the lichen Candelaria concolor. This lichen has spread recently, taking advantage of the lower concentration of sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere.

If there are yellow flowers on site it is always a good idea to look them over. It is surprising how many insects will be found visiting them. Here are three found at Greenfields.

Andrena haemorrhoa, orange-tailed mining bee

Photograph: David Williams

Andrena cineraria, ashy mining bee

Photograph: Bob Kemp

And Bibio lanigerus

Photograph: John Martin

There was a patch of grassland in the full sun at the top of the site where a bee was found apparently not interested in the colour yellow, Andrena fulva, tawny mining bee.

Photograph: David Williams

It is a bit early in the year to be seeing grasshoppers but one of their relatives bounded within range of the camera, Tetrix subulata, slender groundhopper.

Photograph: David Williams

The warmth of the day brought out butterfly activity. Especially delightful were the orange tips as they flitted here and there going about their business. Occasionally one paused to refresh.

Photograph: David Williams

I am always taken aback by the difference between the orange and white pattern of the upper-side and the chequered green and white of the underside.

A 10-spot ladybird was found. However it did not have the usual pattern of small black spots on the red background of wing cases, but large red spots on a black background. This form is known as decempustulatus.

Photograph: David Williams

And what of the spiders I hear you ask. Well we did find one or two including this Xysticus cristatus.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

The final insect from Greenfields was another bee, Nomada lathburiana.

Photograph: David Williams

Nomada's enter the nests of other bees and lay their eggs in the nest wall of an unsealed nest cell. The Nomada grub then destroys the host's egg or grub and feeds on the food source that the host bee had provided. Among the hosts of this Nomada is the ashy mining bee.

Photograph: David Williams

A few day's later a visit to Bridgnorth found the photographer overlooking the River Severn. Never one to miss a photo-opportunity he took a snap.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

On the same trip he came across one of the birds that Neil was waiting for, a pied flycatcher.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

A trip for a six socially distanced group was arranged to the Field Studies Council's centre at Preston Monford. It was a cold and grey day, and it turned out to be a rather barren day, although a burst of sunnier warmer weather towards the end of the day brought out a few insects. Most of the interest centred around a pool and a wildflower meadow.

The pool was littered with lots of snails, among them Planorbarius corneus, great ramshorn snail.

Photograph: David Williams

You may notice that there are spots where the shell appears to have been eaten away, We were curious to know what caused this. Our best guess was a parasite. Can anyone out there help?

The larva of the moth Noctua fimbriata, broad-bordered yellow underwing, was found amongst some leaf litter.

Photograph: David Williams

Loitering by the pool was a frog.

Photograph: David Williams

And not too far away Palomena prasina, green shieldbug.

Photograph: David Williams

Curiously there were some clumps of daffodils in the wild flower meadow. Careful examination of the leaves provided sight of several Norellia spinipes, a fly associated with Narcissus species. Its larva feed by mining the leaves and it pupates at the base of the plant. Damage to the bulbs can occur.

Photograph: David Williams

Preston Montford has a 5-star "Bee hotel" and sure enough we found bees exploring the variety of nesting cavities it provides. Among them was the species Osmia bicornis, red mason bee.

Photograph: David Williams

There is also a long high brick wall on which there is normally some bee and wasp activity but on this day, disappointingly, there was nothing to be seen.

The following day I received this photograph of fallow deer. Unfortunately the deer were doing what they always do when I see them - running away.

Photograph: Ian Plumridge

On the same day we visited Trench Wood near Droitwich. Here we encountered Bombylius discolor, dotted bee-fly. This was the first time I had seen one, but no sooner had I spotted it and confirmed the wing pattern of dots than it disappeared ... before any camera could be focussed.

Never mind, the memory of it would have to suffice. We moved on and were rewarded with the sight of another bee-fly, this time Bombylius major, feeding at a catkin.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Lunch was taken by a pool. On the other side, in the sun, was a meadow which contained several "reptile tiles". A quick peep under these revealed a slow-worm.

Continuing our meander around the wood we came across a peacock butterfly which seemed very reluctant to fly away from us as we approached.

As we were leaving the site two things happened.

The first was a rather slow fly-by by a moth. This was netted and photographed for identification then let go to carry on its erratic course. It was a light orange underwing.

The second was very unexpected. A number of bee-flies hovering over the path, behaving like hoverflies. They seemed to be holding territory, then dashing off every now and then to investigate anything flying close by. One did remain in position long enough for this stunning photograph to be taken.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

And, yes, it is a dotted bee-fly Bombylius discolor.

A few days later at Highgate Common Bob managed to take a photograph of Bombylius major hovering at Highgate Common.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

As you can see from these photographs Bombylius major has a pale rear end whereas discolor is dark making it possible to distinguish these two large bee-flies in flight from behind. However I do not know how reliable this remains as the animals age and show signs of wear and tear.

Still at Highgate common the conopid fly Myopa testacea was found loitering on the vegetation.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

My final group of photographs originate from an expedition to Loamhole Dingle on a cold, damp but, thankfully, rain free day last week.

Loamhole Dingle is a prime site for craneflies but very few were evident on this day. However a female Tipula vittata happily posed on some ransoms leaves.

Photograph: David Williams

Within the woodland the trees were barely in leave but there were several spring flowers braving the weather including clumps of marsh marigold and wood anemone. The wood avens was in bud.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

It was a day of contrasting weevils with the diminutive Leiosoma deflexum at one end of the size scale.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

And the much larger Liophloeus tessulatus at the other end.

Photograph: David Williams 

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Well, this has turned out to be much longer than I had intended. If you have managed to stay the course and make it to the end - well done! If not, I hope you enjoyed the bits you did manage to read.

I leave you with a photograph of a siskin at a garden feeder.

Keep well.

Photograph: Ian Plumridge