Careful Granddad!

Whitcliffe Common, Wednesday 21st July 2021

A second postponement meant a search for a suitable alternative site to visit. It is a while since we visited Whitcliffe Common to the south of Ludlow, so the postponement provided an opportunity to renew our acquaintance with the Shropshire Wildlife Trust reserve.

The car park and meeting point provided us with an excellent view over Ludlow, with the castle prominent in the bright sunshine of a hot summer's day.

Photograph: Stephen Mitchell

One of the group brought along his daughter and grandchild which reduced our average age for the day by about 10% and left us breathless as the child's boundless enthusiasm and curiosity dragged us along behind him.

The large meadow was the area in which we started. This area had the least shade so was better tackled before the heat of the day got the better of us.

We surveyed here ...

We surveyed there ...

We looked everywhere (OK. I have overexaggerated a little) ...

Photograph: Stephen Mitchell

Whilst some decided to take advantage of the seats.

The grassland yielded plenty of delights and our photographers took their chances when insects came to a rest. Here are some of their efforts.

A moth commonly found in grasslands, Agriphila straminea.

Photograph: Jim Almond

Another moth that is usually perpetual motion whenever you try to get close, a Silver Y.

Photograph: Jim Almond

A Red-tailed bumble bee.

Photograph: Jim Almond

A Roesel's bush cricket.

Photograph: David Williams

A Common blue butterfly.

Photograph: Jim Almond

And one subject that was not about to take the huff and fly or run away, although they did move in the breeze, Harebells.

Our final grassland species is a Small skipper that formed an attachment to our young entomologist.

Photographer: David Williams

The grassland was surrounded by trees and scrub (as well as the road on which we parked) and this habitat was scoured for anything of interest.

A robberfly.

Photograph: Jim Almond

I am sorry but I do not know which species. This family of flies are superb hunters of other invertebrates as proven by a similar fly that has caught a moth.

Next was an arboreal insect, an Oak bush cricket.

Photograph: Jim Almond

It was time for lunch and most of us retreated to a shady spot in a corner of the meadow, However several people were at the other end of the meadow. Rather than be lazy and telephone to inform them where we were I decided to hike over to them.

And I am glad I did as they had found a Lobster moth caterpillar.

Photograph: David Williams

Take note of the forked appendage at the end of the abdomen (on the left) which together with the partly raised abdomen gives it the appearance of a snake's head. This provides a defence mechanism against predators.

I returned to the lunch spot and the others eventually followed. 

Remaining vigilant during this down time a Forest bug (also known as a Red-legged shieldbug) was observed on one of the trees providing shade. It was photographed.

Photograph: Jim Almond

All the "spots" on the oak leaf are a mixture of Spangle galls caused by the gall wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum and Silk-button galls caused by Neuroterus numismalis.

The Silk-button galls are the galls that look a bit like doughnuts but get their name from the fine golden hairs that cover the surface. The Spangle galls are the purple-ish galls. 

Both galls are caused by the female of the sexual generation of the wasp laying her fertilised eggs in or on the leaf. The galls develop over the summer and autumn and an asexual generation of female wasps will emerge from the galls after winter. These in turn lay their eggs on oak leaves and different galls are generated which develop to produce the sexual generation. And the cycle recommences. 

Lunch over we descended by a track through the woodland to the banks of the River Teme, emerging close to Dinham Bridge and another view of the castle.

Photograph: Stephen Mitchell

A pair of White-legged damselflies were observed.

Photograph: Jim Almond

After a bit of searching in a small patch of grassland with a small rock-face to one side plus some polite interaction with the public we had a decision to make.

Take the shorter but steep route back, or ...

Take the longer but more gently inclined route?

Mmm!

We took the longer route. And it is a s well we did as it made one man very happy as well as providing the title for this report.

Checking the trees that grew along the river bank we found a Parent bug with hatchlings. The adult had several empty egg cases stuck to its body.

Photograph: David Williams

As we continued our stroll we saw a flash of red as an insect was flying along. A Scarlet tiger moth. It was followed until it settled then the photographers moved in.

Photograph: David Williams

Whilst we were following the Scarlet tiger our young entomologist found something he wanted his granddad to look at.

Not a problem you would think.

But granddad was on a higher path to grandson and there was a steep 6 foot slope between them.

Keen to please grandson, granddad made the descent eliciting cries of "Careful Granddad!" from the spectators. 

I am glad to say that the descent was achieved successfully without incident, but I have no idea why he was summoned.

A couple of other insects were photographed. I am not sure where they were found but now seems as good a time as any to include them!

A Banded demoiselle.

Photograph: Jim Almond

And a White plume moth.

Photograph: Jim Almond

The path was gradually rising and we came to a weir.

On and up we went.

Through the trees.

And high in the trees there was some movement.

One of the trees was an elm.

Was the movement a White-letter hairstreak, a species that had so far this year eluded our butterfly questor?

We gathered around, stood and gawped.

Photograph: Stephen Mitchell

Well most of us did.

There would be occasional glimpses of a butterfly but no clear sightings.

Goodness knows what anyone else using the path thought was going on.

After what seemed a very long time and with increasing discomfort from my neck I decided enough was enough and moved on, hesitatingly, with the odd look back, until I turned the corner.

I lingered a little further up the path and others began to join me.

Eventually one of the arrivals reported that a butterfly had been identified - a Purple hairstreak. 

We began to move on.

But not everyone had joined us. Two had remained rooted to the spot, still staring into the trees. So we dallied.

Eventually they joined us and our butterfly questor had a grin like the Cheshire cat as he reported success, A White-letter hairstreak had been seen ... and photographed. Here are a couple of the photographs.

Photograph: Jim Almond

Photograph: Jim Almond

Patience had been rewarded.

After that excitement all that was left was to make our way back to the cars and make our way home.

My thanks to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust for giving us permission to do what we enjoy doing. And a huge thanks to the photographers who captured the highlights of the day so wonderfully and allowed me to use them to illustrate this report.

Round Up

A trip to Whixhall Moss last month revealed this Raft spider carrying her egg-sac.

Photograph: Susan Leather

And in a garden near Welshpool a couple of clearwinmgs were tempted to visit when pheremone lures were deployed. 

A Lunar hornet moth.

Photograph: Clare Boyes

A Yellow-legged clearwing.

Photograph: Clare Boyes

I am informed that this success comes after many years of trying in suitable locations without success. Just hanging the lures out by her back door did the trick. 

An outing to south Wales to visit Craig Ddu, to the north east of St. Brides Major to look for High-brown fritillary was undertaken. We parked by the Avon Alun shortly after crossing a ford. This was followed by a short but steep ascent to the top of the hill. 

Fortunately we met a group of surveyors undertaking a transect as we neared the top. This gave us plenty of time to regain our breath and quiz them about where we were likely to find the butterfly.

Restored and informed we took a wide path through the high bracken looking for flashes of orange from the butterfly and also small clearings in the bracken where the females may be searching out suitable places to lay eggs.

There were several flashes of orange that we frantically followed as they darted hither and thither then disappeared. There was no chance to determine what they were.

As I was walking along I pointed out a small clering a few yards from the path, then walked on.

My companion was more determined that I was and ploughed his way through the bracken to where he could look into the clearing. He then got very excited as there, settled on the ground was a High-brown fritillary.

I hurried back to see.

Later, as we were taking a break, another High-brown fritillary settled on a thistle close by. Here it is:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Photograph: Bob Kemp

And to finish more news from our correspondent in Church Stretton. This time of a Shropshire first record when a Bedstraw hawkmoth visited his moth trap.

Photograph: Catherine Wellings

Photograph: Catherine Wellings

Keep well.

Ginger cordial and lemon cake

Stoney Field, New Invention - Wednesday 14th July 2021

Stoney Field is a gently sloping field that the current owners bought three years ago. They decided that they would manage it for the benefit of nature and wildlife.

Rather than repeat information that is available elsewhere  you can read all about it on the following website: We bought a field.

If you are unsure where New Invention is, it is on the A488 a few miles south of Clun,

Our visit started by trying to get everyone parked safely at the bottom of the field.

When I say it is a gently sloping field, the slope was far too great for my car, and I came to an abrupt stop and was unable to coax it further up the hill. 

Reversing and trying again gave the same result.

The car was abandoned (but leaving just enough room for other cars to pass should they wish).

Once we were all ready one of the owners gave us an introduction to the site, pointing out all the features, how they were managing it and specific areas we may be interested in. And she had drawn this wonderful map which we photographed to save us having to remember everything she had said.

Just so you know, we were parked in the bottom right hand corner of the field.

If you are having difficulty reading the text on the map you can left click on the image and a larger version should be displayed by you browser. Alternatively right click on the image and select either "Open link in new tab" or "Open link in new window" you can then, if you wish, click on the image presented and see an enlarged version.

Time to get on. 

We started in the meadow in the area above the cars which consists of a pair of hummocks known as "tumps".

This area was rich with wildflowers and anthills with lot of grasshoppers leaping about. Here is one, a Meadow grasshopper.

Photograph: David Williams

Another insect with the word "meadow" in its common name was flitting about, a Meadow brown butterfly. Our photographer has opted for a close up of the head showing the detail of the eye and the curled up proboscis

Photograph: David Williams

On the map you may have noticed a circled "X" under the word "Moonwort". As I had never knowingly seen moonwort I went to try and find it.

Despite the helpful "X" I failed.

Fortunately there were people in the group who knew what it looked like and, more importantly, where it was. They took me straight to the spot.

In my defence it had been protected with some brash to prevent it being trodden on.

Apparently this fern is named after the shape of its leaves which resemble a half-moon. It is found in dry unimproved grasslands.

Nearby was a stand of plants I had no trouble recognising, Harebells.

One insect that was very common in all parts of the site was the hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus, known to some as the Marmalade fly.

Photograph: David Williams

This is one of the easiest flies to identify with each segment of its abdomen containing two bands.

My progress up the hill was clearly laboured as everyone else had disappeared over the horizon.

I made the effort to catch up, eventually reaching another tail-ender, but by now everyone else was now in sight.

Another hummock with a patch of thistles and nettles was attracting some attention. Peacock butterfly larvae were on the nettles.

Photograph: David Williams

And a Swollen-thighed beetle on a thistle flower.

Photograph: David Williams

We moved from the meadow into the area at the top of the map which is unmanaged grassland that has been planted quite recently with a mix of native trees.

I say we - but I think all but four of the group were already there.

An area of wood chippings that was bordered by nettles in the shade of a couple of willows was now the focus of attention. 

Why?

I have no idea as the people there dispersed as I approached.

However, where you have nettles it is always worth searching for the larvae of Peacock and Small tortoiseshell butterflies.

Having already found Peacock larvae we now found a mass of Small tortoiseshell.

Photograph: David Williams

The longer grass of this area supported a good colony of Common green grasshoppers.

Photograph: David Williams

The small insect in the top right hand corner is a planthopper, possibly Deltocephalus pulicaris.

Lunch was taken under the raptor post as it was not in use, although we did see a few Red kites and Buzzards out and about over the neighbouring countryside.

During lunch we were shown this huge rove-beetle.

Photograph: David Williams

This was identified as Emus hirtus, the Hairy rove-beetle. It was photographed and returned to the area where it was found.

Lunch over it was back to doing what we enjoy doing. Our intrepid photographer made it to the top corner of the site and took this panorama.

Photographer: David Williams

Close to where we lunched, in amongst the trees that had been planted, we found an Aspen sapling which had a number of Puss moth larvae feeding on it.

Photograph: David Williams

Time was marching on and we still had to visit the third area of the site, the wetland. A determined effort was made to get there.

But ...

We had to pass the wood pile, nettles and willow; determination wavered and we dallied.

Our reward?

A Forest bug was spotted on the willow.

Photograph: David Williams

We "hurried" on, aware that time was running out.

And we got to the wetland ... eventually.

We spent some time at a pool watching Broad-bodied chasers fly here, there and everywhere for reasons unknown to us. A female was spotted ovipositing.

Photograph: David Williams

Just to be clear, there was only one female but a bit of wizardry has allowed two photographs to be joined into the single one above.

Surprisingly ladybirds were thin on the ground although we did find four different species including this 10-spot.

Photograph: David Williams

To round off the day as far as surveying is concerned a large cranefly was found in the wetland area, Tipula fascipennis.

Photograph: Jim Cresswell

To really round off the day we were invited to take a drink ...

Of ginger cordial.

Accompanied by a splendid Lemon cake.

Bliss.

And that was not all.

Strawberries appeared and were gratefully received.

I could get used to this.

My thanks to the owners of the site for inviting us to survey their field and providing us with such splendid refreshments. My thanks also to the photographers for capturing some of what we saw during the day and allowing me to use their photographs here.

An excellent site. All being well we will return and see how the site is developing.

Other news

From our correspondent in Church Stretton comes advice to inspect the seed heads of red campion ...

Photograph; Graham Wenman

As you may find a larva inside. This is a Lychnis.

Photograph: Graham Wenman

And if you find a folded clover leaf ...

Photograph: Graham Wenman

Prise it open and you may find the larva of the moth Ancylis badiana.

Photograph: Graham Wenman

From juvenile moths to adult butterflies. This Purple hairstreak paid a visit to his garden.

Photograph: Graham Wenman

Whilst this pair of Marbled whites were photographed at Marked Ash meadows.

Photograph: Catherine Wellings

And just to show that an insect's can take life easy, here are a tribe of mites hitching a lift on a Black sexton beetle.

Photograph; Graham Wenman

A few days before visiting Stoney Field three of us went to Oversley Wood in Warwickshire to look for Purple emperor butterflies. 

The Purple emperor is a scarce butterfly and we are lucky to have a colony within reasonable reach.

They are normally seen as the flit quickly and apparently effortlessly between the tops of trees. However males do come down to the ground to take in salts from puddles and the substrate.

There are many theories as to what will attract a male to descend which lead to purple emperor seekers spreading dung, fish paste and various liquids of their own making which, of course, are top secret, all over the paths. You have to be careful where you walk.

We ignore these theories and just look for them in the trees and say a big thank you to the butterfly if one lands close to us.

Our first encounter was a male that eventually settled to feed in a conifer.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

I was taken aback by the colour of the proboscis and how it stood out when seen live.

A lucky photograph here as I managed to capture the same butterfly with its wings open.

After this encounter we stayed in the same area hoping that it would descend to the ground. We joined the theorists by eating our lunch. Perhaps it would be attracted to our crumbs.

It wasn't!

Word reached us that a female was on a plant by the path a short distance from where we were. So, naturally, we went to have a look.

It was easy to find where she was as there was a crowd of people gathered around. 

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Unfortunately this butterfly seemed to have a damaged wing. As she did not fly away from all the attention it is possible that the damage was preventing her flying.

The media scrum eventually moved away and focussed its attention on a male that had come to ground near to where we had had lunch.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

We left it in peace and went home.

And finally, to round off this report about our visit to south west Shropshire, one of the group had visited Smiling Tree Farm, not far from New Invention, a couple of weeks before and found this wonderful beetle, a Bee chafer.

Photograph: John Lyden

Keep well.