Potpourri, October 2021

Wednesday 6th October 2021, Pasford Farm

For our first “winter” outing we revisited Pasford Farm on the Shropshire-Staffordhire border. We visited this site a few weeks before but ran out of time to investigate the northern end of the valley that runs north to south along the county border. Our intention was to look at the areas we did not get to last time.

Our visit spent the morning in the woodland to the east of the border in STAFFORDSHIRE!

Photograph: David Williams

No, this is not the border wall between the counties but one of the interesting features on the farm.

Talking of interesting features our dronist took this curious “orbital view” of the valley.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

We moved back into Shropshire greeting our newest member on the way.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

These are some of the insects we saw whilst exploring the northern end of the valley:

Water measurer;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Roesel’s bush cricket;

Photograph: David Williams

A springtail stalker, the beetle Notiophilus bigattatus;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

An orange ladybird;

Photograph: David Williams

A ground beetle, Poecilus cupreus;

Photograph: David Williams

And our "Wednesday Weevil of the Week", Parthelcus polinarius.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

To finish, a panoramic photograph of the part of the valley we visited.

Photograph: David Williams

Wednesday 13th October 2021, Pam's Pools

Unfortunately I could not attend this event but I received this report of the outing from our special correspondent from Madeley.

“We fork right just up here by the mustard coloured house” I said to my chaffeuse.  Consternation ensued as the house which had been mustard coloured for years, nay eons, was now a whiter shade of pale. Someone needs to let Google maps know of this outrage. Nevertheless we forked right and then took the turning to Underton as directed in our leader’s email.

“If we pass two cottages on the left we’ve just missed the gate on the right”. 

“What those two cottages on our left ?” 

More consternation! 

Turning round we looked for a gate on the left as we were now going the other way but came upon a gate to the right which had fresh tyre tracks leading to a building signed Pam’s Pools. There had been nobody in the field to the right when we went past initially so maybe they went wrong and went in there – but no, the tyre tracks belonged to some other vehicle which was no longer there.

As a determined looking lady approached I decided to ring our leader so he could direct us to where he was so we could join him. 

Alas he was at home, being somewhat indisposed, so we decided not to join him after all. Meanwhile a conversation with the owner, for ‘twas she, directed us to where we ought to be.

We entered the correct field just in time to see the County Orthopterist almost drive past but, spotting us, reverse and the JoW team for the day was complete.  Yes only three people and two cars! Where was everybody else?

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

It appears that other usual attendees were waiting for gas men, attending less happy events etc. or had gone back to bed to recuperate.

We alighted from our vehicles and prepared ourselves for the day’s surveying.  

“Oh dear I’ve forgotten my boots” 

“Forgotten your boots – I’ve forgotten, almost everything !”. 

Did our heroes carry on or call it a day and go home defeated? 

Luckily back up bits and pieces came to light and, most importantly, one of the items not forgotten was lunch so surveying could safely commence.

Our leader had stated that the visit was intended to cover the new areas of Pam’s Pools that we hadn’t visited before so, true to form, we crossed over the road to visit the area we had visited on numerous occasions!  

We did have an excuse, however, because it was in that area that our County Orthopterist had previously seen a spider only recorded twice in Shropshire. The vegetation was extremely soggy so we decided that any sensible spider would wait for the day (and their web)  to dry out before venturing from their hideaway so we would try again at the end of the day.

Meantime we eyed up the shrubs and trees on the other side of what appeared to be an electric fence with a view to beating out inverts in general and weevils in particular. I wondered whether it was an electric fence and, if so, whether it was live. So I touched it and nothing happened. To make sure I touched it again and nothing happened again. 

Emboldened by this I grasped it firmly to lift it up and slide underneath. 

On regaining consciousness I remembered that electric fences are not “live” all the time but pulse and I had seized it at the very moment it had pulsed. Who needs expensive defibrillators when there are electric fences about. My fibrills were extremely elated!

We decided to follow our leaders’ instructions and crossed back over the road to survey pastures (well all sorts of habitats really) new and we were soon rewarded by sight of a Comma butterfly.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We vacuumed and swept and beat all sorts of vegetation including this as yet unidentified tree that we suspected as being sort of “limey”or maybe “hornbeamy”  but weren’t sure.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

It has since been confirmed as a hornbeam by the team botanist.

We were busy fishing things out of the collecting tray when the owner and a volunteer appeared and the 28 region map that our leader had passed on to us was explained.

As the owner is a retired GP I took the opportunity to consult her on the effects of electrocution but she merely expressed satisfaction that I had tested the electric fence for her as she wasn’t sure if the battery had run down.  I gently fizzed and crackled in confirmation that the battery had indeed not run down.

We explained where we would like to go and she informed us that a recent recruit to our little band and an extremely experienced wildlife photographer had lost a bit of camera lens camouflage in that area so we could look for it. It struck me that, had the item been a sensible hi-viz yellow, it wouldn’t have been so easy to lose!

In the meantime the fields were alive with the sound of coneheads although none of us could actually hear them without the aid of a bat detector not even those who had young ears.

Photograph: David Williams

Although it was perilously close to lunchtime we carried on vaccing and detecting and beating and got so carried away that the Time of Lunching passed and we didn’t remember until, well I won’t say what time as it may cause attacks of the vapours to those reading this. Suffice to say it was later than usual.

Fortified with suitable comestibles we broke camp and headed for the land of the lost photographic item.

On our slow progress towards that area we encountered a number of 24 spot ladybirds.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A moth known commonly as the Brick. I once bought a brick for 10/- (close to a year’s pocket money) for the then still being completed Guildford Cathedral but I don’t remember it looking like this!

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A very friendly common darter;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a rather attractive beetle – Lema cyanella.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And now for something completely different!  

For fans of The Transformers who often, no doubt, wonder where Optimus Prime ended up, the mystery is solved.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We carried on into the area where the photographic item was alleged to have been lost but, despite keeping an eye out whilst we searched for inverts, we did not find it.

We did, however, find evidence of an otter’s feast. 

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And more evidence  

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

The owner had previously told us that an otter has been suspected of being particularly partial to the invasive Signal crayfish.

Returning to the beetle theme we found Cytilus sericeus - a pill beetle.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a weevil  Amalus scortillum – one of the Ceutorhynchs or, as we’ve started to call them, “ceuties”.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Well they are cute!

Other fascinating creatures we encountered during the day were:

A grey patched mining bee (Andrena nitida) that was suffering from season confusion and shouldn’t really be about now being a creature of the spring;

Photograph: David Williams

Yet another beetle. This time an inconspicuous ladybird – Rhyzobius litura;

Photograph: David Williams

A Knotgrass larva;

Photograph: David Williams

And a lacebug – Tingis ampliata which can often be found on Creeping thistle.

Photograph: David Williams

As we trudged back to the cars about 20-30 sheep suddenly and eerily appeared on the other side of a gap in the fence and looked at us with knowing expressions as if to say “We found what you were looking for and it was delicious!”.  

After only a few steps I thought I’d go back and photograph the guilty parties for a possible identity parade but they had completely vanished.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Had we only imagined them?

We then returned to the much surveyed area where we had started the day to look for the spider but it did not show itself. We did, however, find a Southern hawker;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a Ruby tiger caterpillar.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Oh – I nearly forgot. Our weevil champion, has chosen the Wednesday Weekly Weevil or is it the Weekly Wednesday Weevil?  

No matter – here it is. Another common but attractive little beetle – Apion frumentarium.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A good day out and the weather held out getting really very warm for reasonably long periods.

Wednesday 20th October 2021, Hopton Wood and The Cliffe

My sequence of absences continued for this and the following outing. These were due to my foot having a disagreement with a vertical paving slab that decided it wanted to be horizontal. The paving slab won the argument resulting in considerable pain initially and a long-lingering discomfort. I was struggling to walk around the house; there was no way I could manage 5 hours or so walking and standing about on uneven ground.

Fortunately I received an update from Penkridge on what transpired on this visit. And this was supplemented by a few photographs.

The group met in the car park at Hopton Wood where they dithered about for a while then set off. It was sunny with a strong westerly wind bringing the weather in. 

They ambled through the wood and onto the lane where two late arrivals caught them up. Early finds were a Cream-spot ladybird;

Photograph: David Williams

And a Bronze shieldbug.

Photograph: David Williams

From the far end of the wood they turned right onto the road, walked a short way and then turned left to follow the path up to The Cliffe. 

The pool a third of the way up, on the left, was just very damp with an animal track across it.

 

Further on they saw Stinkhorns, Phallus impudicus, a dozen with more at the egg stage. 

Photograph: David Williams

A surprising number and variety of fungi were observed throughout the day including this Fly agaric, Amanita muscaria.

Photograph: David Williams

Onwards and upwards they reached the reservoir at the top and had lunch (about ten minutes early). From this viewpoint they could see the weather coming towards them and play “name that hill” which turned out to result in abject guesswork. 

They then walked north along the ridge to the more open area, perfect to feel the pressure change and see the rain come in. They hurried back to the shelter of the trees. 

The sun came out and they continued back slowly before the rain returned causing them to quicken their pace to get back to the cars and go home. 

Wednesday 27th October 2021, Vane and Wynnes Coppices

Unfortunately no correspondent provided me with a written report of this visit that I could use, but I have heard snippets verbally which I will try to reproduce.

The group gathered in the Community Car Park in Coalbrookdale before walking  a short way up Jiggers Bank to the entrance to Vane Coppice just after passing under the railway bridge.

There was a steady climb as the lane passed through the coppice. Many pauses to admire the trees were taken. And a few items of interest that hung around long enough to be photographed were, in fact, photographed:

A 10-spot ladybird;

Photograph: David Williams

A beetle which may be one of two species but was recorded as Aphidion flavipes agg.;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

An aphid, beaten from larch, which was probably Cinara laricis;

Photograph: David Williams

And a tiny springtail measuring about 0.75mm, probably a member of the Hypogastruridae family.

Photograph: David Williams

At some stage a choice had to be made to reach the next section of the site. Take the steep climb or take a gentler ascent via a longer path. All I know is that some, if not all, took the steep route.

From Vane Coppice the group passed into Wynnes Coppice. 

Here my memory of the conversational snippets is blank but I know there were lots of steps involved!

Not sure if they were up, down or both. 

The only photograph to come from this area was of a pseudoscorpion which are always a joy to find. This one was Neobisium carcinoides.

Photograph: David Williams

Descending from and leaving Wynnes Coppice the group made their way back to the cars and home via Loamhole Dingle.

I almost forgot. There is a "Weevil of the Week". This is Sciaphilus asperatus. It was found in Vanes Coppice,

Photograph: Emm Cane-Honeysett

Other News

Our Orthopterist had been on tenterhooks since learning that a Southern oak bush cricket had been spotted in a garden in Shrewsbury. Eventually he got permission to visit the garden and there, still in residence, was the aforementioned insect.

Photograph: David Williams

And finally, during a visit to the Scily Isles some moth trappers introduced the photographer to a Radford's flame shoulder moth. This is not one that we find in Shropshire, but you never know ...

Photographer: John Martin

Keep well.

My thanks to Shropshire County Council, Severn Gorge Countryside Trust and the owners of Pasford Farm and Pam's Pools for allowing us to do what we enjoy doing, the special correspondents who provided reports in my absence and to the photographers for letting me use their photographs in the report.