Potpourri, February 2022

Wednesday 2nd  February 2022, Bury Ditches

For this outing we returned to Bury Ditches with the aim of taking a look at the beech woodland on the north side of the hillfort. In several previous visits I had never been to this side and, so it transpired, had very few others of the group.

Despite the best efforts of the Shropshire Highways department, who had closed the road from Marshbrook to Horderley causing a lot of us to have to take a diversion, we managed to get underway not long after 10.30am.

We did not get far and we did not get there very fast as the vegetation at the side of the path proved irresistible.

A couple of early finds were the staphylinid beetle, Scaphidium quadrimaculatum;

Photograph: David Williams

And a Ringlet butterfly larva.

Photograph: David Williams

The group became rather strung out as some of us were keen to press on whilst others wished to dally.

However the middle group proved productive and produced the day's star find -  a False ladybird beetle, Endomychus coccineus.

Photograph: David Williams

The advance guard then found a real ladybird, an Eyed ladybird, overwintering in some moss.

Photograph: David Williams

Eyed ladybirds come in two forms. One with each black spot surrounded by a pale ring and one without the rings, like this one. 

Eventually the group reassembled – it was time for lunch!

But various invertebrates of interest that had been found were brought along for a show and tell during our picnic, including a macrolabic male Common earwig;

Photograph: David Williams

(“Macrolabic” is the term used to state that its claspers are larger than normal.)

And a weevil of considerable bulk – a Pine weevil, Hylobius abietis.

Photograph: David Williams

Lunch completed we searched the beech wood for a while longer paying particular attention to our favourite moss looking for our favourite winter insect, a Snow flea.

None were found here.

We moved on.

We came to a small quarry and close to its entrance there was a good patch of Polytrichum moss on a bank. This was searched using the vacuum sampler and …

Hey presto!

A Snow flea.

Photograph: David Williams

Happy with our find we moved on towards the summit and the hill fort.

Pausing by a seat we did a quick search of the vegetation there and found the inconspicuous ladybird, Scymnus haemorrhoidales.

Photograph: David Williams

Time was pressing and it started raining. We pushed on. Up and up and …

Finally reaching the hill fort.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

We passed through fairly quickly as it really was time to go home.

And the view was not great as the weather had closed in. 

Fortunately our eye in the sky had been there earlier when it was sunny to capture the view.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

To finish, this week’s Wednesday Weevil of the Week is Leiosoma deflexum.

Photograph: Emm Cane-Honeysett

A curiosity

This object was found during our visit to Bury Ditches.

Photograph: Caroline Uff

It appears to be some sort of tool that fits comfortably in the hand rather than something that happened naturally. On investigation, various suggestions have been made as to its purpose including:

• An orthocone nautiloid fossil;

• a bronze age casting mould;

• a perforated pebble

• a portable sharpening/buffing tool for spear/arrow heads.

The pictures are now with the county archaeologist and we await developments.

Wednesday 9th February, Oswestry Old Racecourse

Unfortunately I was late, but did arrive just in time for lunch after joining the group by the ruins of the grandstand, where I learnt that the last race took place in 1848 and had lunch.

The highlights that I missed in the morning were:

A Juniper shieldbug beaten out of a large stand of Leylandii;

Photograph: David Williams

A large ground beetle, Carabus problematicus;

Photograph: David Williams

And a harvestman, Megabunus diadema.

Photograph: David Williams

Whilst many of the group hovered around the grandstand as the stonework and the vegetation bordering it were full of interest, one or two wandered off into the nearby woodland.

I am sorry to say that it was far from inspiring.

Photograph: David Williams

The wide path through the trees is part of the Offa’s Dyke footpath.

Lunch over we tore ourselves away from the grandstand and made our way along a long wide stretch of grassland bordered by mainly young trees.

In amongst the fallen twigs a lichen was identified that has only been recorded in the county once, more than 60 years ago (also in the Oswestry area).

Photograph: Bob Kemp

This is Phaeographis dendritica.

The grassland fringe proved quite productive considering the time of year:

A slime mould, as yet to be identified;

Photograph: Bob Kemp

A fungus Sarcoscypha coccinea;

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Another fungus with the rather sinister common name, Dead moll’s fingers;

Photograph: Bob Kemp

And two different forms of 10-spot ladybirds.

Photograph: David Williams

The temperature was dropping and some hand-warming was required.

Photograph: John Martin

A battery powered hair dryer, produced from our arachnologists’s Mary Poppins-like bag, provided the heat.

We came to a decision point – continue further or take a path that led straight back to the cars?

There was no decision really - we took the path.

On the way we passed a gorse bush that seemed well past its sell-by date but on closer inspection it was providing winter quarters for several aggregations of 7-spot ladybirds.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

All that remains to report is the Wednesday Weevil of the Week which is Perapion violaceum.

Photograph: Emm Cane-Honeysett

Wednesday 16th February, Haughmond Hill

This event was called off due to the threat of Storm Dudley.

Wednesday 23th February, Ercall Wood.

I was unable to attend this event. 

The day was mostly dull with a cold breeze and the group’s attempt to scale the dizzy heights of Lawrence’s Hill were beaten back by the cutting wind. However, in the woodland the underfoot conditions were extremely slippery making staying upright very difficult.

A reasonable number of beetles and flies were found, including the fly Borborillus uncinatus which has only been recorded in the county once before. 

We have a new group of interest - slime moulds. 

Several example were found, but identification is tricky as they need to be monitored until they bear their fruits and produce spores.

This is what we believe to be Metatrichia floriformis before it fruits:

Photograph: David Williams

And this is another example of the same species that has fruited.

Photograph: David Williams

My thanks to David for providing the outline of the day which I have paraphrased above. My gratitude to Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Shropshire County Council and Forestry England for giving us permission to do what we enjoy doing and to the photographers who illuminate the report so brilliantly.