February 2023 excursions Part 2

 Wednesday 15th February 2023, Buttery Farm, Kynnersley

Buttery Farm is an arable farm on the Weald Moor close to Kynnersley. Most of its land is dedicated to growing Elephant grass for biofuel production but it also has some wilder areas which we explored.

We parked in Kynnersley and walked the mile or so to the site along the track known as Kynnersley Drive. The track is like a Roman Road – straight. Here it is from just over half way along.

Where we were headed was the line of trees in the distance.

Needless to say some took the early morning stroll at a faster pace and some lagged behind.

However, the laggers were not idle. On the way they found an “inconspicuous” ladybird, Rhyzobius lophanthe.

Photograph: David Williams

And this patch of Snowdrops.

Photograph: David Williams

Eventually we got to the site.

We spent the rest of the morning exploring the rough grassland and trees around the pool.

Funaria hygrometrica:

Photograph: John Martin

Rhyzobius litura and a 24-spot ladybird:

Photograph: David Williams

Juniper shieldbug:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A staphylinid beetle, Hygronoma dimidiata:

Photograph: Nigel Jones

A second staphylinid, Metopsia clypeata:

Photograph: Nigel Jones

Exhausted by our long walk and morning searches we moved to the neighbouring reservoir and settled down for lunch and a breather.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

There were some Reedmace in front of where we were so one brave (or foolhardy) person went to check them for signs of life. He found Water ladybirds.

Photograph: David Williams

Lunch over we moved around to the far side of the reservoir and into an area of marshy ground which was not very marshy following the recent lack of rain.

Photograph: John Martin

A rather dishevelled Harvest mouse nest was discovered amongst some dead vegetation.

Photograph: Neil Nash

And in a wetter area there was a Water vole larder.

Photograph: Neil Nash

We moved to a drier area where we looked at the vegetation under a hedge. Suction sampling collected this mite – we have no idea what species it is.

Photograph: David Williams

Suction sampling was a good was of collecting grains of soil and although sifting through soil was exciting for some others were waiting to move on.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And was this wait worthwhile?

Yes!

A staphylinid beetle hardly bigger than some of the larger particles was spotted. 

Photograph: David Williams

It was later identified as Micropeplus staphylinoides.

The waiting over the nearby woodland next attracted our attention.

A collection of feather was observed. Here are a selection.

Photograph: David Williams

They were identifies as Barn owl feathers. There were plenty of feathers but no sign of a carcass. This was a puzzle that none of our theories explained satisfactorily.

Time to start the long walk back to the cars.

On the way we found something of great interest.

Many were drawn to this attraction, but others were able to resist and satisfied themselves checking a further selection of vacuumed items.

Two more ladybirds were found, a 16-spot and 22-spot:

Photograph: David Williams

A micro-moth, Agonopterix heracliana:

Photograph: John Martin

And a NEW COUNTY RECORD, the fly Oscinisoma gilvipes:

Photograph: Nigel Jones

On the way back some Hebridean sheep pondered on the meaning of life and why this group of weary people spent their time grubbing around all day apparently enjoying themselves.

Photograph: John Martin

Wednesday 22nd February 2023, Brown Moss

"Please check for Pond mud snails and keep a look out for a Terrapin" was the request when I asked Shropshire County Council for permission to visit the site with the group.

Fortunately a member of the group was able to supply an article on Pond mud snails, how to look for them and bring a sieve.

When I arrived he was already at work sieving the shallow water at the edge of the lake pool. He found some snails but none fitted the description of our target snail species.

We moved to a smaller pool and our sifter tried again. Was he successful? 

You will have to wait to find out.

Meanwhile the rest of us contented ourselves with not looking for Pond mud snails. In and around the pool we did find:

A beetle, Chrysolina polita;

Flushed with Water vole success the previous week we found another larder;

Another beetle, Oulema melanolopus or rufocyanea – they can only be separated by microscopic examination;

John Martin

A further beetle, Prasocuris phellandrii;

Photograph: Nigel Jones

A shore bug, Chartoscirta cincta;

Photograph: Nigel Jones

And yet another beetle, which has not been identified.

Photograph: John Martin

All these beetles involved a lot of staring into trays.

And what does that person have in his sieve?

Patience.

It started to rain.

It poured down.

We scurried to the porous shelter of some conifers, continued to look into trays and had lunch.

The rain stopped, the sun came out and lunch was finished, allowing us to emerge and move to the area of the site that houses a schwingmoor or quaking bog. On the way we noticed that quite a bit of tree felling had been carried out giving the land a rather forlorn appearance.

The schwingmoor was situated in this area.

The surface of the bog is a thick, dense mat of moss that floats on underlying water. Two of the mosses present were:

Polytrichum commune;

Photograph: John Martin

And Sphagnum palustre.

Photograph; John Martin

Searching the area around the bog we found:

Another beetle that defied our attempts to identify it on the day;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A fungus known as Crimped gill, Plicaturopsis crispa;

Photograph: John Martin

And a collection of Glistening inkcap on dead wood.

Onto another pool we moved.

And then into a wet meadow.

Here we continued with our ability not to be able to identify a beast when we found this millipede.

Photograph; Nigel Cane-Honeysett

I now defer to my colleague to provide the commentary for the next four photographs.

“What’s this Nigel has given me?”

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

“Is that a Higg's Boson?”

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

“Still can’t wok it out”

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

“Oh it’s a pooter”

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

After all this activity the samplers were given a well-earned rest!

And we went home.

But I think I have forgotten something …

Pond mud snails.

Yes, there was one in his sieve, later confirmed by the County Recorder.

Here it is.

Photograph: John Martin

And the Terrapin? It is still at large.

Thank you to the owners of Buttery Farm and Shropshire County Council for giving us permission to enjoy ourselves and to the photographers for their many and varied images to illuminate the tale.

February 2023 excursions Part 1

Wednesday 1st February 2023, Old Racecourse, Oswestry

Dry but cold and breezy weather greeted us as we made our delayed visit to this site.

The car park was very busy and there were lots of people milling around but they were not all with us. A group of walkers set off just before we were kitted up and raring to go.

We made our way along the ride heading north towards Racecourse Common.

Finding anything other than tiny flies was difficult (it is winter!). But the flies kept one member of the group very busy gathering up specimens for identification.

As usual at this time of the year, vacuum sampling proved the most effect tool in our arsenal. Each sample was inspected intently.

However, some preferred the quieter approach.

Wandering on we found ourselves by a pool. One oak close to the pool hosted several Cola-nut galls.

This is caused by the larva of the asexual generation of the gall wasp Andricus lignicola.

A bench was spotted and this became the focus point for lunch.

After lunch we made our way, sedately, to Racecourse Common, a large area of grassland and heathland, where we continued to do our thing until it was time to go home.

Wednesday 8th February 2023, Muxton Marsh, Granville Country Park, Telford

A lovely sunny day, but being early February the biting wind numbed unprotected bits of the body. 

After a brief reconnaissance of the grassland that opened out in front of the kissing gate used to enter the site we made for the marsh…

Photograph: David Williams

And the willow carr beyond the marsh.

We searched, beat and suction sampled to find things of interest:

Dead leaves of Reedmace were pealed back revealing:

A Brown willow beetle, Gallerucella lineola;

Photograph: David Williams

A ground bug Chilacis typhae.

Photograph: David Williams

Suction sampling captured:

A tiny wasp, Euplectrus intactus, a first record of this species for the county;

Photograph: Nigel Jones

A springtail, Dicyrtomina ornata;

Photograph: David Williams

And sifting grains sucked up earth under a microscope later revealed the minute fly Stilpon graminum.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

A Willow scale, Chionaspis salicis, was spotted on … a Willow!

Photograph: David Williams

In the site’s boundary hedge catkins were in abundance on this Hazel.

Finding shelter from the wind was impossible. But by lunchtime the sun was beginning to thaw us out enabling us to eat lunch with some feeling in our fingers.

During this break the very high tripod was employed to take this photograph of the marsh and the rest of us eating lunch.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Lunch over we made our way into the woodland behind the marsh and carr.

No trees were in leaf but Ivy abounded and where there is ivy there may be ivy ladybirds, Nephus quadrimaculatus. And, after some determined searching, one was found.

Photograph: David Williams

We like to think that we are a sociable bunch but looking at this photograph I am not so sure!

Photograph: John Martin

I can assure you that this stand off is very unusual. Apparently they were trying to decide which of the many paths to take.

We did not get lost and successfully socialised and circumnavigated the wood to return to the marsh and from there to our cars and home.

My thanks to the Shropshire County Council, Telford and Wrekin Council and Shropshire Wildlife Trust for allowing us to visit their sites. My gratitude to the photographers for providing their excellent images that supplement my efforts.