Bagpipes

Wednesday 19th April, Apley Woods Local Nature Reserve

The Local Nature Reserve is situated in the estate of the demolished Apley Castle. A large extent of the site is wooded and includes several veteran and exotic trees. The rest of the site is grassland with one large and a couple of small pools with some small cultivated areas.

To start our day we wandered through an area of mixed mature trees. Unfortunately there was very little ground flora and the lower branches of most of the trees were out of reach. So our early searching was hard and did not reveal very much.

After a while we passed into an area that had been opened out. The ground cover was lusher here and we had more success. 

A fly found in woodland is Fannia mollissima, which is distinctively hairy with long curved hairs bent around the tip of its abdomen. I am not sure when it was found but this seems a good time to include it.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

There was plenty of fallen and broken branches on the ground and a slime mould was spotted on one of these.

Photograph: David Williams

All of a sudden we were regaled with the skirl of bagpipes …

Not quite the sound one expects in a nature reserve in Shropshire!

Although the weather was dry it was not very warm. As a result insects were rather less keen to take to the wing than normal. Here is one such example, a bee-fly, Bombylius major, which stayed put long enough to be photographed.

Photograph: David Williams

Believe it or not lunch was fast approaching. We emerged from the undergrowth and headed towards the “duck pond” where we were greeted by this multi-seater throne set up for our picnic.

Lunch was devoured as the bagpiper played on.

In addition to the piper we were kept company by a bee, Andrena haemorrhoa, which seemed content just to hang around resting on the throne.

Photograph: David Williams

Refreshed, we meandered our way towards the main grassland and main pool.

An early find after lunch was an Orange ladybird. Here is an interesting view of the insect.

Photograph: David Williams

We were side-tracked by a small patch of developing plants.

The  tree in the foreground of the above photograph had a very distinctive bark.

Reference to the internet informed us that this was a Snakebark-maple. Apparently there are lots of species but the only one listed in the Shropshire Flora is a Grey-budded snakebark-maple. I have no idea if this was one.

As we arrived at the grassland we were still being serenaded. 

What stamina!

We crossed the grassland to the large pool, passing a Fritillary on the way…

Photograph: David Williams

To be greeted by a small clump of Marsh marigold.

Keeping up our recent great run of Shropshire Firsts, suction sampling of the vegetation at the edge of the pool captured another, a fly, Trimerina madizans.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

The weather was now a little brighter and warmer and we started to find things of interest more easily.

Whilst most of the group were content to investigate the area adjoining the pool others went off to explore its perimeter.

Finds in this area included:

A small ladybird beaten out of Ivy, Nephus quadrimaculatus;

Photograph: David Williams

A Dock bug;

And an Alder leaf beetle.

Photograph: David Williams

The rovers returned…

The piper finally ran out of breath…

And it was time to head back to the cars.

On the way some tall rough vegetation was beaten yielding a couple of Tortoise beetles. Not just two Tortoise beetles, but two different species; Cassida rubiginosa (on the left in the following photograph) and Cassida vibex (on the right).

Other news

More from our correspondent in Madeley.

Something is making holes in his flower bed;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And this bee was trying to break into his house.

Photograph:  Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We believe that the bee, Andrena scotia, and its colleagues were the culprits.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

The first meeting in 2023 of the Shropshire Spider Group took place in the reserve created in the Telford Millenium Village at Ketley. 

As you will see from the photographs spiders were not all that was found on the day.

Moth larvae:

Blackneck;

Photograph: David Williams

And Common footman.

Photograph: John Martin

Shieldbugs:

Green shieldbug;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Gorse shieldbug;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Forest bug nymph;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a Woundwort shieldbug, found on White dead-nettle.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Emerging Horsetails:

Photograph: John Martin

Ladybirds:

Adonis’ ladybird;

Photograph: Maria Justamond

Rhyzobius chysomeloides;

Photograph: David Williams

Scymnus suturalis;

Photograph: Maria Justamond

Heather ladybird;

Photograph: David Williams

And another Heather ladybird but with the characteristic three spots missing from one of its wings.

Photograph: David Williams

Getting nearer to spiders, here are some Arachnids:

A pseudoscorpion, Neobisium carcinoides;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a harvestman, Nemastoma bimaculatum.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And FINALLY … a spider, with a rather descriptive taxonomic name which I thought had been made up by the photographer! But no, that is its name:

Peponocranium ludicrum.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

The upwards projection at the front is its head.

Thank you to Telford and Wrekin Council and Friends of Apley Woods for giving us permission to enjoy ourselves and to the photographers for their images to illuminate this tale.