Doughnut Bokeh

 Wednesday 18th October 2023, Merrington Green

The weather relented just long enough for us to enjoy a day of entomology at Merrington Green, a reserve managed by Shropshire County Council. The site is a mixture of grassland, woodland and a few pools. 

We met in the site car park which was just big enough to accommodate our transport in addition to the other users of the site.

Whilst waiting for everyone to get ready a few started early and found amongst other things a few 7-spot ladybirds.

Photograph: David Williams

Without further ado, I can inform you that, once again, our fly man managed to find a fly that had not been recorded in the county before. The fly was from a family that he does not usually try to identify, but as it was quite picturesque, he was encouraged to have a go. 

And was rewarded.

Here it is, Apiloscatopse flavicollis.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

At last, everyone was ready, and we made our way along a path through the trees, stopping periodically to tap the branches to see what fell out, to an elongste and irregularly shaped grassland.

Here is a view of a small part of it.

No more photographs of the grassland will be necessary as the this is the habit that we were in throughout most of the day.

Activity oscillated between sampling the shorter vegetation at the edge of the cut grass and checking out the bordering trees, with the occasional search of the cut grass mounds to see if anything had taken up residence.

Checking out the oak trees gave us sight of a Hawthorn shieldbug;

Photograph: David Williams

And a colourful planthopper, Eurhadina pulchella.

Photograph: David Williams

Sampling the vegetation at the edge usually resulted in a crowd gathering to examine the contents as they were emptied into a tray.

It was in one of these samples that we found the tiny ladybird Scymnus haemorrhoidalis whose red rear may have influenced the person who originally bestowed it its taxonomic name.

Photograph: David Williams

Of course, the use of sweep nets, beating trays and suction samplers does not exclude the use of our other senses to spot things. An example being this fungus which I am told is an Amethyst deceiver.

Photograph: Neil Nash

But equipment is always welcome, especially when it uncovers things like this crab spider about to tuck into a larva for lunch.

Photograph: Neil Nash

Talking of lunch, it was now that time. As there were no benches or picnic benches in sight we just sprawled out on the grass; most of us with some protection from the damp conditions – but not all!

During lunch, talk, as it seems inevitably to do, turned to photography. Normally all the technical references to equipment pass straight over my head, as my idea of a camera is, turn it on, select the subject, take the photograph and hope that it looks OK.

But others like to make it far more complicated by talking about things like ISO, f-stops, types of lens, and all sorts of other paraphernalia.

It was then I heard the phrase “Doughnut Bokeh”. This piqued my interest and, like a fool, I asked.

“What’s that?”

Knowing my lack of empathy for detailed photographic details it was explained simply as the effect on out of focus highlights caused by a mirror lens. Apparently they are captured as circles. 

Well, I have learnt something on this outing. I now await an opportunity to put my newly acquired knowledge to use.

But…

What is a mirror lens?!!!

Lunch over we continued through the grassland to the far end of the site doing what we normally do.

Here are a couple of beetles that were found:

An oddly shaped chrysomelid beetle, Bruchus loti;

Photograph: John Martin

And a weevil which may be Leiosoma deflexum, but this needs to be confirmed.

Photograph: John Martin

Under an oak tree that stood isolated in the middle of the grassland we found a clump of Fly agaric fungi. Here is one of them.

And now a warning!

Do not attempt to tease out insects from a fruiting apple tree by beating it.

Eventually we reached the end of the grassland which gave way to a path through the trees that led to a lane. The path was bordered by a couple of pools which were more or less inaccessible to us, so we passed them by and joined the lane. This in turn led to a further pool with a platform affording us access.

Unfortunately, there was no open water just soggy vegetation.

We spent some time checking out the poolside vegetation before spotting that the worsening overhead conditions hinted that it was time to take cover.

So we decided to call it a day and return to the cars.

On the way we passed an Elm with leaves that were covered in small pimple-like galls.

These are caused by the mite Aceria campestricola.

We got back to the cars just in time as it started to rain. Storm Babet announced its arrival.

My thanks to Shropshire County Council for permitting us to do what we enjoy doing and to the photographers for sending me their images to illuminate the report.

Other news

Some photographs from foreign climes. These were taken whilst holidaying on the Amalfi coast.

A gecko.

Photograph: Ian Plumridge

A Southern green shieldbug.

Photograph: Ian Plumridge

A Swallotail butterfly.

Photograph: Ian Plumridge

And a Stick insect which may be a Spanish stick insect, Pijnackeria hispanica.

Photograph: Ian Plumridge