Spring Treat

Wednesday 24th April, Prince’s Rough

The sun was shining brightly as we gathered in the Burial Ground car park in Westhope.

After a slight delay we set off to reach Prince’s Rough. 

When we were about halfway, we realised that the two of us within the group who knew about the site were not sure how to get there! 

After a brief pause while we waited for some back markers to catch us up (!) we took the opportunity to do a quick explore to check the route.

Once we were all gathered together again, and confidence restored that we knew the way, we strode on towards the site, passing some sheep (possibly Herdwick’s) who took an interest in what we were up to.

Photograph: John Martin

We ascended to the top of the small hill, passing a large farmyard muck pile (that no-one ventured near), then gazed upon our destination which was at the foot of the hill ascending up the next gentle slope.

Prince’s Rough is designated a SSSI as a traditionally managed herb-rich hay meadow. It is situated on the dip slope of Wenlock. According to the SSSI citation, the meadow contains many locally uncommon and scarce plants. There is a wet area associated with a redundant ditch and a small seasonal pool at the southern end of the meadow which add to the overall diversity of the flora.

And what a sight it was when it came into view, with thousands of yellow dots against a green background provided by the multitude of cowslips.

We entered the site through a gate and set about doing what we normally do: observing; sweep netting, beating, suction sampling; grubbing around; photographing; chatting; eating and identifying what we found – not necessarily in this order of time spent – until it was time to return home.

I will let the photographs provide most of the day’s story.

The first meadow that we came on entering the site.

On the right as we entered several Mesembrina meridiana were resting on a tree trunk.

Photograph: John Martin

Beaten from the vegetation, an Angle shades moth larva.

Photograph: David Williams

From the same vegetation a Slender ground hopper.

Photograph: David Williams

In amongst the Cowslips one of several Adder’s-tongue ferns. It has acquired its name as the projecting stalk that bears the fern’s spores resembles a snake’s tongue, and the leaf a snake’s head.

Photograph: David Williams

Whilst most of us pottered about this first meadow one member returning after injury soon displayed glimpses of his old form in the second meadow.

Cowslips!

Photograph: John Martin

A sign of spring, mating craneflies, Euphylidorea dispar.

Another sign, blossom about to burst forth.

A Wainscot species larva.

Photograph: David Williams

Moving into the second meadow, if anything the cowslips were even more abundant. Interspersed with them were Early-purple orchids.

Photograph: David Williams

Photograph: John Bingham

Beating the hedgerow dislodged several small Figure of Eight moth larvae. Here is one of them.

Photograph: David Williams

A ground beetle, Oxyselaphus obscurus.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

More signs of Spring, a pair of staphylinid beetles, probably Stenus similis.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Dotted bee-fly at rest.

Photograph: David Williams

And a Dotted bee-fly feeding at a cowslip.

Photograph: David Willims

A tiny “wiglet”, the first instar of a Common earwig.

Photograph: David Williams

A view showing the second meadow with Flounder’s Folly on top of the hill in the distance.

Photograph: David Williams

Entering some woodland we were met by this strange arrangement.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Returning to the meadow a fungus was spotted, Ophiocordycipitaceae gracilis. This develops within the buried larva of a caterpillar then erupts from it when it flowers. The photograph is not of the one found but one found on an earlier occasion.

Photograph: John Bingham

And finally, someone had to do it!

  Photograph: John Martin

To sum up, a comment from one of the attendees, "A splendid day and at times almost warm!"

My thanks to the site manager for allowing us to do what we enjoy doing. My gratitude to the photographers for sending me their excellent images to illuminate the report.

It’s been a hard day!

Wednesday 17th April, Barnes Farm

After last week’s appalling weather that led to the cancellation of our trip to Bishop’s Wood Field Study Council site, we were relieved that the rain had relented for this trip. But rain was nearby as highlighted by this rainbow, which was very low in the sky.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

There was, however, a stiff cold wind, which made us wonder if we had donned enough layers!

Definitely a day for winter clothing and hand-warmers.

The day’s observations started before we had arrived on site as one car took the exciting route over the Long Mynd to do a bit of bird spotting. The target was Wheatear. Several were observed making the trip worthwhile.

Photograph: John Martin

Barnes Farm is now owned by the National Trust who are trying to improve the grassland, as part of the Stepping Stones project, for the benefit of wildlife. They are being assisted by Buglife who have done work on several of the fields as part of their B-Lines project. We were very pleased to welcome a member of the Buglife team who joined us for the day.

Wrapped up and kitted out, we set off. 

Not very far, as the lane from the parking area had a hedge that provided some protection from the wind, encouraging us to dally and see what we could find there.

Eventually we ventured out from this area and to the hedged track the led between the fields.

Unfortunately, the direction of the lane and the cold wind coincided, which discouraged searching the hedgerow and the vegetation.

But we are made of strong stuff and were able to make a few observations in this area, including these 16-spot and Rhyzobius litura ladybirds.

Photograph: David Williams

Oops, maybe the wind has flipped the Rhyzobius and one of the 16-spots. Let’s try again.

Photograph: David Williams

The Rhyzobius litura has been righted but one of the 16-spots has disappeared! Never mind, at least you can see what the underside of the ladybirds looks like.

Another find in this area was a Green dock beetle.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

At some point during the day we found this skull.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

I am informed that it may be the skull of a pheasant.

As we approached the end of the lane we were presented with this obstacle.

A huge and quite deep puddle.

Careful navigation was required around its edge to avoid wet feet.

From here we progressed relatively quickly across a couple of very wet fields to the Local Wildlife Site, passing a magnificent old oak on the way. We spotted this pupa embedded in the oak.

Photograph: David Williams

Once we had all arrived at the site, we settled down for lunch, shielded from the wind, thankfully, by the lie of the land.

Looking behind us we had a glorious view of the Long Mynd, now bathed in sunshine.

In amongst the vegetation we found:

Bitter vetch;

Photograph: John Martin

And swathes of Marsh marigold.

Photograph: David Williams

A search of the grassland around where we lunched revealed:

A small ladybird Nephus redtenbacheri;

Photograph: David Williams

A Walnut orb weaver;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a ground beetle Poecilus cupreus.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Its greenish-brown metallic hue earning it the “common” name Copper greenclock. “Copper” I understand, but “Greenclock” ???

We ventured into the marshy area.

Amongst some irises that were growing we observed this Iris flea beetle.

Photograph: David Williams

Investigation of the general vegetation in the marsh revealed a couple of uncommon craneflies that specialise in this type of habitat. 

The first was the distinctively marked “picture-wing” species Idioptera pulchellus.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

The second was Molophilus ater. Here is a pair mating.

Photograph: David Williams

This tiny black flightless fly, with striking white halteres, had only been found at one other site in Shropshire, so this was a very significant record. We found a lot of them. Every sweep, beat and suction sample collecting a few. Apparently the majority of the adults emerge within a few days and immediately get round to the task of producing the next generation, dying soon after. Thus you have to be in the right place at the right time to see them. Thankfully, for us, we were.

One significant find was followed by another. Grubbing around in an area with dead wood uncovered a Glow-worm larva.

Photograph: David Williams

Some of us then wandered into the adjacent field. 

There were many Marsh marigolds following the line of a shallow wet depression.

A Large red damselfly was observed.

Photograph: John Martin

Leaving this field, we followed the stream for a short while…

Before returning to the first field where a few of us were paparazzied taking a short break!

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

It had been a hard day!!!

(And it was quite a walk back to the start.)

Before we left we managed to find and photograph a harvestman that we do not find very often, Homolenotus quadrimaculatus.

Photograph: David Williams

Two events of note took place on our way back.

The first was a hare spotted racing across a field.

Photograph: John Martin

This is such a wonderful sight and it is worth a second photograph.

Photograph: John Martin

The second event was an impromptu game of “ring-a-ring a roses” as we searched for an Adder’s-tongue fern. It had been spotted earlier by a few of the group but missed by the rest.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We did not find it.

The black clouds gathering overhead hastened our return to the cars.

My thanks to the National Trust for allowing us to do what we enjoy doing. My gratitude to the photographers for sending me their images to illuminate the report.