Wading through the piles of potential recyclables to clear a space for my split kindling in the log shed I paused a moment and glanced upwards. There in the old roof rafters the cups of this years broods remained stuck firmly in place. I briefly debated removing one to have a look but suspected I would be depriving a wood mouse of a winter snuggle pit.
As I write the swallows are limbering up for the long flight south, so we are not the only ones responding to the change of season.
Tidying the garden the frog gave us a start, his triangular head poking skyward from the water filled bucket, we knew how he got in but he was going to need some help getting out. Frogs only need pools to breed in, the rest of the year feggy, thick and tussocky grasslands will do, we flushed out a plague of the striped and spotted fresks when clearing a knotted patch of bramble. Our frog was carried carefully to the most tangled corner of the garden and gently slid back to freedom. Moments later a familiar nerve-jangling cry let us know that a toad had been found, this time in a watering can, for him a release spot near the veg. plot compost heap, bad luck slugs!
Adorning so many trees and woody shrubs are the long awaited fruits, the product of those delightful blossoms earlier in the year. Orange haws, rowan berries, red hips, elderberries and blackberries are steadily stripped from their stems by hungry birds. It is in the early autumn that the hideaway antics of birds following the annual moult come to an end. For the migrant bird the moult, a steady loss of old feathers to be replaced with new, has to be a quick process, a blackcap replaces it’s plumage in 35 days before embarking for the southern Mediterranean and north Africa. The resident Bullfinch takes its time over a leisurely three months.
Birds tend to avoid moulting during the breeding season, when food-stocks are low or whilst migrating, though there are so many exceptions as to defy simple classification. At a critical point during the moult all birds will experience an impaired ability to fly, and for some such as the willow warbler this occurs twice a year. The willow warbler spends its days in thorny scrub and consequently needs to revamp its flight kit more regularly. By now though our resident birds need to be fluffing nicely there is much work to be done as the temperatures drop.
Trying to make the most of the shortening evenings I headed out on the cycle, I liked the rustle of browned leaves on the road and gave my appreciation to a handful of late blooming wildflowers.
A sweet gang of Common Toadflax, also known as ‘Bunny mouths’, sent a yellow and orange peal down a grassy verge and will with luck still be showing off in early November. By the canal I encountered a number of Trifid Bur-marigolds, a scary name, I watched them for a while to check how firm rooted they might be before studying the small fire orange flower head. On the homeward leg a small powder blue patch of Harebell nodded from the hedge-bank, the Scottish bluebell. Contrary to my long held belief the harebell is not confined to the drier swards of the UK mountain districts but is found widely, avoiding damp conditions but held aloft on thin stems out of chalky or acid soils, lamp-like in a bracken forest or as mine were, dangling from the ancient grass banks of a raised field bounding hedge.
The end of summer is a slow affair, none of the urgency of the spring round of territory grabbing, display and procreation, but rather a gentler fattening up and hunkering down. The migrants will head off and our hardy residents will take up the sometimes unequal task of out-staying the winter. So after readying my log pile to keep the family warm I headed to the bird table topping up the nuts and seed to ensure this gardens feeding station was ready and waiting for custom.
If you would like to share your wildlife reflections please email Pete at petewoodman@thewoods12.fsnet.co.uk
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29 Sept 2010
27 Sept 2010
Extreme Moth-ing!
The night was cold. It was windy. And wet. Very wet. We’d chosen to do a moth night on the summit of Shropshire’s most prominent hill - The Wrekin!
September 10th, 2010 saw 4 intrepid Wrekin Forest Volunteers clamber aboard the Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s white Defender to drive to the top of the hill with all the equipment needed to set up moth-traps, small mammal traps and camping equipment.
Yep - we were there from dusk till dawn - or at least 2 of us were. Extreme moth-ing it may seem, but we were keen to find out what was flying up here at this time of the year. A similar exercise last year brought only a handful of moths but it wasn’t as cold then, or wet, or windy so maybe there’ll be nothing moth-ing at all tonight?! We’ll see.
So we set up camp attaching the Moth Pavilion to the jeep in an attempt to stop it from disappearing over the side of the hill in a gust of wind and secured our two small back-packing tents.
We were soon joined by Ian, Andy and Carl; the Ricoh Small Mammals team who with Pete Lambert placed several traps out in an effort to find out what mice, shrews and voles may be living up here. They were softies though - they were walking back down the hill later for home, hot tea and warm beds, returning in the morning to check the traps.
Keith brought along his now legendary moth sheet and torch which often attracts a few interesting species, not necessarily all moths. Graham also attended to help with ID’s (should there be any moths!) and to impart some of his wealth of local knowledge with us.
Moth and small mammal traps were set-up just as dark fell and an eerie mist descended casting weirdly huge shadows as we moved around the summit site.
Jenny (Telford Butterfly Group and Butterfly Conservation) climbed the hill with husband and dog to see what we were up to and helped when the generator died shortly after firing up. They pointed out that it might be something to do with the little breather-switch on the top that needed moving from ‘Off’ to ‘On’! How did I miss that? Thank you!
As predicted the bad weather kept most moths from flying but an Antler Moth popped in to see what all the fuss was about and somewhat later, after Graham, Keith and the Ricoh team had left, my first Autumnal Rustic of the year appeared.
Antler Moth
Autumnal Rustic
The gloom of the night moved in with yet more rain and stronger winds. Pete and I retired to our tents at around midnight and despite the foul night I managed to get a few hours sleep, faring better than Pete who struggled to push his way through the sound of rain and wind bashing the tents' fabric.
I was awoken a little after 6am with the sound of voices. It’s amazing the number of people who climb this most famous of Midlands hills from dawn to dusk and here were the first of the day.
It didn’t take too long to empty the two moth traps, identify and record the results:-
Large Yellow Underwing Noctua pronuba 7 Antler Moth Cerapteryx graminis 2
Autumnal Rustic Eugnorisma glareosa 2
Lesser Yellow Underwing Noctua comes 2
Silver Y Autographa gamma 1
Common Wainscot Mythimna pallens 1
Setaceous Hebrew Character Xestia c-nigrum 1
Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella 1
Micro-moth Caloptilia betulicola agg 1
18 moths across 9 species with no big surprises but an interesting exercise nonetheless. Must mention that Keith had a minor success with his sheet and torch when a ladybird hopped on board.
Right on time at 8am the Ricoh lads returned having climbed the hill once more and with Pete did the rounds of all the small mammal traps
And amongst the inhabitants was this little chappie and I’m afraid I can’t remember whether this was a Yellow-necked, Wood or Field mouse but there’s obviously a few little mammals around up here.
Just time for a group photo and then a ride back down the hill again with a little delay caused by a tree that had fallen during the high winds of the night blocking the main path.
And I’m afraid I’ve no idea what was happening here but it certainly looks painful!
Catch you all soon
Paul Watts
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22 Aug 2010
Grimpo Nature Notes – August & July 2010
The copse lay in a characteristic damp North Shropshire hollow, inevitably we were quickly covered in mosquitoes and beat an orderly retreat. But before departing the hostile wood I spotted a peculiar buttercup-like flower. The five petals were the usual glossy bright yellow but the thin straggling stems lacked rigidity making the plant crawl across the ground. A buttercup, yes, but neither Creeping, the gardener’s terror nor Meadow, but the Lesser spearwort. The scientific name being Ranunculus flammula, the first meaning ‘frog like’, and the second referring to the ‘flame’ shaped leaves. A good number of the buttercup family such as Lesser celandine like damp conditions which possibly explains the frog like appellation.
Elsewhere in the wood Soft rush and Broad buckler fern crowns sent up their varied spikes and fronds. Damp pocketed woodlands like this have been preserved against agricultural advance growing as they do on difficult to drain land. The hollows are the result of the action of a great ice sheet that over lay the North Shropshire and Cheshire Plain 10,000 years ago. Varied deposits of glacial till have left behind peat lands, mosses and meres. Over towards Baggy Moor this low lying landscape has proved the haunt of our smallest bird of prey, the Merlin. It has a characteristic low, fast flight hunting down small song birds. The breeding pair numbers in Shropshire have been less than double figures for a long time, so a sight of this skilled pilot is a thrill. The Merlin lacks the moustaches of its bigger relative the Hobby and has distinctive black streaks on its brown chest.
Our wetlands generate swarms of insects and their accompanying bird predators. Making our way to another likely jungle setting, swooping streamer tailed air athletes feasted. At first we marvelled at the Swallows, but our accolades were saved for the Swifts. Matt black and uncompromising in the power of their curving progress, we were spared the slightly unnerving scream they make when flying over the breeding colony. Elsewhere a deep blue Emperor dragonfly was mesmerising a wildlife watcher with its pulsing hunting patrol flight. The last few months have been better for butterflies, Ringlets, Meadow browns and Gatekeepers all flying in good numbers. The Ringlet appears quite dark in flight but up close the female carries the most delightful eyed spots on its wings, rather like a half dozen RAF roundels. A darkening sky forces most of these tender creatures to ground, today’s weather was mixed and thoughts turned to home.
We gathered the first blackberries on our way back, fat purple drupes, sweet washed by a brief shower. Some of the runners were still in flower ensuring a long season of pies, crumbles and red stained lips. Closing the door behind us we began planning for our next adventure, maybe this time we’ll go out for the whole afternoon!
Happy Wildlife Spotting, best wishes, Pete.
If you would like to share your wildlife sights I would love to hear from you, my email is: petewoodman@thewoods12.fsnet.co.uk
Grimpo Nature Notes July 2010
PB had suggested I take a walk along the canal and down to visit the Aston Locks nature reserve. Very good advice I concluded after a delightful stroll beside the beautiful and diverse bankside flora. I had hoped to catch a flash of azure, as reports of kingfishers had been made from both Heath Houses and the Boneworks. I was not so lucky either in hoping to see curlews on my visit though they are around, my first encounter being the frothy cream heads of the Meadowsweet, confirmed by its red stems. Meadow sweet was used in mediaeval times to flavour mead though it’s name over time evolved to reflect it fondness for damp meadows, various parts of the flower carry different scents from the honey tinged flowers and the sharpness of the leaves. In stark contrast further along I spied the drooping purple flowers of the Bittersweet, also known as Woody Nightshade. Despite an attractive climbing habit the Bittersweet leaves smell of burnt rubber and of course the red berries are poisonous.
Wildflowers adopt a fantastic range of forms to take advantage of soil, sun and water. Birds Foot trefoil or more commonly called Eggs and Bacon, tends to grow low on disturbed soils, its yellow and red tinged flowers making a show of a plain area of grass. Along the towpath it is joined by red and white clover, now past their best but still contributing a bobble head of colour. With my eye trained into to spot the yellows, I realised I was a little early for the full show of the water lilies but they were on their way, and a little late for the flag iris who’s bulging seeds pods were ripening on the stem. But just in time for the silverweed, the flower is mildly similar to buttercup but with a livelier edge to the keenly coloured petals.
I had to reach for my plant book for the next few yards, a group of medium tall plants that all looked like nettles but the varying colour flower heads said different. Finally I was able to distinguish Gipsywort, from which a fast black dye can be produced. Then White deadnettle, non stinging, propped up the left hand side of the stand of imitators. The square hairy stems of Purple loosestrife with its towering spike of red/pink whorls of flowers were next. Loosestrife derives its name from the Greek belief that it had a powerful calming effect on oxen.
Tangled through the plants invasive tendrils of Goosegrass or cleavers, bullied their way to the light. For such a vigorous plant it has such insignificant white flowers. I was pleased that as I moved towards the waters edge a finer and more delicate cousin of the Goosegrass was in flower, the Marsh bedstraw, it’s white four petalled blooms held by a thin tracery of stems and whorls of leaves. The bedstraws all have the characteristic whorl of leaves, along some of our local lanes I have seen the yellow flowered Lady’s bedstraw and in the Berwyns can be found the tiny Heath bedstraw.
Just before I turned for home I spotted a tuft of blue flowered plants which on closer inspection I recognised as Skullcap. The name derives from the shape of the flower which is reminiscent of a Roman soldier’s leather helmet. The skullcap ironically is a member of the same family as the deadnettles that had caused me problems earlier; we have another, Black horehound growing by the compost heap in the garden.
In other local gardens, treats from the last month include Bullfinches, Long tailed tits and broods of blue tits, fledging now, so fingers crossed. Finally an intriguing report of a Nightjar has been received near Threadneedle Street, this secretive nocturnal bird has a distinctive frog like call and a wide gaping mouth to catch moths on the wing.
As ever a jam packed month, make sure you spare at least one balmy evening to commune with nature at her brightest.
Happy Wildlife Spotting, best wishes, Pete.
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