The Sun has got its Hat on!

We’re back. 

Somehow amongst the disaster that has been the weather so far this year we managed to pick a sunny day to start off this season’s series of invertebrate rambles at Lea Quarry, Much Wenlock. 

I had continued to use the name “Invertebrately Challenged Tetrad Walks” in previous publicity but have decided that as we are not concerned this season with tetrads that have few invertebrate records I would change the title to reflect what we are actually doing – enjoying looking for invertebrates, studying them, trying to identify them and getting some exercise in pleasant company at the same time. So the walks have been re-branded as “The Joy of Invertebrates” walks.

Five of us gathered in the car park at Edge Renewables in Lea Quarry and were met by their environment officer Katy and her dog Jenny. We donned wellingtons, plenty of warm clothing (although it was sunny there was still a keen wind) and high-visibility jackets and set off to explore the site guided by Katy.

One area of the quarry that is of interest is to the south west which is being left to regenerate naturally following landscaping work last autumn. We visited this area first. 

On an earlier visit pit-fall traps had been set up around the base of a young tree that had been left in place during the landscaping. These were emptied and reset. There were not many insects in them but, regrettably, three smooth newts had come to grief. A ground beetle (Pterostichus madidus) was rescued and it quickly disappeared into a crevice in the ground.

Our next activity was to vacuum sample some of the cracks and crevices to see what was lurking out of sight. Unfortunately this did not happen as, on trying to start the engine, the pull-rope broke. Doh! Several not very nice words were muttered. The cracks and crevices had to be searched by hand!

We scoured the area for a while, even eschewing a coffee break, before returning to the car park for lunch. We were able to use some large rocks for seats in the lee of a yew and an unidentified conifer both of which, out of curiosity, we rattled and found a couple of micro-moths overwintering.

After lunch we went in the opposite direction following the path on the northern edge of the quarry returning along the quarry floor. This is the area in which Edge Renewables are hoping to place a Visitor Centre and introduce a public right of way.

An enjoyable start to the season. Thank you to Edge Renewables for permitting access and Katy for her informative guidance.


Unfortunately I forgot to check with our fitness guru on the length of the walk but plotting it out on a map gave a distance of just over 3 miles. I knew you would be interested!

Keith Fewkes

Benthall Edge Wood Fungi Foray - 9 October 2013 - Margaret Mitchell

This post regrettably comes hot on the foot of Pete Lambert's retirement from his regular submission of his much-loved monthly Nature Notes. Best of luck for the future Pete and I know I speak for all fellow WuFuV's and followers of this blog, from all corners of the world, when I say that your fascinating articles on wildlife in and around Grimpo will be sorely missed. 

So... now we need more content to keep this blog alive and don't forget it's not just WFV members that read it - bizarrely there are now more followers in China than in the UK! So if you have anything suitably wildlife and natury (is that a word?) with or without pics, please let me have a Word file or just raw text in Notepad with pics separately and I'll get it published for all to see.

Thank you

Paul Watts

And now over to Margaret Mitchell for another very interesting post that was created following a fungus foray last October. 

Over to you Marg...

A beginners view

Our summer invertebrate challenge tetrads completed, Les suggested some fungi days instead.  Les, Steve and I attended this first foray.  We duly set off from the National Trust car park at Benthall Hall and entered the woods.  September was very dry after an already long, hot summer – Les had been praying for rain, especially as he had an event planned for the following Sunday for the National Fungi Day.

My first find was growing on dead wood, 
Turkeytail. There are many similar ones
but I think I will recognise this one now,
the most common bracket fungus.








We found many varieties of bonnet mushrooms, which are difficult to identify, and often had to record them as mycena species, but the Lilac Bonnet was quite distinctive with its pinkish-grey cap.  It can also be recognised by its smell, reminiscent of radishes.  It is poisonous and can cause hallucinations! 

In all we found about 35 different fungi, many with intriguing, colourful common names, such as Ivory Woodwax, Blushing Bracket, Wood Woollyfoot, Brown Rollrim, Golden Waxcap and Candlesnuff.

By 1 o’clock the sun had ventured from behind the clouds and we found a viewpoint overlooking the Ironbridge Gorge.  Les pointed out features of interest including his own house nestling amongst the trees on the far wooded hillside.

We climbed over a fence that bordered the public footpath and scrambled through a tunnel of trees to surprisingly find ourselves in a cavernous dell, the remains of an old quarry and mine workings.  It is now colonised by wild flowers and grasses.  Prevalent in the late summer/autumn were nodding heads of Devil’s-bit Scabious, delicate but hardy.

In the quarry bottom were flushes of Honey fungus with black bootlaces spreading across the field.  Then came the unusual Common Earthball, which when cut open reveals a dark spore mass at its centre.  When mature the egg will crack open to discharge the spores.

Returning through the woods we took time to find a hidden footpath, which became progressively overgrown, until we found ourselves squeezed between a fence and an encroaching thicket of hawthorn and nettles.  We finally emerged, scratched and stung, much to the surprise of some curious sheep.

Tired, scratched and happy we had survived another intrepid expedition of exciting discoveries.

Margaret Mitchell
Wrekin Forest Volunteers

Moth Night at Coalmoor

Welcome to the first post by a new contributor and one of the most consistent members of the Wrekin Forest Volunteers in recent years - Margaret Mitchell - who, with husband Stephen, form that formidable couple endearingly known as The Bicker Twins!

So... over to you Marg...

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July 5th, 2013

The weather was warm and still with wispy clouds, good conditions for a busy ‘mothing.’

We arrived at the site by 8.30 pm with plenty of time to set up our moth traps.  On previous occasions access had only been to the old coal-washing site of two small lagoons with sunny banks, fringed by surrounding trees.  But this time we were also able to explore the restored landfill site.  It was very atmospheric, if not a little scary to pass the vent where the escaping gas was being burnt, later to be seen as a deep blue plume against the night sky.  As we walked up the stony track it was strange to feel the heat emanating from the ground, warming our cheeks.

The hillside was awash with colour from wild flowers.  These included birds’ foot trefoil, buttercups, self heal, tufted vetch, common spotted orchids and most special of all, bee orchids.

Bee orchid
Photo by David Williams

The night’s catch proved to be the best this year so far.  The daytime temperature had been in the high twenties and did not fall below 14C until midnight.  There were many ‘firsts’ for this season, such as the spectacular Drinker moth. - a rich chestnut brown with a hugely thick body, a very feisty moth doing a whirling Dervish impression at the bottom of the trap.












The Drinker
Photo by Stephen Mitchell

Other highlights were Peach Blossoms with their distinct markings of cream and brown circles.  Many moths have such intriguing names conjuring up delightful mental pictures.  Pale Emerald, Brimstone Moth, Beautiful Hook-tip, Dusky Brocade and Beautiful Golden Y were all caught.

Between 11 and 12 o’clock we had over 40 moths across 30 species in one trap alone (four traps operating in all) and we were reluctant to pack away and leave this very special and remote location, impatient to visit again in what is now proving to be a great summer for British moths.

Margaret Mitchell
Wrekin Forest Volunteers





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