Where’s Brian?

After three visits to Lea Quarry the arrival of April heralded the commencement of our more concentrated programme of visits. The first was to Apley Woods where we were joined by three members of the Friends of Apley Woods. We are making two visits to this site and the Friends hope that any records that we make will help them in quest to achieve Wildlife Site status for the area. 

The weather was fair but cool, the only blemish beings a short sprinkling of rain in the middle of the day. Nine of us gathered at the gate of the “Iron Horse” and set off to explore the grounds of the former Apley Castle. To set the context here is a quote from the Apley Woods’ website (http://apleywoods.co.uk/)

“With its 56 acres of meadows, pools, trees and winding footpaths, Apley Woods are a fine example of a 19th century landscaped woodland.

“Records mention woodland on this site as far back as 1300. However, the present woods were largely created during the last 200 years as part of the ornamental gardens to the second Apley Castle, a Georgian mansion house built in 1792 and demolished in 1955.”

Many of the trees have yet to break out into leaf but there were plenty of spring flowers and conifers to enjoy as well as the sight of mating Common toads at the side of Apley Pool. Tawny mining bees were about as were shieldbugs. If you recall last year one of our target species groups was shieldbugs and finding them at this time of the year was like locating the needle in a haystack. Today we had five different species: Dock bug, Green, Hawthorn, Birch and Bronze. Three of those were the “Catch of the Day” when Stephen tapped a Box bush and all fell into his tray – and stayed there while we jostled to take photographs.

The excitement of it all was too much so we had to sit down and have lunch.

After lunch we continued our quest. We found the huge, rambling Western Red cedar and felt compelled, as countless others had been, to invade its inner space and climb and lounge around on its branches. It’s a hard life.

After this interlude we continued to meander and came across a Treecreeper nest which a bird was gallantly defending against all-comers. So the day was brought to an end and we went our separate ways.

Thank you “Friends of Apley Woods” for making us welcome.

Our next outing was our fourth visit to Lea Quarry. This time a whole football team (without substitutes) assembled in the car park of Edge Renewables. The weather was wonderful and those present watched aghast as I removed one of my many layers of clothing as I was too warm. (It may never happen again this year.) 

Our arrival was unexpected as our communication’s officer, who shall remain nameless, had been unable to contact Edge Renewables. His telecommunications sub-contractors had accepted his payment but used it to buy tickets to the Bahamas rather than provide him with the service he was expecting. No matter Edge Renewables still made us welcome.

This visit followed the pattern that has been established we proceed to the “Regeneration Area” as it has become known to us, to inspect the pit-fall traps and see what else is going on of interest then have a look around the site. 

The cry of “Bonking Beetles” (the editor may need to censor that phrase) usually means someone has found Rhagonycha fulva a medium sized slim red beetle whose whole reason for existence seems to be to seek out members of the opposite sex for the purpose of procreation without any regard for public sensibility or decency. Only this time it was Green tiger beetles Cicindela campestris. (Again the editor may need to censor this photograph.)

We also came across a piece of dead grass that moved. Fortunately the person I was with was convinced it was not a piece of grass and collected it. It turned out to be a Common groundhopper Tetrix undulata. It looks like a miniature grasshopper but they seem to be around early in the year whereas grasshoppers are seen or more likely heard later in the year.

At lunch we realised that one of the group, who shall also remain nameless, was missing! Frantic searching (actually quite laid back as we are all sensible(!) adults) eventually found him. As we discussed what had happened it became clear that he knew exactly where he was and it was the other ten that were lost.

We concluded the day with a good look at the patch of calcareous grassland close to the buildings that are on site. This included doing a two metre quadrat of the the grassland flora to try to determine how it would be classified.

Exhausted, warm and united we dispersed for our homes.

Ed: The sexual activities of many diurnal inverts (not forgetting promiscuous primroses) are well documented so no censorship necessary.

Return to Lea Quarry

Rather like ants emerging from their nest when the weather warms up the recent mild dry weather encouraged ten “entomologists” to emerge from their wintering quarters and congregate at Lea Quarry for another rummage around this site.

After suiting, booting and equipping we were ready for the off – or were we? No. We spent the next half hour in the car park not searching for those elusive bugs but chatting. 

Eventually sense of purpose took over and we made our way to the area that we are surveying more systematically than usual. We noticed changes to the site immediately as the path we used had been developed into what felt like a motorway as the owners continue to landscape site. 

The pit fall traps were emptied and refreshed and then Nigel decided to start spring cleaning the site. The targets of this effort were tiny “money” spiders. And the method works. He was rewarded with several spiders which were all covered in grey dust but, hopefully, were not juveniles but adults and identifiable.

The machine is a garden leaf-blower but the tube is attached to air intake making it act like a vacuum cleaner. A net is put over the end of the tube and anything unfortunate to be sucked up is caught in the net. At the end of the operation the contents of the net are emptied into a tray and we all gather round to see what emerges. It keeps us entertained.

Whilst this was going on others wandered around the area seeing what they could find by more conventional means – looking, listening, sweep netting and beating. And to be frank there was not a great deal to be found. It was too dry!!! But, out of what looks like a lunar landscape, life is emerging.

All this activity was exhausting so a coffee break was called. I cracked, I felt the urge to have my sandwich. The rest followed like a line of dominoes in a domino rally – coffee-break turned into lunch.

Refreshed we decamped rather raggedly to the other end of the site which has more vegetation and a number of pools. Or so we/I thought. In the relentless lack of rain they had all but dried up. Still we were able to rummage in the undergrowth sifting moss and dead leaves to see what turned up.

Nigel’s bag is like Hermione Grainger’s bag or Doctor Who’s TARDIS – it’s bigger on the inside than out. Over the years I have never failed to be astounded by what he pulls out of it. Today he produced - a trowel, not just any trowel but a stainless steel depth measuring saw-edged trowel. This turned out to be another piece of essential equipment for the serious arachnid hunter. He used it to dig into a bank of earth and, hey presto, spiders were found. Amazing.

Our final stopping point was an area of established grassland. After a bit of sweep netting the urge to have a go with the vacuum was too great to be ignored. So a couple of us vacuum sampled small patches of grass then we all gathered round the tray to see what we had found. This party was brought to an end when a member of the party who shall remain nameless but I shall call “Tray Breaker” managed to make the machine fall apart.

Well it was time to go home; so we did.

Once again thank you to Edge Renewables for permitting access. And to the members of the group who make these little expeditions so enjoyable.

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