A damp squib

Rea Brook Valley, Wednesday, 3rd April 2019

The Rea Brook Valley is a local nature reserve that follows the course of the Rea Brook from close to the centre of Shrewsbury out to Meole Brace and beyond. It consists of grasslands, woodlands and plantations and is punctuated by a play ground and playing field. Housing is never far away; from the grander older houses close to the centre to the more modest modern estates of the outskirts. It is a popular area used by walkers, dog-walkers and runners.

We were full of hope and enthusiasm. A new season was about to begin. What would we find? What would be missing? 

Ah! The anticipation.

The weather, unfortunately, had other ideas.

We assembled in a cold wind and drizzle. Not an auspicious start.

Still if it is one thing that defines this group it is our persistence in adversity.

We made for the first area of grassland and set about doing our thing. Sweeping with nets was pointless, the wet vegetation drenched the netting. Beating trees was not much better usually dislodging enough water to create a pool in the tray as well as soak the beater. The most suitable options were observation and the vacuum sampler.

An early find was the weevil Ceutorhynchus pyrrhorhynchus. 

Photograph: Bob Kemp

This species is widespread in England and Wales and is found on hedge mustard plus various brassicas.

We moved on to an area where there is a small pool and spent time rummaging in the vegetation around its border. A curiosity:

Photograph; Les Hughes

What is this? It was found on top of a dead hedge at the end of the pool. One thought was amphibian entrails but this was cast into doubt by a local expert. If you know, we would be delighted to hear from you.

While some puzzled over the above others were making use of the vacuum sampler and one session caught three larvae.

A scarlet tiger (we think)

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

An unknown larva (again any suggestion gratefully accepted):

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And finally possibly a staphylinid beetle larva, its sizeable jaws clasping a springtail:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

The rain was persisting, if anything getting heavier. But we pressed on. Pausing close to the river where Ramsons was beginning to flower.

A brief respite was had from the heavier drizzle as we passed through a subway under a road. Some paused for longer than others pretending to search every square inch of the corrugated iron that lined the subway for creatures of interest.

The hardier souls had found their way to a small plantation where an inspection of a bird cherry revealed a cream-spot ladybird.

Photograph: Maria Justamond

Lunch beckoned and there was, close by, a convenient picnic table. It was absolutely drenched. So, rather than eat soggy sandwiches in the rain sitting on a soggy seat at a soggy table, we stood around it in the now very heavy drizzle, chatting. One or two ventured off to entomologise but soon returned.

Still smiling - Photograph: Charlie Bell

Enthusiasm started to wane and two or three drifted off as they had other things to do. And after a short while the remainder decided to do the same. We made our way slowly back to the cars. Believe it or not as we were getting close to where we had started the rain stopped.

This encouraged us to dally a little and gave a chance for our ace shieldbug spotter to demonstrate her skills, finding a hawthorn shieldbug in the vegetation at the side of the path.

Photograph: Maria Justamond

Despite the cessation of the water droplets from above we were cold and wet and took the sensible decision to abandon the day and go home.

My thanks to Shrewsbury Town Council for granting permission for us to do what we enjoy doing. To the photographers Nigel Cane-Honeysett, Maria Justamond, Bob Kemp, Charlie Bell and Les Hughes for taking photographs and letting me use them. But most of all thanks to all who turned up and making the best of it in the bad weather.

Grand Finale

Eardington Quarry Nature Reserve, Wednesday 31 October 2018

This was our 31st and last outing of the season which started way back at the beginning of April. Now I can have a short rest before preparing to start all over again at the start of April 2019.

But first I must report on our visit to this former sand and gravel quarry. 

The target for this outing were fungi and Lesne's earwig. We found very few fungi and none of the target earwigs so it was a bit of a failure but we did find plenty of other mini-beasts of interest.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

We started out from the car park and moved about 10 yards before setting up camp to explore the scrubby gravelly ground and trees that were nearby. This us brought us early reward by uncovering a small yellow leafhopper with a broad dark stripe down its back.

Photograph: David Williams

This was Zygina hyperici and this was the first time it had been recorded in the county. We found several more. As its name suggests it is associated with St. John's wort, more specifically perforate St. John's wort.

After half an hour or so we moved about 50 yards and repeated the exercise as well as inspecting the area around the pond.

From here we moved into an enclosure that is more of a scrubby grassland.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Whist our arachnologist vacuum sampled the grassland I wandered over to the trees at the top of the above photograph and gave them a gentle tap.

Out fell a shieldbug. A Juniper shieldbug.

Photograph: David Williams

My second effort dislodged a ladybird we do not see very often. A Cream-streaked ladybird.

Photograph: David Williams

My success rate dropped a little after these two excellent finds but our Orthopterist was all ears as he stalked a Field grasshopper.

Photograph: David Williams

Surprisingly lunchtime was fast approaching. One of the benefits of Eardington Quarry Nature Reserve is, thanks to the very active Friends group, a plentiful supply of seats dotted around the site and several picnic tables. We made for the one overlooking the Sand martin pool and nest boxes and enjoyed a leisurely lunch.

Photograph: David Williams

Not too leisurely as we made the occasional foray into the neighbouring vegetation and sifted the finding whilst taking in our refreshments.

Some of the insects that came our way at this time were an Ant damsel bug:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

A 22-spot ladybird:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

And a small planthopper Conomelus anceps:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Nearby a Common darter was keeping an eye on us.

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We were joined by a couple who had visited the bird hide and were now looking around the site at the other wildlife. They had seen a hawker not far from where we were so we moved to where that sighting had been. Unfortunately the sun had gone in and the temperature had dropped drastically. There was  no sign of any hawker. But we did find …

Another picnic table!

So we dumped our stuff there and looked at the vegetation in its vicinity.

The micromoth Carcina quercana was found in an oak.

Photograph: David Williams

If any of you possess the "Field Guide to the Micro Moths of Great Britain and Ireland" by Sterling, Parsons and Lewington then you may recognise this moth as the one on the front cover.

We also found a pirate spider Ero furcate:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

I am informed that pirate spiders get their name as they specialise in entering the webs of other spiders and either stealing their prey or preying on the spiders themselves.

The temperature continued to plummet. The sun had gone behind thick cloud. We were getting cold. Alternative entertainment was sought.

We moved on to the Station pub at Bridgnorth for an end of season celebration. We were delighted to find the pub sold "Reg May" pork pies.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

As our aficionado of "Reg May" pork pies was not able to be with us we just had to have a couple in his honour (and to make him jealous).

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Time to go home and rest.

My thanks to Shropshire County Council for giving us permission to survey the quarry, to the Friends for providing plenty of seats and tables, to the photographers for their excellent pictures and to everyone who has attended any of these events over the past seven months.

Finally, thank you readers for showing an interest in what we do.

Winter well. All being well I will be back next year.

Making history

Bwlytai Wood, Wednesday 24 July 2018

After an uneventful but long trip to the north west of Shropshire we gathered in the car park of the village hall in Trefonen and readied ourselves for the visit to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust reserve.

Bwlytai Wood is a small woodland that was given to the Trust by a former resident of Trefonen. The Trust website states that "the bluebells and wood anemones that spill over the ground in spring testify that this is an ancient woodland site".

Unfortunately we were not visiting in spring. 

We were hoping to find fungi.

And we had some early success with a couple of finds on dead wood that we could identify and one that we could not.

Dead moll's fingers:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Candle-snuff fungus:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Unidentified:

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And on live wood, a nice lichen - Candelaria concolor.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

But after these early finds fungi were hard to find.

As were invertebrates. There was a long walk (by our standards) from the car park to the wood so we did not take the vacuum sampler with us. A decision that we regretted almost immediately as the more traditional methods of sweeping and beating were ineffective. There was very little ground level vegetation and most of the trees had no low branches that we could reach to beat!

We did manage to find some larvae which we decided were hoverflies, but we had no idea of the species. Here is a photograph of one:

Photograph: Bob Kemp

One curiosity of the wood is a beech tree

As you walk around it you can see a "window" close to the ground formed when branches have fused.

We lunched and took the decision to go elsewhere. This was the first time in the history of the Joy of Wildlife programme and its predecessors that we had failed to stay at the nominated site.

Nantmawr Quarry and Jones' Rough were just down the road and this is where we went.

I thought that the quarry was now unused and accessible but when we arrived we saw the notice on the gate "Keep out". This confused us as we had been following "brown signs" to the site. What do the brown signs indicate?

No matter, we decided to have a "real" walk by following the first public footpath off the road which would, eventually, take us to Jones' Rough, another Shropshire Wildlife Trust reserve. Before we left the car we did a quick scan of the parking area and found several Large willow aphids sitting on stones.

Photograph: David Williams

The footpath took us up a steep sided pasture. We paused awhile near the top to take in the view, regain our breath and do a bit of entomologising.

Photograph: David Williams

Amongst the grass we noticed some craneflies with "under-developed" wings. These were female Tipula pagana.

Photograph: David Williams

On we went. The footpath brought us out at the top of the quarry. Did we take a look? I'll let you decide.

From here the footpath levelled out taking us through another pasture where the views were spectacular even in the hazy conditions of the day.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

Photograph: David Williams

Finally we got to Jones' Rough. The main interest here is a scree slope which is very attractive to butterflies. 

It is a bit late in the season for butterfly watchers but we did espy a faded Wall and a Small copper posed very nicely in front of a camera.

Photograph: David Williams

Amongst the rock we noticed Field grasshoppers.

Photograph: David Williams

Time was passing quickly. It was well past our normal going home time. But, hey, what does it matter when you are enjoying yourselves. 

One last find to report before we made our way home after this historic, curious but enjoyable day. This was the rather elongated beetle Oedemera femoralis.

Photograph: Bob Kemp

My thanks to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust for permitting us to survey and to the photographers David Williams, Bob Kemp and Nigel Cane-Honeysett for allowing me to use their photographs.