Happy New Year

By the time this report is available it will be 2025. May I wish you all a Happy New Year and thank you for the interest you have shown in the activities of the group.

Wednesday 11th December 2024, Blakeridge Wood

After Storm Darragh had done its worst throughout the country, I half expected our long-planned trip to Blakeridge Wood to be cancelled due to fallen or unsafe trees in the conifer plantation.

When I received an email from Forestry England the day before the visit, I expected the worst but, to my surprise, they were perfectly willing for our visit to go ahead even though, at that time, they had not inspected the wood for damage. 

Forestry England did place some reasonable conditions on our visit: to keep away from any wind damaged areas; and not to venture past any fallen trees that blocked the forest track, as an emergency vehicle would not be able to reach us in the event of an accident.

Having agreed to these conditions, and finding no roads closed due to fallen trees (or road works), we met at the westernmost of the two entrances to the wood.

Following the entrance track into the wood we soon came across promising looking patches of Polytrichum moss.

Despite two suction samplers being trained on each patch we found, we did not, regrettably, find any snow fleas. They are proving highly elusive at present.

What we did find were several pseudoscorpions, which all turned out to be the same species Neobisium carcinoides.

Photograph: David Williams

This species is known as the “Moss neobisium”. This name was most appropriate as they were found in and around moss.

Also uncovered in this early flourish of activity was a staphylinid beetle, Syntomium aeneum.

Photograph: David Williams

We continued to follow the forest track as it slowly gained altitude. To the right side there was a narrow band of ground vegetation before the woodland took over on a gentle rising slope. To the left there was a larger band of ground vegetation before it fell away as woodland.

The above photograph is looking back at a section of the track we had followed. But it was taken a little later where the track had levelled out a little. However it gives you an idea of the terrain.

Finding an isolated fallen Douglas fir, we had the opportunity to search the upper branches, a treat normally denied to us.

Why?

Because it normally is out of reach.

In the event not much was found but we did notice a couple of Pine cone bugs, Gastrodes grossipes.

Photograph: David Williams

Finding a slightly sheltered spot with a convenient ledge in the banking we settled down for lunch.

Over lunch we spotted a flock of about 40 Siskin flitting about in the tops of the trees. 

During the day we heard Crossbills but I do not remember any being spotted.

Refreshed we continued our gradual climb until we reached a more open area.

This area proved too attractive to the assembled company and quite a long time was spent exploring the area although invertebrates proved hard to find. 

Whilst the others busied themselves in this area I had a little wander further along the track. The scenery changed very little until it suddenly opened up briefly on the left as the ground fell away sharply in a steep-sided valley.

When I came across a couple of trees lying across the track I remembered Forestry England's conditions and returned to the rest of the group.

Time was marching on, and the cold wind was starting to penetrate our defences so we returned down the track to the entrance.

At the entrance we noticed this gash in a tree that had grown a fungal garden.

Despite the difficulty we had in finding invertebrates our dipterist reported that he had found 16 species of a fly family known as Lesser dung flies, a record for a day’s visit to a site. This is no mean feat as these flies are very small, black, and, with a few exceptions, indistinguishable in the field.

Similarly our botanist stated that the flora found at the side of the track provided a selection of species that wasn't bad for December in an upland conifer wood. He felt that the limestone-rich track must have increased diversity on the edges.

Whilst not an exciting day out, the site still provided rewards for our efforts.

Wednesday 18th December 2024, Shelve

Another Wednesday, another trip to a Forestry England plantation!

This visit was to their plantation at Shelve.

On arrival we found other cars present in our chosen parking spot. This made it difficult for us to get all our cars in, as the site had attracted a bumper turn-out for this last outing of the year.

Fortunately, just as we were about to give up and move to an alternative parking spot, the owners of two cars returned and drove away providing us with enough space.

Phew!

That unexpected hitch had gone away.

I have started recent reports by noting our lack of success in locating our favourite winter invertebrate, Boreus hyemalis (Snow flea).

Well…

On this occasion we were SUCCESSFUL!!

Hooray!

A suction sample of some small Polytrichum patches about 10 yards into the woodland edge, revealed FOUR – 1 male and three females.

We were all delighted. Several of the attendees were excited as this was the first time they had seen this species. They have now been inducted into the Snow Flea Appreciation Society.

Here is one of the females, distinguished by its ovipositor at the tip of the abdomen.

Photograph: David Williams

And here is the male, with the blunt tip to its abdomen and short erect wing stubs.

Photograph: David Williams

Unfortunately, despite inspecting lots of other patches Polytrichum during the visit, we did not find any more.

From the car park we followed the main forestry track at snail-pace as it rose gently between lines of conifers. There was a generous amount of ground vegetation at the edge of the track.

We searched this thoroughly looking for things of interest, uncovering:

A Long-horned beetle, Pogonocherus hispidus;

Photograph: John Martin

A fungus, Lycoperdon excipuliforme, known as the Pestle puffball;

Photograph: Liz Roberts

A weevil, Otiorhynchus singularis, known as the Clay-coloured weevil;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

An attractive red and black staphylinid beetle, Scaphidium quadrimaculatum;

Photograph: David Williams

And a second staphylinid beetle, Ontholestes tessellatus.

Photograph: David Williams

We eventually came to a clearing where most of us spent the rest of the morning exploring the vegetation on the banks and slightly beyond.

Just to give you an idea of our progress we were now about 150 yards from the car park!

Finds around this time were:

A beetle, Loricera pilicornis;

Photograph: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A gall on Gorse caused by the weevil, Stenopterapion scutellare;

Photograph: John Martin

And a liverwort, Diplophyllum albicans, known as White earwort.

Photograph: John Martin

We lunched in the clearing then retraced our steps to a footpath that followed a wayleave, intending to follow it to the edge of the plantation, which bordered the road, then walk back along the road back to the cars.

Unfortunately, a tree blocked the path.

Plan B was enacted.

We followed a winding track through the woodland that we believed would also lead to the edge.

After a while we met another path that led back to the car park, visible through the trees.

Looking up we noticed the darkening clouds and after a little indecision(!) we decided to follow the path back to the cars.

It was just as well that we did, as no sooner than we got back to the car park than it started to rain.

My thanks to Forestry England for granting us permission to do what we enjoy doing, and to the photographers for their excellent images and allowing me to use them in this report.

Seven Layers

Wednesday 4th Deecember 2024, Rhos Fiddle SWT Reserve

Imagine that you were driving along a quiet country lane through the very sparsely populated upland grasslands of south-west Shropshire, on a cold, misty day, in December, and you happened to notice a group of people in a field waving nets around, carrying trays, sticks and leaf blowers.

What would you think?

…?

It is your imagination at play here, I am not going to suggest what you might think, but I know what I would!

Rhos Fiddle is a large upland grassland/heathland site managed by the Shropshire Wildlife Trust. During our visit earlier this year I noticed large amounts of Polytrichum moss on the site, which attracted me to the idea of a winter visit to see if we could find Snow fleas.

Rather than keep you in suspense, we did not find any.

As it turned out, we found very little else on the day. But we had some fun trying.

However, our meagre findings were crowned by the first record in the county of Phthitia longisetosa, a small fly.

How do you pronounce that name?

We also came across this red hairy mite.

Photograph: Nigel Jones

I think I have got ahead of myself.

Back to the start.

On arrival, as we left the pleasantly warm transport, we were hit by the bitingly cold, damp atmosphere.

We scrambled for appropriate attire to try and retain what body heat we had for as long as possible. I even heard the phrase “wearing electric socks”. 

Are discussions about electric socks (and other items of clothing) going to displace electric bikes in our conversations?

When fully dressed I counted my layers – seven – plus double gloves and two hats.

Would that keep me warm?

Time would tell.

We negotiated the stile and waddled onto the site, aiming for the area where we had found the Polytrichum previously.

Soon the sound of a suction sampler was heard as a rough patch of vegetation was too tempting to resist.

This first sample revealed two micro-ladybirds:

Coccidula rufa;

Photograph: David Williams

And Nephus redtenbacheri.

Photograph: David Williams

Despite our best efforts body temperatures were dropping, and it became necessary to huddle up.

I noticed a gorse with a couple of flowers braving the elements.

Someone observed a moth perched on some heather. It was not going anywhere in the conditions and surrendered willingly to the warmth of a glass tube in the hand, where it was photographed.

Photograph: John Martin

This is Acleris hyemana, a strikingly marked moth providing a flash of colour at a drab time of year.

The site is grazed, as part of its management, by sheep and cattle.

After a while our paths crossed.

Photograph: John Martin

I am not sure who was more curious, the cattle or us.

Judging from the photographs I have received from the group taken during this visit it may well have been us, as a third were of the cattle!

Photograph: David Williams

But maybe some of the cattle were equally curious. As the photographer remarked “The friendly locals were captured with my phone as every time I put my bag down to extract my camera from it, they rushed me!”.

Do they associate camera bags with food?

Here is one of the locals.

Photograph: David Williams

And another.

Photograph: David Williams

Tearing ourselves away from the cattle and concentrating on matters entomological we found the “bendy” beetle, Encephalus complicans.

Photograph: David Williams

Here is the same beetle with its abdomen folded over its back.

Photograph: David Williams

I am not aware that it has a common name, so time to give it one…

How about “the Contortionist”?

We’ll see if it catches on.

It was lunchtime.

A strong breeze had sprung up and it was suggested we shelter from it behind some gorse.

The gorse provided some relief, perhaps, if you were one of the “have-nots” (i.e. do not carry a seat) who sat on the ground, but for the “haves” there was little shelter.

Lunch over we carried on for another hour or so before the chill finally overcame our clothing and we retreated back to the cars.

On the way we spotted a picture-winged fly, Tephritis vespertina.

Photograph: John Martin

But the day was not over as it was known that Tree sparrows and Bramblings had been seen nearby. A splinter group wandered off in search of these.

They were successful in their quest, finding both.

Tree sparrow.

Photograph: John Martin

Brambling.

Photograph: John Martin

And a flower, Red lungwort, for good measure.

Photograph: John Martin

Now, we made our way to our homes.

My thanks to the Shropshire Wildlife Trust for granting us permission to do what we enjoy doing, and to the photographers for their excellent images and allowing me to use them in this report.

A single flower

Wednesday 27th November 2024, Helmeth Hill

First things first.

Our scheduled visit to Long Covert, Dudmaston on 20th November was cancelled as the snow that fell on the previous day would have made the conditions too hazardous, even for us. The decision was vindicated when more snow fell overnight making the conditions even worse.

So, raring to go after this enforced lay-off we journeyed towards Helmeth Hill, which lies to the east of Church Stretton and is a neighbour of Caer Caradoc and Hope Bowdler Hill.

A dank, hazy, dismal day greeted us as we parked in a lay-by close to the path that led to the hill. The lay-by is normally quite busy, as it is used by walkers of the hills round about, but on this day it was almost unoccupied as the walkers reacted to the weather and stayed away.

When we arrived an outcrop of rock on Hope Bowdler was barely visible. But as we got ourselves ready it had cleared a little.

There is a short, rising walk from the lay-by to Helmeth Hill. This was taken at a decent pace, for us, with most people resisting the temptation to check the hedgerows and other vegetation on the way.

Crossing a field from the path we then struggled over a very high stile into the woodland that cloaks the hill.

We were welcomed!

At least we knew we were in the correct place!

And we set about our “work”.

A patch of Polytrichum was spotted and sampled but did not yield a Snow flea. (No other Polytrichum was found during the day, so our search for the first of the season goes on.)

We did however find our favourite wasp.

Callitula pyrrhogaster.

Photograph: John Martin

Delving deeper into the wood we located a Hawthorn shieldbug in a holly.

And tucked away in a crevice in some tree bark was a hibernating Common wasp.

Photograph: Neil Nash

Finding invertebrates proved to be very difficult. It was through our use of suctions samplers that we found most of what we did.

One such find was the beetle, Tetratoma desmarestii.

Photograph: John Martin

The paths within the woodland appear to consist of a circular path around the circumference of the hill and one that takes you over the summit. We had progressed to a decision point – round or up?

We chose up, following the path, that would lead to the top.

As we rose the woodland seemed to thin out a little and there was more space for the ground flora to develop.

Just off the path we noticed a Common earthball.

Photograph: John Martin

And a slime mould.

Photograph: Neil Nash

The path paused in its relentless rise for a few yards and we took advantage of a small clearing to settle down to lunch. As we lunched the clouds started to break up and we were treated the occasional burst of sunlight and the little warmth it generated.

Lunch over we continued our ascent.

We noticed that many of the trees in this area were multi-stemmed, possibly as a result of coppicing many years earlier.

At some stage during the day we found this beetle, Phosphuga atrata, trying to ignore the outside world.

Photograph: Neil Nash

At last we reached the summit.

Some decided to have a sit down to recover from the effort!

Others ventured over the other side.

I continued along the path for a while to where I could get a reasonable view of Caer Caradoc.

As I returned I noticed a single flower putting on a brave face in the adverse conditions, a Red campion.

When I reached the group at the summit, I found that they had not been idle, discovering a tiny beetle under some bark, a Rhizophagus species.

Photograph: John Martin

And a couple of spotted snake millipedes, Blaniulus guttulatus.

Photograph: John Martin

The cold was now penetrating our many layers so we decided to return from whence we had come, making the descent in considerably less time than it had taken for the ascent.

But for good measure a final suction sample was taken.

As the sun was now blazing down from a cloudless sky, the sample was taken into the neighbouring field for inspection, to absorb the solar energy the sun was providing (which was very little, but every little helps).

Having satisfied ourselves that there was nothing further to find in the tray we continued, out of the field, down the track and back to the cars.

Looking back from the lay-by to outcrop of rock on Hope Bowdler it was clear how the conditions had changed over the day.

My thanks to the Woodland Trust for granting us permission to do what we enjoy doing, and to the photographers for their excellent images and allowing me to use them in this report.