The Naturalists' Notebook

Five MNA members met at James Street, we were joined by three more at Chester station, and when we arrived at the Delamere Visitors’ Centre car park, eight members of the Liverpool Botanical Society (LBS) were waiting for us. They do their programme later than we do, and they had chosen it as a joint meeting.  It was a sunny day, not too hot and with a gentle breeze, and the enormous dragonfly wood carving in the car park added to the promise of many dragonflies today.

But it was butterflies that caught our attention first, with a Large Whites and a Gatekeeper near the start, then a Holly Blue, which flew from some nettles to the path. A Ranger’s 4WD vehicle came by just then and we stopped it until we had shooed the Holly Blue out of its way.

Near the Black Lake there was a large patch of Burdock, which was alive with butterflies. Several Peacocks and Whites, a Comma, two Brimstone and a Green-veined White.

Brimstone

There was a colony of mining bees of the genus Andrena on a south-facing sandy bank.

We stopped near some mixed pine and deciduous trees to listen to the birdsong. We heard Blackcap, Chaffinch and Nuthatch, then a small flock of Crossbills going over. Delamere is a good spot for them. Other birds spotted during the day included Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Coal Tit, Treecreeper, three Jays, and a House Martin. Near the Black Lake some of us spotted Crossbills on the far side, and at Blakemere there were Canada Geese, Black-headed Gulls, Lapwings and a Moorhen.

The Black Lake is a glacial kettlehole, with a warning sign that it is 5m (15 feet) deep. Much of the surface is covered by a floating mat of vegetation. We lunched there, watching the dragonflies and damselflies. There were mating pairs of Black Darters, with black males and orange females, ovipositing near the edge of the rushes.  Emperor Dragonfly, Brown Hawker, Migrant Hawker and some saw a Southern Hawker earlier, over a stream by the side of the path. Damselflies included Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Emerald, pictured below.

Joyce Jarvis of the LBS was investigating the undersides of the leaves of a Pedunculate Oak on the lakeside. She found several spiky white objects which she first thought were galls. Then she noticed each one was accompanied by a tiny beige spider. The spiders seemed to be obsessed with the spiky objects, and we guessed that they must have been their egg-cases. The picture below shows the only spider we found with two treasures, all the others had just one. The spider is 2-3 mm across while the larger of the two objects is 4-5 mm to the tip of the topmost spike.

[Added 17th August.  It appears to be a comb-footed spider with the Latin name Theridion pallens. Here are some pictures from the Encyclopaedia of Life (EOL) and here is the entry for the genus Theridion at the National Biodiversity Network (NBN).]

Blossoming Spear Thistle had a lovely Marmalade Hoverfly.

The botanists also enjoyed their day, and noted Wild Raspberry, Skull-cap (Scutellaria), Enchanter’s Nightshade and Broad-leafed Helleborine.

Enchanter’s Nightshade

People were enjoying other outdoor pursuits in the Forest. We watched people using the nets and zipwires at the GoApe centre, but were dismayed to discover it was £30 a go! Others were zooming along the paths on Segways.

We didn’t get back to the station in time for the 3.30 train, but that meant we had time for an ice cream before the next one at 4.30.

Readers interested in the wildlife of the North-west of England and who would like to join the walks and coach trips run by the Merseyside Naturalists’ Association, should see the main MNA website for details of our programme and how to join us.

From Tony Carter

On Sunday 14th I led a small group on a fungi foray at Carr Mill. Not the best time for fungi but we chose this site because the ditches running alongside the paths are usually flooded during the winter.  It proved to be a good choice because the ground was still damp and boggy despite the recent blistering heat.

Most of the fungi we found were tiny specimens under wet logs and branches, for the specialists rather than of general interest. We did find some larger fungi such as Russula parazurea (Powdery Brittlegill), Polyporus tuberaster (Tuberous Polypore) and Conocybe rugosa (Conecap) but not many.

The most interesting finds were of Mycoacia uda, an uncommon, toothed crust fungus and Eutypella scoparia, a Woodwart with spiny outgrowths.

Mycoacia uda

Eutypella scoparia

We found a total forty three species which is very good for this time of year.

Last month a small fungus was found on an old piece of bamboo cane at Allerton Allotments. It was sent to Kew Herbarium who identified it as Astrosphaeriella stellata, an Asian fungus which is new to the United Kingdom. Not much to look at but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Astrosphaeriella stellata

Taking advantage of the continuing heatwave Richard Surman, the two Daves and I headed over to Anglesey to visit the stunning location of Llanddwyn Island (Ynys Llanddwyn) at the far end of the beach at Newborough Warren.

We drove down the small road through the shady NewboroughForest before parking up amidst the crowds. After admiring the some artwork designed by local school children comprising three tree trunks carved to depict the local wildlife and history we briefly listened to a Siskin calling from the Pines then headed along the newly constructed boardwalk onto the sandy beach. A few shells were identified Common Cockle Cerastoderma edule, Common Mussel Mytilus edulis, Common Razor Shell Ensis ensis and Variegated Scallop Chlamys varia. A trio of Jellyfish: Moon Jellyfish Aurelia aurita, Lion’s Mane Jellyfish Cyanea capillata and one of my faves the Blue Jellyfish Cyanea lamarckii. A few crabs with dead Common Shore Crabs Carcinus maenas and the carapace of a European Spider Crab Maja squinado plus a live unidentified Hermit Crab hiding out in the shell of a Common Whelk Buccinum undatum.

Blue Jellyfish

Moon Jellyfish

Lugworms Arenicola diversicolor had exuded the coils of mud from their burrows on top of a small mound, there were a few Sand-mason Worms Lanice conchilega with their sand covered feeding tentacles and I found a Tube Case of the Bristleworm Pectinaria koreni. A shell was covered in the aptly named Volcano Barnacle Balanus perforatus.

Sand-mason Worms

Kelp Sea Mat

A large clump of Kelp Laminaria sp. had washed up on the beach its stem covered in the bryozoan Kelp Sea Mat Membranipora membranacea.

As we approached the island we passed several large rocks in the sand which are basaltic pillow lavas, part of the Pre-cambrian Gwna Group. They were formed by undersea volcanic eruptions; as the molten rock billowed out meeting the cold sea water the rock solidified producing this pillow shape.

Pillow Lava

We climbed the steps onto the island and noted the variety of plant species Sea Campion Silene uniflora, Thrift Armeria maritima, Wild Pansy Viola tricolor, Bell Heather Erica cinerea, Silverweed Potentilla anserina, Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans, Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulneraria, Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Common Restharrow Ononis repens, Red Clover Trifolium pretense, Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum, Rosebay Willowherb Chamerion angustifolium, Evening-primrose Oenothera sp. Sea Spurge Euphorbia paralias, Bloody Crane’s-bill Geranium sanguineum, Common Stork’s-bill Erodium cicutarium, Sea Holly Eryngium maritimum, Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea.

Common Centaury

Viper’s-bugloss Echium vulgare, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Selfheal Prunella vulgaris, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, Yellow-rattle Rhinanthus minor, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra,  Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Lyme -grass Leymus arenarius and five Pyramidal Orchid spikes Anacamptis pyramidalis.

Mating Sulphur Beetles

The flowering Sea Carrot Daucus carota subsp. gummifer had attracted a number of Sulphur Beetles Cteniopus sulphureus that were feeding and bonking away along with Common Red Soldier Beetles Rhagonycha fulva and a large number of unidentified small Flies. Butterflies on the wing included numerous Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina 60+, Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris 4+, a lone Small White Pieris rapae, Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja 6+, Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus 2+ , Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus 4+, a female Grass Eggar Lasiocampa trifolii and only a few Cinnabar Moth Tyria jacobaeae caterpillars on the Oxford Ragwort Senecio squalidus.

Llanddwyn Ruins

As the guys found a shady spot for lunch beside a rock face on which was growing Sea Spleenwort Asplenium marinum I photographed the ruins of Llanddeyn Chapel built in the 16^th Century dedicated to St. Dwynwen – who lived on the island in the 5^th Century and is a patron saint of lovers, making her the Welsh equivalent of St. Valentine.

A beacon, called Tŵr Bach, was built at the tip of LlandwynnIsland to provide guidance to ships entering the Menai Straits with a more effective lighthouse, Tŵr Mawr built nearby in 1845. We had a nose around Pilot’s Cove below the lighthouse where an isolated mass of rock shows various types of altered pillow lavas amid red jasper and green chlorite-rich material (altered mudstone). We also found plenty of Native Oyster Ostrea edulis shells plus the remnants of a European Spider Crab Maja squinado and an Oystercatcher and disturbed a Ringed Plover on the beach that Richard observed take over nest duties from its camouflaged mate hunkered down on their nest amongst the pebbles.

Llanddwyn Island Lighthouse

The lighthouse was a great place for a bit of sea-watching a number of small islets held Cormorants, Shags and Oyks. Manx Shearwaters were fishing out on the sea and Gannets passing by. A Lion’s Mane Jellyfish was floating out in the bay – at one point moving against the tidal flow of the water. We noted the candy pink and white Sea Bindweed Calystegia soldanella , a Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria holidaying away from it’s usual habitat and scrambled around the rocks which held Rock Sea-lavender Limonium binervosum, Rock Samphire Crithmum maritimum and Golden-samphire Inula crithmoides and a Grayling Hipparchia semele. A colony of Mining Bees were busy flying in and out of their holes in a sunny bank – DaveH managed to capture one of the small Mining Bees in a tube for identification.

We walked through a wooden gate and onto a secluded bay which had a profusion of Bladder Wrack Fucus vesiculosus with smaller patches of Gutweed Enteromorpha intestinalis and Sea Lettuce Ulva lactuca plus a couple of Lion’s Mane Jellyfish. The rocks had a few Common Limpet Patella vulgata and were covered in the usual maritime lichens Sea Ivory Ramalina siliquosa, Calcoplaca marina and Verrucaria maura whose thin black thallus can easily be mistaken for an oil spill.

Lion’s Mane Jellyfish

Wandering back onto the island we watched a close flock of around fifty Manxies which were feeding – flying low over the sea before quickly landing and swimming down into the water. They were joined by diving Sandwich Terns and a couple of Common Guillemots.

Returning back along the beach we found the desiccated remains of a large Lion’s Mane Jellyfish with another smaller individual floating in with the tide and a Wall Butterfly Lasiommata megera was seen flying along the sand. Back at the car a couple of croaky Ravens bade us farewell after a memorable day.

A wide photographic selection of birds, marine life, insects, mammals, orchids & wildflowers, fungi, tribal people, travel, ethnography, fossils, rocks & minerals etc. is available on my Alamy webpage

If you are interested in the wildlife of the North-west of England and would like to join the  walks and coach trips run by the Merseyside Naturalists’ Association, see the main MNA website for details of our programme and how to join us.

(Report from John Clegg).  On the hottest day of the year so far, nine menbers joined the tailback of traffic that took 30 minutes to cross the Runcorn Bridge. Whitegate Way is an old railway line, opened on 1st June 1870, to transport salt from the mines along the west bank of the River Weaver to the main Chester-Manchester line at Cuddington.  The line closed in 1966 and is now a shared-use path.

From the car park at the old Whitegate Station the group walked eastwards towards Winsford. As the day was very hot, most of the birds took to cover, so we didn’t see many.  Those we did see were mostly warblers, although we did hear a Green Woodpecker in two places.

In the bright sunshine many butterflies came out, including Comma, Meadow Brown, Large and Small Whites and two sightings of Brimstones.

The only drawback was the large number of cyclists using the path as a race track, with no consideration for walkers. None of them had bells to warn when they were coming up behind, and one cyclist just missed runing into our group.

Small-spotted Catshark (a.k.a. Lesser Spotted Dogfish) Scyliorhinus canicula

Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus

Fantastic day Shark-tagging with the Liverpool Bay Marine Life Trust – unfortunately we didn’t catch any of the Shark species we were hoping to tag (Tope, Common or Starry Smooth Hound) but had lots more besides…

Thornback Ray Raja clavata

Grey Gurnard Eutrigla gurnardus

 Lesser Weever Fish Echiichthys vipera

Bull Huss (a.k.a. Nursehound, Greater Spotted Dogfish) Scyliorhinus stellaris

Red Gurnard Aspitrigla cuculus

Northern Fulmar

Cetacean’s seen included Harbour Porpoise Phocoena phocoena and Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops truncatus. Also great birding with Storm Petrel, Manx Shearwater, Gannet, a Bonxie, Fulmar, Puffin, Guillemot, Med Gull etc. Full report in this years forthcoming MNA newsletter 🙂

As in previous years today’s MNA coach trip to Lathkill Dale was again blessed with hot and sunny weather. Lathkill Dale is one of the country’s finest limestone valleys and is one of five such valleys in the WhitePeak area that make up the Derbyshire Dales National Nature Reserve.

Dog Rose

A large climbing Dog-rose Rosa canina covered a fence beside the entrance gate to the meadow area at the beginning of the walk was covered in Meadow Buttercup Ranunculus acris along with Lady’s Smock a.k.a. Cuckooflower Cardamine pratensis, Salad Burnet Sanguisorba minor, Bird’s-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus, Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca, Common Vetch Vicia sativa, Fairy Flax Linum catharticum, Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris, Meadow Crane’s-bill Geranium pratense, Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill Geranium molle, Herb Robert Geranium robertianum, Cow Parsley Anthriscus sylvestris, Pignut Conopodium majus, Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium, Field Forget-me-not Myosotis arvensis, Wood Sage Teucrium scorodonia, Greater Plantain Plantago major, Hoary Plantain Plantago media, Ribwort Plantain Plantago lanceolata.

Hoary Plantain

Heath Speedwell Veronica officinalis, Germander Speedwell Veronica chamaedrys, Crosswort Cruciata laevipes, Welted Thistle Carduus crispus, Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare, Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense, Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa, Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra, Nipplewort Lapsana communis, Common Cat’s-ear Hypochaeris radicata, Goat’s-beard Tragopogon pratensis, Prickly Sow-thistle Sonchus asper, Beaked Hawk’s-beard Crepis vesicaria, Mouse-ear Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum, Yarrow Achillea millefolium, Oxeye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare, Pineappleweed Matricaria discoidea, Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea, Early-purple Orchid Orchis mascula and there was Nettle Rust Puccinia urticata on Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica.

Meadow Crane’s-bill

A few Common Green Grasshoppers Omocestus viridulus were stridulating away and numerous Chimney Sweep Moths Odezia atrata were flying around along with a few Snout Moths Hypena proboscidalis and ‘Grass’ Moths.

A whole range of Ferns were identified including Common Polypody Polypodium vulgare, Black Spleenwort Asplenium adiantum-nigrum, Maidenhair Spleenwort Asplenium trichomanes, Wall-rue Asplenium ruta-muraria, Brittle Bladder-fern Cystopteris fragilis and Male-fern Dryopteris filix-mas.

Common Stretch Spider

An unidentified Spider was wandering about its web, a Zebra Spider Salticus scenicus was on a stone wall and a Common Stretch Spider Tetragnatha extensa was in camouflage mode on a grass head. We noted our first Large Red Damselflies Pyrrhosoma nymphula and Common Blue Damselflies Enallagma cyathigerum attracted by the small pond hidden from immediate view behind a stone wall.

A few stunning male Redstarts were calling, Wrens in song, Barn Swallows and Swifts zooming overhead, Rooks and Jackdaws flying over

Entering the wooded area there was Herb Bennet aka Wood Avens Geum urbanum and some large clumps of Water Avens Geum rivale that were being visited by the Hoverfly Rhingia campestri plus Lords and Ladies Arum maculatum. A lone Common Spotted-orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsia was hiding amid some ferns.

Common Spotted Orchid

I noted a few insects with a few Common Red Soldier Beetle Rhagonycha fulva, a lone Soldier Beetle Cantharis rustica, three Orchid Beetles Dascillus cervinus, a handful of Scorpion Flies Panorpa communis and a Nettle-tap Moth Anthophila fabriciana. There wasn’t the usual profusion of Hoverflies on the umbellifers with only a single Volucella pellucens. Ash Leaflet Roll Gall on Ash Fraxinus excelsior leaves caused by the plant louse Psyllopsis fraxini was noted.

Orchid Beetle

We were now in the dramatic setting of the central gorge with limestone cliffs on either side. A fenced off area was to protect the mass of Jacob’s Ladder plants. A few plants were situated outside the fence area which allowed for photos.

Jacob’s Ladder

Biting Stonecrop

Rocky boulders were covered in Biting Stonecrop Sedum acre, Wild Thyme Thymus polytrichus, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia, Lady’s Bedstraw Galium verum, Limestone Bedstraw Galium sterneri and some orange patches of Lichen.

Lichen

The botanists noted a multitude of other flora including Greater Stitchwort Stellaria holostea, Red Campion Silene dioica, Large Bitter-cress Cardamine amara, Hairy Rock-cress Arabis hirsuta, Orpine Sedum telephium, Dropwort Filipendula vulgaris, Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, Silverweed Potentilla anserina, Tormentil Potentilla erecta, Black Medick Medicago lupulina, Red Clover Trifolium pratense, Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutum, Broad-leaved Willowherb Epilobium montanum, Eyebright Euphrasia officinalis, Cleavers Galium aparine, Common Valerian Valeriana officinalis, Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria.

Common Blue

We were encouraged to see the variety and numbers of Butterflies on the wing noting Small Skipper Thymelicus sylvestris, Dingy Skipper Erynnis tages, Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni, Orange Tip Anthocharis cardamines, Common Blue Polyommatus icarus, Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae, Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta, Peacock Inachis io, Pearl-bordered Fritillary Boloria euphrosyne, Dark Green Fritillary Argynnis aglaja, Speckled Wood Pararge aegeria, Meadow Brown Maniola jurtina, Small Heath Coenonympha pamphilus and a couple of Brown Plume Moths Emmelina monodactyla.

Ravens flew over the gorge croaking and an adult Peregrine circled overhead. Those members that reached the River now a mere trickle added Mallard and Grey Wagtail to the list.

Returning to the start of the walk an Emperor Dragonfly Anax imperator was on the small pond behind the stone wall and at a large fenced off pond four male and two female Broad-bodied Chasers Libellula depressa were in high-speed aerial combat mode. Plenty of Large Red Damselfly Pyrrhosoma nymphula, Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyathigerum and Blue-tailed Damselfly Ischnura elegans with a few mating pairs.

Common Blue Damselfly

A wide photographic selection of birds, marine life, insects, mammals, orchids & wildflowers, fungi, tribal people, travel, ethnography, fossils, rocks & minerals etc. is available on my Alamy webpage

If you are interested in the wildlife of the North-west of England and would like to join the  walks and coach trips run by the Merseyside Naturalists’ Association, see the main MNA website for details of our programme and how to join us.