A lot of the plants seem to have gone over fairly quickly this Summer, but among the almost ubiquitous Himalayan Balsalm a good selection of Willowherbs (Rosebay, Great and Broad-leaved), together with Yellow Loostrife and Ribbed Melilot provided some variety
A few Small Heaths and Meadow Browns, several Speckled Woods and Peacocks and good numbers of Large Whites, including a couple which didn't seem to know if they were mating or fighting
Looks like a good crop of Rowan berries this year, although there would be more if some of the trees along the side of the overflow channel from the Top reservoir to Golden Steps hadn't been cut down. With luck, Chainsaw Charlie's next port of call will be at the viewpoint, which doesn't have a view at the moment! At least the resulting scramble through the Birches on the old dam wall to confirm breeding on the Top Res. produced some new records of Brown Birch Bolete.
1 large mass of Bramble in flower attracting a couple of species of Bumblebee (Buff- and White-tailed) as well as several species of hoverfly, including at least 1 wasp mimic.
New site for Blushing Bracket
Ringlet (c 10), Speckled Wood (2), Meadow Brown (2) Large Skipper (1) and a small white butterfly, to distant to i.d. but about the size of a female Orange Tip. Also 3 SilverGround Carpets and at least 2 species of grass moth.
The little pathside pond between the reservoirs looks to be too muddy to have produced any frogs this year but plenty of Pond Skaters and other insect life to attract 1 male Broad-bodied Chaser, 3 Common Blue and 2 Small Red Damselflies (the latter in tandem) - unlike the dipping pond, where a large number of small flies had only 1 Small Red Damselfly to pursue them. Maybe the Moorhen family here have had an effect! Other invertebrates included 1 Mayfly-type heading upstream towards Bishop's Park and lots of Cuckoo Spit.
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 08:46:19 PM
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Tuesday 9th of July 2013 09:17:01 PM
Among an abundance of Buttercups, Daisies, Vetches and Red Campion smaller drifts and singletons of: Ragged Robin Southern Marsh Orchid Yellow Flag Birdsfoot Trefoil Meadow Cranesbill Welsh Poppy Water Forget-me not Silverweed Meadow Thistle
NO Butterflies, but plenty of other winged invertebrates including Drone Flies and two newly emerged Damselflies
As well as the 'usual suspects': Birch Polypore (a new site) Candlesnuff possible Smokey Bracket
I noticed that one of the as yet unidentifed brackets was leaking a golden fluid (I assume rain coloured by chemicals within either the fungus or the dead stump) It may or may not help with the i.d. but it looked interesting and was an attractive effect
Since last month's visit: Black Medick Marsh Hawksbeard Monkey Flower Ox-Eye Daisy Dog Rose Common Sorrel Welsh Poppy Ragged Robin Meadow Cranesbill Birdsfoot Trefiol Tufted Vetch Foxglove Buttercup Red Clover - these last two in great drifts
Pond Skater
Phyllobius Pomaceus - green weevil on nettles Gastrophysa Viridula - pregnant female
It seems that one of the local schools (Hodge Clough Infants, I think) is using the area for their Forest School classroom. Good to see they're getting them interested at an early age. Shame some of the other people who use the area don't have as much respect for it. (The black bags on bushes brigade)
A good variety of things for them to see (and find) today: Herb Robert Southern Marsh Orchid Crab Apple Good Friday Grass Common Frog (and some large tadpoles in the small pond) Grey Squirrel (several) Orange Tip Speckled Wood Green-veined White Water Carpet
Roe Deer: 3 Grey Squirrel: 1 Tadpoles: quite a few in one of the path side ponds.
Apart from Dandelion and Daisy also in flower: Pink Purslane Marsh Marigold Cowslip Primrose Blackthorn Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Meadow Buttercup Wild Cherry( not quite sure on this one, could have been Crab Apple, but that's a bit early. The pink-tinged flowers were showing in thicket of Bramble and Wild Roses, so I didn't get a good look at the shrub)
Grey Squirrel 2 Molehills 6 fresh ones in one of the wooded areas
Single flowering specimens of Dandelion Meadow Buttercup Gorse Black Medic Pink Purslane plus several clumps of Ragwort & second crop of hips on a couple of the Rose bushes
Very few fungi. The interesting ones from last month have disappeared and the beautifully lichen- and moss-clad Elder with the Jelly Ear and one clump of Lumpy Bracket has been felled in the latest round of chainsaw 'tidying-up'. Someone seems to have gone along the track from Waterworks Road randomly cutting back and cutting down branches and trees along the verges, but the Willows & Birches blocking the view from the viewpoint are still intact
additional to last month's remaining fungi: Conifercone Cap probable Alder Bracket possible Ivory Woodwax
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Wednesday 23rd of November 2011 10:25:24 PM
The following still in flower (often only single plants) Ragwort Red Clover Herb Robert Red Bartsia Meadow Buttercup Ragged robin Meadow Cranesbill Gorse Black Medic Pink Purslane Tormentil
Fungi Jelly Ear Lumpy Bracket Peeling Oysterling Tar Spot Stump Puffball Cylindrobasilium laevae sp. Turkeytail (lots) Purplepore Bracket Coral Spot Stagshorn Birch Polypore Beech Tarspot A Crust that I thought was Bleeding Broadleaf - until it didn't bleed and a couple of others that I've stil to identify. Forgot the lichenised fungus Cladonia pyxidata growing in the cracks on the tops of the walls
But the highlight was a Stoat. Seen briefly crossing from the bridge at the top of the Golden Steps into the small wood on the East side. Then, while I was leaning over a fence peering at yet another Bracket, it walked past about two yards away, carrying a large Frog in its' mouth. It has to be the best view I've ever had of one. It gave me a glance in passing but carried on at its' own pace.
-- Edited by Mike Chorley on Tuesday 18th of October 2011 01:10:28 PM