Field Trips 2023
Wepre Woods, 15th April 2023, Dibbinsdale 29 April 2023, Great Orme 3rd June 2023, Liverpool City Centre (William Brown Street to Everton Park) 24th June 2023, Crosby Dunes 15 July 2023, Wallasey Gunsite Dunes 29th July 2023, Gowy Meadows 5th August 2023, Ainsdale 2nd September 2023, Aughton Saturday 16th September 2023, Eastham Country Park Saturday 21st October 2023.
Wepre Woods, 15th April 2023, Dibbinsdale 29 April 2023, Great Orme 3rd June 2023, Liverpool City Centre (William Brown Street to Everton Park) 24th June 2023, Crosby Dunes 15 July 2023, Wallasey Gunsite Dunes 29th July 2023, Gowy Meadows 5th August 2023, Ainsdale 2nd September 2023, Aughton Saturday 16th September 2023, Eastham Country Park Saturday 21st October 2023.
Wepre Woods, 15th April 2023
Fourteen members and friends were present, and highlights were the lovely weather, at least four Dark-edged Bee Flies (both males and females, male's eyes touch, females apart) and the good range of woodland plants and trees.
It was useful comparing and contrasting Early and Common Dog Violets, Hairy and Wavy Bittercress, Wood Sedge, Wood Melick, Tufted Hair-Grass, Greater and Hairy Woodrushes, plus male and female flowers of Dog’s Mercury, Portugal and Cherry Laurels, and the various ferns including Soft Shield-fern and Hard Fern.
Butterbur was in flower and the Yellow Archangel (normal native form not the garden variegated form) just in flower-bud. Most of the usual woodland plants were flowering including Wood Anemone, Greater Stitchwort, Opposite-leaved Golden-Saxifrage, Lesser Celandine, Bluebell, Barren Strawberry, and Wood Sorrel. Woodland species not yet in flower included Pignut, Wood Speedwell, Wood Dock, Enchanter’s Nightshade and Wood Avens. Other plants found included Tutsan, Ground Ivy, Bistort, False Brome, Sweet Woodruff, Field Wood-rush, Oxeye Daisy, Foxglove and flowering Cowslip, Garlic Mustard, Cow Parsley, Red and Cut-leaved Dead Nettles, and White Deadnettle. The wetland produced Wild Angelica, Water Cress, Fool’s Watercress, Meadowsweet, Marsh Marigold, Himalayan Balsam, and Hemlock Water-Dropwort.
Spectacular flowering trees included Norway Maple and Oak with their swathes of yellow, the whites of the Apple and Wild Cherry and the rather more inconspicuous flower buds of Ash. Masses of spent catkins on the ground marked where the Hornbeam trees were. Trees not native to the area but planted included Sycamore, Beech, Douglas Fir, Scots Pine, Cedars, Yew, and Larch. Other shrubs seen included Red Currant in flower, Raspberry, Honeysuckle, Field Rose, and the aliens Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis with its salmon-coloured flowers and Snowberry. Whitebeam leaves were just emerging showing their whitish covering.
Along some stretches our noses were assailed by the smell of the Ramsons or Wild Garlic, and for a few plants this sense was also used to help confirm identifications. The pale fertile stems (that produce the spores) of the Great Horsetail Equisetum telmateia really stood out. The Wild Arum or Cuckoo Pint showed both spotted and unspotted leaf forms and one was in full flower showing the long purple spathe. Lunchtime at Ewloe Castle produced Yellow Pimpernel, Wall Lettuce and a patch of Bilberry seemed slightly out of place.
Mosses included Common Tamarisk-moss Thuidium tamariscinum, Swan’s-neck Thyme-moss Mnium hornum and Springy Turf Moss Rhytidadelphus squarrosus. Liverworts included Overleaf Pellia Pellia epiphylla and Common Snakeskin or Great Scented Liverwort Conocepahalum conicum. Fungi seen were Scarlet Elf Cup Sarcoscypha sp. (probably austriaca), Many-zoned Polypore Trametes versicolor and a few clumps of Glistening Ink Cap Coprinellus micaceus.
Bird highlights include two Buzzard circling together, a Sparrowhawk, many Nuthatch and Jay calling. Singing birds included numerous Song Thrush and Robin, with also a few Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Great Tit, and Blackbird. Other birds seen included Stock Dove, Moorhen, Jackdaw, Crow, Magpie, Mallard, and Canada Goose.
Four species of butterfly were seen with Comma, Holly Blue, male Orange Tip; and a Large White feeding at Wild Cherry. Other insects found include Drone Fly Eristalis pertinax, mines of moth Stigmella aurella on Bramble, Alder Leaf-Beetle, Queen Early Bumble Bee Bombus pratorum, and Honeybee. Common Sycamore Aphid Drepanosiphum platanoides was very common and would be the reason we saw so many ladybird adults, larva and pupa.
Fourteen members and friends were present, and highlights were the lovely weather, at least four Dark-edged Bee Flies (both males and females, male's eyes touch, females apart) and the good range of woodland plants and trees.
It was useful comparing and contrasting Early and Common Dog Violets, Hairy and Wavy Bittercress, Wood Sedge, Wood Melick, Tufted Hair-Grass, Greater and Hairy Woodrushes, plus male and female flowers of Dog’s Mercury, Portugal and Cherry Laurels, and the various ferns including Soft Shield-fern and Hard Fern.
Butterbur was in flower and the Yellow Archangel (normal native form not the garden variegated form) just in flower-bud. Most of the usual woodland plants were flowering including Wood Anemone, Greater Stitchwort, Opposite-leaved Golden-Saxifrage, Lesser Celandine, Bluebell, Barren Strawberry, and Wood Sorrel. Woodland species not yet in flower included Pignut, Wood Speedwell, Wood Dock, Enchanter’s Nightshade and Wood Avens. Other plants found included Tutsan, Ground Ivy, Bistort, False Brome, Sweet Woodruff, Field Wood-rush, Oxeye Daisy, Foxglove and flowering Cowslip, Garlic Mustard, Cow Parsley, Red and Cut-leaved Dead Nettles, and White Deadnettle. The wetland produced Wild Angelica, Water Cress, Fool’s Watercress, Meadowsweet, Marsh Marigold, Himalayan Balsam, and Hemlock Water-Dropwort.
Spectacular flowering trees included Norway Maple and Oak with their swathes of yellow, the whites of the Apple and Wild Cherry and the rather more inconspicuous flower buds of Ash. Masses of spent catkins on the ground marked where the Hornbeam trees were. Trees not native to the area but planted included Sycamore, Beech, Douglas Fir, Scots Pine, Cedars, Yew, and Larch. Other shrubs seen included Red Currant in flower, Raspberry, Honeysuckle, Field Rose, and the aliens Salmonberry Rubus spectabilis with its salmon-coloured flowers and Snowberry. Whitebeam leaves were just emerging showing their whitish covering.
Along some stretches our noses were assailed by the smell of the Ramsons or Wild Garlic, and for a few plants this sense was also used to help confirm identifications. The pale fertile stems (that produce the spores) of the Great Horsetail Equisetum telmateia really stood out. The Wild Arum or Cuckoo Pint showed both spotted and unspotted leaf forms and one was in full flower showing the long purple spathe. Lunchtime at Ewloe Castle produced Yellow Pimpernel, Wall Lettuce and a patch of Bilberry seemed slightly out of place.
Mosses included Common Tamarisk-moss Thuidium tamariscinum, Swan’s-neck Thyme-moss Mnium hornum and Springy Turf Moss Rhytidadelphus squarrosus. Liverworts included Overleaf Pellia Pellia epiphylla and Common Snakeskin or Great Scented Liverwort Conocepahalum conicum. Fungi seen were Scarlet Elf Cup Sarcoscypha sp. (probably austriaca), Many-zoned Polypore Trametes versicolor and a few clumps of Glistening Ink Cap Coprinellus micaceus.
Bird highlights include two Buzzard circling together, a Sparrowhawk, many Nuthatch and Jay calling. Singing birds included numerous Song Thrush and Robin, with also a few Chiffchaff, Blackcap, Great Tit, and Blackbird. Other birds seen included Stock Dove, Moorhen, Jackdaw, Crow, Magpie, Mallard, and Canada Goose.
Four species of butterfly were seen with Comma, Holly Blue, male Orange Tip; and a Large White feeding at Wild Cherry. Other insects found include Drone Fly Eristalis pertinax, mines of moth Stigmella aurella on Bramble, Alder Leaf-Beetle, Queen Early Bumble Bee Bombus pratorum, and Honeybee. Common Sycamore Aphid Drepanosiphum platanoides was very common and would be the reason we saw so many ladybird adults, larva and pupa.
Dibbinsdale Saturday 29 April 2023
Fifteen members and friends attended, and the leader was Steve Cross. We started at the Car Park Area /Brotherton Park area at the arboretum, which stands on the site of the former Woodslee house and was planted with exotic trees such as the Monkey-puzzle Araucaria araucana, Douglas Fir (easily told by the cones), Coastal and Dawn Redwoods Sequoia sempervirens and Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Horse Chestnut, Norway Spruce, Norway Maple, Cedars, Hornbeam and Cherry Laurel, Prunus laurocerasus. Yew, Rowan, Pine, Wild Cherry and native Silver and Downy Birch, Ash, Ivy, Oak, Hazel, Holly, Field Maple, Hybrid Crack Willow, Hawthorn. Ribwort Plantain, hybrid Bluebell, and other conifers etc. Small-leaved Lime, Walnut plus Wood Dock, Wood Avens, Enchanters Nightshade, Hogweed, Lesser Celandine, Herb Robert etc. Rhododendron here is a big problem and Japanese Rose could be. Lesser Celandine Ficaria verna was mostly of the bulbil (tuber) form verna, rather than the fertile flower form fertilis.
The Flower meadow had Cowslips, Meadow Cranesbill, Red Campion, Cow Parsley, Common Knapweed, Hogweed and Comfrey. Nearby there was the non-native flowering Variegated Yellow Archangel plus Common Knapweed, and Red Campion. Comparison was made of leaves of Meadow Cranesbill, Creeping Buttercup and Cut-leaved Cranesbill.
Woodslee Pond area had Moorhen and Mallard. Plants included White Water Lily, not sure which Duckweed, Hard Rush, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Water Dock, Yellow Iris, Rigid Hornwort, old Purple Loosestrife and planted Bogbean in flower. Crack Willow had Bean Gall Pontania proxima. Highclere Holly Ilex x altclerensis, Cherry, Cherry Laurel, Holly, Alder (with leaf beetle), plenty of Pendulous Sedge.
Slope down to Viewpoint (Point 2). Slender Rush Juncus tenuis, and Remote Sedge Carex remota woodland with Cherry Laurel, Sycamore, Oak, Hazel, Hawthorn, Hornbeam, Birch, Yew, Hybrid Bluebell, Cotoneaster, Snowberry, a planted Weeping Willow. Wood Avens, Wood Dock, Ground Elder, Cuckoopint, Pignut etc. Bramble had mine of Stigmella aurella.
The Pond at Base of the path for dealing with runoff has lots of Pendulous Sedge, plus some Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage and Field Rose.
Ash-wych elm woodland covers most of this site and is characterised by an abundance of Ash, Pedunculate Oak and Sycamore. Wych Elm, Holly and Beech are also frequently found with Birch and Rowan occurring on the more acidic soils. Hornbeam Carpinus betulus and Horse Chestnut have been planted in certain parts of the wood and some regeneration of these species has taken place. Hazel, Hawthorn and Elder are the predominant shrub species in the understorey with Guelder Rose Viburnum opulus present on the more base-rich soils with also some Raspberry, Aucuba japonica etc.
Locally common were Wood Dock, Wood Anemone, Enchanters Nightshade, Lesser Celandine, Dog’s Mercury, and Bluebell. The ground flora contains abundant ivy and bramble with Sanicle and Wood Avens on the more base-rich soils. Common Dog Violet, Ramsons, Allium ursinum, Pignut, Conopodium majus, Tufted Hair Grass, Honeysuckle, Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Wood Speedwell, Veronica montana and all three species of Currant, Red, Black and Gooseberry, Ribes rubrum, nigrum, uva-crispa.
In the woodlands were the Swan-neck Thyme-moss Mnium hornum and Bank Haircap Moss Polytrichum formosum, Dotted Thyme-Moss Rhizomnium punctatum, Common Smoothcap Moss Atrichum undulatum, Hartstongue Fern, Golden Scaly Male Fern, Common Polypody, Soft Shield Fern and other ferns.
Alder- willow woodland along the valley floor has Alder, Grey Willow, Crack Willow, and Osier. White Willow Salix alba and Italian Black Poplar Populus nigra var. italica have been planted in a few places. Meadowsweet, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Common Nettle and Reed Canary-grass are the principal components of the ground flora. Other species include Greater Spearwort, Wood Sedge Carex sylvatica, Yellow Iris, Goldenrod, Coltsfoot, Remote Sedge, Giant Fescue, Wild Angelica, Meadowsweet, Marsh Marigold, and Water Forget-me- not Myosotis scorpioides and Babbs Meadow has a reed swamp. The Orange Algae Trentopohlia was found on some of the trees, and it can be found as a free-living alga that is also found as a partner in many crustose lichens, colour due to carotenoid pigments. .
The Otters Bridge area had Great Horsetail, Pendulous Sedge, Wild Strawberry, Cuckoo Flower or Lady’s Smock, Coltsfoot with Rust Puccinia poarum, Wavy Bittercress Cardamine flexuosa, Hedge Woundwort and Hemp Agrimony. But also, non-native Himalayan Balsam and Yellow Archangel ssp. argenteum though! Lots of Liverwort Conocephalum conicum.
Just one Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina was found at a tree base. The strange shape of the cotyledons of Common Lime was commented on and nearby were Beech seedlings and along this stretch was Luzula pilosa too.
Wetland by the mid Bridge had Common Comfrey and Starwort Callitriche sp.
Path up past rock outcrops and quarry 220-million-year-old Triassic desert sandstone of the Sherwood Group (that has Cheirotherium footprints), cut through in the Ice Age. There are plenty of lichens, moss and liverworts including Great Scented Liverwort or Snakewort Conocephalum conicum commonly under overhangs and cliffs. Masses of Great Wood-rush Luzula sylvatica (with white hairy edges). Bits of Yellow Pimpernel, Enchanter's Nightshade, Wood Millet and Wood Melick too in woodlands. In many of the woodlands Broad Buckler Fern Dryopteris dilatata. Wet underhangs also had Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium and Hard Fern Blechnum spicant. The path along the bottom of the cliff towards St Patricks well has many ferns, such as Lady-fern Athyrium felix-femina, Broad Buckler-fern Dryopteris dilitata, Soft Shield-fern Polystichum setiferum and Hard-fern Blechnum spicant and abundant Great Wood-rush Luzula sylvatica. Wood Bristle-moss Lewinskya (=Orthotrichum) affine is common on the trees. One Wood Sorrel was at the base of tree just before St. Patricks Well.
St. Patricks Well Area had the usual woodland plants plus Herb Robert, Pendulous Sedge, Yew etc. At St. Patrick’s Well were lots of Common Snakeskin Liverwort or Great Scented Liverwort Conocephalum conicum, plus Mind your own Business Soleirolia soleirolii and Hard Fern.
Quarry Area and Path back to car park Quarry has lots of Common Snakeskin Liverwort or Great Scented Liverwort Conocephalum conicum and other mosses and liverworts, and a Wood Sorrel patch was at edge of ditch opposite. Sweet and Horse Chestnuts, Norway Spruce, Wych Elm, Ash, Holly, Yew, Enchanters Nightshade etc.
Lichens seen on the day included Parmelia sulcata, Oak Moss Evernia prunastri ; Xanthoria parietina; Caloplaca sp.; Physcia adscendens; Physcia tenella; Phaeophyscia orbicularis; Lecidella elaechroma; Lecanora chlarotera; Peltigera sp. Parmotrema perlatum and Flavoparmelia caperata.
Insects of Note included Comma, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Orange Tip butterflies, a Nomada Cuckoo Bee, Birch Shield Bug, Green Shield Bug, Alder Fly Sialis sp., Pollen Beetle Byturus ochraceus and Green Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula. On currant was a gall Big Bud Gall or Currant Gall caused by the mite Cecidophyopsis ribis.
Bird highlights included lots of Nuthatch calling and singing by Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Great Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Blackcap, and Chiffchaff. Greater Spotted Woodpecker were drumming, and Stock Dove were surprisingly common once the call is known, and a Raven was heard calling. Moorhen, Mallard, Blue Tit, Magpie, Crow, and Jay were also present. Grey Squirrel was seen, and we had a brief glimpse of a Bank Vole.
Tony Carter identified twenty-three fungi - Celandine Cluster Cup Rust Uromyces dactylidis was on Lesser Celandine, Golden-haired Inkcap Parasola auricoma was on the grassland and we also found Wolf's Milk Lycogala epidendrum - a slime mould. Dead nettle stems had Nettle Rash Leptosphaeria acuta, Crocicreas cyathoideum, Stictis stellata and on dead Hogweed stems were Yellow Mascara Disco Belonidium sulphureum, Snowy Disco Lachnum virgineum, Periconia byssoides, and the uncommon Pyreopeziza chailletii. On dead branches and twigs were Netted Crust Byssomerulius corium and Split Porecrust Schizopora paradoxa. Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum and Turkeytail Trametes versicolor were common throughout. The Pocket Plum Gall Taphrina pruni was on Blackthorn instead of the fruits. Birch had Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa and Birch Polypore, Birch Bracket or Razor Strop Fomitopsis betulinus. We also found Elder Wash Hyphodontia sambuci and Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon. Cramp Balls or King Alfred's Cakes Daldinia concentrica was on Ash and a mass of Fairy Inkcap Coprinellus disseminatus were on a willow stump, Hoof Fungus Fomes fomentarius was found on a cut tree trunk and a puzzler for a while was Yellow Brain Fungus Tremella mesenterica which was on another fungus in a hole in hawthorn. On Dock was Red Dock Spot Ramularia rubella and the Ramsons had Arum Rust
Text and photos by Steve Cross
The Flower meadow had Cowslips, Meadow Cranesbill, Red Campion, Cow Parsley, Common Knapweed, Hogweed and Comfrey. Nearby there was the non-native flowering Variegated Yellow Archangel plus Common Knapweed, and Red Campion. Comparison was made of leaves of Meadow Cranesbill, Creeping Buttercup and Cut-leaved Cranesbill.
Woodslee Pond area had Moorhen and Mallard. Plants included White Water Lily, not sure which Duckweed, Hard Rush, Hemlock Water Dropwort, Water Dock, Yellow Iris, Rigid Hornwort, old Purple Loosestrife and planted Bogbean in flower. Crack Willow had Bean Gall Pontania proxima. Highclere Holly Ilex x altclerensis, Cherry, Cherry Laurel, Holly, Alder (with leaf beetle), plenty of Pendulous Sedge.
Slope down to Viewpoint (Point 2). Slender Rush Juncus tenuis, and Remote Sedge Carex remota woodland with Cherry Laurel, Sycamore, Oak, Hazel, Hawthorn, Hornbeam, Birch, Yew, Hybrid Bluebell, Cotoneaster, Snowberry, a planted Weeping Willow. Wood Avens, Wood Dock, Ground Elder, Cuckoopint, Pignut etc. Bramble had mine of Stigmella aurella.
The Pond at Base of the path for dealing with runoff has lots of Pendulous Sedge, plus some Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage and Field Rose.
Ash-wych elm woodland covers most of this site and is characterised by an abundance of Ash, Pedunculate Oak and Sycamore. Wych Elm, Holly and Beech are also frequently found with Birch and Rowan occurring on the more acidic soils. Hornbeam Carpinus betulus and Horse Chestnut have been planted in certain parts of the wood and some regeneration of these species has taken place. Hazel, Hawthorn and Elder are the predominant shrub species in the understorey with Guelder Rose Viburnum opulus present on the more base-rich soils with also some Raspberry, Aucuba japonica etc.
Locally common were Wood Dock, Wood Anemone, Enchanters Nightshade, Lesser Celandine, Dog’s Mercury, and Bluebell. The ground flora contains abundant ivy and bramble with Sanicle and Wood Avens on the more base-rich soils. Common Dog Violet, Ramsons, Allium ursinum, Pignut, Conopodium majus, Tufted Hair Grass, Honeysuckle, Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Wood Speedwell, Veronica montana and all three species of Currant, Red, Black and Gooseberry, Ribes rubrum, nigrum, uva-crispa.
In the woodlands were the Swan-neck Thyme-moss Mnium hornum and Bank Haircap Moss Polytrichum formosum, Dotted Thyme-Moss Rhizomnium punctatum, Common Smoothcap Moss Atrichum undulatum, Hartstongue Fern, Golden Scaly Male Fern, Common Polypody, Soft Shield Fern and other ferns.
Alder- willow woodland along the valley floor has Alder, Grey Willow, Crack Willow, and Osier. White Willow Salix alba and Italian Black Poplar Populus nigra var. italica have been planted in a few places. Meadowsweet, Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium, Common Nettle and Reed Canary-grass are the principal components of the ground flora. Other species include Greater Spearwort, Wood Sedge Carex sylvatica, Yellow Iris, Goldenrod, Coltsfoot, Remote Sedge, Giant Fescue, Wild Angelica, Meadowsweet, Marsh Marigold, and Water Forget-me- not Myosotis scorpioides and Babbs Meadow has a reed swamp. The Orange Algae Trentopohlia was found on some of the trees, and it can be found as a free-living alga that is also found as a partner in many crustose lichens, colour due to carotenoid pigments. .
The Otters Bridge area had Great Horsetail, Pendulous Sedge, Wild Strawberry, Cuckoo Flower or Lady’s Smock, Coltsfoot with Rust Puccinia poarum, Wavy Bittercress Cardamine flexuosa, Hedge Woundwort and Hemp Agrimony. But also, non-native Himalayan Balsam and Yellow Archangel ssp. argenteum though! Lots of Liverwort Conocephalum conicum.
Just one Moschatel Adoxa moschatellina was found at a tree base. The strange shape of the cotyledons of Common Lime was commented on and nearby were Beech seedlings and along this stretch was Luzula pilosa too.
Wetland by the mid Bridge had Common Comfrey and Starwort Callitriche sp.
Path up past rock outcrops and quarry 220-million-year-old Triassic desert sandstone of the Sherwood Group (that has Cheirotherium footprints), cut through in the Ice Age. There are plenty of lichens, moss and liverworts including Great Scented Liverwort or Snakewort Conocephalum conicum commonly under overhangs and cliffs. Masses of Great Wood-rush Luzula sylvatica (with white hairy edges). Bits of Yellow Pimpernel, Enchanter's Nightshade, Wood Millet and Wood Melick too in woodlands. In many of the woodlands Broad Buckler Fern Dryopteris dilatata. Wet underhangs also had Opposite-leaved Golden Saxifrage Chrysosplenium oppositifolium and Hard Fern Blechnum spicant. The path along the bottom of the cliff towards St Patricks well has many ferns, such as Lady-fern Athyrium felix-femina, Broad Buckler-fern Dryopteris dilitata, Soft Shield-fern Polystichum setiferum and Hard-fern Blechnum spicant and abundant Great Wood-rush Luzula sylvatica. Wood Bristle-moss Lewinskya (=Orthotrichum) affine is common on the trees. One Wood Sorrel was at the base of tree just before St. Patricks Well.
St. Patricks Well Area had the usual woodland plants plus Herb Robert, Pendulous Sedge, Yew etc. At St. Patrick’s Well were lots of Common Snakeskin Liverwort or Great Scented Liverwort Conocephalum conicum, plus Mind your own Business Soleirolia soleirolii and Hard Fern.
Quarry Area and Path back to car park Quarry has lots of Common Snakeskin Liverwort or Great Scented Liverwort Conocephalum conicum and other mosses and liverworts, and a Wood Sorrel patch was at edge of ditch opposite. Sweet and Horse Chestnuts, Norway Spruce, Wych Elm, Ash, Holly, Yew, Enchanters Nightshade etc.
Lichens seen on the day included Parmelia sulcata, Oak Moss Evernia prunastri ; Xanthoria parietina; Caloplaca sp.; Physcia adscendens; Physcia tenella; Phaeophyscia orbicularis; Lecidella elaechroma; Lecanora chlarotera; Peltigera sp. Parmotrema perlatum and Flavoparmelia caperata.
Insects of Note included Comma, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood and Orange Tip butterflies, a Nomada Cuckoo Bee, Birch Shield Bug, Green Shield Bug, Alder Fly Sialis sp., Pollen Beetle Byturus ochraceus and Green Dock Beetle Gastrophysa viridula. On currant was a gall Big Bud Gall or Currant Gall caused by the mite Cecidophyopsis ribis.
Bird highlights included lots of Nuthatch calling and singing by Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, Great Tit, Robin, Dunnock, Wren, Blackcap, and Chiffchaff. Greater Spotted Woodpecker were drumming, and Stock Dove were surprisingly common once the call is known, and a Raven was heard calling. Moorhen, Mallard, Blue Tit, Magpie, Crow, and Jay were also present. Grey Squirrel was seen, and we had a brief glimpse of a Bank Vole.
Tony Carter identified twenty-three fungi - Celandine Cluster Cup Rust Uromyces dactylidis was on Lesser Celandine, Golden-haired Inkcap Parasola auricoma was on the grassland and we also found Wolf's Milk Lycogala epidendrum - a slime mould. Dead nettle stems had Nettle Rash Leptosphaeria acuta, Crocicreas cyathoideum, Stictis stellata and on dead Hogweed stems were Yellow Mascara Disco Belonidium sulphureum, Snowy Disco Lachnum virgineum, Periconia byssoides, and the uncommon Pyreopeziza chailletii. On dead branches and twigs were Netted Crust Byssomerulius corium and Split Porecrust Schizopora paradoxa. Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum and Turkeytail Trametes versicolor were common throughout. The Pocket Plum Gall Taphrina pruni was on Blackthorn instead of the fruits. Birch had Blushing Bracket Daedaleopsis confragosa and Birch Polypore, Birch Bracket or Razor Strop Fomitopsis betulinus. We also found Elder Wash Hyphodontia sambuci and Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon. Cramp Balls or King Alfred's Cakes Daldinia concentrica was on Ash and a mass of Fairy Inkcap Coprinellus disseminatus were on a willow stump, Hoof Fungus Fomes fomentarius was found on a cut tree trunk and a puzzler for a while was Yellow Brain Fungus Tremella mesenterica which was on another fungus in a hole in hawthorn. On Dock was Red Dock Spot Ramularia rubella and the Ramsons had Arum Rust
Text and photos by Steve Cross
following photos by Peter Gateley
following photos by Tony Carter
Southport Saturday 20 May 2023 No report
Great Orme, 3rd June 2023
On a sunny day eighteen members and friends visited the Great Orme slopes and were guided by Peter Gateley and Wendy McCarthy. Highlights included flowering Hoary Rockrose Helianthemum oelandicum subsp. incanum, Ivy Broomrape Orobanche hederae, Nottingham Catchfly Silene nutans and Spotted Cat’s-ear Hypochaeris maculata. Plus, Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo, Dark Red Helleborine Epipactis atrorubens and Small-leaved Sweet Briar Rosa agrestis though unfortunately the latter two were only in bud not in flower.
Typical limestone plants included Common Rockrose, Bloody Cranesbill, Burnet Rose, Quaking Grass, Wild Marjoram, Eyebright, Pyramidal Orchid, Carline Thistle, Crested Hair Grass Koeleria macrantha, Ploughman’s Spikenard, Lady’s Bedstraw and Kidney Vetch. We could compare Salad Burnet and Dropwort, Sweet Briar (with its apple smell) and the much rarer Small-leaved Sweet Briar Rosa agrestis. Unfortunately, these slopes above Haulfre Gardens through the “secret door” have a big problem of alien Cotoneaster (four species) and Mrs. Wilsons Barberry and Clematis amongst other invasive species.
Shrubs and trees of note included Black Bryony, Small-leaved Lime, Spurge-laurel Daphne laureola, Wild Privet, Gooseberry, and Buckthorn. Woodland plants included Sanicle, Wood Melick and Wood Dock.
At Haulfre Gardens there was masses of Stinking Iris, also known as Gladdon or Roast Beef Plant, the latter name due to its strong smell. An introduced Jordan’s Hawkweed Hieracium exotericum agg., with its black glandular hairs was the first find of the trip. Wood Meadow Grass Poa nemoralis , or colloquially “Heil Hitler Grass” due to the angle of the leaf blade like a stretched-out arm making it look like a Nazi salute! (also gives it the name Sign-Post Grass). Wild Madder Rubia peregrina was scrambling over other vegetation here. The parasitic Ivy Broomrape Orobanche hederae was in flower at a few spots here, as was Spindle Euonymus europeaus and Bladder Campion. Exotic planted species here included Mediterranean Spurge, Tree Poppy, and Curry Plant.
Down Haulfre Steps and along Church Walks and Abbey Road produced the usual plants of pavement and wall including Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Wall-rue, Bread Wheat, Procumbent Yellow-sorrel, Slender Pearlwort Sagina filicaulis, Annual Wall Rocket, Dovesfoot and Hedgerow Cranesbills and it was nice to see a Wall Brown Butterfly here. On a wall was Rock Spurrey Spergularia rupicola. We also had the opportunity to compare Fern Grass and Sea Fern Grass.
At West Shore we had a range of sand dune plants including Marram, Lyme Grass, Fennel, Sea Rocket, Sand Couch Grass, Sea Beet, Sea Mayweed, Curled Dock ssp. littoreus, Rock Samphire, and Sea Radish.
Butterfly highlights included masses of the unique Great Orme form of the Silver-studded Blue Plebejus argus ssp. caernensis, and I estimated at least 200 were seen and at least three of the unique Great Orme form of the Grayling Hipparchia semele ssp. thyone. Both these subspecies are about a third smaller than elsewhere and also emerge much earlier, this year probably at least a month difference. Other invertebrates of note included Pill Woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare, able to survive the dry conditions of the Orme, a Cucumber Spider Araniella cucurbitina agg., plus five bumblebee species.
Bird highlights included just hearing Chough and Kestrel with lots of Herring Gull and Jackdaws of course plus two Linnet and one Blackcap singing. The notable mammal sighting was the group of Kashmiri Goat.
The dry conditions meant the only fungi were a couple of rusts - Hypericum Rust Melampsora hypericorum on Tutsan and Mallow or Hollyhock Rust Puccinia malvacearum on Common Mallow.
On a sunny day eighteen members and friends visited the Great Orme slopes and were guided by Peter Gateley and Wendy McCarthy. Highlights included flowering Hoary Rockrose Helianthemum oelandicum subsp. incanum, Ivy Broomrape Orobanche hederae, Nottingham Catchfly Silene nutans and Spotted Cat’s-ear Hypochaeris maculata. Plus, Strawberry Tree Arbutus unedo, Dark Red Helleborine Epipactis atrorubens and Small-leaved Sweet Briar Rosa agrestis though unfortunately the latter two were only in bud not in flower.
Typical limestone plants included Common Rockrose, Bloody Cranesbill, Burnet Rose, Quaking Grass, Wild Marjoram, Eyebright, Pyramidal Orchid, Carline Thistle, Crested Hair Grass Koeleria macrantha, Ploughman’s Spikenard, Lady’s Bedstraw and Kidney Vetch. We could compare Salad Burnet and Dropwort, Sweet Briar (with its apple smell) and the much rarer Small-leaved Sweet Briar Rosa agrestis. Unfortunately, these slopes above Haulfre Gardens through the “secret door” have a big problem of alien Cotoneaster (four species) and Mrs. Wilsons Barberry and Clematis amongst other invasive species.
Shrubs and trees of note included Black Bryony, Small-leaved Lime, Spurge-laurel Daphne laureola, Wild Privet, Gooseberry, and Buckthorn. Woodland plants included Sanicle, Wood Melick and Wood Dock.
At Haulfre Gardens there was masses of Stinking Iris, also known as Gladdon or Roast Beef Plant, the latter name due to its strong smell. An introduced Jordan’s Hawkweed Hieracium exotericum agg., with its black glandular hairs was the first find of the trip. Wood Meadow Grass Poa nemoralis , or colloquially “Heil Hitler Grass” due to the angle of the leaf blade like a stretched-out arm making it look like a Nazi salute! (also gives it the name Sign-Post Grass). Wild Madder Rubia peregrina was scrambling over other vegetation here. The parasitic Ivy Broomrape Orobanche hederae was in flower at a few spots here, as was Spindle Euonymus europeaus and Bladder Campion. Exotic planted species here included Mediterranean Spurge, Tree Poppy, and Curry Plant.
Down Haulfre Steps and along Church Walks and Abbey Road produced the usual plants of pavement and wall including Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Wall-rue, Bread Wheat, Procumbent Yellow-sorrel, Slender Pearlwort Sagina filicaulis, Annual Wall Rocket, Dovesfoot and Hedgerow Cranesbills and it was nice to see a Wall Brown Butterfly here. On a wall was Rock Spurrey Spergularia rupicola. We also had the opportunity to compare Fern Grass and Sea Fern Grass.
At West Shore we had a range of sand dune plants including Marram, Lyme Grass, Fennel, Sea Rocket, Sand Couch Grass, Sea Beet, Sea Mayweed, Curled Dock ssp. littoreus, Rock Samphire, and Sea Radish.
Butterfly highlights included masses of the unique Great Orme form of the Silver-studded Blue Plebejus argus ssp. caernensis, and I estimated at least 200 were seen and at least three of the unique Great Orme form of the Grayling Hipparchia semele ssp. thyone. Both these subspecies are about a third smaller than elsewhere and also emerge much earlier, this year probably at least a month difference. Other invertebrates of note included Pill Woodlouse Armadillidium vulgare, able to survive the dry conditions of the Orme, a Cucumber Spider Araniella cucurbitina agg., plus five bumblebee species.
Bird highlights included just hearing Chough and Kestrel with lots of Herring Gull and Jackdaws of course plus two Linnet and one Blackcap singing. The notable mammal sighting was the group of Kashmiri Goat.
The dry conditions meant the only fungi were a couple of rusts - Hypericum Rust Melampsora hypericorum on Tutsan and Mallow or Hollyhock Rust Puccinia malvacearum on Common Mallow.
Liverpool City Centre (William Brown Street to Everton Park)
24th June 2023
Leader - Steve Cross. Ten members and friends had a look at the plants of the streets of Liverpool and Everton plus the “wildflower areas” of William Brown Street and Everton Park. Highlights included eleven Bee Orchid at Hunter Street, Zig Zag Clover, the “cornfield flowers” including Field Scabious, Viper’s Bugloss, Musk Mallow, and Corncockle. A surprise find was Field Madder Sherardia arvenis. At the corner of Peover Street/Rose Hill a Tulip Tree (from East N. America) was in flower.
However, a lot of time was spent discussing the origins and adaptations of the plants to enable them to survive in the hostile environments of the streets! Well adapted are the aliens Eastern Rocket, Pineappleweed, Shaggy Soldier, Water Bent, Canadian & Guernsey Fleabanes, Buddleia, Lesser Swine Cress, Procumbent Yellow Sorrel, Hoary Mustard, Black Nightshade, Oxford Ragwort and American Willowherb. The origins of these plants range across Europe, Asia as well as North and South America. Tree of Heaven (or for some Tree of Hell) Ailanthus altissima is becoming a problem in urban areas as it suckers and produces a chemical (ailanthone) that inhibit other plants. Native plants also do well in the pavement environment including Annual Meadow Grass, Procumbent and Slender Pearlworts, Common Knotgrass, Broad-leaved and Hoary Willowherb, Petty Spurge, Black Medick, and Shepherds Purse. Of bird seed or spilt grain origin were Canary Grass Phalaris canariensis, Cultivated Oat Avena sativa, and Six-rowed Barley Hordeum vulgare.
Also of interest were the more unusual, planted shrubs and trees such as Caucasian and Silver Limes, False Acacia Robinia pseudoacacia, Silver Maple Acer saccharinum, Swedish Whitebeam, Silver Fir, Narrow-leaved Ash Fraxinus angustifolia, Bladder Senna, Sweet Chestnut, and Purple Norway Maple. Other notable plants included Common Ramping Fumitory Fumaria muralis, Wild Radish, Perforate St. John’s Wort, Common Toadflax already in flower, Prickly Lettuce, Lucerne (Alfalfa in America) Medicago sativa ssp. sativa (purple), Wild Parsnip, Mouse-ear Hawkweed, Fool’s Parsley, Wall Lettuce and Scarlet Pimpernel.
Insect highlights included a Common Field Grasshopper Chorthippus brunneus that landed on Tom’s leg, a Hairy Shield Bug (or Sloe Bug) Dolycoris baccarum. Butterflies included Comma, Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, whites, and plenty of Meadow Browns. Fossil Corals and Brachiopod shells some three hundred million years old were found on limestone pillars by the Walker Art Gallery.
Text and photos Steve Cross
Full account is below
| lbs_liverpool_24623.docx |
Crosby Dunes (Crosby Coastal Park) 15th July 2023
Seven members led by Steve Cross braved the weather to see the dune and garden escape plants of this site. We were fortunate with the weather with only one heavy shower and some lighter ones, however the wind was very strong, though the sun shone strongly at times. Highlights of course were most (c.85%) of the British Dune Wormwood population and over 2000 flowering Isle of Man Cabbage (probably the largest population in the world) and similar numbers of Sea Holly Broomrape (though only a couple still in flower, most had gone over).
The Boating Lake area had Slender Spike-rush Eleocharis uniglumis, lots of Marsh Arrowgrass and usefully one Sea Arrowgrass plant side by side for comparison, a mass of Frog Rush where the lake spills over, Gypsywort and probably new to the site was Strawberry Clover. The dunes hosted lots of Lucerne (we saw many colour forms - purple, dark, and light blue, pink and white), and we spent some time comparing Rough Hawkbit, Lesser Hawkbit, Common Catsear and Smooth Hawksbeard. We also found Orange Whitebeam Sorbus croceocarpa side by side with Swedish Whitebeam.
The grassland area produced masses of legumes - Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Red and White Clovers, Lesser Trefoil, Lucerne; plus, Wild Carrot, Hard Rush, Meadow Cranesbill, Meadow Buttercup, Dewberry and Red Bartsia. Nearby was a clump of willows consisting of Grey, hybrid Grey x Goat Salix x reichardtii, Goat Willow and Osier, all together allowing comparison.
People were amazed by the mass of Sea Holly on parts of the dunes and where blow outs occurred, we could see the long root system that the Broomrape tap in to. Also here were Sea Rocket, Marram, Lyme Grass, Sea Spurge, Sand Sedge, Common Restharrow, Sand Cat’s-tail, Silver Hair Grass, Dewberry, Haresfoot Clover and Sea Sandwort Honckenya peploides. The area around the baths had Sea Couch Grass, Sea Beet, Sea Mayweed, Burnet Rose (cultivar), and a single Yucca on the dune (but several at the Baths). By far the commonest Evening Primrose was the hybrid Large x Small-flowered Oenothera x brittanica.
The inland edge next to the gardens from Endsleigh Road back to the car park had a strange mix of dune plants (Viper’s Bugloss, Haresfoot Clover, Lesser Trefoil, Kidney Vetch, Black Medick, Common Storksbill, Sand Sedge etc.) and garden escapes (Pampas Grass, Arrow Bamboo Pseudosasa japonica, Russian Vine, Mediterranean Spurge, Fennel, Russian Vine, Bloody Cranesbill, Seaside Daisy Erigeron glaucus, Grape vine, Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis, lots of Soapwort, plus Greater Celandine, White Stonecrop, Purple Toadflax (including pink form ‘Canon Went’), Hidcote Comfrey Symphytum × hidcotense, Powell’s Cape-lily Crinum × powellii, a red Crocosmia, Pink Sorrel and a Greater, or Flowering Sea Kale Crambe cordifolia at Harbord Road). A nice find was a flowering Common Broomrape on clover, it was by Heathfield Road at SJ31379819. Also along this stretch were Black Horehound, Field Bindweed, Marsh Cudweed and Lady’s Bedstraw.
Birds of note were the singing Skylark, a flock of about two hundred Starling and a Kestrel. Despite the wind we saw three White butterfly species and three male Gatekeeper. Galls of Phanacis hypochoeridis were frequent on Common Catsear. Fungi included smuts on Lyme Grass it was Tranzscheliella hypodytes , Sand Sedge had Anthracoidea arenariae and White Campion had Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae. Mildew on Red Clover and White Melilot was either Erysiphe pisi var. pisi or E. trifoliorum.
We also saw the problems of Sea Buckthorn, Japanese Rose, whitebeams, as well as other alien plants, plus people and dog issues too.
Seven members led by Steve Cross braved the weather to see the dune and garden escape plants of this site. We were fortunate with the weather with only one heavy shower and some lighter ones, however the wind was very strong, though the sun shone strongly at times. Highlights of course were most (c.85%) of the British Dune Wormwood population and over 2000 flowering Isle of Man Cabbage (probably the largest population in the world) and similar numbers of Sea Holly Broomrape (though only a couple still in flower, most had gone over).
The Boating Lake area had Slender Spike-rush Eleocharis uniglumis, lots of Marsh Arrowgrass and usefully one Sea Arrowgrass plant side by side for comparison, a mass of Frog Rush where the lake spills over, Gypsywort and probably new to the site was Strawberry Clover. The dunes hosted lots of Lucerne (we saw many colour forms - purple, dark, and light blue, pink and white), and we spent some time comparing Rough Hawkbit, Lesser Hawkbit, Common Catsear and Smooth Hawksbeard. We also found Orange Whitebeam Sorbus croceocarpa side by side with Swedish Whitebeam.
The grassland area produced masses of legumes - Common Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Red and White Clovers, Lesser Trefoil, Lucerne; plus, Wild Carrot, Hard Rush, Meadow Cranesbill, Meadow Buttercup, Dewberry and Red Bartsia. Nearby was a clump of willows consisting of Grey, hybrid Grey x Goat Salix x reichardtii, Goat Willow and Osier, all together allowing comparison.
People were amazed by the mass of Sea Holly on parts of the dunes and where blow outs occurred, we could see the long root system that the Broomrape tap in to. Also here were Sea Rocket, Marram, Lyme Grass, Sea Spurge, Sand Sedge, Common Restharrow, Sand Cat’s-tail, Silver Hair Grass, Dewberry, Haresfoot Clover and Sea Sandwort Honckenya peploides. The area around the baths had Sea Couch Grass, Sea Beet, Sea Mayweed, Burnet Rose (cultivar), and a single Yucca on the dune (but several at the Baths). By far the commonest Evening Primrose was the hybrid Large x Small-flowered Oenothera x brittanica.
The inland edge next to the gardens from Endsleigh Road back to the car park had a strange mix of dune plants (Viper’s Bugloss, Haresfoot Clover, Lesser Trefoil, Kidney Vetch, Black Medick, Common Storksbill, Sand Sedge etc.) and garden escapes (Pampas Grass, Arrow Bamboo Pseudosasa japonica, Russian Vine, Mediterranean Spurge, Fennel, Russian Vine, Bloody Cranesbill, Seaside Daisy Erigeron glaucus, Grape vine, Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis, lots of Soapwort, plus Greater Celandine, White Stonecrop, Purple Toadflax (including pink form ‘Canon Went’), Hidcote Comfrey Symphytum × hidcotense, Powell’s Cape-lily Crinum × powellii, a red Crocosmia, Pink Sorrel and a Greater, or Flowering Sea Kale Crambe cordifolia at Harbord Road). A nice find was a flowering Common Broomrape on clover, it was by Heathfield Road at SJ31379819. Also along this stretch were Black Horehound, Field Bindweed, Marsh Cudweed and Lady’s Bedstraw.
Birds of note were the singing Skylark, a flock of about two hundred Starling and a Kestrel. Despite the wind we saw three White butterfly species and three male Gatekeeper. Galls of Phanacis hypochoeridis were frequent on Common Catsear. Fungi included smuts on Lyme Grass it was Tranzscheliella hypodytes , Sand Sedge had Anthracoidea arenariae and White Campion had Microbotryum lychnidis-dioicae. Mildew on Red Clover and White Melilot was either Erysiphe pisi var. pisi or E. trifoliorum.
We also saw the problems of Sea Buckthorn, Japanese Rose, whitebeams, as well as other alien plants, plus people and dog issues too.
LBS Wirral Wallasey Gunsite & Leasowe Bay 29th July 2023
Leader - Robert Freeth.
The Wallasey Gunsite coastal area is situated between two golf-courses & is a part of the North Wirral Coastal Park. It is located around Leasowe Bay, with some semi-open sand dunes, hillside grassland & woodland plus further inland a rough meadow with trees & a rough track from a site maintenance area to the main carpark at the western end of Green Lane.
We started at 10:30am from the Green Lane main car-park, OS Grid reference JS277934 exploring sections of both OS Grid SJ2792 & SJ2693 on 29th July 2023. Nine LBS members were present, include Peter Gateley (P.G.) & Martin Stead (M.S.) who were beneficial in clarifying how to identify trickier species encountered. The weather was pleasant at 21c sunny & cloudy spells with a light breeze. Note this visit was after recent rains following weeks of drought, so areas of grassland were in a state of recovery.
Nationally rare vascular plant species recorded according to Clive Stace with (R) rarity status were Sand Cat’s-tail Phleum arenarium, Intermediate-flowered Evening-primrose Oenothera x fallax & Sea-holly Eryngium maritimum although these are just infrequent on the Wirral coast. Also present were some Wirral vascular plant rarities: Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica, Isle-of-Man Cabbage Coincya monensis ssp. monensis, Dune Fescue Vulpia fasciculata, Early Hair-grass Aira praecox, Hare’s-tail Lagurus ovatus & Hoary Mullein Verbascum pulvervulentum, while exceptionally Sheep’s-bit Jasione montana was frequent here this July.
Robert recorded a plant list of 160 taxa plus three unresolved, also nine species of Butterfly (notably Grayling and Brimstone). Lists below.
Robert Freeth
Leader - Robert Freeth.
The Wallasey Gunsite coastal area is situated between two golf-courses & is a part of the North Wirral Coastal Park. It is located around Leasowe Bay, with some semi-open sand dunes, hillside grassland & woodland plus further inland a rough meadow with trees & a rough track from a site maintenance area to the main carpark at the western end of Green Lane.
We started at 10:30am from the Green Lane main car-park, OS Grid reference JS277934 exploring sections of both OS Grid SJ2792 & SJ2693 on 29th July 2023. Nine LBS members were present, include Peter Gateley (P.G.) & Martin Stead (M.S.) who were beneficial in clarifying how to identify trickier species encountered. The weather was pleasant at 21c sunny & cloudy spells with a light breeze. Note this visit was after recent rains following weeks of drought, so areas of grassland were in a state of recovery.
Nationally rare vascular plant species recorded according to Clive Stace with (R) rarity status were Sand Cat’s-tail Phleum arenarium, Intermediate-flowered Evening-primrose Oenothera x fallax & Sea-holly Eryngium maritimum although these are just infrequent on the Wirral coast. Also present were some Wirral vascular plant rarities: Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica, Isle-of-Man Cabbage Coincya monensis ssp. monensis, Dune Fescue Vulpia fasciculata, Early Hair-grass Aira praecox, Hare’s-tail Lagurus ovatus & Hoary Mullein Verbascum pulvervulentum, while exceptionally Sheep’s-bit Jasione montana was frequent here this July.
Robert recorded a plant list of 160 taxa plus three unresolved, also nine species of Butterfly (notably Grayling and Brimstone). Lists below.
Robert Freeth
| lbs_wirral_gunsite___leasowe_bay_field_trip_in_botanical_name_order_2023jul29.docx |
Gowy Meadows 5th August 2023
Our small group of hardy botanists, led by John Crowder braved the weather, which in the end was not quite as bad as the forecast made out it would be, we even saw some butterflies! Gowy Meadows, a Cheshire Wildlife Trust Reserve, with an area of 166 hectares (410 acres) is hemmed in between the M56 motorway and Stanlow Oil Refinery (the sounds and smells of which were constantly in the background), also adjacent are a landfill site and sewage works! This might not seem to be a good site for a botanist, but the edges of the ditches, brooks and River Gowy held a good range of aquatic plants. The biggest part of the reserve is lowland grazing marsh grazed by cattle and sheep and is dominated by grasses, thistles, Tufted Hair Grass Deschampsia caespitosa, rushes etc. and best known for its birdlife.
Plant highlights included Whorl Grass Catabrosa aquatica, native Black Poplar (we found one of the five trees), Orange Balsam, three species of Duckweed, Pink-flowered Water-speedwell Veronica catenata, lots of Yellow Waterlily Nuphar lutea, Greater Yellow Cress and some Water Figwort. Comparison could be made between Reed Sweet Grass Glyceria maxima and Floating Sweet Grass Glyceria fluitans as well as Branched Bur-reed Sparganium erectum and Unbranched Bur-reed Sparganium emersum. Water Chickweed Stellaria aquatica (=Myosoton aquaticum) was new to many of us. Three Short-winged Conehead Bush Crickets Conocephalus dorsalis was a nice find just to the east of the River Gowy. Conocephalus dorsalis (Latreille, 1804)Short-winged Conehead | Orthoptera & Allied Insects
Starting by the Church at Thornton-le-Moors we first noted the various ruderal plants before heading along the “Speckled Wood Lane”, a muddy track up to the reserve through tall hedgerows with haws, sloes and berries on Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Blackberry. Trees planted around here included Ash, Beech, Sycamore, Hazel, and Horse Chestnut. The trackside provided comparison of Hedge Woundwort and hybrid Woundwort Stachys x ambigua (and then later Marsh Woundwort along the ditches), four Dock species, plenty of Red Bartsia and Upright Hedge Parsley Torilis japonica, Common Fleabane, Bittersweet, Roses, Prickly Sowthistle, Wild Angelica, Tufted Vetch, and Marsh Cudweed.
The NE corner of the reserve near the Thornton Brook had Peppermint (later able to compare to Water Mint, one of its parents), various willowherbs and rushes and friendly cows.
The northern boundary path had flowering Cut-leaved Cranesbill, Common Knapweed, Hogweed, Bristly Oxtongue Picris echioides, Common Mouse-ear, Lesser Stitchwort and Smooth Tare.
Water Plants were a prime focus with three species of Duckweed along the Thornton Brook: - Common Lemna minor, Ivy-leaved Lemna trisulca and Greater Spirodela polyrhiza. We were also able to compare Watercress Nasturtium officinale agg., Fool's Watercress Helosciadium nodiflorum and Lesser Water-parsnip Berula erecta. The River Gower was flowing very fast, told by the speed at the weir and also the angle of the submerged leaves. It held Pink-flowered Water-speedwell Veronica catenata, lots of Yellow Waterlily Nuphar lutea, Water Pepper Persicaria hydropiper, a few plants of Water Figwort Scrophularia auriculata, Greater Yellow Cress Rorippa amphibia, Floating Sweet Grass Glyceria fluitans and Unbranched Bur-reed Sparganium emersum. Branched Bur-reed Sparganium erectum, Reed Sweet Grass Glyceria maxima and Common Water Plantain Alisma plantago-aquatica were in the Thornton Brook.
The ditch edges held Gypsywort, Meadowsweet, Glaucous Sedge, Typha latifolia, Hemlock Water Dropwort, and several hosted Water Forget-me-not, plus just single patches of Purple Loosestrife and Tufted Forget-me-not. The north American Orange Balsam Impatiens capensis Impatiens capensis Meerb. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 seemed to be most frequent near bridges across ditches. Water Chickweed Stellaria aquatica (Myosoton aquaticum) Stellaria aquatica (L.) Scop. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 was new to many of us at SJ43297458, and here too one Ragged Robin was still in flower.
Comparisons could be done between Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil, Birdsfoot Trefoil and Meadow Vetchling; Lesser Trefoil and Black Medick plus the willowherbs Greater, Hoary and American, as well as Hard, Soft and Compact Rushes.
However, a problem for these waterways is water quality and invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam (along a part of River Gowy) with Water Fern Azolla filicoides and Canadian Waterweed Elodea canadensis in the Thornton Brook.
Birds of note were a Common Buzzard (spooked by a siren going off at Stanlow), Dunnock, Goldfinch, Linnet, Willow Warbler and six House Martin swooping low over the Gowy. The only mammal sign was molehills near to Thornton-le-Moors.
Invertebrates of note included White-lipped Banded snail, Red form Slugs Arion ater/rufus agg. Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis, nymph of Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum, and a Wasp was so persistent it even stung! Lepidoptera included Straw Dot Moth Rivula sericealis, Blood-vein Moth Timandra comae, Cinnabar Moth caterpillars, leaf mines of Cameraria ohridella on Horse Chestnut (which has only been in Britain since 2002), plus seven male Gatekeeper, one Meadow Brown flying in light rain, a Green-veined White and a male Common Blue.
Galls included plenty of Knopper and Artichoke Galls on oak (seemingly an excellent year for them), on ash was the galls of the psyllid Psyllopsis fraxini. A rose had a spectacular Robin’s Pin Cushion Gall or Bedeguar Diplolepis rosae, alder had leaf galls of the mite Acalitus brevitarsus, willow had the mite Aculus laevis and Meadowsweet had gall midge Dasineura ulmaria.
Fungi included Tar-spot Fungus on Sycamore, mildew Erysiphe heraclei on Hogweed and Violet Bramble Rust Phragmidium violaceum. Lichens included Xanthoria parietina, Cladonia fimbriata and Physcia sp.
Further information on the site at Gowy Meadows | Cheshire Wildlife Trust and Gowy Meadows Nature Reserve - Wikipedia and the management plan at Management Plan - Cheshire Wildlife Trust (studylib.net).
Our small group of hardy botanists, led by John Crowder braved the weather, which in the end was not quite as bad as the forecast made out it would be, we even saw some butterflies! Gowy Meadows, a Cheshire Wildlife Trust Reserve, with an area of 166 hectares (410 acres) is hemmed in between the M56 motorway and Stanlow Oil Refinery (the sounds and smells of which were constantly in the background), also adjacent are a landfill site and sewage works! This might not seem to be a good site for a botanist, but the edges of the ditches, brooks and River Gowy held a good range of aquatic plants. The biggest part of the reserve is lowland grazing marsh grazed by cattle and sheep and is dominated by grasses, thistles, Tufted Hair Grass Deschampsia caespitosa, rushes etc. and best known for its birdlife.
Plant highlights included Whorl Grass Catabrosa aquatica, native Black Poplar (we found one of the five trees), Orange Balsam, three species of Duckweed, Pink-flowered Water-speedwell Veronica catenata, lots of Yellow Waterlily Nuphar lutea, Greater Yellow Cress and some Water Figwort. Comparison could be made between Reed Sweet Grass Glyceria maxima and Floating Sweet Grass Glyceria fluitans as well as Branched Bur-reed Sparganium erectum and Unbranched Bur-reed Sparganium emersum. Water Chickweed Stellaria aquatica (=Myosoton aquaticum) was new to many of us. Three Short-winged Conehead Bush Crickets Conocephalus dorsalis was a nice find just to the east of the River Gowy. Conocephalus dorsalis (Latreille, 1804)Short-winged Conehead | Orthoptera & Allied Insects
Starting by the Church at Thornton-le-Moors we first noted the various ruderal plants before heading along the “Speckled Wood Lane”, a muddy track up to the reserve through tall hedgerows with haws, sloes and berries on Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Blackberry. Trees planted around here included Ash, Beech, Sycamore, Hazel, and Horse Chestnut. The trackside provided comparison of Hedge Woundwort and hybrid Woundwort Stachys x ambigua (and then later Marsh Woundwort along the ditches), four Dock species, plenty of Red Bartsia and Upright Hedge Parsley Torilis japonica, Common Fleabane, Bittersweet, Roses, Prickly Sowthistle, Wild Angelica, Tufted Vetch, and Marsh Cudweed.
The NE corner of the reserve near the Thornton Brook had Peppermint (later able to compare to Water Mint, one of its parents), various willowherbs and rushes and friendly cows.
The northern boundary path had flowering Cut-leaved Cranesbill, Common Knapweed, Hogweed, Bristly Oxtongue Picris echioides, Common Mouse-ear, Lesser Stitchwort and Smooth Tare.
Water Plants were a prime focus with three species of Duckweed along the Thornton Brook: - Common Lemna minor, Ivy-leaved Lemna trisulca and Greater Spirodela polyrhiza. We were also able to compare Watercress Nasturtium officinale agg., Fool's Watercress Helosciadium nodiflorum and Lesser Water-parsnip Berula erecta. The River Gower was flowing very fast, told by the speed at the weir and also the angle of the submerged leaves. It held Pink-flowered Water-speedwell Veronica catenata, lots of Yellow Waterlily Nuphar lutea, Water Pepper Persicaria hydropiper, a few plants of Water Figwort Scrophularia auriculata, Greater Yellow Cress Rorippa amphibia, Floating Sweet Grass Glyceria fluitans and Unbranched Bur-reed Sparganium emersum. Branched Bur-reed Sparganium erectum, Reed Sweet Grass Glyceria maxima and Common Water Plantain Alisma plantago-aquatica were in the Thornton Brook.
The ditch edges held Gypsywort, Meadowsweet, Glaucous Sedge, Typha latifolia, Hemlock Water Dropwort, and several hosted Water Forget-me-not, plus just single patches of Purple Loosestrife and Tufted Forget-me-not. The north American Orange Balsam Impatiens capensis Impatiens capensis Meerb. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 seemed to be most frequent near bridges across ditches. Water Chickweed Stellaria aquatica (Myosoton aquaticum) Stellaria aquatica (L.) Scop. in BSBI Online Plant Atlas 2020 was new to many of us at SJ43297458, and here too one Ragged Robin was still in flower.
Comparisons could be done between Greater Birdsfoot Trefoil, Birdsfoot Trefoil and Meadow Vetchling; Lesser Trefoil and Black Medick plus the willowherbs Greater, Hoary and American, as well as Hard, Soft and Compact Rushes.
However, a problem for these waterways is water quality and invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam (along a part of River Gowy) with Water Fern Azolla filicoides and Canadian Waterweed Elodea canadensis in the Thornton Brook.
Birds of note were a Common Buzzard (spooked by a siren going off at Stanlow), Dunnock, Goldfinch, Linnet, Willow Warbler and six House Martin swooping low over the Gowy. The only mammal sign was molehills near to Thornton-le-Moors.
Invertebrates of note included White-lipped Banded snail, Red form Slugs Arion ater/rufus agg. Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis, nymph of Hairy Shieldbug Dolycoris baccarum, and a Wasp was so persistent it even stung! Lepidoptera included Straw Dot Moth Rivula sericealis, Blood-vein Moth Timandra comae, Cinnabar Moth caterpillars, leaf mines of Cameraria ohridella on Horse Chestnut (which has only been in Britain since 2002), plus seven male Gatekeeper, one Meadow Brown flying in light rain, a Green-veined White and a male Common Blue.
Galls included plenty of Knopper and Artichoke Galls on oak (seemingly an excellent year for them), on ash was the galls of the psyllid Psyllopsis fraxini. A rose had a spectacular Robin’s Pin Cushion Gall or Bedeguar Diplolepis rosae, alder had leaf galls of the mite Acalitus brevitarsus, willow had the mite Aculus laevis and Meadowsweet had gall midge Dasineura ulmaria.
Fungi included Tar-spot Fungus on Sycamore, mildew Erysiphe heraclei on Hogweed and Violet Bramble Rust Phragmidium violaceum. Lichens included Xanthoria parietina, Cladonia fimbriata and Physcia sp.
Further information on the site at Gowy Meadows | Cheshire Wildlife Trust and Gowy Meadows Nature Reserve - Wikipedia and the management plan at Management Plan - Cheshire Wildlife Trust (studylib.net).
Ainsdale Green Beach 2nd September 2023
On a warm, sunny day twelve members and friends investigated the plants of the Green Beach with a mix of salt marsh, strandline, dune slacks and sand dunes. Highlights were Few-flowered Spike-rush Eleocharis quinqueflora, Variegated Horsetail Equisetum variegatum, Dune Fescue Vulpia fasciculata, the rare and tiny Small-fruited Yellow-sedge Carex oederi (C. viridula ssp. viridula), Strawberry Clover Trifolium fragiferum, Parsley Water-dropwort Oenanthe lachenalia, Common Eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa, Western Eyebright Euphrasia tetraquetra and Confused Eyebright Euphrasia confusa, indeed Eyebrights are confusing!
There were large swathes of the LBS symbol Grass-of-Parnassus Parnassia palustris. Unfortunately, the Round-leaved Wintergreen was leaves only none in flower, and the Yellow-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium californicum had gone to seed.
The strandline had plenty of Frosted Orache Atriplex laciniata as well as Babington’s Orache Atriplex glabriuscula, Prickly Saltwort Salsola kali, Saltmarsh Rush Juncus gerardii, Annual Sea-blite Suaeda maritima and Curled Dock Rumex crispus ssp. littoreus.
We were able to compare Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus and Grey Club-rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Sea Arrow-grass Triglochin maritima and Sea Plantain Plantago maritima, Ray’s Knotgrass Polygonum oxyspermum subsp. raii and Common Knotgrass, American Willowherb Epilobium ciliatum and Short-fruited Willowherb Epilobium obscurum.
Birds of note included a couple of Skylark, some sixty Sanderling were running along the tideline. At least 78 Sandwich Tern, 6 Common Tern and 30 Swallow headed south. One Kestrel hunted the dunes. Quite a few Common Frog were disturbed, and I was the only one who saw a Common Lizard that scampered over my boot.
Insects and other Invertebrates included large Garden Snails and masses of Striped Snails Cernuella virgata. Many Common Carder Bumble Bees, a few Queen Buff-tailed and White-tailed Bumble Bees. Butterflies included four Small Heath, and a Speckled Wood out on the dunes was not in usual habitat. The colourful, hairy caterpillar of the White Satin Moth Leucoma salicis was on Creeping Willow. At least two Common Darter Dragonfly were seen as was one Northern Dune Tiger Beetle, and plenty of Field Grasshopper and some Mottled Grasshopper. The red galls of the sawfly Euura collectanea were on Creeping Willow.
Margaret Reid and I stopped off at Kenilworth Road to see Smooth Rupturewort Herniaria glabra and flowering Clustered Clover Trifolium glomeratum.
On a warm, sunny day twelve members and friends investigated the plants of the Green Beach with a mix of salt marsh, strandline, dune slacks and sand dunes. Highlights were Few-flowered Spike-rush Eleocharis quinqueflora, Variegated Horsetail Equisetum variegatum, Dune Fescue Vulpia fasciculata, the rare and tiny Small-fruited Yellow-sedge Carex oederi (C. viridula ssp. viridula), Strawberry Clover Trifolium fragiferum, Parsley Water-dropwort Oenanthe lachenalia, Common Eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa, Western Eyebright Euphrasia tetraquetra and Confused Eyebright Euphrasia confusa, indeed Eyebrights are confusing!
There were large swathes of the LBS symbol Grass-of-Parnassus Parnassia palustris. Unfortunately, the Round-leaved Wintergreen was leaves only none in flower, and the Yellow-eyed Grass Sisyrinchium californicum had gone to seed.
The strandline had plenty of Frosted Orache Atriplex laciniata as well as Babington’s Orache Atriplex glabriuscula, Prickly Saltwort Salsola kali, Saltmarsh Rush Juncus gerardii, Annual Sea-blite Suaeda maritima and Curled Dock Rumex crispus ssp. littoreus.
We were able to compare Sea Club-rush Bolboschoenus maritimus and Grey Club-rush Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani, Sea Arrow-grass Triglochin maritima and Sea Plantain Plantago maritima, Ray’s Knotgrass Polygonum oxyspermum subsp. raii and Common Knotgrass, American Willowherb Epilobium ciliatum and Short-fruited Willowherb Epilobium obscurum.
Birds of note included a couple of Skylark, some sixty Sanderling were running along the tideline. At least 78 Sandwich Tern, 6 Common Tern and 30 Swallow headed south. One Kestrel hunted the dunes. Quite a few Common Frog were disturbed, and I was the only one who saw a Common Lizard that scampered over my boot.
Insects and other Invertebrates included large Garden Snails and masses of Striped Snails Cernuella virgata. Many Common Carder Bumble Bees, a few Queen Buff-tailed and White-tailed Bumble Bees. Butterflies included four Small Heath, and a Speckled Wood out on the dunes was not in usual habitat. The colourful, hairy caterpillar of the White Satin Moth Leucoma salicis was on Creeping Willow. At least two Common Darter Dragonfly were seen as was one Northern Dune Tiger Beetle, and plenty of Field Grasshopper and some Mottled Grasshopper. The red galls of the sawfly Euura collectanea were on Creeping Willow.
Margaret Reid and I stopped off at Kenilworth Road to see Smooth Rupturewort Herniaria glabra and flowering Clustered Clover Trifolium glomeratum.
Aughton Saturday 16th September 2023
Leader Peter Gateley
Twelve members and friends met at Town Green station then set off south to view arable and suburban weeds of the Aughton area and visited the ancient churchyard of St. Michaels. Highlights included Common Fiddleneck Amsinckia micrantha, Field Woundwort Stachys arvensis, a “green manure” field full of Lacy Phacelia Phacelia tanacetifolia along with confusingly, a white flowered form of Red Clover. Birdsfoot Ornithopus perpusillus, Mouse-ear Hawkweed and Field Mouse-ear Cerastium arvense were at St. Michaels Church, with Great Horsetail Equisetum telmateia near the railway.
A good range of arable weeds included Field Penny-cress, Wild Radish (white, yellow, and pink colour forms), Field Pansy, Corn Spurrey, Common Vetch Vicia sativa ssp segetalis, Charlock and Black Bindweed. The Flax, Common Millet Panicum miliaceum and Corncockle were either of birdseed origin or contaminated seed mixes.
Comparison could be made between Red, White and Alsike Clovers; Redshank and Pale Persicaria; Wall and Common Field Speedwells; Hairy Tare and Common Vetch; Sun Spurge and Petty Spurge; Black Medick and Lesser Trefoil; Common Catsear, Autumn and Lesser Hawkbits; Scented and Scentless Mayweeds and Pineappleweed, Cut-leaved and Red-Deadnettles.
The weeds of road, pavement, and fields included a renewed flowering of Thale Cress, Fool’s Parsley, Fox and Cubs, Shaggy Soldier, Apple-mint Annual Nettle, Lesser Swine Cress, Black Nightshade, Equal-leaved Knotgrass Polygonum depressum and Procumbent Yellow Sorrel. Damper areas had Purple Loosestrife, Marsh Woundwort, Hemp Agrimony, Compact Rush, and Water-cress.
Planted trees and shrubs species were numerous, unusual was an Elder with green ripe fruits, the Damsons were tasty, Black Bryony was in fruit, and some ash tress had die-back and there was planted Silver Maple, Field Maple and Norway Maple (including purple form).
At St. Michael’s the Sheep’s Sorrel was native in the short acid grassland and planted was Oxalis tetraphylla 'Iron Cross', Caucasian Lime and Hornbeam and the pink Michaelmas Daisy was loved by the Common Carder Bumble Bees.
Towards the end of the trip, we went down Ron Gordon Way named after local rambler, footpath inspector and Ramblers committee member since 1946, he was the brother of long-time LBS secretary Vera Gordon.
Insects included a cluster of Dock Bugs, Green Shield Bug, an Ichneumon with white antennae and the Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea. Leaf Mines of Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, 7 spot and Harlequin Ladybirds. Butterflies comprised Red Admiral, Large and Small Whites, and a Speckled Wood. Sean thought he heard a Roesel’s Bush Cricket (which he had recently nearby at Maghull), but we did find the more expected Common Field Grasshopper. Other Invertebrates included Garden Spider, Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis. White-lipped and Dark-lipped Banded Snails plus Kentish Snail Monacha cantiana which was probably an introduction to Britain by farmers in the late Roman Period. Galls on oak were Knopper, Marble, Artichoke, Silk-Button and Common Spangle.
Birds included a flock of Pink-footed Goose flying over, Nuthatch, Greenfinch; other vertebrates included a Grey Squirrel and a young Common Toad.
Lichens included on trees Common Greenshield Lichen Flavoparmelia caperata , Hammered Shield Lichen Parmelia sulcata, as well as the usual Xanthoria parietina and Physcia sp. plus, Protoblastenia rupestris on a wall. Mosses included Bryum argenteum and at St. Michaels Springy Turf-moss Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus,
Fungi included Tar Spot Fungus on Sycamore (of course), masses of White Rust Fungus Albugo candida on the Charlock, Ramularia rubella on Dock and Loose Smut of Oat Ustilago avenae on False Oat Grass. Mildews and rust fungi were common with some plants totally covered. Rusts included Spurge Rust Melampsora euphorbiae with orange uredia on Sun Spurge, Violet Bramble Rust Phragmidium violaceum, Amphibious Bistort had Puccinia polygoni-amphibii. Mildews included Beet with Erysiphe betae, Oak had Erysiphe alphitoides, Hawthorn Podosphaera clandestina, Field Maple Sawadaea bicornis, Cut-leaved and Red Dead Nettle had Neoerysiphe galeopsidis, Greater Plantain Golovinomyces sordidus, Common Knotgrass Erysiphe polygoni, Lesser Burdock Golovinomyces depressus, Apple Mint had Golovinomyces biocellatus and Clovers had Erysiphe sp.
Leader Peter Gateley
Twelve members and friends met at Town Green station then set off south to view arable and suburban weeds of the Aughton area and visited the ancient churchyard of St. Michaels. Highlights included Common Fiddleneck Amsinckia micrantha, Field Woundwort Stachys arvensis, a “green manure” field full of Lacy Phacelia Phacelia tanacetifolia along with confusingly, a white flowered form of Red Clover. Birdsfoot Ornithopus perpusillus, Mouse-ear Hawkweed and Field Mouse-ear Cerastium arvense were at St. Michaels Church, with Great Horsetail Equisetum telmateia near the railway.
A good range of arable weeds included Field Penny-cress, Wild Radish (white, yellow, and pink colour forms), Field Pansy, Corn Spurrey, Common Vetch Vicia sativa ssp segetalis, Charlock and Black Bindweed. The Flax, Common Millet Panicum miliaceum and Corncockle were either of birdseed origin or contaminated seed mixes.
Comparison could be made between Red, White and Alsike Clovers; Redshank and Pale Persicaria; Wall and Common Field Speedwells; Hairy Tare and Common Vetch; Sun Spurge and Petty Spurge; Black Medick and Lesser Trefoil; Common Catsear, Autumn and Lesser Hawkbits; Scented and Scentless Mayweeds and Pineappleweed, Cut-leaved and Red-Deadnettles.
The weeds of road, pavement, and fields included a renewed flowering of Thale Cress, Fool’s Parsley, Fox and Cubs, Shaggy Soldier, Apple-mint Annual Nettle, Lesser Swine Cress, Black Nightshade, Equal-leaved Knotgrass Polygonum depressum and Procumbent Yellow Sorrel. Damper areas had Purple Loosestrife, Marsh Woundwort, Hemp Agrimony, Compact Rush, and Water-cress.
Planted trees and shrubs species were numerous, unusual was an Elder with green ripe fruits, the Damsons were tasty, Black Bryony was in fruit, and some ash tress had die-back and there was planted Silver Maple, Field Maple and Norway Maple (including purple form).
At St. Michael’s the Sheep’s Sorrel was native in the short acid grassland and planted was Oxalis tetraphylla 'Iron Cross', Caucasian Lime and Hornbeam and the pink Michaelmas Daisy was loved by the Common Carder Bumble Bees.
Towards the end of the trip, we went down Ron Gordon Way named after local rambler, footpath inspector and Ramblers committee member since 1946, he was the brother of long-time LBS secretary Vera Gordon.
Insects included a cluster of Dock Bugs, Green Shield Bug, an Ichneumon with white antennae and the Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea. Leaf Mines of Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella, 7 spot and Harlequin Ladybirds. Butterflies comprised Red Admiral, Large and Small Whites, and a Speckled Wood. Sean thought he heard a Roesel’s Bush Cricket (which he had recently nearby at Maghull), but we did find the more expected Common Field Grasshopper. Other Invertebrates included Garden Spider, Nursery Web Spider Pisaura mirabilis. White-lipped and Dark-lipped Banded Snails plus Kentish Snail Monacha cantiana which was probably an introduction to Britain by farmers in the late Roman Period. Galls on oak were Knopper, Marble, Artichoke, Silk-Button and Common Spangle.
Birds included a flock of Pink-footed Goose flying over, Nuthatch, Greenfinch; other vertebrates included a Grey Squirrel and a young Common Toad.
Lichens included on trees Common Greenshield Lichen Flavoparmelia caperata , Hammered Shield Lichen Parmelia sulcata, as well as the usual Xanthoria parietina and Physcia sp. plus, Protoblastenia rupestris on a wall. Mosses included Bryum argenteum and at St. Michaels Springy Turf-moss Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus,
Fungi included Tar Spot Fungus on Sycamore (of course), masses of White Rust Fungus Albugo candida on the Charlock, Ramularia rubella on Dock and Loose Smut of Oat Ustilago avenae on False Oat Grass. Mildews and rust fungi were common with some plants totally covered. Rusts included Spurge Rust Melampsora euphorbiae with orange uredia on Sun Spurge, Violet Bramble Rust Phragmidium violaceum, Amphibious Bistort had Puccinia polygoni-amphibii. Mildews included Beet with Erysiphe betae, Oak had Erysiphe alphitoides, Hawthorn Podosphaera clandestina, Field Maple Sawadaea bicornis, Cut-leaved and Red Dead Nettle had Neoerysiphe galeopsidis, Greater Plantain Golovinomyces sordidus, Common Knotgrass Erysiphe polygoni, Lesser Burdock Golovinomyces depressus, Apple Mint had Golovinomyces biocellatus and Clovers had Erysiphe sp.
Eastham Country Park Fungus Foray Saturday 21st October 2023
Leader – Steve Cross
Eight members and friends toured around the one hundred acres (or forty-two hectares) of mature mixed deciduous woodland, amenity grassland, new plantation woodland with some natural grassland and scrub mostly in square SJ3681 and just over in to SJ3682. It is a Site of Biological Importance (SBI) for its lowland deciduous woodland, coastal cliffs and scrub, ornithological interest (of shore), and rich ground flora. The Pleasure Gardens were a major attraction in Victorian times and consisted of a zoo, with bear pit, lions, monkeys and antelope, an entertainment stage, tea rooms, bandstand, ballroom, boating lake, water chute, a wooden roller coaster, amusement park and ornamental gardens. c. 159 species were seen on the day.
Trees and Shrubs (32)
Oak Quercus sp and Beech Fagus sylvatica dominate the canopy, with Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus, Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa, and Birch Betula sp. Each of these species is locally dominant over areas of the woodland. Holly Ilex aquifolium is frequent, with locally abundant Rhododendron Rhododendron ponticum, Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus and Laurel Laurus nobilis dominating the under-storey at the Pleasure Gardens. Rowan and Elder Sambucus nigra are frequent and scattered throughout the site. Though storms over last few years have felled many trees, the aftermath of storms Arwen and Barra in December 2021, when dozens of trees fell or snapped, though they have been left to decay naturally. Ivy is common as well as some Hazel (catkins forming), Raspberry, Hawthorn, Wild Cherry, Blackthorn. Decorative plantings of Field Maple, Ash, Norway Maple, American Red Oak Quercus rubra (good comparison with native oak), Buddleia Buddleia davidii, Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus, Spotted Laurel Aucuba japonica, Dogwood Cornus sp., Common Lime, Norway Maple Acer platanoides, Yew Taxus baccata with red arils (fruit), Scots Pine, Hornbeam. Gorse and Broom are on a slope above Job’s Ferry and along the cliff top.
Plants (46) Only a few plants were still in flower including Perforate St. John’s-wort, Red Campion, Gorse, Creeping Buttercup, Herb Robert, Wood Avens, Common Ragwort, Bramble, Annual Meadow Grass, Red Clover, and Michaelmas Daisy. Old Man's Beard or Traveller’s Joy Clematis vitalba with its seedheads covering the shrubs and fence. Flowering (just) was Meadow Cranesbill Geranium pratense showing us the remnants of summer planting in the Pleasure Gardens. Also, present were Bluebell, Nettle, Broad-leaved Dock, Broad-leaved Willowherb, Creeping Buttercup, Ground Elder, Hogweed, Garlic Mustard, Pendulous Sedge, Soft Rush, Compact Rush, Slender Rush Juncus tenuis (non-native American species common along damp paths). Of garden origin is Variegated Yellow Archangel Lamium galeobdolon ssp. argentatum. At Eastham Ferry Jetty Common Orache, Procumbent Pearlwort, Smooth Sowthistle, Yarrow, Great and Ribwort Plantains, Petty Spurge, Procumbent Yellow Sorrel, Pineappleweed, Pellitory of the Wall, Mugwort, Mayweed, Shepherds Purse, White Clover, Dandelion, Perennial Rye Grass, Daisy. Entrance to Pleasure Gardens Tomato and Water Bent on either side. Common Figwort Scrophularia nodosa just in flower was near the Fountains. Hedge Woundwort.
Ferns (4) included Hartstongue Fern (at Bear Pit), Broad Buckler and Male Ferns, Bracken by “heathland” and Picnic area.
Mosses (6) Bank Haircap Moss Polytrichastrum formosum (=Polytrichum formosum), Common Feather-moss Kindbergia praelonga, Rough-stalked Feather-moss Brachythecium rutabulum, Swan’s-neck Thyme-moss Mnium hornum and Common Smoothcap Atrichum undulatum and, Wood Bristle-moss Lewinskya affinis (=Orthotrichum affine) was on a few branches.
Algae (1) Orange Algae Trentepolia was on one tree near car park.
Lichens (5) Xanthoria parietina, Physcia sp. and Lepraria sp., Hammered Shield Lichen Parmelia sulcata and Melanelixia sp.
Fungi (30)
The Prince Agaricus augustus One just above Eastham Ferry, Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria just one, Birch Woodwart Annulohypoxylon multiforme (= Hypoxylon multiforme) occasional on birch; Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea Occasional rhizomorphs or bootlaces and some fruiting bodies too; Purple Jellydisc Ascocoryne sarcoides a few places; Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae occasional; Black Bulgar Bulgaria inquinans One group all along trunk of dead oak; Silverleaf Fungus Chondrostereum purpureum occasional; Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus One clump above Job’s Ferry; Common Jellyspot Dacrymyces stillatus frequent; Common Tarcrust Diatrype stigma occasional; Beech Barkspot Diatrype disciformis on beech trunks frequent; Crystal Brain Fungus Exidia nucleata One patch on fallen trunk; Artists Bracket Ganoderma applanatum Very rare; Southern Bracket Ganoderma austral Rare, Elder Whitewash Hyphodontia sambuci Rare, Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare frequent, Beech Woodwart Hypoxylon fragiforme on beech logs, Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum A few, Common Bonnet Mycena galericulata occasional, Crusts Peniophora cinerea on trunk, Jelly Rot Phlebia tremellosa A few, Birch Polypore Piptoporus betulinus (= Fomitopsis betulina) occasional on birch, Split Pore Crust Schizopora paradoxa occasional, Common Earthball Scleroderma citrinum Locally common, Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum abundant, Bleeding Broadleaf Crust Stereum rugosum occasional, Turkeytail Trametes versicolor frequent, Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon Couple of patches, Dead Moll’s Fingers Xylaria longipes One group on dead wood.
An unidentified Tooth Fungus Hericium sp. ? was at SJ36328190 in dead tree near car park. The orange one under the log was a Slime Mould Dictydiaethalium plumbeum in the plasmodium stage, grey in a later stage.
Mildews, rusts spots etc (7)
Oak Powdery Mildew Microsphaera alphitoides = Erysiphe alphitoides Occasional on oak; Maple Mildew Sawadea bicornis
Occasional on Field Maple; Plantain Mildew Golovinomyces sordidus On Great Plantain; Tar Spot Rhytisma acerinum frequent on Sycamore; Coral Spot Nectria cinnabarina Occasional; Violet Bramble Rust Phragmidium violaceum on bramble leaves; Bracken Map Rhopographus filicinus on bracken.
Animals (16) included Grey Squirrel (12), Stock Dove (5), Robin (12), Wren, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Crow, Magpie, three Jay Garrulus glandarius, two Greater Spotted Woodpecker, six calling Nuthatch Sitta europaea, three Blue Tit, a pair of Mallard was on the Mersey as were three Redshank and two Black-headed Gull.
Invertebrates (13) One Ivy Bee Colletes hederae Colletes hederae | BWARS and a Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea Species details | Hoverfly Recording Scheme were on Ivy Flowers at Eastham Ferry. One Speckled Wood butterfly. Holly Leaf Miner Phytomyza ilicis, Harlequin Ladybird (adults and pupa), Seven-spot Ladybird, Honeybee, Social Wasps, Greenbottle, Bluebottle, Drone Fly Eristalis tenax, Woodlouse Oniscus asellus. Sycamore Mite Galls Aceria cephalonea.
Only seen on Tuesday on the recce was Green Elf Cup Chlorociboria aeruginascens with the stained wood which is the “Tunbridge ware or Green Oak”. Hen-of-the-wood Grifola frondosa at base of fallen tree at SJ36168181. Peniophora quercina on oak. A Buzzard and Raven (heard). Galls and Minesonn Wood Avens mite galls of Cecidophyes nudus and leaf mines of Fly Agromyza idaeiana. Red Admiral, Green-soled Slug Arion flagellus.
Leader – Steve Cross
Eight members and friends toured around the one hundred acres (or forty-two hectares) of mature mixed deciduous woodland, amenity grassland, new plantation woodland with some natural grassland and scrub mostly in square SJ3681 and just over in to SJ3682. It is a Site of Biological Importance (SBI) for its lowland deciduous woodland, coastal cliffs and scrub, ornithological interest (of shore), and rich ground flora. The Pleasure Gardens were a major attraction in Victorian times and consisted of a zoo, with bear pit, lions, monkeys and antelope, an entertainment stage, tea rooms, bandstand, ballroom, boating lake, water chute, a wooden roller coaster, amusement park and ornamental gardens. c. 159 species were seen on the day.
Trees and Shrubs (32)
Oak Quercus sp and Beech Fagus sylvatica dominate the canopy, with Sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus, Sweet Chestnut Castanea sativa, and Birch Betula sp. Each of these species is locally dominant over areas of the woodland. Holly Ilex aquifolium is frequent, with locally abundant Rhododendron Rhododendron ponticum, Cherry Laurel Prunus laurocerasus and Laurel Laurus nobilis dominating the under-storey at the Pleasure Gardens. Rowan and Elder Sambucus nigra are frequent and scattered throughout the site. Though storms over last few years have felled many trees, the aftermath of storms Arwen and Barra in December 2021, when dozens of trees fell or snapped, though they have been left to decay naturally. Ivy is common as well as some Hazel (catkins forming), Raspberry, Hawthorn, Wild Cherry, Blackthorn. Decorative plantings of Field Maple, Ash, Norway Maple, American Red Oak Quercus rubra (good comparison with native oak), Buddleia Buddleia davidii, Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus, Spotted Laurel Aucuba japonica, Dogwood Cornus sp., Common Lime, Norway Maple Acer platanoides, Yew Taxus baccata with red arils (fruit), Scots Pine, Hornbeam. Gorse and Broom are on a slope above Job’s Ferry and along the cliff top.
Plants (46) Only a few plants were still in flower including Perforate St. John’s-wort, Red Campion, Gorse, Creeping Buttercup, Herb Robert, Wood Avens, Common Ragwort, Bramble, Annual Meadow Grass, Red Clover, and Michaelmas Daisy. Old Man's Beard or Traveller’s Joy Clematis vitalba with its seedheads covering the shrubs and fence. Flowering (just) was Meadow Cranesbill Geranium pratense showing us the remnants of summer planting in the Pleasure Gardens. Also, present were Bluebell, Nettle, Broad-leaved Dock, Broad-leaved Willowherb, Creeping Buttercup, Ground Elder, Hogweed, Garlic Mustard, Pendulous Sedge, Soft Rush, Compact Rush, Slender Rush Juncus tenuis (non-native American species common along damp paths). Of garden origin is Variegated Yellow Archangel Lamium galeobdolon ssp. argentatum. At Eastham Ferry Jetty Common Orache, Procumbent Pearlwort, Smooth Sowthistle, Yarrow, Great and Ribwort Plantains, Petty Spurge, Procumbent Yellow Sorrel, Pineappleweed, Pellitory of the Wall, Mugwort, Mayweed, Shepherds Purse, White Clover, Dandelion, Perennial Rye Grass, Daisy. Entrance to Pleasure Gardens Tomato and Water Bent on either side. Common Figwort Scrophularia nodosa just in flower was near the Fountains. Hedge Woundwort.
Ferns (4) included Hartstongue Fern (at Bear Pit), Broad Buckler and Male Ferns, Bracken by “heathland” and Picnic area.
Mosses (6) Bank Haircap Moss Polytrichastrum formosum (=Polytrichum formosum), Common Feather-moss Kindbergia praelonga, Rough-stalked Feather-moss Brachythecium rutabulum, Swan’s-neck Thyme-moss Mnium hornum and Common Smoothcap Atrichum undulatum and, Wood Bristle-moss Lewinskya affinis (=Orthotrichum affine) was on a few branches.
Algae (1) Orange Algae Trentepolia was on one tree near car park.
Lichens (5) Xanthoria parietina, Physcia sp. and Lepraria sp., Hammered Shield Lichen Parmelia sulcata and Melanelixia sp.
Fungi (30)
The Prince Agaricus augustus One just above Eastham Ferry, Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria just one, Birch Woodwart Annulohypoxylon multiforme (= Hypoxylon multiforme) occasional on birch; Honey Fungus Armillaria mellea Occasional rhizomorphs or bootlaces and some fruiting bodies too; Purple Jellydisc Ascocoryne sarcoides a few places; Jelly Ear Auricularia auricula-judae occasional; Black Bulgar Bulgaria inquinans One group all along trunk of dead oak; Silverleaf Fungus Chondrostereum purpureum occasional; Glistening Inkcap Coprinellus micaceus One clump above Job’s Ferry; Common Jellyspot Dacrymyces stillatus frequent; Common Tarcrust Diatrype stigma occasional; Beech Barkspot Diatrype disciformis on beech trunks frequent; Crystal Brain Fungus Exidia nucleata One patch on fallen trunk; Artists Bracket Ganoderma applanatum Very rare; Southern Bracket Ganoderma austral Rare, Elder Whitewash Hyphodontia sambuci Rare, Sulphur Tuft Hypholoma fasciculare frequent, Beech Woodwart Hypoxylon fragiforme on beech logs, Common Puffball Lycoperdon perlatum A few, Common Bonnet Mycena galericulata occasional, Crusts Peniophora cinerea on trunk, Jelly Rot Phlebia tremellosa A few, Birch Polypore Piptoporus betulinus (= Fomitopsis betulina) occasional on birch, Split Pore Crust Schizopora paradoxa occasional, Common Earthball Scleroderma citrinum Locally common, Hairy Curtain Crust Stereum hirsutum abundant, Bleeding Broadleaf Crust Stereum rugosum occasional, Turkeytail Trametes versicolor frequent, Candlesnuff Fungus Xylaria hypoxylon Couple of patches, Dead Moll’s Fingers Xylaria longipes One group on dead wood.
An unidentified Tooth Fungus Hericium sp. ? was at SJ36328190 in dead tree near car park. The orange one under the log was a Slime Mould Dictydiaethalium plumbeum in the plasmodium stage, grey in a later stage.
Mildews, rusts spots etc (7)
Oak Powdery Mildew Microsphaera alphitoides = Erysiphe alphitoides Occasional on oak; Maple Mildew Sawadea bicornis
Occasional on Field Maple; Plantain Mildew Golovinomyces sordidus On Great Plantain; Tar Spot Rhytisma acerinum frequent on Sycamore; Coral Spot Nectria cinnabarina Occasional; Violet Bramble Rust Phragmidium violaceum on bramble leaves; Bracken Map Rhopographus filicinus on bracken.
Animals (16) included Grey Squirrel (12), Stock Dove (5), Robin (12), Wren, Blackbird, Woodpigeon, Jackdaw, Crow, Magpie, three Jay Garrulus glandarius, two Greater Spotted Woodpecker, six calling Nuthatch Sitta europaea, three Blue Tit, a pair of Mallard was on the Mersey as were three Redshank and two Black-headed Gull.
Invertebrates (13) One Ivy Bee Colletes hederae Colletes hederae | BWARS and a Batman Hoverfly Myathropa florea Species details | Hoverfly Recording Scheme were on Ivy Flowers at Eastham Ferry. One Speckled Wood butterfly. Holly Leaf Miner Phytomyza ilicis, Harlequin Ladybird (adults and pupa), Seven-spot Ladybird, Honeybee, Social Wasps, Greenbottle, Bluebottle, Drone Fly Eristalis tenax, Woodlouse Oniscus asellus. Sycamore Mite Galls Aceria cephalonea.
Only seen on Tuesday on the recce was Green Elf Cup Chlorociboria aeruginascens with the stained wood which is the “Tunbridge ware or Green Oak”. Hen-of-the-wood Grifola frondosa at base of fallen tree at SJ36168181. Peniophora quercina on oak. A Buzzard and Raven (heard). Galls and Minesonn Wood Avens mite galls of Cecidophyes nudus and leaf mines of Fly Agromyza idaeiana. Red Admiral, Green-soled Slug Arion flagellus.
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2023 Field Trips slide show for AGM by Steve Cross as a pdf
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