E-Mail your work to:

newsletter@activenaturalist.org.uk

Please pay particular attention to

the potpourri of important feed-

back requests on page 11 and the

record submission form on the

final newsletter page

We are pleased this month to include

articles from our most recent con-

tributors and a lead photograph by

Richard Milligan, Urban Wildlife. Tony

Carter continues his excellent fea-

tures on fungi whilst Sue Gordon

entertains us with a nostalgic me-

mento of summer.

Articles, photographs, real life sto-

ries,, web links, and events from

naturalists involved with wildlife are

always welcome.

Stories from 250-1000 words with

accompanying photos will take us all

on your journey.

Special points of interest:

Atlas of Breeding and Wintering Birds

Tony Carter at the National; Wildflower

Centre

A Memento of Summer by Sue Gordon

Hugh Harris continues his succession of

articles in ’What’s in Your Quadrat 1:11’

Ben Deed requests feedback on a

number of new issues featuring oppor-

tunities for groups and individual natu-

ralists

Created by and for Volunteer Naturalists. Edited by Bob Jude and Hugh Harris Views expressed in this newsletter are those of individual authors.

Inside this issue:

Phil Smith’s Wildlife Notes 2-3

Tony Carter’s Fascinating

Fungi

4

A Summer in the Yarden 5

Mammal Identification at

Court Hey Park

6

The ‘new’ Garston Trail 6

Liverpool Botanical Society 7

World Museum - Hemiptera

Day

8

WeBS 9

Practical Woodland Skills 10

Creating plaster animal

tracks for young naturalists

11

Feedback requests 12

Events 13

Nature Records Submission

Form

14

Merseyside Nature

October/November

Grey Squirrel in Newsham Park, image courtesy of R. Milligan, Facebook Group, Urban Wildlife, November 2013

The completed edition of the latest NEW Atlas of breeding and wintering birds of Lancashire has

arrived! The Atlas is currently fully available as a collection of downloadable pdf’s from the

Lancashire and Cheshire Fauna Society website.

Please visit http://www.lacfs.org.uk/Lancs%20Birds.html

Data was collected between 2008 and 2011 (winter from 2007 – 2010) and the breeding bird data was

modelled against the previous 1997 – 2000 breeding bird survey to detect change.

The Atlas, edited by Steve White, is the sum of an incredible effort of volunteers and experts in Lancashire and is well

worth a look.

October is usually one of the wettest months and so it

proved to be this year, though we missed the big storm

that hit the south of England on 28th.

It was also relatively warm, meaning that several late

summer insects were active, at least on the drier days.

Thus, a Northern Dune Tiger Beetle was a welcome

sight on Birkdale Green Beach on 5 th, while Migrant

Hawkers and Common Darters persisted to the third

week of the month.

The male Black Darter I found in late September was still

present at Birkdale slack 47 on 5th, basking on bare sand

created during the earlier pond restoration.

On 17th, Freshfield Dune Heath Nature Reserve produced a

richly coloured Comma, three Common Darters and six

Small Coppers, this delightful butterfly having been hard

to find for most of the summer.

As usual, late-flowering Ivy provided a feast of nectar, a

favourite patch in the Ravenmeols woodland attracting

several Red Admirals and Commas.

An insect that seems to have done particularly well this

summer is the Oak Eggar moth. Its hairy caterpillars

feed on a wide variety of plants and, although they are

quite small in October, Trevor Davenport and I counted as

many as 26, mainly on Grey Willow, in and around slack

47. They hibernate as half-grown caterpillars with char-

acteristic markings of orange and deep blue – very at-

tractive in close-up.

Early in the month, I was joined by friends to resurvey an

isolated area of young dunes on the shore opposite the

northern end of Southport Marine Lake. Built from par-

ticularly shell-rich sand, this dune fragment was de-

stroyed in 2002 during works on the seawall but had

reformed by 2008, supporting 61 different plants.

Our new survey showed that, five years on, it had nearly

doubled in size and now had as many as 87 plants.

Significant additions included Portland Spurge, Eye-

bright and Common Milkwort showing that the sand is

becoming less mobile.

The site is also notable for the presence of the rare and

endemic Sandhill Rustic moth, found here by Graham

Jones and Richard Burkmar in 2009 and still present this

year.

Wildlife notes October 2013 - Dr Phil Smith

Page 2 Merseyside Nature

Butterflies feed on

late flowering Ivy

A new survey shows

increased plant

biodiversity and

recovery of dunes

around Southport

Marine Lake

Eyebright

Comma

Oak Eggar moth caterpillar

Sandhill Rustic moth, R. Burkmar, 2011

Sandhill Rustic moth, just emerged,

R. Burkmar, August, 2011

On 10th, I joined a group of enthusiasts guided by an expert

in mosses and liverworts, Des Callaghan, who had con-

ducted a survey of the Sefton Coast for extremely rare

species, some of which had not been seen for decades.

During a fascinating afternoon, he showed us the almost

mythical Petalwort (Petalophyllum ralfsii), a tiny liver-

wort which resembles a miniature lettuce and then the

Sea Bryum moss (Bryum warneum), both being national

Biodiversity Action Plan Priority species.

The southern part of Birkdale Green Beach is the British

headquarters for Sea Bryum, while Des also found it at

Devil’s Hole, Ravenmeols.

Another enjoyable afternoon was spent on Ainsdale Na-

tional Nature Reserve with site manger Dave Mercer and

Patricia Lockwood checking the bushes of the hybrid

willow Salix × doniana. As well as re-finding the five

known bushes, we also spotted two new ones, bringing the

Sefton Coast total of this great rarity to 32.

There are only three more specimens known in the rest of

Britain.

We were also delighted to see huge numbers of Field

Gentians, some still in full flower. In 2009, we established

that the reserve had the largest British population of this

declining species and that its abundance was linked to a

combination of winter sheep-grazing and year-round

Rabbit activity that maintains a short sward around slack

edges. Fortunately, there still appear to be large numbers

of Rabbits on these dunes, populations being much re-

duced elsewhere.

Garden-escapes are a feature of our dune flora, a spec-

tacular new arrival being Common Morning-glory flow-

ering at Falklands Way close to a variegated Mugwort

which has still not been named, even by experts, three

years after its discovery.

One of the main threats to sand-dune biodiversity is the

invasive Sea Buckthorn, introduced here in the 1890s.

Together with Sefton’s Coast & Countryside Service, I

organised two “buckthorn bashes”, following up last au-

tumn’s work to cut regrowth in the slacks west of Sands

Lake, Ainsdale. Groups of eight and thirteen volunteers

put in a good shift for two hours on both occasions.

It was noticeable that the bushes cut last year were much

smaller, our experience being that repeated cutting over

three or four years can get rid of this major pest. This is

particularly worthwhile, as over 5000 Grass-of-

Parnassus plants were counted here by Claire Boardman

and Brian Wilby during our recent coastwide survey.

Wildlife notes October 2013 - Dr Phil Smith

Page 3 Merseyside Nature

The rare hybrid

willow Salix ×

doniana continues

to be recorded on

the Sefton Coast

Thanks to hard

working

volunteers at the

Buckthorn Bashes,

this invasive plant

is gradually being

brought under

control

Petalophyllum ralfsii

Common Morning-glory

Sea Buckthorn, in September, on the Sefton Coast

Tuesday 22nd October 2013. Court

Hey Park.

I like leading family forays. The chil-

dren are always enthusiastic and,

being closer to the ground, spot a lot

more fungi than I do.

This foray was no exception. I cut

short my opening speech before they

all fell asleep and we set off to ex-

plore the park in our search for

fungi.

The first stop was a large beech

stump that provided a wealth of

polypores, brackets and crusts

showing how each species played

their part in the destruction and

recycling of dead wood.

We then moved on to a nice collec-

tion of Armillaria mellea (Honey

Fungus), always a useful starter

about the dangers of edible fungi.

Many books and television pro-

grammes describe these as edible

but often fail to mention that they

contain a toxin that has to be re-

moved by boiling and throwing the

water away. Even then they may

cause gastric upset to some.

They were surrounded by lots of the

poisonous Inocybe geophylla (White

Fibrecap), which helped my cause of

dissuading people from picking wild

mushrooms for the table. After ex-

amining further brackets and crusts

on more fallen trees, we moved to an

area of lawns and ornamental plants.

This was followed by some tiny

Mycena adscendens (Frosty Bon-

net), growing in the moss at the foot

of a Yew tree, where we able to see

the stem with its small foot.

Finally we gathered in the small wood

behind the cafe where we examined

and discussed Amanita muscaria (Fly

Agaric) and how it grew from a sac

in the ground which split to form the

white spots on the cap. Also a Chal-

ciporus piperatus (Peppery Bolete)

which has pores in place of gills.

Getting fully into the swing of things,

one eagle-eyed youngster spotted

Clavulina coralloides (Crested

Coral Fungus) hiding in the grass.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the day.

Hopefully it will have encouraged a

budding mycologist of the future.

Into the Swing of Things - Tony Carter

The children thought the smell was

awful. Are we adults too old to sniff?

This was followed by a very impres-

sive collection of Pleurotus Dryinus

(Veiled Oyster) on a fallen branch.

Other finds were made of Agaricus

silvaticus (Blushing Wood Mush-

room) and Calocera cornea (Small

Stagshorn).

Our First Find - Tony Carter

Our first find was of Lepiota cristata

(Stinking Dapperling).

Interestingly, few of the adults could

smell anything distinctive.

FUNGI AT THE NATIONAL WILDFOWER CENTRE - Tony Carter

Page 4 Merseyside Nature

Out and about in

Court Hey Park

at the National

Wildflower

Centre in the

world of

fascinating fungi

Armillaria mellea

Amanita muscaria (Fly Agaric)

I found that the warm sunny weather

of Summer 2013 in my garden

seemed to contribute to easing my

slug and snail problem, much to my

delight. I'm always in a dilemma as I

don't like harming any living crea-

tures and yet, if they go unchecked,

they cause havoc and multiply be-

yond belief.

My garden is really a small yard, a

'yarden' in fact. It has a Rowan tree,

a Lilac tree, full to the brim with bird

feeders, and many, many pots, tubs

and hanging baskets. I like to try not

to manage it too strictly, so it can

provide a good balance of goodies

for birds and insects while remaining

attractive to the eye.

Every year is different, with either a

strange and noticeable absence or

abundance of certain insects.

I am probably a little eccentric and

usually invite amused smiles and

raised eyebrows from friends and

relatives if I begin to relate an inter-

esting insect story.

I try not to expostulate too much to

others as very few people share my

enthusiasm for our smaller garden

friends.

Don't get me wrong I'm not obsessed

or anything, it doesn’t interfere with

my daily life and I don't count them

as my only friends!

I just find them fascinating and beau-

tifully designed, although insect

appreciation, as a grown adult,, is

quite a lonely pursuit.

I spend an inordinate amount of time

outdoors with an old jewellers eye-

glass, examining all kinds of spiders,

bugs, caterpillars and bees.

I always feel honoured that these

creatures have chosen to develop

and grow in or simply visit my

yarden.

One of the first of my regular visi-

tors was the cheeky Leafcutter Bee!

Oblivious to anything or anybody as it

vandalised and decimated my rose

leaves.

But she is so cute I can’t resist her.

So swift at cutting the leaf and off

over the roof in seconds, she'd make

a great pick pocket!

This year saw lots of Lacewing and

Ladybird larvae in my flower beds. I

was outside one evening when it was

dark, with a torch and noticed a

movement on one of the Pansy

plants.

I moved closer and then I saw it, a

cross between a tiny slug and a

caterpillar moving in a rather mag-

got like way. It waved its blind,

pointed tip in the air, then inched

along in a manic fashion with its

inner workings visible. I couldn't

think what it was and as more move-

ments caught my eye, I noticed with

a slight shiver that there were lots of

the little blighter's all over that plant!

Of course I was straight onto the

internet and discovered very quickly

that they seemed in fact to be the

larvae of the hoverfly!

The description of how they kill their

prey is worthy of the lead role in the

creepiest horror film. The next

morning, all that was left on that

plant were hundreds of dry aphid

skins. Gulp!

I was however delighted to welcome

another species of beneficial insect

to my yarden, which already hosts

Ladybird larvae, Lacewing larvae,

Drone fly larvae, called rat-tailed

maggots, ugh, and many other uni-

dentified immature insects.

Spiders are everywhere out there,

much to the terror of my 22 year old

son! Oh please. Green Orb Spiders,

beautifully patterned Cross and

Jumping Zebra Spiders, which you

would swear are intelligent and turn

to look up at you. I also found Wood-

louse Eating Spiders, which will bite

humans! Ouch.

Lots of white butterflies this year too

and as a consequence caterpillars

with their big, insatiable appetites.

I also got a chance to examine a

Comma Butterfly which didn't see

me for ages, too preoccupied with

enjoying the Buddleia nectar.

I photographed a lovely Small Tor-

toiseshell with its stunning colours,

and saw lots of assorted moths

including the funny and quirky looking

T-shaped Plume Moth.

I find that all insects when viewed

close up and magnified, are abso-

lutely incredible and fascinating to

observe.

But then I'm probably a little strange!

A Summer in the ‘Yarden’ - Sue Gordon

Page 5 Merseyside Nature

A amateur

naturalist’s memento

of the joys of

summer

‘Probably a little

strange’ ?

Not at all!!!

Leaf Cutter Bee (Megachile sp.)

Plume Moth (Amblyptilia sp.), Ben Deed

Common Darter (Sympetrum striolatum)

Knowsley Rangers Service, Mam-

mal Identification, Court Hey Park

SJ418900.

An informative and enjoyable oppor-

tunity in Mammal Identification was

provided by Karen Brady (South

Huyton Ranger) and Tony Parker

(Liverpool Museum) to a group of 25

children and parents on a wet Satur-

day morning, 2nd November.

Thirty-six Longworth traps filled with

food and bedding had been set the

previous evening in the vegetation

around the visitor’s car park and

their locations marked with canes.

Tony demonstrated how the trap-

mechanism worked and how to safely

tip the trapped mammal into a trans-

parent plastic bag for identification.

The children soon gained confidence

in finding the traps and emptying the

contents for identification.

Inevitably there was the odd escapee

but this did not deter our future

mammal-watchers from discovering

seven young male and female Wood

mice (Apodemus sylvaticus).

All handling and identification was

done by Tony Parker.

Head and body 8-11 cm; tail 7-11cm.

Dark brown fur on back, yellowish on

the flanks, and off-white underneath.

The nose is pointed and the eyes are

very large.

Food; whatever is available, including

fungi, worms and insects – especially

caterpillars.

Fruits and seeds, often taken from

the bushes, are a major food source

in autumn and winter.

Habits and signs; largely nocturnal,

climbing well in bushes and small

trees. Hazelnuts attacked by wood

mice have circular holes surrounded

by tooth marks.

Habitat and range; woods, hedge-

rows, scrub and cultivated land of all

kinds.

Delivering outdoor activities to com-

munity groups in a local park with

supportive staff not only creates

mutually-supportive links but can

inspire environmental understanding.

Hugh@MBAN

To return, follow the way markers for

the Mersey Way and Oglet to find the

red line down the taxiway.

NB. The gates leading back to Speke

Hall are locked at 5.00pm.

Plane-spotters can view the activities

and buildings of two airports and

actually cross the link route from the

old airport to the new runway of John

Lennon Airport.

Wildlife along the estuary’s mud and

sand flats are testament to the rich

feeding grounds for thousands of

birds.

These include Redshank (Tringa

tetanus), Dunlin (Calidris alpine),

Curlew (Numenius arquata), and

many species of duck.

Cormorant (Phalacrocorax ) espe-

cially like the lighting gantry on the

short walk, and Garston Jetty on the

longer walk, as roosting areas.

Casually strolling along the historic

boundary of the Speke Hall Estate to

the Mersey Shoreline on a Sunday

morning in November with the vege-

tation in its autumnal colours is an

uplifting experience.

Views of the Wirral peninsular and

the distant hills of North Wales

against the clear sun-lit skies are an

inspiration for photographers.

The route starting at the Home Farm

courtyard is along flat, level foot-

paths and boardwalks with a con-

crete section across the old airport

taxiway to the sailing club and then

retracing the route back down the

taxiway.

This is the shorter of two routes;

easy walking for 2.4 miles (3.8km)

taking approximately 40 minutes.

The longer route carries straight on

past the sailing club and joins up

with the Mersey Way footpath in the

direction of Garston.

Typically, the plants are estuarine

species such as Common reed

(Phragmites communis), Fleabane

(Pulicaria dysenterica) and Louse-

wort (Pedicularis palustris) that

provide habitats for invertebrates

and birds. Some late flowering Red

Campion (Silene dioica), Ragwort

(Senecio jacobaea), Nettle (Urtica

dioica) and Thistle (Cirsium palus-

tre), could still be seen in the vege-

tation.

Personally, as a National Trust vol-

unteer and active naturalist this trail

is an important development that

excites me and where I can foresee

more involvement from conservation

groups and the sailing fraternity to

each other’s mutual benefit – one or

two bird-hides in strategic positions

along the trail would really add

conservation value to what has been,

up to now, only a locally-known

stretch of the Mersey estuary.

Hugh@MBAN

NT Speke - SJ416823 – Garston Coastal Reserve Trail - Hugh Harris

Mammal Identification at Court Hey Park - Hugh Harris

Page 6 Merseyside Nature

Mammal Trapping at

Court Hey Park

Hugh investigates

the new nature trail

at Speke Hall walking

along the ‘Mersey

Way’

Tony and Karen demonstrate how to use

Longworth Traps

Common Reed (Phragmites communis)

Historic Plants and Botanists of

Manchester and Mersey Valley,

David Bishop, World Museum,

Liverpool

David Bishop, Chairman of Friends of

Chorlton Meadows, gave the Liver-

pool Botanical Society an insight into

the historical, social and artistic

background of a group of working-

class botanists from Manchester’s

industrial revolution, whose influence

on and contribution to Botany was

immense.

Real scientific men and women from

humble origins such as; Richard

Buxton (botanist) 1786 – 1865;

James Heap (herbalist), who appre-

ciated the value of nature as their

rural countryside was turned into a

Lowry-esque industrial landscape;

Leo Grinden who produced the

‘Manchester Flora’ in 1859 and do-

nated his herbarium and collections

of specimen sheets to Manchester

University for research, education

and training and outreach to the

community groups of artisan-

botanists and Priscilla Torfee

whose botanical art was exhibition

standard.

Local botanists like Charles Bailey

(1834-1924) were noted for their

herbaria and contributions to such

distinguished works as ‘Flora Eu-

ropaea’ and Beth Harthan whose

illustrations on fungi and art were

widely recognised.

When the archive photos of their

homes and work-places in Victorian

Central and South Manchester are

viewed their achievements are all

the more remarkable; overcrowded

terrace houses in back to back

streets under the shadow of the mill

– these were no gentleman-

naturalists from privileged families

with wealthy estates to wander round

- they were the ‘ragged-trousered

botanists’ from the world of weaving

and bat-making who went on meetings

and forays to the River Bollin and the

outskirts of Manchester on days-off

from work.

David’s photos also showed the his-

toric halls, cottages, by-ways and

meadows that have become derelict

or disappeared, e.g. Hough End Hall,

Sutton’s Cottage, Cow Lane, Stretford

Lees and Old Chorlton.

Of economic interest was the choice

of plants grown for their use in Hand-

loom weaving processes in South

Manchester:

Flax (Linum usitatissimum), Hemp

(Cannabis sativa), and Cotton

(Gossypium).

Other plants were also linked to

manufacturing processes in the textile

industry;

Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis),

cleansing properties,

Perennial Rocket (Sisymbrium stric-

tissimum), dyeing properties, and

Weld (Reseda luteola), yellow dye.

As a resident of Chorlton, David fo-

cused his attention on his local wood-

lands, hay meadows and farmland with

their associated plant species.

In Barlow Wood, in the Mersey

Valley, Wood Anemone, Dog’s Mer-

cury, Town Hall Clock, Ramsons

and Daffodil could also be found.

In the hay meadows of Chorlton Ees;

Adder’s tongue Fern, Bulbous

Buttercup, Bistort, Common Sor-

rel, Lady’s Smock, Meadow Saxi-

frage, Great Burnet, Pale Lady’s

Mantle, Hay Rattle, Oxeye Daisy,

Butterbur, Southern Marsh Or-

chid, Common Spotted Orchid, and

the indicator grasses of old pastures

and meadows, Sweet Vernal Grass,

Meadow Grass, Crested Dog’s tail

and Timothy Grass could be seen.

Apart from arable field weeds,

Poppy, Fumitory, Small Nettle,

Pansy, Corn Spurrey, Hemp Net-

tle, Henbit Dead-nettle, Field

Woundwort and the grass of cereal

fields Loose Silky-Bent were grow-

ing.

These historically significant slides

were just part of David’s extensive

and well-researched collection

[approx. 95 slides] of “Historic

Plants and Botanists of South Man-

chester and the Mersey Valley” which

led him to the conclusions that:-

The Victorian working-class bota-

nists of South Manchester played an

important role in British and Euro-

pean botany.

Today’s living plants in the South

Mersey valley are clues to the past.

David would like to do further re-

search on historical meadows.

He left us with this question to re-

flect on – if biodiversity is important

then how do we conserve it?

Hugh@LBS

Liverpool Botanical Society Lecture - Hugh Harris

Page 7 Merseyside Nature

A lecture by David

Bishop on the

historic plants and

botanists of the

Manchester and

Mersey Valley

Common Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis),

Orchi, Wiki

Weld (Reseda luteola), H.Hilleweart, Wiki

Common Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis),

Karelj, Wiki

Liverpool Museum, Biofell’s

Hemiptera Day

For me, whose previous experience

of Miridae and the world of British

Heteroptera was finding a Green

Shieldbug (Palomina prasina) on my

daughter’s wheelie bin, this was like

the existential entomologist’s step

into the dark unknown.

Yet, under the expert guidance of

Jim Flanagan and Tristan Bantock

and their ‘Keys to Miridae’ the

group soon became fluent in the

scientific names to the anatomy of

Mirid Bugs and could identify their

body-parts with the aid of the Mu-

seum’s microscopes.

Then under the direction of Guy

Knight, Head of Entomology we were

given access to the Museum’s collec-

tion of Heteroptera, selecting our

own pinned specimens from the

glass covered drawers to identify.

With the use of Miridae – Key to

Tribes and magnification we soon

became conversant with the diag-

nostic features.

The key, as you can see below, is an

artificial aid to identification and

consists of a series of numbered

couplets, each couplet offering two

alternative forms of the same char-

acter/s. if you follow the numbers

correctly your specimen will eventu-

ally ‘key out’ to the name of the

species.

Having used botanical keys in the

field, I was familiar with the method-

ology however I felt like a beginner

with my first specimens of Miridae.

By the end of the session, after

identifying 12 species I felt I had

progressed and confident in using

keys again – a satisfying achieve-

ment.

There are 220 species of Miridae

with the general characteristics of

“Forewings with cuneus at the tip of

the hardened section. This is clearly

demarcated from the anterior parts

of the forewing by a costal break.

Generally soft-bodied insects.” An

interest in scientific language is

useful too.

Beginner’s luck I suppose; I ‘keyed

out’ correctly from display case

Meridae 20: a specimen of the

Stenodermini genera (Leptopterna

dolabrata), (Male)

“Wings orange yellow No, (Female)

light yellowish-green Yes.

A2>>A3+A4; (female) A2 thinner, <

base of fore-tibia. In more humid

grassland.”

Eureka, I could do it with a little

expert guidance on keys and descrip-

tion from Jim Flanagan along with

adjusted magnification of the micro-

scope.

I had keyed-out, identified and de-

scribed a Grass-bug!

Full of enthusiasm I worked my way

in descending order, through the

display-cases from 19 down to 9,

acquiring important forensic knowl-

edge about pronatum, scutellum and

even pubescence on the way.

I attempted to identify Jim’s speci-

men imported from a motorway site

in South Yorkshire,

Stenotus binotatus which interacts

with Dyer’s Greenweed (Genista

tinctoria).

This plant is a member of the Pea

family and looks like yellow-flowered

Broom and grows amongst scrub on

heavy soil – ergo, a heteropteral link

to an ecosystem!

Sadly, some of the older specimens

have been damaged by Agents of

Deterioration mainly in the form of

the cumulative effects of light both

artificial and sunlight and low rela-

tive humidity (RH).

This has led in a few cases to colour-

fading and drying-out. Unfortunately

we can’t turn back the clock but we

can slow down the deterioration and

protect the specimens for future

entomologists.

Hugh@FSC

The ‘gateway’ to the identification;

1 Pronotal collar well-developed & easily visible from above ……………………………………… 4

Collar not easily visible from above with head in normal position, or absent ………………………..…… 2

2 Collar very deeply recessed (back of head strongly concave in side view, may overlap

Top of collar, hiding it from above) ……………………………………………………………………………………………..... 3

No collar, or very weakly demarcated (Stenodemini) …………………………………………………….……………. 9

World Museum Day with Pete Boardman FSC - Hugh Harris

Page 8 Merseyside Nature

Using key text to

identify Mirid Bugs

with local experts

Guy Knight, Jim

Flannagan and

Tristam Bantock

Dyer’s Greenweed (Genista tinctoria)

Mirid Bug (Stenotus binotatus)

BTO WeBS

Dermot Smith, BTO WeBS Organiser.

who covers the South shore with his

team of volunteer counters observed

winter swans and geese returning

with 15 Whooper Swans at Ince and

a flock of Pink Feet at Stanlow.

The low tide meant counting Teal at

Manisty was almost impossible,

hence the low numbers.

A new record has been set for two

Heron species; 57 Grey Heron and

3 Great White Egret (two at

Stanlow and one at Ince).

The first Merlin of winter was spot-

ted. Counts of waders were Lapwing

4000+ and Dunlin 34,000.

A record number of 30 Ravens were

seen at Ince Marshes. There were

also record counts of Herring and

Great Black-backed Gulls.

Summing up, Dermot said, “A good

duck count today despite the early

mist and low cloud. The tide never

really got out of the channels so

counting Teal was very hard although

we had some good wader numbers of

over 30,000 Dunlin (Calidris alpine).

Highlights were three Great White

Egrets (Ardea alba). Are they still a

rare bird?”

While on the North shore, Rob Cock-

bain, registered BTO counter re-

ported, ‘A very foggy day early on the

Hale shore and counts of Mallard

and Curlew were probably underes-

timated because of the weather

conditions. A Water Rail calling in

the reed beds was nice; also a Rock

Pipit flushed as I walked up to the

Snipe.

Counts on Hale Marsh were lower

than normal owing to pheasant

shooting on Saturday morning and on

Saturday evening when at least two

wildfowlers were about and again on

the Sunday morning when one

shooter was out.

Understandably, the birds on the

marsh were very jumpy.

Carr Lane Pools provided good num-

bers of Duck, Snipe and Black-

tailed Godwits whilst in the

neighbouring fields were 8 Grey

Partridge and 1 Red-legged Par-

tridge.

Lots of Fieldfares and Redwings

were present at both Carr Lane

Pools and Pickerings Pasture.

With the lowish tide on the river, “No

Man’s Land” on the Runcorn side did

not go under; a lot of birds mainly

gulls were present.

Small wading birds were probably

missed because of the distance but

Lapwings and Curlew were seen.

On lower high tides this area could

be counted from the Runcorn side,

with access along the wall from Wigg

Island.’

After supporting Rob with the count

in the Hale sector I stopped at Light-

house Road on the way home to see

if numbers of Curlew and Mallard

had increased as the fog had lifted.

My numbers of 45 Curlew in fields

on both sides of the road were lower

than Rob’s numbers of 108 in the

morning mist - and no Mallard!

Where had they gone?

Warren Sumner, another registered

BTO counter, who covers the North

shore from Otterspool to Oglet re-

ported, ‘A good start to the day at

Otterspool Prom for my gull count

and the nearest bird to me was a fine

Mediterranean Gull.

I’ve seen ’Meds’ there a few times

but never managed to pick one on a

WeBS count before now.

A Sparrowhawk near Garston dock

was followed by another at Dungeon

and the lowish tide gave me 10 Grey

Heron spread across the three

shores: but just 107 Redshank along

the shores was disappointing.

The highlight was seeing a male and

female Yellowhammer on a Haw-

thorn bush at Oglet shore and a few

more were heard singing at various

spots along the embankment.’

All data from counters is inputted

into the BTO database and the next

count is Sunday 22 December.

Hugh@WeBS

Monthly High Tide Count, Mersey Estuary, 17 Nov 2013 - Hugh Harris

Page 9 Merseyside Nature

The first Merlin

of the winter

Sparrowhawks

near Garston

docks

Yellowhammers

along Oglet

shore

Merlin (Falco columbarius), óskar elías

sigurðsson, Wiki

Adam Graham began leading his

three day course teaching Woodland

Management Techniques in an Ante

room of the historic Croxteth Hall,

built in 1575 by Sir Richard Molyneux.

Looking over the lawns, shrubberies

and landscaped vistas of Liverpool’s

biggest Country Park (530

acres/215ha) in its autumnal colours

was a refreshing change.

On a bright but chilly morning the

flasks of coffee and tea were appre-

ciated. After the hot drinks the mixed

group of 10 adults looked at Generic

Risk Assessment Records of General

Safety on Site for Conservation

Projects, Tree Felling Activities inc.

Hedge laying & Scrub Clearance and

Tree Shrub and Similar Planting.

The most important risk assessment

for active volunteers and employed

staff is Generic Risk Assessment

Record 7, General Safety on Site

for Conservation Projects relating

to generic features in a common

activity.

This document does not cover items

specific to a location or group.

A local amendment or review must

be completed making additions as

necessary to take account of local

circumstances and hazards.

Selecting our tasks for the specific

location of Mull Wood we were able

to focus on the potential hazards

arising from an emergency response

in an ‘off-road’ location, slips, trips

and falls in muddy leafy woodland

hiding stumps etc., the handling of

heavy tools (loppers, bow-saws,

spades and mallets) and other equip-

ment and their related injuries,

leptospirosis (from standing water)

and hygiene.

Tree-felling has its associated risks -

wearing helmets and goggles is a

matter of judgement but keeping a

safe-distance from falling trees is

common sense! However we have a

responsibility to cordon off the area

if there is a risk to the public.

Blackthorn planting or removal re-

quires protective gloves as septicae-

mia can be caused by penetrating

thorns. Kick-back from felling leaning

trees is also a real risk and electro-

cution from overhead cables is pos-

sible.

The presence of horse riding along

the woodland trails and lanes as

horses can be ‘spooked’ by snapping

and cracking wood has to be kept in

mind.

Tendonitis from repetitive tasks can

be avoided by regular rest breaks

and by varying the tasks.

Planting of trees and shrubs share

some of the previous hazards and

has its own inherent risks; strains

from bending and embedding plants,

soil-contact illnesses like Tetanus

and Toxicaria, manual handling and

safe-lifting techniques and avoiding

the use of canes which can poke the

participant in the eye.

After absorbing all the Health and

Safety risk assessment and taking on

board Adam’s advice we were ready

for tree-attack and germ warfare.

We boarded the red Lancashire

Wildlife Trust’s minibus and set-off

for Mull Wood: our aim was to create

a new wildlife area in secluded wood-

land.

This was to be achieved by re-

structuring the layers of vegetation

and opening up the woodland canopy

to improve the biodiversity.

Our destination of Mull Wood was

some way distant on the lane leading

to Stand Farm. We crossed the River

Alt, passed the Horse-Riding Centre

and pulled into a lay-by opposite the

picturesque Victorian Estate Kennels

and Keeper’s Lodge

Mull Wood holds the distinction of

being Liverpool’s first designated

Local Nature Reserve recognised for

its ‘educational value to nature con-

servation’ and since my previous

visits has doubled in size to include

much more of the park and a wild-

flower meadow.

Better access to the Reserve has

allowed conservation groups and

schools to become involved in creat-

ing new wildlife areas.

It is the largest woodland area in the

park comprising mainly of English

Oak and Sycamore with the invasive

Rhododendron. Finding our partially

cleared sites we were soon on-task

felling, coppicing, laying down hedg-

ing and planting sapling trees.

The trees we planted to introduce

more diversity were Blackthorn

(Prunus spinosa), Rowan (Sorbus

aucuparia), Birch (Betula pendula)

and Beech (Fagus sylvatica).

Working as a team we safely

achieved our aim; course-

preparation, expertise, the right

tools for the task, local knowledge

and a reasonable level of fitness

were a recipe for success.

Hugh@MullWood

Lancashire Wildlife Trust - Practical Woodland Skills - Hugh Harris

Page 10 Merseyside Nature

Hugh visits Croxteth

Hall and Liverpool’s

historical first

designated local

Nature Reserve to

learn

Practical Woodland

Skills with Adam

Graham

On the 24th November MBB repre-

sented the Merseyside & West Lanca-

shire Mammal Group at the National

Wildflower Centres 'Mini' Winter

Event! This fun day out saw a range

of activities, crafts and stalls, all

winter themed.

The winter is a great time to go out

and look for signs of mammals roam-

ing around and foraging. As it gets

colder, many will be having their fill

before going into hibernation for the

worst of the winter and with the

plants dying off it's much easier to

see their footsteps left in the soil.

A great technique for capturing

these discoveries is to create a

plaster cast of the footprint.

The last time I tried this was as a

Cub Scout, too many years ago! But

on the day it worked well.

As I was hosting a stall, we couldn't

go out and find real prints so instead

participants were tasked with creat-

ing a replica animal print of their

choice in a sand tray. The plaster

was then mixed and poured in. This

mixture required half an hour to set

as the young sculptors wandered

around other stalls and voilla!

When they returned, an animal foot-

print to take home and the sugges-

tion of a new skill to try in the future.

Just as it was for me in the past.

On the day around 25 casts were

produced, mostly by youngsters but

the occasional parent 'helped'.

Everyone seemed to enjoy it and

several participants asked about to

do it for their own groups!

The most popular animal on the day

was the Fox, though quite a few

Badger casts were also made.

One young girl also created a fantas-

tic replica of a Weasel print, and this

I think was my favourite of the day!

A word of warning to anyone that

might want to try this, it's very easy

to do but it will make a mess!

'Mini' Winter Event at the National Wildflower Centre - Ben Deed

Page 11 Merseyside Nature

Keeping tracks

of community

involvement and

MBB at the ‘Mini’

Winter Event

Labrador Dog tracks in the sand, G. Hage-

dom, Wiki

Hare track in the snow, D. Castor, Wiki

and naturalist groups to help share

knowledge on the environment while

linking those groups and individuals

to the monitoring of local sites.

The project will also see a number of

placement opportunities created at

the LRC and Wildlife Trust.

The Biodiverse Society is a project in

partnership with the Wildlife Trust

for Lancashire, Manchester & North

Merseyside and Lancashire Environ-

mental Records Network.

The project will bring training and

engagement to local communities

In order for this project to begin we

need your feedback.

An E-Mail will shortly be sent to all

contacts on the MBB mailing list.

Please complete and return as soon

as possible or if not on the list go

here! Lancashire Wildlife Trust

A Biodiverse Society - Ben Deed

The project has so far made good

progress, starting with very little

background information, but there

are still gaps.

Species regarded as 'common' such

as Grey Squirrel, Rat, Rabbit, Wood

Mouse and Mole are under recorded;

yours could well be the first!

We accept records from anywhere,

including your back garden!

If you would like to contribute to the

Atlas then you can submit your re-

cord online via RODIS

(biobank.rodis.co.uk) or the Mole

Patrol online recording site or send it

straight to us by E-Mail. Alternatively

there is a form attached to the end of

this newsletter that can be printed

off and posted.

Mammal Atlas - A Call for Records! - Ben Deed

We need your help!

We now are in the final year of the

five year project to collect mammal

records for Merseyside & West Lan-

cashire.

The project was started as an effort

to increase our knowledge and to

include even common species of

mammals in our area.

Page 12 Merseyside Nature

Become an integral

part of the history

of biological

recording by

submitting wildlife

records from your

local area or

garden

Help influence the

future protection

of wildlife and

support monitoring

and conservation

in your community,

and in your back

yard

Long-term Monitoring in North Merseyside - Ben Deed

In 2014 Merseyside BioBank, as Local

Records Centre for North Mersey-

side, will start a new project as part

of a national network of organisa-

tions tasked with coordinating the

structured surveillance of British

wildlife.

The project aims to work with local

and national recording schemes and

societies such as the Merseyside &

West Lancashire Bat Group and

Botanical Society of the British Isles.

We will involve local communities,

organisations and in particular, indi-

viduals who already contribute infor-

mation in support of local conserva-

tion.

At this stage we are looking to

choose a number of sites for the

project and determine who might be

involved.

This is a chance for anyone to have

their say as to where we should place

these long term monitoring sites.

We are preferably looking for sites

that already have active monitoring

or a group that is active at that site

(and might consider being involved).

We would also like to choose sites

that have a good diversity of wildlife

that may be designated as a local

wildlife site.

Have your say on the future of wild-

life monitoring in North Merseyside

and fill in the questionnaire or send

us an E-Mail with your suggestions,

feedback or questions.

Woodmouse at Court Hey Park

Urban Fox (Vulpes vulpes) spotted mid-afternoon in November in Childwall, L16

Events are run throughout

the year by Liverpool Mu-

seum.

These include Mammal Trapping at

Knowsley Park and other venues.

Please contact

Tony.Parker@liverpoolmuseums.org.

uk for details and to book places.

Museum collections are open to

amateur naturalists and volunteers

(by appointment)

Other activity events

Knowsley: www.knowsley.gov.uk/

things-to-see-and-do/events.aspx

Liverpool Parks: liverpool.gov.uk/

leisure-parks-and-events

Wildlife Trust: www.lancswt.org.uk/

what-s-on

Court Hey Park:

www.courtheypark.co.uk

National Wildflower Centre:

www.nwc.org.uk/events

Shoresearchnews

www.cumbriawidlifetrust.org.uk

Merseyside Naturalist Asso-

ciation

The MNA organize informal nature

events including field trips, talks and

practical sessions

Visit www.mnapage.info for the pro-

gramme of events

Saturday 30th November 2013,

Frodsham

Type: Outdoor meeting, make your

own way there

Where we are meeting: Frodsham

Station 11.05. Central Station for

10.00 train to Chester then Arriva

Trains Wales to Frodsham.

Cost: Free of charge but note that

the Chester to Frodsham leg is not

available on Merseytravel passes.

Do I need to book? No, just turn up.

What do we expect to see? : Eric

Hardy's dedicated woodland.

Should I bring a telescope? Tele-

scope not useful.

Walking grade: Strenuous, could

include sections of rough terrain,

stiff climbs; uneven (or no) foot-

paths,.

Mileage: 6 miles / 10 kilometres

Guided or free to roam? Guided,

leader Alexander Mansfield.

Are toilets available? Toilets avail-

able at the Fordham pub.

Map reference: SJ 510 757

Liverpool Botanical Society

Saturday 7th December

Treasure House Theatre, Level 1

World Museum

Uncommon Trees of Court Hey Park,

Rob Duffy

Saturday 11th January

Treasure House Theatre, Level 1

World Museum

Caledonian Pine Forests

Peter Gately

Events

Page 13 Merseyside Nature

HELP! BIRDERS STILL NEEDED

The Mersey Estuary is one of

Britain’s best wetlands. We know this

because each month we count the

waterfowl as part of the national

Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS).

However, we need ‘new blood’

volunteers. You don’t need to be an

experienced wildfowl counter,

though you should be able to identify

common waders and wildfowl. If you

think you can help then please email

Dermot Smith at

dermot.smith71@gmail.com or phone

07505 418832 for further details.

For more information plus recent

reports and photos visit the Mersey

Estuary WeBS page on Facebook

Saturday 8th February

Treasure House Theatre, Level 1 World

Museum AGM plus members’ field

meetings photos

Late November Residents of

Court Hey Park

Sargus, likely S. Bipunctatus, identified by

by D. Fotheringham. (Previously unre-

corded in the area)

Unidentified Ichneumon Wasp

Unidentified diptera, Caliphora sp. still

gorging g on Ivy nectar in late November

Common Wasp also feeding on Ivy nectar