Month: September 2024

We are currently finalising details of proposed field meetings for the Autumn / Winter season; a reminder of the next meeting together with further proposed meetings follows. Please note that these meetings will appear in the event listings once further details have been confirmed. For the time being the information below should enable you to put dates in diaries for any of the meetings that are of interest to you.

Ferns in the Tintern area with Olga Krylova – Sunday 6^th October 2024, meet at 11:00 am at the Tintern Abbey car park, Tintern, NP16 6SD; Grid Ref. SO 532 001. (There is a charge of £5 for the car park). The walk will take place around the Wye Valley woods, one of the most important ancient woodlands in the UK, where fern species including the complex Scaly Male-fern group, Dryopteris affinis agg. are an important part of the woodland flora. Bring food and drinks.  The meeting will be finished by 4.00pm.

10^th October 2024 – Woodland Management with Alan Waterman at Nine Wells Wood in the lower Wye Valley, 10 am to 1.00 pm.
9^th November 2024 – Waterfowl and Waders with Mike Smart at Ashleworth Ham, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm.
15^th November 2024 – Fungi with John Holden at Chase End Hill near Malvern, 10.20 am to 12.30 pm.
21^st November 2024 – Conifers with Barry Embling at the Cyril Hart Arboretum, Speech House, Forest of Dean, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
3^rd December 2024 – Geology / Fauna and Flora with John Moseley at Huntley Quarry, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm.
19^th January 2025 – Alney Island in Winter (primarily birds) with Andrew Bluett, 10.30 am to 12.30 pm (subject to the area Not being flooded.!)

Winter Birds in the Cotswolds, date and further details to be confirmed.

by Alan Waterman

This was a Bioblitz type of walk originally set up to look particularly at the fungi it being that time of year but as it turned out we only saw about 4 different species. There was a very impressive bracket fungus growing on a dead Beech tree. There being no Fungi experts it was identified as a Ganoderma species, probably applanatum, commonly known as Artist Bracket but not 100%. Close by was the common Tametes versiclour and we also saw some puff balls, a Lycoperdon species. Initially we visited a pond which had a large amount of Crassula growing across it and was in need of some major clearance, the problem with this invasive species is that once it colonises you will never get rid of it so you have a job for life. The pond also had some marginal Flag Irises and Purple Loosestrife which no doubt look quite attractive in Spring and Summer. The woods were populated largely by mature Oaks with some Sycamore, not so many wildflowers out at this time of year but we did see come Enchanter’s Nightshade, Woundwort , Lemon Balm and Thyme-leaved Speedwell in flower, other plants were Dogs Mercury, Wood Avens, White Dead Nettle, Black Bryony and  Herb Robert.  Juliet spotted some  Small Balsam in the wood? ‘I only came across it when I was mooching about after tea, but it was very abundant in the north west corner of the wood at least. That was probably the most unusual plant I saw’.

On the far side of the woods were open fields with a nice wide headland, from here we had views across open country and saw Buzard, Marsh Harrier and Red Kite, growing amongst the grasses along the headland were quite a few Red Bartsia plants also still in flower. The full Bird list compiled by Mike Daw is as follows.  

Wood Pigeon

  Nuthatch

  Blue Tit

  Great Tit

  Goldcrest

  Robin

  Buzzard

  Wren

  Long-tailed Tit

  Marsh Tit

  Marsh Harrier

  Red Kite

  Jay

 The day was dull and not so warm so we did not see any Moths or Butterflies but Guy Meridith was on hand and identified t many species often by virtue of their leaf mining activity. In the afternoon Guy stayed on and did pick up a few Butterflies as the day warmed up. Here are his records.

Moths

Checklist no., Scientific name, Common name(s), UK status, stage(s) observed, typical UK larval food(s)

Nepticulidae

4.014   Stigmella catharticella   Buckthorn Dot / Buckthorn Pigmy   Local   (larval mine)   Buckthorn

4.015   Stigmella anomalella   Rose Dot / Rose Leaf-miner   Common   (larval mine)   Roses

4.034   Stigmella tityrella   Small Beech Dot / Small Beech Pigmy   Common   (larval mine)   Beech

4.042   Stigmella plagicolella   Blue-shot Dot / Scrubland Pigmy   Common   (larval mine)   Blackthorn, other Prunus sp.

4.056   Stigmella speciosa   Beautiful Sycamore Dot / Barred Sycamore Pigmy   Common   (larval mine)   Sycamore

Tischeriidae

10.001   Tischeria ekebladella   Oak Blotch-miner / Oak Carl   Common   (larval mine)   Oak, Sweet chestnut

Gracillariidae

15.028   Parornix anglicella   Hawthorn Parornix / Hawthorn Slender   Common   (larval feeding signs)   Hawthorn, Wild service tree

15.039   Phyllonorycter quercifoliella   Common Oak Leaf-miner / Common Oak Midget   Common   (adult)   Oak

15.040   Phyllonorycter messaniella   Ilex Leaf-miner / Garden Midget   Common   (larval mine)   Oaks, Beech, Sweet chestnut, Hornbeam

15.043   Phyllonorycter oxyacanthae   Common Thorn Leaf-miner / Common Thorn Midget   Common   (larval mine)   Hawthorn, Pear, Quince

15.052   Phyllonorycter corylifoliella   Hawthorn Leaf-miner / Hawthorn Midget   Common   (larval mine)   Rosaceous trees & shrubs (f. betulae Birch)

15.063   Phyllonorycter maestingella   Beech Leaf-miner / Beech Midget   Common   (larval mine)   Beech

15.089   Cameraria ohridella   Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner   Common   (larval mines & adult)   Horse Chestnut

Plutellidae

18.001   Plutella xylostella   Diamond-back Moth / Diamond-back   Migrant   (adult)   Brassicas

Depressariidae

32.031   Agonopterix alstromeriana   Hemlock Moth / Brown-spot Flat-body   Common   (adult)   Hemlock

Choreutidae

48.001   Anthophila fabriciana   Nettle-tap / Common Nettle-tap   Common   (adult)   Nettles

Crambidae

63.031   Udea ferrugalis   Rusty-dot Pearl   Migrant   (adult)   Herbaceous plants

Geometridae

70.100   Colostygia pectinataria   Green Carpet   LC   (adult)   Bedstraws

Erebidae

72.002   Rivula sericealis   Straw Dot   LC   (adult)   Grasses (False brome, Tor-grass, Purple moor-grass)

72.003   Hypena proboscidalis   Snout   LC   (adult)   Common nettle

Butterflies

Pieridae

58.007   Pieris rapae   Small White   LC   (adult)   Wild Crucifers, Brassicas (Cabbages), Nasturtium

Nymphalidae

59.023   Vanessa atalanta   Red Admiral   LC   (adult)   Common nettle

59.026   Aglais io   Peacock   LC   (adult)   Common nettle

59.031   Polygonia c-album   Comma   LC   (adult)   Common nettle, Elms, Hop

 Juliet was on hand and made this list of Lichens which is shown below.

The Lichen list, from within the wood and from the boundary wall.

Juliet was on hand and made this list of Lichens which is shown below.There’s nothing exceptional on it, though several are rarely recorded so would appear rare on the maps.

On the trees
Alyxoria varia
Arthonia didyma
Arthonia radiata
Candelaria concolor
Candelariella xanthostigmoides
Coenogonium pineti
Diarthonis spadicea
Diploicia canescens
Glaucomaria carpinea
Graphis scripta s. lat.
Hypogymnia physodes
Hypotrachyna revoluta s. str.
Lecania naegelii
Lecanora argentata
Lecanora hybocarpa
Lecidella elaeochroma f. elaeochroma
Lepraria incana s. lat.
Melanelixia subaurifera
Myriolecis sambuci
Opegrapha vulgata
Parmelia sulcata
Parmotrema perlatum
Phlyctis argena
Physcia adscendens
Ramalina farinacea
Ramalina fastigiata
Xanthoria parietina
Telogalla olivieri
Vouauxiella lichenicola

On the boundary wall
Acrocordia conoidea
Bagliettoa calciseda
Bagliettoa parmigera s. lat.
Caloplaca aurantia
Caloplaca dichroa
Caloplaca flavescens
Caloplaca flavocitrina
Catillaria lenticularis
Circinaria calcarea
Lathagrium auriforme
Myriolecis albescens
Protoblastenia rupestris
Thelidium decipiens
Thelidium pyrenophorum
Verrucaria nigrescens f. nigrescens As we returned two Muntjac deer were spotted in the woods close to the buildings, and our visit was finished off with a welcome cup of tea or coffee and some chocolate biscuits. Many thanks.

It’s that time of year again; GNS are inviting entries for the members 2024 photographic competition. The finalists will be exhibited in the New Year and the winners announced, probably as part of the AGM which will be due as usual in March. 

Now is the time to look through the photographs you’ve taken in the past year, or maybe will be taking in the next few weeks of Autumn and consider entering them. The closing date for entries is 30th November 2024.
 
The entries will be judged anonymously, and should be entered in the following categories; there will be a winner in each category and an overall winner –

• Any species in its Environment – plant, animal, bird or invertebrate in the habitat in which it lives, searches for food or breeds. 
• Behaviour and Interaction – activity between two members of the same species or perhaps between individuals of different species.
• Habitat and Landscape – Woodland, grassland, waterscapes or just a fantastic view.
• Plants and Botanicals – Anything classed as a plant, lower plant, botanical, non-animal species.
• Portraits – Anything from the natural world in portrait form.
• Fun and Amusing – anything funny, amusing or unusual.

The general rules –

• All photographs should be digital images (pdf, jpeg, tiff, or similar) and sent by e-mail or via We Transfer / Drop-Box (or similar) to Andrew Bluett, the membership secretary, at gnsmembership@btinternet.com. If you have difficulty delivering the photos, contact us for help. 
• Each photograph should have a title, or the name of the subject together with which category you wish to enter it in.
• Photographs should preferably, though not exclusively, be taken in or close to Gloucestershire.
• If you are not sure of which category to enter photographs in, we can decide that for you and place it in the most appropriate category. Equally, if we think a photograph is entered in the wrong category, we may choose to move it to a different / more appropriate category.
• Photographs should be about the natural world, so no studio pictures, pets, captive animals or birds, ‘foreign’ garden plants etc.
• You may enter up to 3 photographs in any category, and may enter as many categories as you wish.
• Copyright will remain with the photographer, but GNS reserves the right to exhibit, display or use the photographs in print form or on our website.

This is a members only competition – however, if you are not a member but would like to enter, please join us first via the membership page of the GNS website at this link – Membership – Gloucestershire Naturalists’ Society (glosnats.org)

If you have any queries, please contact us at gnsmembership@btinternet.com