14 members took part in a walk around part of Alney Island nature reserve which lies between the east and west branches of the Severn at the western edge of Gloucester city; temperatures were a little higher than the previous few days in part due to the cloud cover and a partial thaw overnight. There were though still areas of frozen floodwater, large patches of ice on the grassland and on the footpath & cycle track; much of the water under the trees and shrubbery in the flooded woodland nearest to the by-pass was frozen over.
In spite of the chill and frozen floodwater a respectable list of 22 species of birds were recorded, among them Teal (Anas crecca) estimated at 60 birds, 2 Gadwall (Anas strepera), 5 Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), 2 Wigeon (Anas Penelope), 1 each Water Rail (Rallus aquaticus) and Moorhen ((Gallinula chloropus), 2 Cetti’s Warblers (Cettia cetti) singing, a very obliging Goldcrest (Regulus regulus), a small party of Long Tailed Tits (Aegithalos caudatus), 2 Great Spotted Woodpeckers (Dendrocopus major), a single Redwing (Turdus iliacus) and a few other common / garden species.
A few varieties of fungi were noted, unidentified large brackets on a Poplar, small Scarlet Elf Cups (Sarcoscypha austriaca) and Yellow Brain Fungus (Tremella mesenterica). Member Tony Hardware also managed to find a new fungus species for Gloucestershire on the Populus nigra trees, Peniophorella guttulifera, a rare resupinate basiodiomycete fungus, tending to grow only on Populus, but also found on Salix. Tony advises there are only 18 only other UK records for this species.
The cattle used for conservation grazing were present at the western end of the site and were the only mammals encountered though there was some discussion regarding what mammals were resident, used the site or had been recorded on site. These included Reeves’ Muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi), Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), Otter (Lutra lutra), Brown Rat (Rattus norvegicus), Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), Stoat (Mustela erminea) and others.
One member, who we will not embarrass by naming her did a sterling job of litter picking all the way around, a great effort, much appreciated, well done!
Andrew Bluett
13th January 2024