Ben Locke

This year, the winner of the GNS prize for best MSc student poster was awarded to Bec Smith (Applied Ecology MSc), for research on the value of large woody debris in freshwater habitats, particularly for bats. Well done Bec!

Monday 21st April at Stroud Lansdown Hall, 4-7pm.
Speakers: Mary Colwell (Curlew Action), Geoff Hilton (WWT) and our very own Juliet Bailey.
Come and see the Curlew mural by renowned street artist Mark Antony (“ATM”)
Details here:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/world-curlew-day-celebration-tickets-1277859093949

16 GNS members had an interesting tour around Glass Eels UK. Director, Peter Wood took us through the journey of the eel from its egg in the Sargasso Sea to the adult in county streams and lakes. We saw several tanks of carefully maintained glass eels and estimated numbers in 0.5kg. Sweepstake winner Barry will be sharing his winnings with those that attend his field meet later in the month.
We discussed problems faced both by eels and the company. The future doesn’t look bright for either!

Don’t forget the Society’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 26th March at 7:30pm (doors open at 7pm). It will take place at the EdShed, at the back of the Folk of Gloucester museum.

At the end of Society business, you can vote for the overall winner of our photo competition from the winners of the individual categories.

This year’s speaker is Anna Field, who will give a talk “Raptor Monitoring in the Cotswolds: Goshawk, Hobby and Barn Owl”.

The EdShed is accessed from Quay Street GL1 2PG. Tea, coffee and pay bar. Free parking in the car park the other side of Quay Street.

As a follow-up to the GNS field meeting at the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s Ashleworth Ham reserve on the west bank of the Severn last November, members took part in another field meeting at the Coombe Hill Meadows reserve on the east bank on 8 February 2025. Both sites are important wintering sites for surface-feeding ducks that breed in central and northern Europe and more than a thousand were present on the floodwater on a dull February day, with a Ring-necked Duck as an additional highlight. Full details in a future issue GNS NEWS.

Please note that there has been a minor change to the proposed meeting at the Beaver enclosure at The Pludds in the Forest of Dean. Please also note that it is essential to book a place if you intend to join us. Check the event page for further details.

There is always a risk that field meetings in the Severn floodplain may be affected by floodwater, but the flooding at Coombe Hill has receded considerably over the past few days. Participants will be able to view the area from public footpaths, now free of floodwater, though still muddy, so that wellingtons or very stout waterproof footwear, are essential; a walking stick is also highly recommended. Good numbers of wintering waterbirds are still present, together with the first sign of summer migrants.

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

13^th January 2024

Sherborne National Trust estate falls largely into three habitats – tenanted arable farmland, water-meadows and woodland/wood-pasture.  Having walked round the second of these last year, eleven of us met to walk around the wooded part; given Storm Darragh the previous week, we wondered what we might find.

The walk started at the top of the hill with wood-pasture and a mixture of Beech, Lime species and Ash grouped in shelterbelts and an avenue of mature trees.  There were small flocks of Redwing and Starling moving around, and skulking Wren and Chaffinch.  We’d already heard a Green Woodpecker from Ewe Pen car-park without managing to locate it.  At a larger open field we came upon a loose herd of Roe Deer numbering about 20, coming into and out of view from the dead ground as we passed by.

When we moved into the wooded Pleasure Grounds, Yew and Elder became more prevalent, also some Box, and we found Jelly-ear fungus and Nectria (Coral Spot).  Later. other fungi included Witches’ Butter, Velvet Shank and King Alfred’s Cakes.  Nuthatches were occasionally heard as were Goldcrest, and, briefly, a Bullfinch. 

A large fallen Ash showed some of the damage the storm had done.  The tree was otherwise healthy but had been snapped off close to its thick base.  Further on an even larger Beech had been uprooted and had brought down a nearby conifer; although the Beech was sheltered in the woodland interior it had a noticeably shallow root system.

Sherborne Broad Water lies at the bottom of this hill.  It was originally ornamental but now left wild and eventually feeds into the Windrush.  Here we found about 60 Wigeon.  These were difficult to count as a large flock was spooked by something and wouldn’t settle – normally the Sherborne Wigeon will graze on the grass and then lift off only as far as the water if disturbed.  We were alerted to two Little Grebes by their call, and then saw a Kingfisher perched by the weir. 

The walk back produced a Marsh Tit in a village garden and a plantation of Larches in Ragged Copse.  Surprisingly for this area it was a morning without a Red Kite.

Andy Lewis

The results of the GNS 2024 Photographic Competition are now available to view using the links below. The finalists in each category were shown in the Zoom meeting which took place on Wednesday 18th December, the winner in each category will go forward for a vote to decide the overall winner at the GNS AGM at The Folk, Westgate Street, Gloucester on Wednesday 26th March 2025.

The Finalists – View PDF

The ‘Best of the Rest’ – 

Part 1 – Any Species in its Environment – View PDF

Part 2 – Behaviour & Interaction – View PDF

Part 3 – Plants & Botanicals – View PDF

Part 4 – Habitats & Landscapes – View PDF

Part 5 – Portraits – View PDF

Part 6 – Fun & Amusing – View PDF

Our thanks go to all of the entrants for submitting a wide range of excellent photographs and our congratulations go to the category winners.

All being well we will be running the competition again in the coming year, so bear that in mind when you are out and about in 2025 and photographing the fascinating wildlife and environment in Gloucestershire and beyond so that you are ready to submit entries when we appeal for them next November.