Issue 1 November 2006

The newsletter for biological recorders in , Halton, Warrington and Wirral

NEW RECORD WEBSITE LAUNCHED p. 4 THE JOYS OF BEETLE HUNTING SPIDER RECORDING AT RED ROCKS BAP RECORDING IN HALTON AQUATIC INVERTEBRATE SAMPLING CHESHIRE BUMBLEBEES and A. Hugh Pulsford explains Cover photos: Brown Long-eared Bat © Andy Harmer, bracket fungus © Jeff Clarke THE VALUE OF RECORDS AND DESCRIPTIONS WELCOME to the SCARCE SPIDER SWIFTS IN HALTON first edition of the The Sentinel. The growth of the biological record The newsletter has been born RECORDED ALONG database for Halton has already through the Recorders Forum, highlighted some species which are WIRRAL COAST locally important. In both Runcorn which represents the interests Our list of rare invertebrates of the biological recording and Widnes, we now know there are found in the North Wirral Coastal significant breeding populations community and liaises with Park is continuing to increase of Common Swift Apus apus, a rECOrd to promote and encourage with the discovery in April this bird which spends the winter biological recording in Cheshire, year of an uncommon tiny black in the southern hemisphere. Halton, Warrington and Wirral. ‘money spider’ about 1.5mm Buildings are vital to this hole-nesting bird, This newsletter is designed to long living within the tussocks but repairs and renovations can threaten provide a forum for individuals of Marram Grass in the Leasowe their breeding. Fortunately, plenty can be from a variety of backgrounds and done to ensure that swift colonies con- Gunsite dunes (SJ 276 926). tinue to thrive, requiring the goodwill and specialist interest areas to share Unfortunately this little spider doesn’t have a co-operation of planners, architects and their discoveries and information. common English name so we must address developers, and solutions to help breed- Jeff Clarke, Editor it by its scientific name,Mecopisthes peusi ing swifts are relatively straightforward (Wunderlich, 1972). There are 4 existing and inexpensive. The introduction of nest records for this spider for VC58 on the boxes to a new housing development in rECOrd database, all from this area of Wirral, Widnes is under way and if successful, it with the last record dated 1991, so it is good will pave the way for similar schemes. NEWS IN BRIEF to see it continuing to survive at this location despite the ever increasing human and NEW BUG BONANZA animal pressures on these fragile dune areas. Across the UK this species is mainly found ALONG WIRRAL’S COAST in central southern where it occurs on dry heathland and in Wales, Lancashire 2005 & 2006 were good years and Cheshire where it is found in sand for extending the list of scarce dunes and dune slacks. In terms of its insects that can be found locally UK wide distribution it is categorised as along our Wirral coastal habitats. uncommon in Great Britain and falls into the Nationally Scarce (Notable B) category In August 2005, a brightly coloured pink based on its frequency of occurrence within and black rhopalid bug Liorhyssus hyalinus 10km squares of the National Grid. © copyright Jeff Clarke (Fabricius,1794) was found on a storks- There is a short video on swifts in Halton Thanks to Chris Felton at the Department bill plant at Common within the which can be found at www.halton.gov. of Entomology, Liverpool Museum for North Wirral Coastal Park (SJ 241909). uk/nature under News and Events. confirming the identity of this species which This is a first record for Cheshire and due to its UK scarcity will certainly help If you have any information about swifts probably as the in the application for LNR and hopefully in Halton, or would like to find out more, only recent records for this bug are from eventual SSSI status for the Coastal Park. please contact [email protected] Pembrokeshire, the Lleyn Peninsula and Paul Oldfield, Nature Conservation Norfolk. It is interesting that previous John McGaw – Wirral Wildlife records for this bug confirm its associa- Invertebrate Recorder Officer, Halton Borough Council tion with storksbill plants within the UK. Travelling a little further along the coast, and also in August 2005, I recorded the Crikey! Bishop’s Mitre shield bug Aelia acuminata Unfortunately the world of natural history can all too often (L., 1758) running up and down Marram come across as being the domain of just a lot of high-browed Grass stems at /Red Rocks dunes (SJ 207875). Another first for Cheshire stuffy anoraks looking at dead specimens and talking Latin. You VC58 according to the rECOrd database. couldn’t have got much further away from this than when a I recorded Aelia again this August in loudmouth Aussie exploded onto our tv screens a number of Wild Carrot heads and Marram Grass, years ago, with as much energy as a field full of joeys and exud- this time within the fixed dunes at ing more enthusiasm than seemed possible, and spontaneously Meols Common within the North shouting his war cry, “CRIKEY”, at every opportune moment. Wirral Coastal Park (SJ236907). I won- der where it will turn up next? Very few natural historians have had an impact like Steve Irwin, not just be- cause of his expertise and fieldcraft but because of his infectious enthusi- John McGaw, Wirral Wildlife asm and ability to captivate and entertain a generation, on an international Invertebrate Recorder scale. Steve’s untimely death recently saddened millions of people around the Acknowledgement globe, but his wildlife legacy is a generation of children enthused and ready To Steve Judd, Dept of Entomology, Liverpool for more. As Steve might say, “Crikey, let’s not waste this opportunity.” Museum, for identifying Liorhyssus and providing information concerning previous UK records. Andy Harmer 2 What I enjoyed the most, I think, was being looking for insects and especially beetles. surrounded by all the life about me. The There is always treasure to be found when R.Dibbin used to be alive with Sticklebacks you are a lover of insects. The anticipation (which provided my first experience of when you look at some nice old trees, or fishing), and the plop of Water Voles. A a clean river gurgling over rocks, or a salt large part of the ground under the trees marsh! What am I going to find? You sweep would smell of Ramsons and Bluebells could a net through some nice umbellifers, or be picked in armfuls. The flood plain was sieve rotting seaweed and see something muddy and covered with debris in winter different Then you anticipate getting your and then in the spring everything zoomed books out at home, and identifying an

Anomala dubia © copyright Jeff Clarke up out of the ground! Across the wood, insect that is new to you or the site, and Don Stenhouse on plants, birds and insects shouted ‘look it’s if you are lucky the county or country. spring, let’s get busy’. The wood heaved with I am privileged to know some really good life and I really felt at home amongst it all. THE JOYS OF BEETLE naturalists, and have spent many hours For quite a few years after this, although with expert birders, lepidopterists and HUNTING my love of natural history stayed with aquatic ecologists, who have told me so me, I did not actually do anything with much. Recently, in Lincolnshire, within As a child, I would spend hours it. Then in 1988, I made a conscious deci- 24hrs, I heard Nightjars and Turtle Doves, looking at books on animals. For sion to study beetles. This decision was saw Grey Partridge, and held a Grass Snake. my seventh birthday I was given to prove very significant. No matter what On another occasion in August, I watched has happened since, my interest in bee- Natterjack toadlets running about on a set of animal encyclopaedias, tles has been something to focus on. Birkdale Green beach, a pair of Avocets at which I still have today. I also spent Marshside, rescued silver eels in a small Since 1988, I have recorded insects from drying pool, and found two species of beetle many hours exploring every inch urban sites, woodlands, salt marshes, peat I hadn’t seen before. Not fantastic stuff for of Dibbinsdale Wood and often bogs, compost heaps, rivers etc. What is some maybe, but a rich experience for me! came home covered in mud. really great is that I still get a buzz out of

allows for most species to be identified in conservation and identification, followed the field although worker castes of certain by an outdoor recording session, weather species are very difficult to separate. permitting. Similar events can be held Bumblebees have a long flight period, virtually anywhere provided there is a suit- lasting from February to November and able venue and enough interest. Further they are active in all suitable weather details can be obtained from the project conditions throughout the day, hence organisers. A simple recording form is their usefulness as pollinators. available which allows for the recording of species seen and their estimated abun- The Cheshire Bumblebee project is dance, along with supplementary informa- based at Liverpool Museum, but it tion such as habitat details and food-plant also has support from Halton Borough preferences. Such information will be nec- Council, Cheshire Wildlife Trust and essary especially in managing habitat for rECOrd. Staff at Chester Zoo, Norton bumblebees and in advising landowners.

© copyright Jeff Clarke Priory Museum and the Wirral Ranger Service have also been involved hav- On the practical side the project attempts ing hosted identification workshops. to increase the population by providing CHESHIRE BUMBLEBEES artificial nest sites, both for bumblebees The main aim of the project is to encour- and solitary bees, which can also form the There are 17 species of Bumblebee age recording of bumblebees in the basis for public events arranged with local (Bombus) and six species Cuckoo Cheshire region and to make the findings groups and countryside ranger services. Bumblebee (originally in the available through the production of an genus Psithyrus but now included atlas and via the project web-site. The Educating the public about bumble- project also aims to raise awareness bees, notably amongst the gardening in Bombus) in the British Isles. of bumblebees and their conserva- fraternity, will be particularly important, Of these, 11 species have been recorded in tion through public events e.g. slide especially with regard to bumblebees Cheshire. Six species Bombus terrestris, B. shows, nest-box building, guided walks as pollinators, hence encouragement lucorum, B. lapidarius, B. hortorum, B. prato- and attendance at conferences etc. of bumblebee-friendly gardening. rum and B. pascuorum can be considered Finally there is the increasing importance of widespread and common. Numbers of all Obviously improved recording will require long-term monitoring of species to ascer- species have declined in recent years. good identification skills and to this end a simple key has been produced, in the tain the effects of climate change on local Five species are the subject of the United form of a small laminated chart showing wildlife; it is thought that bumblebees would Kingdom Biodiversity Action Plan; Bombus the common species, which can be readily be ideal indicators of any such changes. distinguendus, B. humilis, B. ruderatus, B. used in the field. A number of workshops Contacts subterraneus and B. sylvarum, none of have been held at Astbury Country Park, Carl Clee which occurs in Cheshire and of these, B. Norton Priory and Chester Zoo, using a for- [email protected] subterraneus can be considered to be ex- mat consisting of an indoor introductory Tony Parker tinct. Bumblebees are large insects which session looking at bumblebee biology, [email protected] 3 Interestingly, before commencing work on the new Eric Fletcher reports on the website, Luck (rECOrd web developer and all-round IT wizard) looked over the old website and stated to Steve “Websites should never be green!” From initial develop- NEW RECORD WEBSITE ment through to launch the new rECOrd website took 12 months to create, however, it is not finished yet. It is “With a little bit of LUCK this website will felt that the website is a fluid thing ever changing and improving, keeping abreast of new steps in technology. deliver the goods!” By keeping step with the improvements in technol- The new rECOrd website was launched ogy rECOrd can reach an ever-increasing audience and raise awareness of the importance of the natural in April 2006 at Cedar House, Chester environment within the Cheshire Region and beyond. Zoological Gardens. The website is aimed at a range of people from the general public right through to expert amateur naturalists and professional ecologists. The website provides a perfect tool to promote an interest in local wildlife and to advise the professionals of how rECOrd can help. “After all what use is knowledge if it isn’t shared” The new website was developed to give rECOrd a good public relations platform on a wider scale through the internet and to utilise the data to its full potential by The old site was developed using flat html files making the data available to a wider audience, “after all meaning that anyone who wanted to amend what use is knowledge if it isn’t shared” notes Steve. content had to be familiar with Dreamweaver. The The major influences on the development of the new website allows anyone, even those with little website were the new capabilities of the internet and computer experience, to update pages with ease. how these capabilities could help rECOrd achieve Using a content management system means that its longer term goals; to make the data available all files can be written and added just using a few to the public on as broad a scale as possible. programming commands to format your articles. The original rECOrd Website was developed by Steve McWilliam in August 2000 just before rECOrd had come into being. rECOrd, the Local Record Centre for Cheshire Halton, Warrington and Wirral (pilot LRC for England) came into existence in October 2000 and the original website was used to promote the work of rECOrd and to keep the partners, consult- ants and friends of rECOrd up to date with all the developments of this unique organisation.

the website team- left to right: Apirak (Luck), Steve, and Eric “All of this is now done with the greatest of ease with a few clicks of the mouse button” After feedback from the recording community re- garding the old record website, one point was made abundantly clear in that the distribution maps provided on the website were always 6 months out of date. Updating the maps was a major task as it involved data acquisition, keying and importing into the database The flagship of the new website is the data search facility before the creation of newer maps to upload on to and mapping system, where the public can access the the website. “All of this is now done with the greatest rECOrd database through the website over the internet. of ease with a few clicks of the mouse button” laughs Future developments include identification aids and a Steve with tongue firmly in cheek! Another addition data entry module to provide an easy way to enter your is the facility for allowing recorders’ photographs to own sightings over the internet. Recorders can then be uploaded for identification purposes, which was key their data directly into a rECOrd data store on their hitherto unavailable on the old site. This is proving web server and use it as a remote database of their own increasingly popular with experts and novices alike. records where they can review their data at any point. 4 “Websites should never Unlocking the Past be green!” Where are all the historical biological records? New records are Benefits from the new website can be extremely valuable, but surely they are more useful when they seen by the volume of hits; there has are placed in the context of what was there previously? been a 10-20% increase in hits on the This was the original reasoning behind ‘Unlocking the Past’, a rECOrd project funded new website which means more people by the Heritage Lottery Fund, due to finish in March 2007. It came into being fol- are being reached and rECOrd’s profile is lowing discussions at an audience development conference in 2003, where del- being raised. Does this increase show an egates realised the value of historical records, but agreed that the location of these increased interest in natural history of the records remains largely hidden away, often in private collections. The project has UK populace as a whole? Possibly a little therefore tried to locate these older records, creating an inventory of these data, speculative that last comment. Looking at a and where possible, has been bringing them in for entry onto our database. few more of the statistics of the new website it becomes apparent that the search facility The project started in April 2005 by contacting 533 individuals and organisations, ask- is very popular with more than two thirds ing whether they had any historical data, the nature of the data and whether they of the new website visitors using the site would like to contribute it to the rECOrd database. Following the original mailing, we to search for species. Another interesting received 30 positive replies. Since then, we have made 39 new contacts and brought statistic is the species being searched; the in 121 individual sources of new historical data. From these sources we have keyed top five species searched are as follows; nearly 50,000 new records; and there are plenty more still to be keyed! There are also many others promised to us for extraction; however, many of these are within rare, and 1, Water Vole Arvicola terrestris often fragile, museum collections, which will make keying somewhat challenging! 2, Great Crested Newt Triturus cristatus We are still on the lookout for new sources of historical data. We have until next March 3, Barn Owl Tyto alba to locate them under this project, but obtaining them is, whilst desirable, not essential under the original aims of the project. So if you are aware of any unique or unusual 4, Fox Vulpes vulpes

sources of historical data that we may not have tracked down, please do get in touch. photo: Sam Langdon 5, Otter Lutra lutra at the rear of their school, whilst at Wigg There are no surprises in the top five Bluebells in Halton Island, volunteers will help plant 2,500 list in that four of the species listed are bulbs in a newly created nature walk area. the more high profile protected species rECOrd has started working with and as such are likely to be in there. Fox Halton Borough Council on their We are also continuing an experiment however is a little more interesting in that Bluebell planting scheme. started last year by the Council, whereby the perhaps rECOrd is reaching more people bulbs are planted directly into household searching for wildlife in their area? Sam Langdon is working as the project offic- waste compost created by Mersey Waste. er who is coordinating the planting of 18,500 This has proved successful at Hale Road As time goes on more statistical analysis native bluebell bulbs in five local nature Woodlands, so we will try it again on that will be undertaken on the website, and on reserves in Halton (Hale Road Woodlands, site as well as at Wigg Island. Both sites the data it provides, increasing the level Clincton Woods, Pickering’s Pasture, Wigg are former landfill sites with a clay cap, so of support for its users and encouraging Island and Moore Meadows). Arley Woods adding the compost should make a much new potential users. rECOrd are always will also receive a donation of 1,000 bulbs, more suitable substrate than the heavy clay! looking to provide the best possible and so will Murdishaw Valley, with a further Creating these new areas for native blue- service via their website and would wel- 1,000 bulbs being set aside for planting bell planting in Halton will not only help come any comments from the public. in the middle of Widnes Roundabout. increase the native population, but will To access the rECOrd website log on to The majority of the planting will take place also create beautiful displays in the spring. www.rECOrd-LRC.co.uk and during October, with the BTCV carrying Further site visits during the spring of 2007, take a look around! out most of it. On two of the sites, local teamed with analysis of current distribu- Comments are always warmly received and volunteers will also be helping out. At Moore tions using rECOrd’s database, will help you can contact rECOrd on the following Meadows, pupils from Moore Primary School us to gain further insight into the native email address: [email protected]. will help plant 500 bulbs along a hedgerow bluebell’s status in the Cheshire region.

Dr Sam Langdon Profile Unlocking the Past and Halton We have also been fortunate enough to Bluebell BAP projects officer access records collected over a lifetime of recording activity, including records of fleas, I’m currently working on two projects: lichens and dragonflies and damselflies. Unlocking the Past and the Bluebell BAP As for the Bluebell project, which I’ve just project for Halton Borough Council. I’ve started working on, I’m currently managing been working on the Unlocking the Past the planting of 21,500 native Bluebell bulbs project for a year, after taking over from on seven Local Nature Reserves in Halton. Chris Childs. The project was designed to locate and where possible, bring in Much of the work will be experimental, as new sources of historical biological data. we try planting directly into household Some of our most interesting finds include waste compost. This has been tried suc- game keeper records at Norton Priory, fish cessfully previously, so we shall wait and catches in the Northwich area and a nature see! I’ll be out and about recording the diary compiled by schoolchildren in the incidence of native, Spanish and hybrid Congleton area; all of which were recorded bluebells next spring, as well as trying at around the turn of the 20th century. to locate areas for further planting. 5 SPIDER RECORDING Between June 2005 and January this is only the 3rd record of this species for AT RED ROCKS 2006 I made several visits to Cheshire (VC58) and the 1st for Red Rocks. RESERVE (SSSI) Red Rocks Reserve in the Wirral Of the harvestmen species recorded, (SJ 207878). This reserve, which Paroligolophus meadii (O.P –Cambridge, contains the only breeding 1890) is by no means common (only 2nd VC58 record at Red Rocks according to colony of Natterjack Toads rECOrd) but when it is found it is often in Bufo calamita on the Wirral, is association with Opilio saxatilis (C.L.Koch, situated 9km west of , 1839) amongst Marram and other immediately west of and grasses, as was the case at Red Rocks. adjacent to the Dee Estuary . 2. Reedbed, inland marsh and pool margins The purpose of my visits was to record A number of spider species typically associ- arachnids (spiders & harvestmen) for ated with wetland habitats were recorded Wirral Wildlife in support of the reserve “...the Reed-sac Spider during this survey. These include the Reed- management plan review. Within the sac Spider Clubiona phragmitis (C.L.Koch Clubiona phragmitis, reserve, recording was carried out in 1843), which weaves its silken retreat into contrasting environments, the dune a folded reed leaf or Phragmites head which weaves its silken system containing both yellow and fixed where the female could be found guard- dunes, the reed bed, inland marsh and retreat into a folded ing her egg-sac, and Clubiona stagnatilis pool areas and the shore in front of the (Kulczynski, 1897), another ground active reed leaf or Phragmites fore-dunes which is composed of muddy marsh spider. Among the small linyphids, sand and is regularly covered at high tide. head where the Lophomma punctatum (Blackwall, 1841), female could be found Within the dune system the dominant Diplocephalus permixtus (O.P.-Cambridge, sampling method was hand collection with 1871) and Porrhoma pygmaeum (Blackwall, guarding her egg-sac.” use of a pooter, directly from vegetation, 1834) are all typical wetland species. the sand surface, under stones/debris and from within tussocks of coarse grasses 3. Muddy foreshore especially Marram Ammophila arenaria This is an interesting environment for (L) Link. Some pitfall traps were laid out spiders as species that live here have to in the firmer sand on the fixed dunes be able to survive periodic immersion but were generally unproductive. during high tides. The wolf spider Pardosa purbeckensis (O.P –Cambridge, 1895), is For the ‘wet areas’, the reed bed and marsh able to tolerate immersion by trapping air margins were explored largely at ground in the hairs covering its body and clinging level using hand collection amongst the onto submerged plant material until the reed, rush and leaf litter. The growing reeds tide recedes. Erigone arctica (White, 1852), themselves were examined for characteristic can survive under water for longer than species and sweep netting was used for the period of submergence by a high tide the vegetation surrounding the marshy using air stored in its body so long as it areas at the southern end of the reserve. minimises movement to conserve oxygen. For the muddy foreshore, hand collection Along coastal estuaries the association of E. at ground level was the method of choice. arctica with E. longipalpis (Sundevall, 1830) In this environment some spiders could is well documented and these two species usually be found amongst the characteristic were also found together at Red Rocks. emergent vegetation e.g. Scurvy Grass John McGaw, Wirral Wildlife Cochlearia sp , Sea Milkwort, Glaux maritima L. and Sea Arrow Grass Triglochin maritima L. Invertebrate Recorder. Some of the more interesting spe- cies recorded were as follows:- Acknowledgements Chris Felton, Department of Entomology, 1. Dune areas Liverpool Museum, for help with spider The wolf spiders Arctosa perita (Latreille, and harvestman identification. 1799) and Xerolycosa miniata (C.L.Koch,1834), Steve McWilliam, rECOrd, for VC58 spe- are characteristic of more open mobile cies distribution information. sand associated with yellow dunes and Literature sources dominated by Marram Grass. Arctosa 1. Harvey PR.,Nellist DR and Telfer MG constructs a burrow in the loose sand, (2002) Provisional Atlas of British Spiders darting out rapidly to catch prey and when Vols. 1&2. Biological Records Centre. running on the sand surface is beautifully 2. Roberts, M.J.(1993) Spiders of Great Britain camouflaged. A scarce dune species found and Ireland Vols. 1&2. Harley Books was the small linyphid or ‘money spider’ 3. Bristowe, W.S. (1958) The World of Pelecopsis nemoralioides (Wunderlich, l985) Spiders. : Collins New Naturalist which is almost entirely a coastal species in 4. Hillyard, P.D., and Sankey, J.H.P. (1989) the UK, living amongst Marram and other Harvestmen. Synopses of the British grasses. According to the rECOrd database, Fauna No.4 (Second Edition). E.J Brill. 6 BAP RECORDING IN HALTON The Heritage Lottery Fund has Song Thrush work will continue in the form information than just population estimates. provided the funding to realise of new surveys. One proposition is to at- We should be able to get an idea of what tempt to collect garden records using a simi- demographic is likely to respond to these Halton’s BAPs, and my task is to lar method as that from the Inside Halton kinds of surveys, as well as trying to build up fulfil the biological recording part article of winter 2005. This survey was com- a wider recording community at the same for certain species and habitats. prised of a cut-out form which readers were time. In an ideal world, enough public- encouraged to complete with Song Thrush ity and interest would be built up in the These are: Redshank (Tringa totanus), sightings and send back to Halton Borough population to enable us to carry on garden Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus), Council. Approximately forty people recording schemes indefinitely and start Skylark (Alauda arvensis), Song Thrush returned records of Song Thrushes, which them up elsewhere in the Borough. At the (Turdus philomelos) and the coastal is enough to encourage a second survey. moment the most likely candidate area for saltmarsh habitat. I have been working such a survey is Sandymoor, chosen because since July and have so far completed it is an area that is likely to have enough reports outlining the current status of garden space to harbour Song Thrushes Halton’s Redshanks and Song Thrushes. and residents that are more likely to be At the moment I am planning for future interested in the natural history of the area. fieldwork in the spring by familiarising It is my feeling that a survey of this kind myself with the species of interest and the is an important part of the process of localities chosen for recording. The two solving some of the current problems areas chosen are Astmoor Saltmarsh lagoon associated with biological recording in at Wigg Island (a post-industrial habitat) and Cheshire. If we can produce a way of fields around Preston brook, to the south extracting relatively accurate and ample of Halton (a rural habitat). Analysis of the © copyright Jeff Clarke volumes of records from the public at results is expected to provide an estimate A future survey would target one specific large, then poorly recorded habitats and of population size for the areas surveyed locality in Halton in order to ascertain an geographical areas across the County can be and will be coupled with data from other estimate of the Song Thrush population targeted in order to fill in recording gaps. sources in order to present a larger picture in that area. However, a survey of this of the status of BAP species in Halton. kind would produce far more important Tom Hunt, Halton Biodiversity Project Officer,ECO r rd. AQUATIC INVERTEBRATE SAMPLING – Shropshire Union Canal If the White-legged Damselfly Table 1 soon taken away by the low numbers of each Platycnemis pennipes is ever going of the species. It is very unusual to repeated- Ischnura elegans Blue Tailed Damselfly ly find the net empty when sampling but this to make it under its own steam Gammarus pulex Freshwater Shrimp was, unfortunately, one of those occasions. into Cheshire, I think it will be American Freshwater Crangonyx pseudogracilis So, I suppose if this were a game of Cluedo, along the Llangollen branch of Shrimp it would now be time to level the blame the Shropshire Union Canal. Asellus aquaticus Common Hoglouse at Professor Plum, in the library, with the candlestick; but unfortunately any attempt Following a chat with Joan Daniels, I realised Sigara lateralis Lesser Water Boatman at a sweeping analysis of our canals at the that her sightings of this damselfly, just Sialis lutaria Mud Alderfly moment would be empirically flawed as not south of Whixall Moss, were a mere six miles enough survey data have been collected from the Cheshire border. The proximity, Anodonta cygnea Swan Mussel and collated, but this is what recording is combined with the fact that the canal was Viviparus viviparus River Snail about, so watch this space! At the moment, a perfect corridor in which this insect could turbidity, wash, dredging, and tidy banks travel - as a nymph or adult - made me curi- Potamopyrgus antipodarum Jenkin’s Spire Snail and paths, perhaps part driven by health and ous enough to want to go and have a look. A number of features within the canal safety requirements, are the prime suspects. The most southerly point of the Shropshire were sampled, including the canal wall, the Please get in touch if you have any Union Canal in Cheshire is at Grindley marginal vegetation (when it occurred), silt, aquatic invertebrate data to share. Brook, a familiar place for those who have and even the pelage of a recently deceased attempted the sandstone trail. It offers easy Jack Russell terrier that may have been Andy Harmer access to the towpath and in no time at all attracting carnivorous inverts. I resisted [email protected] I was sampling for aquatic macro-inverte- the temptation to hook it out and see if 07960 614291 brates. I must admit to some abatement the name-tag had ‘lucky’ written on it. of my hopes when I saw the amount of What can we glean from these results; well, pleasure craft, the associated turbidity if this was a pond – and some limnologists and a distinct lack of aquatic vegetation. suggest that it is similar to one, albeit a very Viviparus viviparus The River Snail Not only did I not find any White-legged long one – it would be a very disappointing © Andy Harmer Damselflies, I found very little of anything result. The average aquatic invertebrate else, as the accompanying table shows. assemblage for a pond in Cheshire, using a Table 1 shows the results for randomly similar time frame, hovers between 30 and spaced sampling covering a 300m section of 40 species, depending on what survey re- the canal north of Grindley Brook. The whole sults you look at. Any small amount of com- period of sampling lasted around one hour. fort which we can gain from the diversity is 7 upper breast spotting, dark streaked crown “By the way,” I continue, “I often think the A. Hugh Pulsford explains and the tertial markings. I know that because term rejection is too strong, I prefer not I saw one of those on Scilly last year.” proven, and that’s what the role of the rarity committee is, to ensure that sightings of THE VALUE OF RECORDS “Sounds very convincing,” I said, “if you put birds classed as county rarities were proven those comments down on paper, I am sure to occur on the dates submitted. Some AND DESCRIPTIONS that any rarity panel would be happy to records are very brief because the sighting confirm the sighting and accept the record. If I can paint a picture, I have just was too, so inevitably there might be some The key thing is to convince them that you doubt. Your record seems very sound so why entered the bird hide at one of saw the bird well enough to eliminate other would you think it wouldn’t be accepted? the North West’s premier birding confusion species and identify the bird.” In Cheshire and Wirral at least we are keen sites. There are three others in the “Really are you sure? I always thought you to give feedback on records, publishing the hide, and they have the logbook needed to do a feather-by-feather descrip- accepted ones in the quarterly Bird News in front of them, one is writing tion to get anything past the Counties and providing personal feedback to observ- some notes in his notebook, and Rarity Committee? And anyway it’s too ers of not proven records with reasons why. much effort and I don’t know whether I Often we will pend a record and try and get they are chatting excitedly. want someone else judging my sighting. more information, maybe from a known One glances over to me and says the immor- ” What gives those folks the right to say expert with that species, because we are tal birding words, “You should have been whether it was or wasn’t a Spotted Crake?” the first to admit we don’t know it all!” here five minutes ago, we have just had a su- “Well” I commented, “these days it’s all As the conversation stops, the Spotted perb Spotted Crake, out in the open by that electronic submissions, you can find the Crake obligingly re-appears from the right hand reedbed for nearly two minutes form on the Counties Bird Group’s website, reedbed, and wanders out into the open. till it walked into cover. Just down there” he and of course if you get a photo and add says pointing to a reed bed adjacent to the that then it’s even easier. The problem A. Hugh Pulsford hide. “I expect it might be out again shortly”. with not submitting anything is that the County Recorder Cheshire and Wirral “Nice one” I comment, but before I can record is lost to the county records and CAWOS [email protected] say more, one of the guys says, “Oh look, database, and its value is lost too. After all it says here in the log, that Spotted Crake Spotted Crake is a rare breeding species is a County rarity and requires a descrip- for the UK, so someone wanting to analyse Forthcoming Events tion! Sod that for a game of soldiers. We records of that species is going to have an Wild in Halton photography know what we saw, why should we bother incomplete dataset. The company running exhibition writing pages of notes for a Spotted Crake, this reserve is also going to lose out, not 13-23 November 2006 at Pickering’s Pasture, I see 3 or 4 a year! I’m just going to put knowing that its efforts in scrape and reed Widnes. Ring 0151 425 4706 for details. bed creation are attractive to migrant rails the sighting in the log, and maybe we The Past Unlocked? - Unlocking should phone in into the bird alerts” and crakes, and unusual birds will often get more people visiting the reserve.” the Past project finale “So what did you see that convinced 16 November at Norton Priory, you it was a Spotted Crake” I asked? “Okay we can understand that,” the Crake Runcorn (10:30 - 3pm). Contact spotters said, “but I am still not happy with [email protected] to book. Two of the observers listed off a range someone else judging my record, if they of features, “Well it was an obvious crake reject it, there goes my reputation!” one of Natural Curiosity in size and jizz, smaller than the nearby them commented, “ and you never hear An exhibition on the contribution of moorhen, more compact looking, had a very what happened to the record until you see local naturalists to biological knowl- short straight yellowish grey bill, whitish the report, and if it’s not in there, you assume edge. December 2006 - May 2007 at supercilium, so nothing like a Water Rail, had it got rejected. No-one tells you why”. Warrington Museum and Art Gallery. obvious buff undertail coverts, greenish legs, and we were close enough to see the fine “I think that’s a little bit harsh,” I replied, “after REcording REcruitment REsults white spotting to its brownish neck, which all the County rarity folks are only trying to The Recorders Forum Conference 2007 became streaks on its flanks. Yes, and the fine ensure that the database and records are as at Frodsham Community Centre 24 buff and darker brown feathering on its back accurate as possible. To be honest they want March 2007. Free but booking is es- and wings with those white transverse bars to accept as many records as they can, so it sential, contact [email protected] on the tertials. It was an obvious juvenile and isn’t a judgement on you personally at all. it wasn’t a Sora Rail either because of the The merit is all in the description submitted. I can understand that it is a Endnote personal choice to submit a As you can see we have a packed first record, or not too, and whilst edition, but we will need articles and news some folks might like to see items for future editions, so please send us their names after a rarity in your contributions. I would like to pass on the Annual Report, others my thanks to all the contributors to this first don’t care. But if you enjoy edition and a special thank-you to David birding and birds, then there Potts who has been so crucial to the design is real value in making sure and layout of the newsletter. In meantime we the record does get submit- hope you enjoy this edition and we would ted, and that a suitable welcome your comments and feedback. description is sent in too.” Contributions for the next (Winter) edition are welcome. The last date for Spotted Crake submissions will be Wednesday 31 © copyright Steven Round January 2007. Please send your contri- for more photographs see butions to [email protected] www.stevenround-birdphotography.com Jeff Clarke, Editor 8