Newsletter No 252 January 2019
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Published by RUGBY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY www.rugbynaturalhistory.org.uk PRESIDENT – Dr P Reeve Newsletter No 252 January 2019 Contents this edition ~ Spring indoor meetings: programme ~Waste reduction appeal ~Unusual sightings ~Photographic competition report ~Membership renewal ~AGM reminder ~Summer field visit report ~Data protection information ~Indoor meeting reports ~Current committee members ~Annual dinner invitation Appendix included in email version: species list for Coombe Abbey Country Park fungal foray Attached separately: annual dinner choice/booking form; AGM Agenda; committee nomination form Mayfly at Upton House. © Dave Champion Winner of the RNHS 2018 photographic competition. 1 Spring programme Now, surely you’ve finally got your 2019 diary, so don’t forget to put in the Thursday evening indoor meeting dates for the rest of the term. Here they are..... 2019 January 10, Tricia Scott (Warwickshire Bat Group), Ecology and Conservation UK of Bats January 24, Scott Hackett, Temple Balsall and Cuttle Pool Nature Reserve February 7, Dr Chris Leach, Change perspectives of galls and their communities February 21, AGM, followed by a quiz (this year set by Janice Tolley-Hodges and Paul Hodges) March 7, Fern Hodges and Tony Landless, UK Wildlife Cruise March 21, Annual dinner, Badger’s Tea Room (with raffle - tickets will be available in advance) (see below for how to book) Where do frogs fly flags? From tadpoles. ©* Unusual sightings Regulars at indoor meetings will know that we have a recent sightings “shout out” early in each one. Here are some examples. At an October meeting it was reported by David Long that gamochaeta pensylvanica (a species normally found in the USA - Pennsylvania cudweed) had appeared by Kwik Fit in Rugby - the council had since sprayed it.... David and others also reported a large number of bee orchid spikes at a surprising location in Rugby. As this newsletter is posted to society’s website (ie open to anyone on the internet), the location will not be revealed here (but ask David). Graham Robson reported that little owls had returned to his farm, then told us about a rook with white wing bars in Dunchurch (leucism, the group commented). We heard from Bernard Scott that red kites were getting in on the act at the Cotswold Falconry at Batsford. (See also Mark Slater’s talk report below.) In mid November we agreed that the fieldfare had arrived. Do let the editor know whether (or not) you’d like this mini-feature to have a regular spot in the newsletter – presumably it would be of most interest to those who hadn’t been able to attend meetings. Normally it would be limited to sightings in Warwickshire, or perhaps just Rugby district. (I’ve checked that this would include Marton and Leamington Hastings! Let me know if it doesn’t cover your home patch....) Mark demonstrates an alternative approach below. Membership renewal All that is free of charge to members of the society. Did you remember to renew by the end of December? Oh dear – if not, your membership has officially expired – act now to stick with us. The renewal form was attached to the email bringing the October newsletter. So that you don’t forget again, we’d strongly encourage you to set up a bank standing order for this purpose. That would also be a tremendous help to the treasurer. 2 Summer field visit report Coombe country park The final field visit of the 2018 season was on Saturday 6 October to Coombe (Abbey) country park, where Paul Hodges led a search as part of International Fungal Foray Weekend. His species list, compiled over the Saturday and Sunday (when there was also a guided walk) is in Appendix 1. Seventeen people took part, including three “repeat customers”. What do you call a frog who wants to be a cowboy? Hopalong Cassidy ©* Indoor meeting reports Local biodiversity action plans Paul Hodges opened the season’s programme on 29 September with an explanation of local biodiversity action plans (LBAPs), using case studies of Coombe (Abbey) country park and the old Oxhouse Farm nature reserve (now the Neal Trust SSSI meadow butterfly reserve). Priority habitats considered included reed beds, wet woodlands (alder and willow carrs), wet grasslands, fen and emergent vegetation, acid grassland, neutral grassland, calcareous grassland (Neal Trust SSSI meadow- rheatic lst), rivers and streams, and wood pasture (with veteran trees). Priority species considered included reed buntings (linked to reed-beds, carr, fen and emergent vegetation), snipe (wet grassland, fen and emergent vegetation), sand martins, swifts, otters, pipistrelle, brown long-eared, Daubenton’s and noctule bats, water shrews (reed-beds, fen and emergent vegetation), harvest mice (wet grassland, fen and emergent vegetation), hedgehogs (neutral and wet grassland, hedges and carr), willow tits (willow and alder carr), marsh tits, lesser spotted woodpeckers (carr and wood pasture - veterans), green woodpeckers (neutral grassland and wood pasture), black poplars (populus nigra, var betufolia), small heath butterflies (acid grassland), grizzled skipper butterflies, dingy skipper butterflies, white letter hairstreak butterflies (elms), dark green fritillary butterflies (the Neal Trust Oxhouse reserve), pink balerina waxcap fungi (neutral and acid grasslands), some red data book beetles such as jewel beetles and click beetles (wood pasture) and great crested newts. Paul highlighted the importance of partnership working. Examples were those involved in the Princethorpe Woodlands Living Landscape Project (now Dunsmore Living Landscape Project): Warwickshire Wildlife Trust; Coventry City Council; Warwickshire District Council (Warwickshire Biodiversity Audit Team and Local Biodiversity Action Plan and Warwickshire Biological Records Centre); Warwickshire branch of the Butterfly Conservation Society; Warwickshire Fungus Survey and the Cotswold Fungus Group; the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO); the RSPB; and the Botanical Society of the British Isles (BSBI) Warwickshire Branch (John and Monika Walton). Paul’s conclusions related to the importance of active conservation management tasks to maintain priority habitats at the right stage of natural succession (eg reed beds or grasslands). 3 The effects of Brexit were considered on wildlife and habitat protection – issues included funding for active nature conservation management and surveying and monitoring of priority species and habitats. PH Amphibians and Reptiles in Warwickshire Some thirty plus members were introduced to the world of WART, that is the Warwickshire Amphibian and Reptile Team, by Jan Clemons on the evening of 11 October. Firstly the sightings were called for and griffon vulture, short-toed eagle and black redstart were put forward all being encountered on an Iberian journey. Closer to home brimstone, hobby still active, buzzards and red kites were reported, also forty species of fungi on a foray at Coombe Country Park. The reports concluded with a discussion as to the seemingly lower number of starlings present in the area. So, to herpetology. It was stated that in general the widespread species are becoming much rarer. Frogs and toads were the first subject, the four native species common frog, common toad, natterjack toad and pool frogs being described. Frogs generally have smooth skin, a black patch behind the eye, various colourations and patterns and tend to leap around, whereas toads have rough skin, will stay in the hand if caught and walk or hop. Frog spawn is founds in clumps, toad spawn in strings; as for tadpoles the grey ones are toad, the black ones that gather in shoals are frog. Frogs at the former Central station, Ashlawn Cutting © Dave Poole Next the three species of newt were covered smooth newt, palmate newt and great-crested newt (photo below © Jan Clemons). Smooth newt has smooth skin and a continuous crest, palmate newt has smooth skin, a filament on the tail and a pinkish chin with no spots as compared to the smooth newt. The much larger great-crested newt has warty skin, an indentation in the crest and a white or silvery flash on the tail, and is cast as the scourge of all property developers! 4 What do you say when you “Warts new?” meet a toad? ©* Then to snakes and lizards. The common lizard has a speckled back and orange belly, with the females having a line along the back, and they give birth to live young. They warm up then come out actively hunting - they have the capability to darken the skin to warm up quickly. The sand lizard males have broad heads and green sides, whereas the females are identifiable by their bold eye markings. Slowworms are typically grey or brown with blue spots, only the females have stripes and darker brown sides. They are classed as lizards as they have eyelids and snakes do not, colour variations from yellow, gold and ivory, pink have been noticed. I would imagine most of us have seen a grass snake, fast and alert and an excellent swimmer in the water hunting fish in that familiar serpentine motion. They have distinctive collars of variable colours and are the snakes that can feign death if threatened. Not to be confused with the adder, albeit they often are. The adder (extinct in Warwickshire) has slitted pupils to the eyes whereas the grass snake has round pupils, not that you would want to stare into a snake’s eyes to find out – I recall “Jungle Book” and “Trust in Me”!! Adders only reproduce every two years and are very secretive and masters of camouflage, the prominent zigzag markings always give an adder away. Photo © Jan Clemons: grass snake at Jees silt ponds After introducing us to the various species and their identification traits, Jan described some of the work that WART members do, surveying colonies of great-crested newts, but now the removal of these is done on an area basis which makes it easier for developers to have them removed to special reserves.