The Wha rfeda le Naturalist WHARFEDALE NATURA LISTS SOCIETY Review of the year 2009 Volume 64 THE WHARFEDALE NATURALIST Officers for 2009-2010: President Peter Riley Vice President Mike Atkinson Honorary Life Vice President Joan Duncan, M.B.E. Hon. Secretary Gordon Haycock Hon. Treasurer John Schwarzenbach Programme Secretary (winter) Peter Riley Programme Secretary (summer) Anne Riley Membership Secretary Lynn Loader Subscriptions Seci-etary Susan Barton Publicity Secretary David Brear Publications Officer David Leather Hon. Auditor Harry Ferraby Committee: Betty Downing Christine Hobson Richard Rundle Elaine Whitaker Recorders: Aquatic Life John Hobson Botany Higher Plants Nicky Vernon Fems and allies Bruce Brown Bryophytes Gordon Haycock Butterflies David Howson Dragonflies David Alred Geology Neil Aitkenhead Hoverflies Ken Limb Ladybirds Nevil Bowland Moths Macro Graham Foggitt Micro Peter Murphy Ornithology John Flood Vertebrates (other than birds) Nevil Bowland Weather Julie Tight Membership: 506 including 4 Life members (end of 2009) Website: www.wharf edale-na ts.org. uk WHAR FEDALE NATURALISTS SOCIETY Affiliated to the Yorkshire Naturalists ' Union Member of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Founded 1945 Registered Charity No 509241 REVIEW of the year 2009 VOLUME64 Published March 2010 PROGRAMME OF EVENTS MAY 2009 TO APRIL 2010 SUMMER PROGRAMME -Tuesday Evening Nature Walks 5 May 2009 Bolton Abbey (Strid Wood) Peter Riley 12 May Lindley Wood PeterRilev 19 .May Geology of Otley Chevin ~eil Ailke'nbead 2 June Fems at Swinsty Bruce Brov.-n 9 June Otley Wetland Nature Reserve :Ne..-il Bowland 16 June Nightjars and Owls at Timble Ings Ken Limb 23 June Pool School Christine Hobson 20 June Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits Ste, e Parkes WINTER PROGRAMME 2008-2009 (Tuesday evenings 7.30pm. Christchurch. IlkJey) 8 Sept 2009 A Natural Miscellany Short presentations by 'evil Bowland, Julia Kay and Anne Riley 22 Sept a) The Work of the NT in Upper Wbarfedale PererKatic b) Farming Our Countryside Julian Carlisle 13 Oct Traditional and Modem Uses of Fungi Andy Woodall 27 Oct a) Bat Research and Conservation in The Dales John Altringham b) Bats Abroad John Altringham 10 Nov Birds of the Washburn Valley Peter Riley 24Nov Nature's Year David Alred 8Dec New Gardening - Gardening .in a Changing Climate Matthew Wilson 12 Jan 2010 Penguins, Pinnipeds and Procilariifformes Hannah Lawson 26 Jan a) The Geology of Westray David Leather b) Red Squirrel Conservation in the YD National Park Ian Court 9 Feb Butterfly Hotspots ofNorthem England Dave Wainwright 23Feb lngleborough NNR- Its Wildlife and Management Colin New!ands 9 March To the Tibetan Plateau Tom Lawson 23 March Annual General Meeting and Wildlife of Madagascar Anne Riley 6 April Recorders' Evening. Highlights of2009 Botany Section Outings 2009 Summer Visits 2009 30 Apr Barden to Howgill 28 June (Sun) Nethergill Farm, Ougbtershaw 14 May Castley 4 July (Sat) Coach Outing- Old Moor 21 May Bolton Abbey Estate- Halton East 11 July (Sat) Dragonflies at OWNR 4 June Beckennonds Hay Meadows 14-16 June Teesdale Visit (3 days) 19 July (Sun) Butterflies at Bolton Abbey Station 2 July Otley Wetland NR Survey 23 July (Thurs) Skaife Hall Fann and Low Darn 16 July Yarnbury Lead Mines to Hebden 30 July (Thurs) Otley Wetland Nature Reserve 13 August Aldfield Spa and Wine Wife Well 3 Sept Threshfield, Skirethoms to Homestead F ungus Foray 11 Oct (Sun) Thruscross Geology Field Trips 2009 (Neil Aitkenhead) 9 June Harrogate Anticline Winter Coach Outing 2009 11 Aug Fountains Fell 2 1 Nov (Sat) Martin Mere Wildfowl and Wetland 29 Sept llkley Moor Trust Centre and Bird Fair Birding Days 2009 Coffee Morning 30 April (Thurs) Fairburn lngs Saturday 7th Nov 2009 9 May (Sat) Old Moor lOam to 12 noon, Clarke Foley Centre, Ilkley. 23 May (Sat) Hest Bank and Leighton Moss 4 June (Thurs) Skipwith Common Winter Walk round Swinsty Reservoir 15 Oct (Thurs) RSPB Saltholme (nr Middlesborough) 9 Jan 2009 Cancelled due to heavy snow 14 Nov (Sat) Marshside (nr Southport) Annual Dinner Microscope Evenings Clarke Foley Centre 18 Mar 2009 (Thurs) Chevin Lodge First Tuesday of each month October to March 7.30pm. 2 CONTENTS The year's Programme of Events Page 2 Foreword The President 4 General Articles What has Charles Darwin ever done for us? Mike Atkinson 5 Springwatcb Lynn Loader 7 Bumblebees Anne Riley 8 A Crayfish on the Lawn Biddy Litten 10 Ravens Please (poem) Linda Lee 10 Don't Adopt a Duck Pam Braithwaite 11 Make a Note of it Jenny Dixon 12 Record Rewards Mike Atkinson 13 A Titbit Drama Brian Spence 14 The Time to Fly Ernie Scarfe 16 Wild Winter Swans (and other stories) Denis O'Connor 17 Wildflowers on the Burley Bypass Peter Riley 19 Society Activities in 2009 The Microscope Group Heather Burrow 20 Geology Field Excursions Neil Aitkenhead 20 Ben Rhydding Gravel Pits in 2009 Steve Parkes 21 Botany Group Visit to Teesdale various authors 22 Why is Teesdale a Special Place for Botanists? Nicky Vernon 24 Visit to Nethergill Farm Anne Riley 25 Visit to Old Moor Lynn Loader 26 Outing to Skaife Hall Farm and Low dam Betty Downing 26 Butterfly Walk Bolton Abbey Station David Howson 27 Martin Mere Coach Outing Betty Downing 27 Visit to Otley Wetland Nature Reserve J Brenda Parkin 27 Award Winners 28 Records for 2008 Weather Julie Tight 28 Botany Nicky Vernon 31 Fems Bruce Brown 44 Bryophytes (Mosses and Liverworts) Gordon Haycock 45 Amphibians Nevil Bowland 46 Mammals Nevil Bowland 47 Butterflies David Howson 48 Moths Graham Foggitt 54 Micro Moths Peter Murphy 55 Dragonflies and Damselflies DavidAhed 56 Ladybirds Nevil Bowland 58 Birds John Flood 58 Map of WNS Recording Area 114 lilnstrations Cover photographs and design: Anne Riley Colour page photographs: Karen Bullimore (KB), David Howson (DH), Collin Williams (CW), Harry Ferraby (HF) Midge Leather (ML), Mike Atkinson (MA), David Howson (DH), Ernie Scarfo (ES) Other illustrations: English Nature, David Armitage, Nicky Vernon, Heather Burrow, Carmen Homer, David Howson, Denis O'Connor, Bruce Brown, Brian Spence, Ernie Scarfe and Anne Riley. 3 FOREWORD It gives me great pleasure to be writing this the same location e,Tery year, simply because Foreword against the backdrop of another very there is so much to do there, particularly if the successful year. For tbe first time in our history November wearber lers us down. The organiser, membership at the calendar year-end is over 500 - Joan Armitage~ continues to attract plaudits for a level of support which is hugely gratifying given her conscientious organisation of both the winter the disturbing declines of so many other voluntary and summer coach outings and quite rightly sol groups. One downside of this is that it imposes an even greater responsibility on those of us involved The Summer Programme comprised specialist in the running of the Society to continue to walks/surveys supported by special visits and provide a level of service such that all our Tuesday evening walks through May and June. members will continue to feel we are worthy of All of these appeared to be well supported and their support. This Review, superbly brought most, but not all, managed to avoid the worst of together by David Leather with assistance from the weather, one notable exception being the Anne Riley, is testimony to the fact that 2009 was Butterfly Day which always seems to attract bad another year when I believe all those involved in weather - it really is about time David Howson, the running of the Society have ensured that a our Recorder, had a little bit more luck! The day high standard was maintained. at Skaife Hall Farm and Low Dam made for a really interesting and informative event (thanks to Weather-wise it has yet again been a very mixed our hosts Chris/Christine Ryder and Marian year - mainly dry in spring and autwnn but the Wilby) as did the BBQ and walks at Nethergill summer again being rather a disappointment, with Farm, Oughtershaw, in late June. In the latter case July in particular being wet and cool. From the there is no doubt that the welcome which is wildlife point of view this produced a rather always extended to the Society very much mixed year with birds, for example, probably not strengthens our presence in the upper valley, an faring too badly whilst insects were yet again hit area that has been somewhat neglected in the past hard by the inclement weather for the third year in for obvious geographical reasons - we are very a row. The consistently clement summer of 2006 grateful to members and owners Chris and Fiona does now seem a distant memory but we can but Clark. The Summer Coach Outing to Old Moor hope that it will happen again soon! RSPB Reserve was another success with excellent input from local staff and volunteers which was The 2009 Winter Indoor Meetings were very weU much appreciated. attended with audiences regularly in excess of 150 and even as high as 220 for Sir John Lawton The Annual Dinner saw our return to the Clarke giving a topical lecture on 'Darwin, Evolution and Foley Centre for a buffet event wbicb was well the Galapagos'. This was followed by a question attended and much enjoyed. Similarly the Coffee and answer session g1vrng members the Morning was a great success - the organisation opportunity to quiz one of the leading for both these events was lead by Christine environmental scientists in the UK - in all this Hobson who undoubtedly deserves special thanks was probably our most successful evening in for all her efforts on our behalf. recent times. With regard to other lectures there was the usual mix of education and entertainment This Review contains the usual thorough and very generally to a high standard (especially where our informative Recorders' reports - this once again own members were the Speakers) although some, reflects the hard work of all our Recorders and all of course, were better received than others.