No. 227 1 July - 30 September 2017 Editorial Panel: Helen Ikin, Steve Woodward, Jim Graham. Hon. Sec. Sue Graham, 5 Lychgate Close , Cropston, Leics. LE7 7HU Tel: 0116-2366474 FINAL CONTRIBUTIONS to CLUB RECORDS For the last few years we have spent much time in churchyards and cemeteries, to record the wildlife. The purpose of three recent visits, however, has been to say farewell to members who have, sadly, passed away. Having known the members concerned, we thought they would expect us not to waste a recording opportunity and go searching for flora and fauna after the formalities! Derek Lott was enthusiastic about beetles, so at the Prestwold Hall reception on 28 June 2011, we made a point of finding one - a Seven-spot Ladybird Coccinella septempunctata. Leslie Purnell's passion was butterflies. After celebrating his life at Rothley Church on 17 August 2017, we explored the churchyard and found three Large Whites Pieris brassicae. Leslie Hall was keen on mosses and flowering IN THIS EDITION plants, so after his burial on 3 November 2017 we thought it appropriate to make a list for South CLASSIFIED RECORDS Croxton Natural Burial Ground: Ÿ Mammals Page 2 Ÿ Birds Page 3 Ÿ Reptiles and Amphibians Page 7 Ÿ Fish Page 8 Ÿ Dragonflies & Damselflies Page 8 Ÿ Butterflies Page 8 Bryum capillare © Steve Woodward Ÿ Mosses: Moths Page 11 Hypnum cupressiforme s. l., Bryum capillare, Bryum Ÿ Beetles Page 14 argenteum, Orthotrichum diaphanum, Amblystegium serpens var. serpens, Kindbergia Ÿ Other Insects Page 18 praelonga, Brachythecium rutabulum. Flowering plants: Ÿ Plant Galls Page 21 Rosa rugosa Japanese Rose (planted), Festuca Ÿ Plants and Ferns Page 24 rubra Red Fescue, Sorbus aria agg. Common Whitebeam (planted), Corylus colurna Turkish Ÿ Other Records Page 26 Hazel (planted), Thuja plicata Western Red-cedar Ÿ (planted), Medicago lupulina Black Medick, Weather Page 26 Euphorbia peplus Petty Spurge, Geranium lucidum Shining Crane's-bill, Malva moschata Musk-mallow, Ÿ Acknowledgements Page 27 Prunus spinosa Blackthorn, Sorbus aucuparia LNC Heritage Edition 227 Page 1 Rowan (planted), Crataegus monogyna MAMMALS Hawthorn, Prunus avium Wild Cherry (planted), Rosa canina Dog-rose, Malus sylvestris Crab PJD had Hedgehogs coming to feed regularly Apple (planted), Rubus fruticosus agg. Bramble, in her Quorn garden but in mid-August the Hedera helix Ivy, Rumex obtusifolius Broad- feeding station was being “vandalised” by leaved Dock, Ranunculus repens Creeping something bigger so Pam set up the camera trap Buttercup, Ranunculus acris Meadow Buttercup, and found that it was a Badger coming to eat Geranium robertianum Herb-Robert, Acer the food. The feeding station was changed to campestre Field Maple (planted), Trifolium make it accessible only to Hedgehogs but none repens White Clover, Cerastium fontanum ssp. has been seen or have left any droppings since vulgare Common Mouse-ear, Geranium molle 7 September and it seems likely that the Badgers Dove's-foot Crane's-bill, Dactylis glomerata have eaten the Hedgehogs. Hedgehogs are Cock's-foot, Lolium perenne Perennial Rye-grass, often scarce or absent in areas with a good Holcus lanatus Yorkshire-fog, Phleum pratense population of Badgers. One hedgehog was seen Timothy, Agrostis capillaris Common Bent, scuttling across a Woodhouse lawn in a badger- Betula pendula Silver Birch (planted), Carpinus proof garden on 27 July. betulus Hornbeam (planted), Urtica dioica Moles have been active in a Swithland Common Nettle, Quercus robur Pedunculate garden throughout the quarter and molehills Oak, Fagus sylvatica Beech (planted), Fraxinus have been noted at Swannington, M1 junction excelsior Ash, Plantago major Greater Plantain, 23a, Saxelbye, Hathern, Bradgate Park, Frisby Bellis perennis Daisy, Achillea millefolium Grange, Gaddesby, Loughborough, Yarrow, Senecio jacobaea Common Ragwort, Barleythorpe, Rutland Water, Castle Donington, Cirsium vulgare Spear Thistle, Viburnum opulus Loddington and Nanpantan Reservoir. Guelder-rose (planted), Leucanthemum vulgare Oxeye Daisy (planted), Galium aparine Cleavers, A dead Common Shrew was found in PHG’s Taraxacum agg. Dandelion. Quorn garden – probably a cat victim. They kill them but then do not eat them as they taste Steve Woodward & Helen Ikin horrid. JGr had a Pygmy Shrew in her Holwell CLASSIFIED RECORDS garden on two dates - 23 August and 3 September. Records submitted for Heritage have been checked as far as possible by the writers of the The only bat record we have are Common various sections. They have not all been formally Pipistrelles feeding around the Alders in DAP’s validated by County Recorders (as this is not Swithland garden on warm evenings in July. practical on a quarterly basis). Full details of the SFW spotted a Brown Hare on the roadside records are submitted to Leicestershire & in Brand Lane, Woodhouse on 25 August and Rutland Environmental Records Centre LRERC, there was one on a track at Ullesthorpe on 4 County Hall, Glenfield, Leics. LE3 8RA, either as July. Rabbits were seen near Junction 23a of the spreadsheets or as scans of paper records. Once M1- 2, King Street Lane near Stonesby, Overseal validated, selected records will be added to the LRERC database and made accessible to the public. The original records are archived. All of the older paper records have been deposited at the Record Office for Leicestershire, Leicester and Rutland, Long Street, Wigston Magna, Leics. LE18 2AH, accession number DE9392. Most pre-2011 paper records are also available on a disc (see Heritage 205). Recent paper records will reside with Helen Ikin, until a batch is ready to go to the Record Office. Rabbit © Steve Woodward LNC Heritage Edition 227 Page 2 - 2, Plungar - 3, Welby, Hathern - 4, Gaddesby on the 1st. Just one Egyptian Goose was Lane near Frisby – one baby and singles at Cold reported, a single at Cossington Meadows on Overton Park Wood, Cossington Meadows and the last day of the quarter. Loddington. Signs of rabbits – burrows or A single juvenile Shelduck was at Cossington droppings, were at Snake Hill near Groby, Frisby Meadows on 30 September. The only records of Grange, Ridlington, Bardon Hill, Stretton Wood Mandarin Duck in the quarter came from in Rutland and along the Charnwood Forest Cropston Reservoir with the highest count being canal near Nanpantan. 27 on 24 July. Small numbers of Wigeon started Grey Squirrels were noted near Bradgate to appear towards the end of August with ten House at Groby, Loddington, Cossington at Kelham Bridge on 26 September the highest Meadows, Humberstone Park, Longcliffe Golf count. Gadwall was reported from just three Course, Gaddesby and Bittesby Wood. JGr had sites. Post-breeding flocks did not begin to build one in her Holwell garden – an unusual up until the last week of September with the occurrence as it is only the second one they have highest counts being 30 at Kelham Bridge on the had there in ten years. 27th and 99 at Cossington Meadows on the 30th. Other than two female/juvenile-types at Wood Mice were feeding under DAP’s Cropston Reservoir on 9 July, the first returning Swithland bird table throughout the quarter. A Teal were a group of seven at Kelham Bridge on dead Brown Rat was found on a footpath near 28 August - at least two weeks later than the site Gaddesby on 29 July. average. The highest count for the period was Red Fox JGr had one feeding at bottom of 35 at Cossington meadows on 30 September. garden in mid-July, DAP regular visitor Double-figure counts of Mallard came from just throughout the quarter, PJD – seen often on the three sites with maxima of 22 at both Albert camera trap in garden. Village Lake and Cossington Meadows on 10 and A Stoat was crossing the road in Swithland 30 September respectively and 66 on the River at 9 am on 24 July – spotted by DAP. Lin in Bradgate Park on the 19th. An eclipse drake Garganey found at Cossington Meadows Badger roadkills were noted at Birstall and on 10 August was joined by a second on the South Croxton and signs of Badger seen at 20th. The same site held the largest count of Plungar, Stretton in Rutland, Newtown Linford Shoveler, 24 on 30 September. A single drake and Loddington. Live ones were at Quorn as Pochard was at Groby Pool on 7 July, the only mentioned in the Hedgehog section. record for the period. Records of Tufted Duck Muntjac were seen at on the old railway at came from just four widespread sites all with Loddington, Somerby and on the edge of single-figures. Goldeneye managed to sneak Warren Hill at Newtown Linford. into this period’s accounts with a female at Cossington Meadows on 30 September. Helen Ikin Records of Red-legged Partridge came from BIRDS just two locations and Grey Partridge at just one and the only record of Pheasant was a single at Breedon Hill on 5 July. Mute Swans were at most local waters with successful breeding at five. The only post- There were only two double-figure counts breeding flock noted was around 40 at of Cormorants both in September; 23 at Swithland Reservoir on 3 July. Cossington Meadows on the 30th and 16 at Cropston Reservoir on the 22nd. Counts of Little Counts of Canada Goose in excess of 20 Egrets came from four sites, most frequently at occurred at five waters with by far the highest Cropston Reservoir, with seven on 7 July, 12 on coming from Albert Village Lake where 281 were 23 August and nine on both 1 and 27 September noted on 10 September. The only three-figure the monthly maxima. The same site held the counts of Greylag Goose came from Cropston highest counts of Grey Heron peaking at 11 on and Swithland Reservoirs maxima of 340 at the 27 September.