QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER Newsletter No. 158 Summer 2017 Chorley and District Natural History Society is a Registered Charity: Registration Number 513466 EDITORIAL By the time you receive the ‘Summer Newsletter’ summer will in fact be over, and a new season of Evening Talks will be under way. Amplified details of the talks are given on page 9, with the usual calendar on page 12. We have also managed to organise the next three Field Trips, details of which are given on page 10, starting with a Fungal Foray in Duxbury Woods on Saturday September 30 th . We hope that as many of you as possible will come along. On the administrative side of things, we still don’t have a secretary, which means that secretarial functions are being shared around the committee, which inevitably means that only absolute essentials are being dealt with. We would welcome any member who could help out with committee work to lighten the load of existing members. We are also looking for a flora recorder. Surely there is a botanist amongst us who could help us out with this important work? Please get in touch if you think you can help. Finally, as editor, I would like to make my annual plea for articles for the newsletter, while at the same time thanking those who have contributed over the past 12 months. It is much appreciated. Duxbury Woods Neil Southworth (Editor) 1 FUNGI REPORT This year the spring months have been very poor for fungi, possibly due to weather conditions or more likely due to under recording. However the following fungi have been recorded in the CDNHS area:- April Scarlet Elfcup (Sarcoscypha austrica) were seen in the Nature Reserve at Withnell Fold, which is a noted location for this attractive species. The Nature Reserve also provided a sighting of Velvet Shank (Flammulina veltupes). Some small yellowish fungi were noted on the moors between White Coppice and Anglezarke in April but a positive identification was not made. A good-sized patch of St. Georges Mushroom (Calocybe gambosa) was noted in the woodland at Lower Burgh Meadow on 29 th April. Egghead Mottlegill (Panaeolus semiovatus) A patch of Egghead Mottlegill (Panaeolus semiovatus) was seen on manure in a field off Holker Lane, Ulnes Walton on 13 th April and some King Alfred’s Cakes (Daldina concentrica) were noted on a tree in Withnell Fold Nature Reserve on 19 th April. 2 May There were only two species noted this month, the first was a Chicken of the Woods fungi (Laetiporus sulphurous) on two trees at the bottom of Stronstrey Bank in White Coppice and the second a number of Coral Spot fungi (Nectria cinnabarina) on a tree trunk off Eyes Lane in Bretherton. Chicken of the Woods June There were a couple of specimens of Slippery Jack (Suillus luteus) in Chorley Cemetery and numerous Fairy Inkcap (Coprinellus disseminates) on an old stump at the same venue. Len Poxon 3 INSECT REPORT Small Tortoiseshells and Peacocks were recorded fairly often from mid-March onwards, with as many as 12 of each seen on Croston Moss on 8 th April. Commas were scarce with only a handful of sightings. The Brimstone was seen at 5 sites with the earliest being 24 th March at Adlington. First Brimsone was on 24 th March For the first time since 2014, we had early records for the Red Admiral. This suggests successful overwintering – if not in this area, then certainly close by. It was seen on 23rd March and 9 th April then frequently through June when numbers will have been boosted by migrants. Similarly, migrant Painted Ladies began to arrive by 3 rd June (Croston) and were seen on a few occasions including a count of 5 at Eyes Lane on 4th June. Also welcome was the Wall butterfly seen at Eyes Lane on 4 th June. This was our first Spring sighting of the species since 2011. 4 After its complete absence in 2016 I was delighted to receive a record for the Ringlet. It was seen at Rawlinson Lane, Adlington on 24 th June. There is no reason why it should not become established locally, although if you look up its national distribution map there is a big hole the size and shape of Lancashire! At a casual glance it could be overlooked in flight as a Meadow Brown, but is much darker and, at least when fresh, has a distinct white border to the wings. It generally closes its wings when landed and is then unmistakeable with the series of rings on its underside. It should be in flight from late June until mid-August. All records would be greatly appreciated. Common Blue butterflies had a dreadful year in 2016, so it was a relief to get several records for the species from various different sites. It is never a very numerous species locally, but 6 were counted at Hic Bibi on 28 th May. Holly Blues were also seen in ones and twos at 6 sites. 5 20 Northern Eggar Moths were found on Spittlers Edge on 17 th June and a Drinker Moth at White Coppice on 12 th May. Both these moorland species have hairy caterpillars much loved by Cuckoos. Drinker Moth Larva There were only two records for Banded Demoiselle by the end of June, which is unusual. Perhaps recorders have omitted to send in sightings? I hope so. Our three Blue Damselflies were frequently seen as was the large Red Damselfly. A count of 40 Azure Damselflies was made at Hic Bibi on 17 th June. Hic Bibi was the only site for Broad Bodied Chaser, but the Four Spotted was also seen at Great Knowley. In all, Odonata records were rather sparse. Banded Demoiselle Phil Kirk 6 BIRD REPORT April Waxwings were still in town at the beginning of the month with a flock of 30 seen in the Lower Burgh area on the 4 th , and the fast disappearance of cotoneaster berries from other areas was further evidence of their continued presence. Waxwings still present at start of April Surprisingly, however, there was no record of Brambling, Fieldfare or Redwing. There were, however, still around 20 Teal at Withnell Fold flashes on the 8 th . 7 April sees summer visitors arriving in numbers with first dates indicated in the following table (March and May first arrivals are included for completeness – last year’s dates are shown in brackets):- Garganey 15 th March (No record) Rufford canal, Bretherton Quail 9th July (29 th June) Bretherton Moss Osprey 2nd April (28 th March) Belmont Avocet 12 th March (No record) Belmont Reservoir Whimbrel 12 th April (18 th April) Charnock Richard Common Sandpiper 1st April (9 th April) Belmont Reservoir Little Ringed Plover 30 th March (27 th March) Cuerden Hall flash Hobby 5th May (13 th May) Eccleston Common Tern 19 th April (16 th April) Croston Twin Lakes Cuckoo 15 th April (19 th April) White Coppice Swift 1st May (30 th April) Mawdesley Swallow 30 th March (28 th March) Euxton House Martin 3rd April (3 rd April) Cuerden Valley Park Sand Martin 14 th March (24 th March) Croston Twin Lakes Wheatear 16 th March (25 th March) Bretherton Eyes Whinchat 26 th April (No record) Bretherton Eyes Ring Ouzel 2nd April (29 th March) Belmont White Wagtail 14 th March (4 th April) Bretherton Eyes Yellow Wagtail No record (No record) Chiffchaff 11 th March (17 th March) Hic Bibi Willow Warbler 31 st March (4 th April) Belmont Garden Warbler 7th April (17 th April) Cuerden Valley Park Blackcap 29 th March (6 th April) Tan House Valley Wood Warbler 30 th April (5 th May) Heatherlea Woods Sedge Warbler 14 th April (9 th April) Croston Reed Bed Reed Warbler 19 th April (1 st May) Ulnes Walton brick pits Grasshopper Warbler 6th April (15 th April) Lower Burgh Meadow Whitethroat 11 th April (13 th April) Lower Healey Lesser Whitethroat 10 th April (13 th April) Tincklers Lane fields Tree Pipit 22 nd April (20 th April) Cuerden Valley Park Redstart 22 nd April (9 th April) Anglezarke Pied Flycatcher 5th May (14 th April) Roddlesworth Spotted Flycatcher 20 th May (7 th May) Anglezarke Whimbrel passage started with 4 over the A49 at Charnock Richard on the 12 th and over the next few days single figure flocks were seen in the Bretherton / Euxton area, the exception being a flock of 37 feeding in fields on the edge of Bretherton Moss on the 19 th . Elsewhere a flock of 24 was in fields off Jolly Tar Lane, Coppull on the 30 th . Including Whimbrel, 13 species of wader were recorded during the month. Oystercatchers had started to disperse to breeding territories across the area, although there was still a gathering of 30 on fields off Holker Lane on the 15 th . Lapwings too were on territory with an impressive 60 birds in the Withnell Fold / Brindle area. Nesting birds were also seen at Whittle and birds with chicks were seen at Bretherton Eyes and Eccleston by the end of the month. Little Ringed Plover were noted at Withnell Fold (11 th ), Bretherton Eyes (12 th ) and Buckshaw (23 rd ). A party of 6 8 Ringed Plover was also at Bretherton Eyes on the 12th , and a Golden Plover was seen over Winter Hill on the 1 st . A gathering of 46 Curlew was by the Yarrow at Eccleston on the 8 th , but the species had also begun to disperse to breeding territories with birds seen at Bretherton Eyes (1 st ), Charnock Richard (1 st ), Hic Bibi (2 nd ), Wheelton (3 rd ), Anglezarke Moor (4 th ) and Withnell Fold (8 th ).