The Reading Naturalist No. 70 Published by the Reading and District Natural History Society Report for 2017 (Published 2018) Price to Non-Members £5.00 T H E R E A D I N G N A T U R A L I S T No 70 for the year 2017 The Journal of the Reading and District Natural History Society President Mr David Cliffe Honorary General Secretary Mr Rob Stallard Honorary Editor Mr Ken White , Yonder Cottage, Ashford Hill, Reading, RG19 8AX Honorary Recorders Botany: Dr Ren ée Grayer , 16 Harcourt Drive, Earley, Reading, RG6 5TJ Fungi: Position Vacant Lichens: Position Vacant Lepidoptera: Mr Norman Hal l, 44 Harcourt Drive, Earley, Reading, RG6 5TJ Entomology & other Invertebrates: Position Vacant Vertebrates: Mr Tony Rayner , The Red Cow, 46 Wallingford Road, Cholsey, Wallingford, OX10 9LB CONTENTS page Presidential Musings David Cliffe 1 Membership Norman Hall, Ian Duddle 2 Members’ Observations Julia Cooper, Rob Stallard 3 Excursions 2017 Jan Haseler, Renée Grayer 6 Norman Hall, Sean O’Leary, Tricia Marcouse, Julia Cooper Sarah White, Ken White Mid-week Walks 2017 Jan Haseler, Sarah White 17 Ken White Indoor Meetings 2017 Renée Grayer, Rob Stallard 24 Winning photographs and photographs from outings RDNHS Members 33 Christmas Party and Photographic Competition Laurie Haseler 38 Presidential Address David Cliffe 40 The Hawfinch Winter 2017/18 Sarah White 43 Bathing Beauties Marrion Venners 45 Obituaries 46 A BBOWT Moor Copse Year Ailsa Claybourn 46 Recorder’s Report for Botany 2017 Renée Grayer 48 Recorder’s Report for Lepidoptera 2017 Norman Hall 52 Recorder’s Report for Vertebrates 2017 Tony Rayner 64 The Weather in Reading during 2017 Roger Brugge 70 Tidgrove and HLS Farming Andrew Bolton 74 My special thanks to all the contributors for their indefatigable efforts in meeting the deadlines whilst carrying on with their busy lives. The Honorary Recorders do a fantastic job, as well as the many who produce the records of the walks, excursions and meetings, articles and help with validating and proof reading, in particular Julia Cooper and Jan Haseler, without whom the task of producing the Naturalist would be impossible. So now it is time for anyone with a passion for natural history to create interesting articles for the next RDNHS Naturalist journal. The spring, summer and autumn time is imminent to inspire you in your particular fields of interest. So don’t forget to document and photograph all those interesting expeditions and discoveries, whether they are near or far and submit them for publication here. Ken White (Hon. Editor) Copyright © 2018 Reading & District Natural History Society. Copyright of photographs is indicated in the captions. Presidential Musings by David Cliffe When invited to become President, I knew about the annual Presidential Address, having been present at a few of them. But the “musings” had passed me by until recently. My mind will wander off on its own without much prompting, especially during solitary lunches in comfortable chairs in familiar restaurants. Today is a lunch-time in late December, between Christmas and the New Year. I haven’t managed to go on many of the field excursions, but did manage to get to the Dry Sandford Pit in July, to see the Marsh Helleborines in bloom. What I had not expected to see was the Marsh Fragrant-orchid, Gymnadenia densiflora. It was there in all its glory, and there I stood, camera in hand, with water coming over the tops of my boots! This was a first time for me, and a red-letter day. (Of course, there were many other delights to experience during the visit). After nine months in post, one of the first things to come to mind was that ours is an extraordi - narily good society to belong to, if you’re at all interested in natural history. I wish I’d joined as a younger man – I’ve learned so much from people older than myself, great characters, some of whom are no longer with us. I wish I could have known them for longer. Then, since re-joining the committee, I’m amazed at the commitment of its members. They make me feel like a bit of a light-weight dabbler in the shallows, while many of them undertake survey work and practical conservation work, on top of what they do for the Society. And all this to improve the natural (and semi-natural) environment for the rest of us, and our understanding of it. Arranging the programme of talks for the colder part of the year is a major part of what we do, and I’ve been impressed by people’s knowledge in recommending speakers, and finding speakers on a wide variety of different subjects. I must admit to having been a bit non-plussed on being shown the draft programme of speakers and their subjects for the 2017-18 season, and asked if I was happy with it! Needless to say, I was. As President, I am expected to “preside” over all these indoor meetings. I can no longer pick and choose, as I used to, and I have to stay awake and pay attention. It has been interesting to compare the different styles of presentation. The success of any talk is a matter of finding the right balance for your audience. We are a “general interest” natural history society, and that is something that appeals to me. It has given me great pleasure, for example, to be taken on a “bat walk” near the Basingstoke Canal with “bat meters,” and to hear the sounds made by the different species. More recently, I went to Slimbridge with some keen bird-watchers and saw flocks of waders in the estuary from a hide. And the fungus forays have always been enjoyable. Not everyone likes the “academic” style of talk on a very narrow subject. If you’re unlucky, someone presents what is really the summary of a doctoral thesis, with copious bar-charts, graphs, pie-charts and statistical tables. Unless you are an expert, these can be frustrating, and I often think that what the speaker is trying to put across could be explained in a few words, without the need for “visual aids” at all. To be able to make anything of them, I would need to have explained to me what the horizontal and vertical axes signified, and whether the numbers represent a lot or a little. At the same time, it is good to know that you are in the hands of an expert – someone who is at the forefront of current research. And it’s comforting to think that this kind of research still goes on, and that someone is willing to pay for it. One of my grumbles is with speakers who put a load of text onto the screen, and then talk about it. I’d rather just concentrate on the speaker. Maybe this is a “male thing,” being unable to read and listen at the same time. I suspect some speakers do it so that they don’t have to glance at their notes! Then there are speakers who put up several pictures on the screen at the same time, but the pictures are too small to mean very much. Maybe this is my own fault, because I’m short- sighted! Knowledge is important, but enthusiasm counts for a lot in my book. Here I can’t help but think of the two internationally renowned singers, who appeared in recitals with piano accompaniment in the Reading Concert Hall, a few months apart. One had his head in the music for most of the time, and the singing was wonderful, but all a bit “intellectual.” The other looked at his audience, made immediate contact, and sang with emotion, but without exaggerated histrionics. I’ve 1 noticed the same phenomena in Pangbourne Village Hall. There have been some recent talks which I wouldn’t normally have gone to, but the speakers have won me over with their enthusiasm, and I have sat there thinking “Yes . here is someone who has given a large part of his or her life to this subject . This person really knows . This person really cares about the subject . This study could well make things better, for the natural environment and for the rest of us . .” Our Society has now been presenting talks for almost 150 years. Occasionally I have wondered whether, in future, the speakers will record their presentations. There are a few talks I’ve been to that I would rather like to hear again. Perhaps in the future subscribing members will download them from the Internet and watch at home. Maybe the presentation will be in 3-D, with the presenters appearing to stand in front of your television receiver. The sound and vision will be perfect, the pictures wonderful, and you won’t need to get to Pangbourne Village Hall. Let us hope it never comes to that! In a world of ever-increasing automation, where you can make all kinds of transactions without speaking to a living soul, our need for human interaction is as great as ever. Meeting other people for talks, walks, giving, receiving and recording information are very much what we are about, and long may we continue! MEMbErSHiP by Norman Hall & ian Duddle Paid up Membership figures as they stand as at the end of December 2017 Single members 74 (inc 8 Honorary members) Family/Couples 71 Total 145 of which we welcomed as 22 new members to the group: Catherine & Roger Crawford Roy Dobson Rachel & Steven Woolnough James, Belinda and Alexandra Drew Kimble Earl Vicki Meyer-Laker Mrs June Forbes Mr Graham & Mrs Lesley Parsons Drusilla Kenney John Redshaw & Rosie Tullett Dr Matthew Wheeler John Sharpe & Sue Gray Mandy Slater Chris & Sally Bergman 2 MEMbErS’ ObSErvaTiONS 2017 by Julia Cooper & rob Stallard 3rd January Jan Haseler – had spotted Hazel catkins dropping pollen at Basildon Park on 30 th December.