Nature in Avon Volume 75 Bristol Naturalists' Society Registered Charity No. 235494 www.bristolnats.org.uk Anyone interested in natural history or geology may apply to join. Membership Categories are:- Full Member Household Member Student Member Corresponding Member For details see Membership section of the website. Besides many general indoor and outdoor meetings, other meetings are specifically devoted to geology, plants, birds, mammals and invertebrates. Members may use the Society's large library. Further information is available on the Society's website (www.bristolnats.org.uk). Nature in Avon Volume 75 CONTENTS page Editorial 1 Fungi on the St George’s Flower Bank Jean Oliver 2 Water Plants at Chew and Blagdon Lakes Rupert Higgins 8 Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre Dee Holladay 20 City Centre Bats Jane Cole 26 Avon Wildlife Trust: The 5 year Plan Lucy Rogers 33 Lower Plants David Hill et al. 43 Lesne’s Earwig David Hawkins 54 Bristol & District Invertebrate Report 2015 Ray Barnett 56 Mammals of the Bristol District 2015 Roger Symes 67 Weather Report for 2015 Richard Bland 77 Obituary: Dr A Brian Hawkins 84 Society Annual Report 2015 86 Treasurer’s Report for 2015 100 Editorial 2015 was Bristol’s Green Capital Year and plenty of extra activities and events were launched to celebrate, involving all the naturalist and conservation organisations in the city. BNS played a full part in this with experts on hand to help and encourage the large numbers of people who took part. For full details of the events and projects see the Society Annual Report. We have two articles focusing on lower plants this time. Jean Oliver gives us a fascinating insight into the fungi she has found at the St George’s Flower Bank Reserve since 2011 (over 100) including, believe it or not, St George’s mushroom! Interesting bryophytes, fungi and lichens found in the region in various habitats are reported by David Hill and his colleagues including some conservation projects. Continuing the botanical theme, Blagdon Lake and Chew Valley Lake are familiar to most of us, but perhaps not so the plants that grow there. Rupert Higgins explains the effects of nutrient-rich run off from farms on the flora and reports his latest survey there. Most of us are unaware of the bats that sometimes visit our gardens. Jane Cole and the Avon Bat Group have installed a bat detector in some of their gardens in Bristol, with interesting and sometimes surprising results. This paper nicely complements Roger Symes’ Mammal Report which looks at the records collected during the year. Lucy Rogers leads us through the conservation plans of Avon Wildlife Trust and explains some of their current projects, while I report on an interesting visit to BRERC where I learned about the wider world of wildlife recording. Some interesting invertebrates were recorded this year; Ray Barnett provides a summary, while his fellow entomologist David Hawkins encourages us all to look for the rather unusual Lesne’s earwig! Finally, if you thought last summer was wet you would be correct – Richard Bland provides his weather report for the year and sets his findings in a wider context. I hope you enjoy this issue. I would like to thank the committee for their helpful ideas and support. Dee Holladay [email protected] 1 Fungi on the St. George’s Flower Bank, Easton-in-Gordano Jean Oliver Introduction The St. George’s Flower Bank is comprised of the verges and cycle path along the A369 (Martcombe Road) near Easton-in-Gordano. It is now designated a Local Nature Reserve. The original A369 was diverted at St. George’s Hill to accommodate the M5 motorway junction at the Gordano service area [c. 1971]. A half-mile stretch of new road was cut through a field to straighten and widen the old one. This cutting produced areas of nutrient poor grassland. In 2015 the Flower Bank celebrated its 25th anniversary having originally been brought into being by Bob Buck, a Pill resident. Bob and a band of volunteers have maintained the area to preserve the Primroses, Cowslips and Orchids that appeared on the Bank. Grass areas are mown at the end of the summer and the arisings removed. Encroaching scrub and saplings are also removed. The Flower Bank comprises three basic areas: 1. The eastern end, Pearl’s Patch, is wooded and has mainly native trees including Hazel, Birch, Elder, Gorse, Mountain Ash, Beech, Alder, Apple, Yew, Holly, and Oak and has a Hawthorn hedge at the field boundary. 2. The western end from the Easton-in-Gordano turn-off has on the north side a cycle track bounded by trees including Hazel, regenerating Elms, Ash, Blackthorn, Sycamore, Dogwood, Holly, Field Maple and Hawthorn. There is an area of meadow at the road junction. The south side is a steep grassy/mossy bank with some Hawthorn, Ash, Hazel and Cherry. 2 Fungi on the St George’s Flower Bank – Jean Oliver Pearl’s Patch Cycle Track Meadow Middle section (North verge) Middle section (South verge) 3 Fungi on the St George’s Flower Bank – Jean Oliver 3. The middle section is mainly managed to maintain it as meadow. The verge on the south side is steeply sloping while the verge to the north side is not so steep. Both sides have rocky outcrops with some Hazel, Ash, Hawthorn and Field Maple. Plants growing on the Flower Bank include Field Scabious, Restharrow, Carline Thistle, Wild Carrot, Ploughman’s Spikenard, Pyramidal Orchid, Common Spotted Orchid, Bee Orchid, Bird’s-foot Trefoil, Hogweed, Ox-eye Daisy, Agrimony and Knapweed. After attending a talk about the Flower Bank I decided to pay monthly visits starting in 2011 to look for fungi that might be growing there. Species of fungi, lichens and slime moulds 2011-2015 Agaricus bisporus (Cultivated Mushroom) Daldinia concentrica (Cramp Ball) Agaricus moelleri (Inky Mushroom) Dasyscyphus niveus Armillaria mellea (Honey Fungus) Dasyscyphus virgineus Auricularia auricula-judae (Jelly Ear) Dermoloma cuneifolium (Crazed Cap) Bjerkandera adusta (Smoky Bracket) Diplocarpon mespili Bolbitius titubans (Yellow Fieldcap) Entoloma conferendum (Star Pinkgill) Byssomerulius corium (Netted Crust) Erysiphe cichoracearum Calocera cornea (Small Stagshorn) Erysiphe heraclei (Hogweed Mildew) Calocybe gambosa (St. George’s Erysiphe ranunculi Mushroom) Exidia nucleata (Crystal Brain) Cercospora scandens Flammulina velutipes (Velvet Shank) Chlorophyllum rhacodes (Shaggy Parasol) Guignardia philoprina Chondrostereum purpureum Gymnosporangium confusum (Silverleaf Fungus) Hebeloma crustuliniforme (Poisonpie) Cladosporium orchidis Hebeloma sacchariolens (Sweet Poisonpie) Clavulinopsis helvola (Yellow Club) Hebeloma velutipes (Birch Poisonpie) Clitocybe dealbata (Ivory Funnel) Hygrocybe conica (Blackening Waxcap) Clitocybe decembris Hygrocybe virginea (Snowy Waxcap) Clitocybe nebularis (Clouded Funnel) Hypholoma fasciculare (Sulphur Tuft) Clitocybe phyllophila (Frosty Funnel) Hypoxylon fuscum (Hazel Woodwart) Clitocybe rivulosa (Fool’s Funnel) Laccaria amethystina (Amethyst Deceiver) Clitocybe vibecina (Mealy Funnel) Laccaria laccata (Deceiver) Coleosporium tussilaginis Lactarius glyciosmus (Coconut Milkcap) Collybia dryophila (Russet Toughshank) Lactarius pubescens (Bearded Milkcap) Coprinus comatus (Lawyer’s Wig) Lactarius pyrogalus (Fiery Milkcap) Coprinus disseminatus (Fairy Inkcap) Lecanora chlarotera (Lichen) Coprinus lagopus (Hare’s Foot Inkcap) Lecidella elaeochroma (Lichen) Cortinarius hemitrichus (Frosty Webcap) Lepiota cristata (Stinking Daperling) Cortinarius hinnuleus (Earthy Webcap) Lepista flaccida (Tawny Funnel) Crepidotus applanatus (Flat Oysterling) Lepista nuda (Wood Blewit) Crepidotus cesatii (Roundspored Oysterling) Leptosphaeria acuta (Nettle Rash) Crepidotus mollis (Peeling Oysterling) Leptosphaeria agnita Crepidotus variabilis (Variable Oysterling) Lycoperdon molle (Soft Puffball) Cystolepiota seminuda (Bearded Dapperling) Lycoperdon perlatum (Common Puffball) 4 Fungi on the St George’s Flower Bank – Jean Oliver Marasmius epiphyllus (Leaf Parachute) Pseudoperonospora urticea Marasmius ramealis (Twig Parachute) Puccinia malvacearum (Mallow Rust) Marasmius rotula (Collared Parachute) Puccinia pulverulenta Melampsora populnea (Dog’s Mercury Rust) Puccinia punctiformis Melanoleuca polioleuca (Common Cavalier) Puccinia sessilis Microsphaera alphitoides (Oak Mildew) Ramaria stricta (Upright Coral) Mollisia cinerea (Common Grey Disco) Ramularia picridis Morchella esculenta (Morel) Ramularia primulae Mucilago crustacea (A Slime Mould) Ramularia rhabdospora Mycena adscendens (Frosty Bonnet) Ramularia rubella Mycena arcangeliana (Angel’s Bonnet) Rhytisma acerinum (Tar Spot) Mycena galopus (Milking Bonnet) Scleroderma areolatum (Leopard Earthball) Mycena rosea (Rosy Bonnet) Septoria scabiosicola Mycena vitilis (Snapping Bonnet) Septoria sorbi Nectria cinnabarina (Coral Spot) Stereum hirsutum (Hairy Curtain Crust) Panaeolus acuminatus (Dewdrop Mottlegill) Stereum rugosum (Bleeding Broadleaf Crust) Panaeolus fimicola (Turf Mottlegill) Stropharia caerulea (Blue Roundhead) Paneolina foenisecii (Brown Mottlegill) Tarzetta cupularis (Toothed Cup) Paxillus involutus (Brown Rollrim) Trametes gibbosa (Lumpy Bracket) Peronospora oerteliana Trametes pubescens Phellinus tuberculosus (Cushion Bracket) Trametes versicolor (Turkey Tail) Phoma hedericola Tremella mesenterica (Yellow Brain) Phoma samararum Trichoglossum hirsutum Phomopsis pterophila (Hairy Earth Tongue) Phragmidium violaceum Trochila ilicina (Holly Speckle) (Violet Bramble Rust) Tubaria dispersa Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom) Tubaria