Wrekin Forest Volunteers

Organic Riches

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 14:43:17 +0000

Wednesday 7th October 2026, Fordhall Farm

A return to Fordhall Farm this week, an organic, community owned farm near Market Drayton in North Shropshire. I was absent for this trip but fortunately have some words from John M & Nigel J in addition to a good number of photos of some of the day’s finds. So without more ado, over to John…

We first headed down to a marshy area that was so wet we couldn't go far into it, even in this year of drought.

photo: Nigel Jones

But Jim's vaccing produced large numbers of critters.

photo: Neil Nash

Here is a selection of finds from this area, starting with Himacerus major

Cymus melanocephalus

Peritrechus geniculatus (nymph)

Conomelus anceps

Stenus bimaculatus

Psammoecus bipunctatus

Nebria brevicollis

Taeniapion urticarium

Red Marsh Ladybird, Coccidula rufa

Red-rumped Ladybird, Scymnus haemorrhoidalis

A tiny Straw Dot larva

Of course, not all finds were vacuumed. Here is a selection of those that were swept, beaten or just spotted as they flew past. Among the latter group is this Comma, a classic late-season butterfly

as well as this rather high-mileage Speckled Wood

Very much not flying past was this pair of Arion ater slugs, caught in flagrante delicto.

photo: Neil Nash

Also not flying past, nor indeed beaten or swept was this Harvest Mouse nest (empty, of course). A splendid thing to see.

photo: Neil Nash

Later we continued to a hill with Bracken and some more acidic grassland. Here, Field Grasshoppers were to be seen jumping about in the sunshine.

A planted Box tree had various Diptera on the sunlit trunk, including Stomoxys calcitrans (the Stable Fly). In the below photo the stiletto like mouthparts can be seen sticking out in front of the face.

Lunch was declared but Jim carried on vaccing with minimal pausing for food as usual so we added a bunch of extras there including a couple of weevils: Strophosoma melanogrammum,

and Notaris cf acridulus.

A bug, Ichnodemus sabuleti

And a psyllid, Eupteryx aurata

Then down to the wet woodland where Nigel swept diverse Platypezids from the sunlit leaves.
On which subject, over to Nigel:

The Protoclythia rufa…

…is a rather nice record. An uncommon species – just the second for Shropshire. The finding of four species from five specimens, in about a twenty minute session, is brilliant. By comparison, the next day we spent five hours searching for Platypezids near Minsterley and found eight specimens of just two species. The Fordhall Flat-footed Flies flies were all found below Castle Embankment in the woodland along the edge of the stream (after lunch). The sunshine brought them forth.
Here are two more of them: Platypeza consobrina (male)

Platypeza hirticeps (female)

Another nice find was the Dolichopodid fly Campsicnemus pusillus – a 4^th county record. Amongst numerous yellow dung flies Scathophaga stercoraria was its much scarcer cousin Scathophaga decipiens.

Time was already marching on, so we decamped to the cafe where we were treated to hot drinks and some very nice ginger cake, and thence home!

Many thanks to all concerned for allowing us to return again to this always productive property.

Photographs © John Martin except as noted.

Wombling Free

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 06 Oct 2026 17:41:29 +0000

Wednesday 30th September 2026, Dudmaston Estate

This was a day which got off to a rocky start but got better as it progressed. We were supposed to be visiting the Mose Farm area of the estate but on arrival the designated parking area was absolutely rammed with vehicles. A rival event had been booked, which had taken up all the available parking. We had no alternative but to abandon Plan A and head off instead for the Old Sawmill car park. From there, we were too far away from Mose Farm, so we instead spent the morning investigating the fields behind the car park, before moving to the fields nearer to Comer Wood in the afternoon.
The first species to be spotted was Colletes hederae, the Ivy Bee.

In truth we could hardly miss it as there were clouds of them all over the copious Ivy. Not only that, they were coming up at us from beneath our feet, the sandy soil being riddled with nesting holes!
Another insect to be out and about in numbers was the Bishop’s Mitre Shieldbug, known by some as the Womble due to its facial similarity to those inhabitants of Wimbledon Common. The grass was full of them, both adults…

…and nymphs.

Several common ladybird species appeared from the grass; a rather more distinguished find was an Adonis Ladybird.

By this point we had experienced the usual (!) Wednesday Clouded Yellow fly-by. It evaded the camera, but another notable migrant Lepidopteran was more accommodating, as several Vestal moths were flushed from the vegetation.

Readers may recall that we obtain a large proportion of our finds via the vacuum samplers. This is, in particular, the main way of finding the tiny parasitic wasp Callitula pyrrhogaster aka “The Boy”. But this week, a calamity: none of the regular operators of these machines was present. What to do? In a slight panic, one of their vacuums had been sourced and brought to site. The substitute operators tried heroically all day, scrutinizing the finds tray:

photo: Nigel Jones

But no Boys were extracted. We conclude that Dudmaston is clearly a Boy-free zone. But all was not lost! Many interesting things appeared in the vacuum samples, mostly of a Hemipteran (true bug) nature. Here are two: firstly, a Turtle Bug (plus photobombing springtail, possibly Entomobryia multifasciata).

This species is still a novel find in Shropshire, and more or less currently limited to the south-east quarter of the county.

This is female Myrmus miriformis.

Lunch time beckoned. We made camp in the sunshine, consumed our provisions and then crossed the road, making for Comer Wood. Entering the fields at the top, we spied a substantial area of white flowers at the bottom of the field, near the wood. This deserved a closer look! It turned out to be a very wide margin of Wild Carrot, and was full of interest.

Here, Bishop’s Mitres (or Wombles if you prefer) were as abundant as they had been in the morning, but they were outdone by an even greater quantity of Hairy Shieldbugs, for whom Wild Carrot has a magnetic attraction. Here is an adult, snuggled up to a 7-spot Ladybird.

And this is a nymph.

The carrot was also proving magnetic for Clouded Yellows, two of them being almost ever present as we searched. One eventually landed and allowed its portrait to be captured.

The edge of the wood contained a number of Scots Pines. As usual their lowest branches were too high to be beaten. But they were within reach of our Dipterist and his long-handled net. The hope of some specialist ladybird species was largely unfulfilled, except for this Conifer Ladybird, Scymnus suturalis, one of the micro ladybird species.

Note the yellow mass at its rear end. This is a Hesperomyces fungal infection. I believe that this is generally debilitating rather than necessarily fatal but either way, the ladybird will not be enjoying it.
Another interesting find was a Pine Cone Bug, a species which is very flattened, allowing it to secrete itself into the cones.

But what of the vacuum, I hear you ask. Well, amidst the deluge of Wombles and Hairy Shieldbugs, some rather distinguished bugs also appeared, including this week’s County First: a Rhombic Leatherbug.

This is an insect of the south and east, though there are isolated records beyond this range and it is probably spreading. A very surprising record nevertheless. One of its relatives, itself a relatively recent arrival in Shropshire, appeared in the same vacuum sample: a Denticulate Leatherbug.

Less notable but always nice to see, the same sample also produced a Blue Shieldbug.

Late in the day, a rather puzzlingly yellow-coloured bug appeared.

Clearly a large Rhopalid, the potential options were limited and it turned out to be Stictopleurus abutilon (guess what, another relatively recent arrival). Is it, perhaps, only recently moulted to adulthood and not yet fully coloured up? Perhaps. In any event, they are usually rather browner than this.
One last significant insect appeared as we were heading back towards the car park and it was something to put a bit of a dampener on the Wombles’ frolics in the sunshine. For it was Cistogaster globosa, otherwise known as the Bishop’s Mitre Parasite Fly. A small Tachinid fly which specializes in attacking, as you might guess, the Bishop’s Mitre Shieldbug. Well, if it was going to appear anywhere, it was surely here.

And with that, we retreated for the day, the sun continuing to shine down upon us.

photo: Nigel Jones

A splendid day in the end, after an uncertain beginning. Many thanks to the National Trust for allowing us to do what we do.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Fairway to Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 11:43:25 +0000

Wednesday 23rd September 2026, Welshpool Golf Course

Welshpool's is not your average golf course. Maintained without pesticides or fertilisers and with assistance from Mongomeryshire Wildlife Trust, wildlife is allowed to flourish around the fairways and greens. This was our second visit to this site. The previous one, in April 2025, was a day of very mixed weather. We encountered rather similar conditions this time too, though fortunately the day improved steadily and ended in glorious sunshine.
Our previous visit somehow managed to cover an impressive amount of ground on this very up and down site. We recalled that the most productive area on that day was a mire in a valley at the edge of the course and decided it demanded a return. This involved a minor uphill trudge from the car park followed by a more substantial decent into the valley. Just how substantial became more apparent when we had to climb back out again later. As we passed a seemingly abandoned golf buggy, we speculated on whether we should have commandeered a fleet of them for the day…

The most immediately obvious wildlife presence on site was wheeling about above us as we walked: Ravens. At least 30 of them cavorted overhead all day, constantly chatting to one another & apparently having a whale of a time. It was a glorious sight and sound.

We reached the valley bottom and inspected the path. A few spots of rain hit us.

This caused a couple of members to slog back uphill to their cars, where they had left their waterproofs. Of course, before they were halfway the sun was shining gloriously once more. The rest of us progressed and finally reached our goal: the mire.

We had been there but a few minutes when the wisdom of those who had returned, kitted out for inclement weather, was fully vindicated.

photo: Jill Key

Some carried on stoically for a while, others took refuge under trees. This was proper rain and lasted for perhaps 15 minutes, soaking everything. But lo! The storm passed and glorious sunshine returned!

Insects and entomologists alike emerged from shelter. Bees started flying. In the vegetation, Long-winged Coneheads started singing. From this point the sunshine remained with us for the rest of the day, drying things out to a remarkable degree.

So much for the weather report. What of the actual finds? Well, for the fifth week running, we found at least one species new to the county we were in. This time another Sepsid fly, Sepsis neocynipsea, an uncommon species of mainly upland habitats. A male was collected in the mire.

photo: Nigel Jones

Also, a probable fungal gall first (fungal records often seem to require considerable digging to unearth). Taphrina tosqinetii, Alder Wrinkle. A gall inducing fungus on, guess what, Alder.

photo: John Lyden

Vacuuming produced several small ladybirds:
16-spot

Meadow Ladybird (Rhyzobius litura)

Red-patched Ladybird (Nephus redtenbacheri)

And a Common Footman larva

Among other finds was Angelica Leaf-miner

photo: Liz Roberts

And two beetles which were uncovered in the small woodland which had earlier provided shelter from the rain. Firstly a ground beetle, Leistus rufomarginatus.

Followed by a very atypically shaped rove beetle, Scaphidium quadrimaculatum, a species we find only very infrequently.

The day drew on, lunch came and went and more finds were made until the decision was eventually made to face the uphill escape from the valley. Puffing and panting our way to the top, we were rewarded by a fine view towards the Breidden Hills. Two week earlier, in Melverley, we had seen the almost exact mirror image of these hills as we viewed them from the opposite side.

The sunshine and the topography induced a certain amount of lethargy, it must be said, and little more was done thereafter. Some scrutinized the view…

While others were overcome with the effort of the climb…

photo: Liz Roberts

Many thanks to the golf club for granting permission for this return visit.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Richly Productive

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:01:34 +0000

Wednesday 16th September 2026, Wern Farm, Sarn

I was absent from this trip, away sunning myself in Jersey. Fortunately, I have eye-witness accounts from Nigel, Keith and John with which to relate the events of the day…

Wern Farm lies just over the county (and indeed national) boundary in Montgomeryshire. It is a smallholding, where three young couples are growing good quantities of food in a small area of cultivation and polytunnels. I’m told that there was a very good diversity of produce in considerable amounts!

photo: Keith Fowler

The site was not too big, and very flat. Very few trees but a nice hedge at the far side. It was mainly grassland, some uncut, with a few damp areas, a pool (that was dry) and a stream (that was also dry but clearly has a good and strong flow at times).

photo: Keith Fowler

The morning was spent looking at the grassland before the stream and in the area of the dry pond, plus a brief sojourn in a polytunnel or two. “The Boy” (Callitula pyrrhogaster, the small wingless wasp which often features in these reports) was discovered within minutes of activities commencing.

Vacuuming for The Boy. Photo: Keith Fowler

A hornet was captured and liberated from a polytunnel.

photo: Keith Fowler

The dried-up pond was full of ruderal plants including lots of Red Goosefoot and a bit of the (up here) less common Many-seeded Goosefoot, Lipandra polyspermum.

Many-seeded Goosefoot. Photo: John Martin

The star invertebrate attractions in this area included Adonis Ladybird, the spectacular blowfly Cynomya mortuorum, the rarely encountered fly Hydrotaea capensis and a rather infrequently recorded fly Muscina stabulans.

Cynomya mortuorum. Photo: John Martin

Hydrotaea capensis. Photo: Nigel Jones

Hydrotaea capensis larvae live in carrion and other decaying material, where they prey on other insect larvae. They have often been found in the carcasses of large mammals (whales, humans), where the warm micro-climate enables them to breed at latitudes or in seasons where they would not otherwise survive. Both M. stabulans and H. capensis are new species for Montgomeryshire (and would have been new for Shropshire if found there).
Another notable find was rather infrequently recorded Sphaerophoria rueppelli, swept from flowers in the pond where it may have been associated with the Persicaria growing there.

photo: Nigel Jones

Other finds to attract the attention of the photographers included a Knot Grass larva

photo: John Martin

Small Copper

photo: John Martin

Nettle-tap

photo: John Martin

Common Blue

photo: John Martin

and Field Grasshopper

photo: John Martin

Lunch was taken in a barn which had been opened up for us. Jill produced some excellent Apple and Ginger cake. We always particularly look forward to days when Jill will be joining us!

After lunch we made for the stream and beyond, setting up camp either in the dry stream bed or under a nearby magnificent old Ash tree that looked to have escaped the ravages (so far) of Ash dieback.

photo: Nigel Jones

Another new Montgomeryshire species was captured near the dried up stream – Tephritis praecox.

T. praecox wing. Photo: Nigel Jones
This is another picture-wing that is reacting to our warming climate by spreading north and west into new areas of Britain. It was formerly a rare species in Britain. It has an association with Marigold flowers, Calendula, and indeed a row of Marigolds had been planted in one of the nearby vegetable patches.
The stream bed itself was inspected for life but yielded little. In two places, under the overhanging ledges of banks, a little damp ground survived and here two species of Dolichopodid fly, Dolichopus griseipennis and Campsicnemus curvipes, clung on to life.

D. griseipennis. Photo: Nigel Jones

The highlight of the afternoon was a Barn Owl that a few of the group managed to see.

Spot the Barn Owl! Photo: John Martin

Despite rain as attendees left Shropshire, the day was on the whole dry and pleasant with only a few spits and spots of rain, although a cool breeze did spring up for a while. I regret missing this trip to what was clearly a very interesting site. Many thanks to our hosts for allowing the group to indulge ourselves so richly.

Photographs © as noted.

A Return to Summer

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 13:16:10 +0000

Wednesday 9th September 2026, Old Cow Pasture and Pentre Bach, Melverley

A return trip, this week, to another exceptionally quiet corner of the county where several discreet sites cluster around Shropshire Wildlife Trust’s Holly Banks nature reserve. This time we decided to concentrate on the floodplain fields known as Old Cow Pasture and Pentre Bach.
On arrival we were, as is customary, distracted by the habitat in the parking area. The hedgerows soon decanted Britain's joint smallest ladybird, the 1.5mm Stethorus pusillus, known as the Dot Ladybird due to its resemblance to a walking full stop.

A small, wingless wasp was also captured here and is likely to be Eupelmus vesicularis.

photo: Nigel Jones

If so, it would be only the second county record. These wasps prefer humid, cooler climates, particularly in Scandinavia and the British Isles and are primarily associated with the Cabbage Seedpod Weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus) in Sweden. It is regarded as a hyperparasitoid.
Other finds were made here before we finally headed for the first site, not all quite so tiny. This is Tachina fera.

photo: John Martin

We set off for the entrance to Old Cow Pasture, walking back down the lane that most of us had recently driven up to park.

photo: Nigel Jones

The fine, old hedges provided much interest, though access to them was restricted by deep drainage ditches. Buckthorn looked rather Autumnal.

photo: John Martin

Field Maple accommodated galls of Aceris macrochela

photo: John Lyden

Silk Button Galls were seen on oaks.

photo: John Lyden

We reached the gate and entered the Old Cow Pasture, but the old cow seemed not to be at home. By now the sun was shining and Autumn had turned back into Summer. We were over-dressed! The field provided a fine view of the Breidden Hills, Rodney’s Pillar sitting atop Breidden Hill itself.

photo: John Martin

We began by searching an uncut margin. Of the many finds here, those that were photographed included the Aculeate wasp Ancistocerus nigricornis

photo: John Martin

Plentiful Meadow Grasshoppers

Several singing Roesel’s Bush-crickets

That rarest of things, an ichneumon wasp which admits to easy identification: Achaius oratorius

A picture-winged fly, Dioxyna bidentis, which was common on Bidens and other flowers.

Hiding among the many D. bidentis was what turned out to be a Shropshire first, Ensina sonchi, another picture-winged fly, albeit one with almost unmarked wings. Unfortunately I don’t have an image of it.
The field contained two ponds. Or rather, two areas which would have been ponds before the summer drought. We made our way to the first one, which was completely lacking in any standing water.

Here, the still just about damp mud was alive with Slender Groundhoppers, pinging about around our feet.

The second micro ladybird of the day was found, the Red-rumped Ladybird, Scymnus haemorrhoidalis.

As was an attractive little weevil, Nanophyes marmoratus aka the Loosestrife Weevil.

This damp area provided much botanical interest. Redshanks was photographed…

photo: John Martin

… as was Nodding Bur-marigold, Bidens cernua.

photo: John Martin

You might observe that the seedheads on the above plant look rather empty. This may have something to do with the fact that these plants donated their seeds to us with considerable enthusiasm and tenacity as we brushed past them. Trousers, jackets, bags and everything else became infested with seeds on the slightest contact. Much time was spent in efforts to remove them but no doubt some were transported back home with us.

photo: John Martin

We moved on to the second pond area. As we crossed the field a Vestal moth was spotted, one more notable migrant species in this most exceptional of years for them.

Reaching the pond, we found that it was still holding water in its deepest section (where the two people on the right appear to be disappearing into it).

photo: Nigel Jones

Full advantage was being taken by dragonflies, a Migrant Hawker ovipositing into a bulrush stem.

photo: John Martin

Several Common Darters were also present.

photo: John Martin

The bulrushes were also home to a couple of specialist ladybird species. This is the lovely Water Ladybird.

Whilst this is the larva of a Red Marsh Ladybird. An adult was also seen.

In the damper grass around the edges of the pond, Common Green Grasshoppers were singing.

Nearby, the hedge was home to a large Black Poplar, not looking in the best of health. One of its roots snaked across the field, breaking the soil surface. A large fungus sprouted from it: Poplar Fieldcap, Cyclocybe cylindracea, apparently only the second county record, and first this century.

photo: John Lyden

A nearby oak was home to an even more visually impressive fungus, a Giant Polypore.

photo: John Lyden

Late in the day we moved through the hedge and into the area known as Pentre Bach. Novel finds here included Impatiens capensis, known variously as Spotted Touch-me-not, Orange Jewelweed and several other names.

photo: John Martin

We dallied for a while here and continued to make finds, but eventually we moved on and took the circular route back to our starting point at the parking area. Over the course of the day, we had the pleasure of several Clouded Yellow fly-bys. Late in the day not one but three of them turned up together and one actually landed to pose for photos. What an incredible year it has been for them.

Many thanks to the owners for allowing us to return to these interesting habitats.

Post Script

Apologies for the late arrival of this blog post, which was caused by your correspondent spending a few days chasing wildlife in Jersey. Pleasing finds included Blue-winged Grasshopper

And two species of earwig which have moved into the area recently. This one is a male Guanchia pubescens.

Jersey is also notable for the large numbers of Asian Hornets, which were a common sight on Ivy.

Their presence seems to be the number one wildlife concern on the island, a fair chunk of the human population enthusiastically trapping emerging queens in Spring. Despite this, numbers continue to grow, largely due to the limitless supply coming over from France, which is only 14 miles away. Has the feel of a losing battle to me…

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Summer, What Summer?

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:43:26 +0000

Wednesday 2nd September 2026, Stiperstones

A wet day. Much overnight rain meant that everything was already soaked, with the forecast offering only very limited grounds for optimism of an improvement. And sure enough, as we arrived in the upper car park the heavens opened again, soaking us before we started. We noted that the Bog Visitor Centre, somewhere below us in the murk, didn’t open until midday, so we couldn’t retreat to that – yet. We plodded off along a surfaced path at the same level as the car park instead, not feeling that an ascent to the ridge was very appealing in the circumstances.

To our right a Buzzard hung motionless in the gloom, two others wheeling around it.

Expectations for finds were low, but as is so often the case, the vacuums managed to extract some interesting creatures, though photo quality suffered somewhat in the circumstances:
Small Grass Shieldbug

photo: John Martin

16-spot Ladybird

Meadow Ladybird, Rhyzobius litura

Anthicus antherinus. We found this beetle at Abbey Manor last week, only the second county record, and here it was again!

photo: John Martin

Other finds did not rely on the vacuums. This gall is on Sallow and is caused by Iteomyia major, a fly of the family Cecidomyiidae. A second county record, previously recorded from the southeast of the county, near the Staffs border.

photo: John Lyden

Also on Sallow were these galls, caused by Euura pedunculi, a sawfly.

photo: John Lyden

Phylocptes goniothorax (a mite) on Hawthorn.

photo: John Lyden

And finally (for the galls) a spectacular example of an Alder Tongue Gall, caused by the fungus Taphrina alni.

photo: John Lyden

We had been blessed with an hour or so of dryness. But now the rain arrived again, this time with no obvious prospect of it relenting. It was near enough to midday for us to escape to the visitor centre, piling into cars in our soaking clothes as best we could. We arrived to find it in a state of controlled crisis, there being only one volunteer heroically trying to hold the fort. A whole series of mishaps had stopped others from joining her. Thankfully, reinforcements arrived before she was forced by health & safety rules to shut up shop and eject everyone back into the rain.
An hour or more passed. The rain refused to stop completely, but eventually reduced to a fine drizzle. We headed back out, but not back up to the summit, limiting our ambitions instead to the grounds immediately adjacent to the visitor centre. Here, in the drought-stricken but now soaked heather, were a few finds:

Small Heath

Common Blue

photo: John Martin

Mottled Grasshopper (a female)

As if the conditions weren’t miserable enough for the grasshopper already, more bad news appeared in the form of this fly, a female Dark-tailed Grasshopper Fly Blaesoxipha plumicornis. The larvae of this species are internal parasitoids of a range of common grasshopper species. Only the second county record, and to quote our Dipterist “This one pushes the western limit in the Midlands a fair way west – so it is nearly in Wales now. Our previous record was from Beckbury in the east of the county”.

photo: Nigel Jones

But there was better – a county first. A Sepsid fly, Sepsis thoracica. There seem to be no previous records from the Midlands at all, it being a largely coastal species. An excellent find, though sadly I don’t have a photo of it from the day.
A couple of non-native trees were recorded before the encroaching damp finally defeated us:
Patagonian Oak (it must have felt quite at home in the circumstances)

photo: John Martin

Swedish Whitebeam (ditto)

photo: John Martin

And finally… the last find of the day, a species which is always a crowd pleaser: a Devil’s Coach-horse rove beetle.

With that, we gave up and went home to dry out and warm up, though after weeks on end of heat and drought, we could hardly complain!
Thanks to Natural England for allowing us to survey in this National Nature Reserve.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Dame Edna's Glasses

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 14:30:11 +0000

Wednesday 26th August 2026, Abbey Manor, Buildwas

This week saw a return trip to Abbey Manor, a private residence and event venue, which we visted last November. Its long history started in the 12^th century when it was originally the abbot’s lodging and infirmary of the adjoining Buildwas Abbey. After the abbey’s dissolution it became in turn a private mansion, a farm and, much more recently, Ironbridge Power Station’s social club.

Our investigations began in the car park, an extensive Box hedge proving irresistible to those armed with beating trays. An initially puzzling caterpillar was dislodged.

Eventually, the light of realization dawned, helped by two rather large clues in the form of the host plant and an adult moth which was beaten out alongside it: it was a Box Moth larva!

A different moth also appeared:

This is Metalampra italica, a species which has moved into the area quite recently and is still represented in Shropshire by relatively few records.
A Green Crab Spider, Diaea dorsata, was another find.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We moved into the garden proper, where another crab spider, the familiar Goldenrod Crab Spider, Misumena vatia was an early discovery.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Our Dipterist had a good day. His best finds came later, but the garden produced several nice flies. This is Palloptera (Toxonevra) muliebris. It has a habit of holding its ornate wings out at right angles to its body, which I believe leads it to be known informally as the Dame Edna fly!

The second fly to have its photo taken was this small Conopid, Thecophora atra.

Among the shieldbugs, a single Woundwort Shieldbug was vacuumed,

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

whilst a Gorse Shieldbug was beaten from oak (of course!).

The smaller ladybirds were well represented. The first of these ‘micro ladybirds’ to appear was the smallest of the lot: a couple of Dot Ladybirds, extracted from an apple tree. At around 1.5mm long, this, along with the similarly diminutive Horseshoe Ladybird, is our smallest species.

Dwarfing it, at a mighty 3mm or so, is this Meadow Ladybird, extracted from the uncut edges of the lawn.

We moved on, into an area of flood meadow nearer to the Severn.

photo: Neil Nash

Here, a third Micro Ladybird appeared, the Red-rumped Ladybird, Scymnus haemorrhoidalis.

We had noted Small Teasel back in November. Here it was again, mostly gone to seed.

photo: John Martin

More flies attracted attention. The Tachinids Tachina fera…

photo: John Martin

… and Linnaemyia picta,

photo: John Martin

plus a number of hoverflies, of which the largest was Volucella inanis.

Also having a good day was our plant gall expert, who found sixteen species including Didymomyia tiliacea

photo: John Lyden

Adelges cooleyi, the Douglas Fir Adelgid

photo: John Lyden

The Butterbur Rust, Coleosporium petasitis (only the second county record)

photo: John Lyden

Hawthorn-Carrot Aphid, Disaphis crataegi, also rarely recorded - this was the fourth Shropshire record.

photo: John Lyden

Hawthorn Gall, Gymnosporangium sp., one of two or three species that can only be separated by DNA.

photo: John Lyden

Lunch beckoned. The day had threatened rain, but what it actually delivered was warmth and high humidity. We therefore camped in the shade of a large tree to munch on our sandwiches. Whilst we did so, a brief commotion overhead drew our attention to a pair of Sparrowhawks circling over us. This is the male.

photo: John Martin

Lunch over, we decided to head for the river. Finds continued to be made en route, including a smart bug, Malacocoris chlorizans.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A Cream-spot Ladybird was also recorded around this time.

photo: Neil Nash

Next, more botanical interest. This is Creeping Yellow-cress…

photo: John Martin

Our route took us into woodland at the edge of the site. In an adjacent field was a stunning display of Colchicum autumnale, known rather inaccurately as Autumn Crocus, or less misleadingly as Meadow Saffron. Another name is Naked Ladies, which might possibly have lead to a cry of “lots of Naked Ladies in the field!” from the person who first spotted them. I hope they feel suitably disappointed in themselves..!

photo: John Martin

We reached the river and climbed down onto the exposed shingle.

Unstable river shingle has proved to be a happy hunting ground for us in the past and today was no exception. Two county first flies were discovered, though neither was photographed on the day: Lonchoptera meijerei, a very scarce fly of stony streams and rivers and Dolichopus vigutorlum, a formerly very scarce fly that has been spreading in recent years but is still only sparsely recorded over the UK. Also found but not photographed was the beetle Anthicus antherinus which we believe to be only the second Shropshire record.
Among those species which were photographed were a rove beetle, Paederis littoralis,

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A caddisfly, Mystacides cf. azurea

photo: Neil Nash

A Water Measurer,

photo: Neil Nash

A shore bug, Saldula saltatoria,

photo: John Martin

A Banded Demoiselle,

photo: John Martin

and a snail, Bithnia tenticulata.

From here the only route was to retrace our steps, taking us back through the grounds and past a fine view of the abbey ruins.

photo: Neil Nash

As per our visit last November, the abbey proved an irresistible draw, so in we went, via a (usually) locked door from the Manor’s gardens. Vacuuming soon produced a 2-spot Ladybird.

Earlier in the day, in the flood meadow area, we had seen some rather early Ivy Bees, out well ahead of the flowering of their preferred plant. Here in the Abbey grounds, a Medieval herb garden display had been planted. This included some sort of fancy variety of mint, which was absolutely covered in them.

Also present was another species which we had seen in the flood meadow, a Bee-wolf. This is a male.

The lavender was also proving attractive, here to a Small White.

By now the sun and humidity had sapped our resolve to continue, so we didn’t! To finish this post, here is a fancy photo showing the herb garden attracting the attention of both insects and entomologists.

photo: Liz Roberts

Many thanks to our hosts for allowing us to return and indulge ourselves once again.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Something Falling from the Sky?!

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 15:01:40 +0000

Wednesday 19th August 2026, The Villa, Betchcott

The Villa is an upland holding of about 11ha, managed for conservation and wildlife, set in rolling Shropshire countryside just beyond the northern limit of the Long Mynd. We parked at Picklescott Village Hall and were then ferried to the site by our hosts. The reason for this became clear as we ascended the lengthy driveway to their house, which would serve good use as a Land Rover test track! We arrived well and truly awake and immediately set about our investigations. Some ascended into the first field from whence this view looking back at the house is taken.

Others dallied in the garden area, investigating several Scots Pines, which duly produced a couple of Pine Ladybirds

plus several Conifer Ladybirds, Scymnus suturalis, one of the micro ladybird species, which are generally much smaller and less spotty than their more familiar relatives.

Up in the first field, attention was drawn immediately to the panoramic vista it afforded.

photo: John Martin

In the first picture The Wrekin can be seen on the horizon to the left of the frame, with the Lawley in a similar, but closer, position to the right.
This field had been cut, which, in combination with the inevitably dry, golden nature of the vegetation meant that there was not a great deal to detain us. We moved on into the next field. This had also been cut, but had the advantage of an uncut margin leading down to a small stream, plus some other slightly damper areas. These produced a few Common Green Grasshoppers

and a micro moth, Udea ferrugalis.

photo: John Martin

We worked our way around the margin of this field. In addition to the straw colour of the grassy areas, another alarming result of the drought was the distinctly autumnal look of the trees, hawthorns and rowans in particular having suffered, their foliage brown and their berries stunted and shrivelled. Not good news for autumn migrants.

photo: John Martin

Looking through these distressed trees into the next field, we spied uncut grass and wet, rushy flushes. A gate was located and in we went, the other side of the dividing boundary looking every bit as frazzled as the side we had just left.

The wet flushes were our primary aim, though Roesel’s Bush-crickets seemed almost as happy in the drier areas of uncut grass.

This third field did indeed prove to be more productive than the first two and detained us for longer. A trio of weevils was photographed:
Exapion fuscirostre

photo: John Martin
Perapion violaceum

photo: John Martin
Sitona regensteinensis

photo: John Martin

A tortoise beetle, Cassida flaveola, appeared from one of the wet flushes,

as did a snail-killing beetle, Phosphuga atrata

and another beetle, Sermylassa halensis.

photo: John Martin

This sort of habitat is always likely to host Drinker Moths, which at this time of year are young larvae:

A Broom Moth larva was also spotted and recorded.

photo: John Martin

Lunch time approached. We congregated at the top of the field. Also congregating were some slightly threatening clouds. Their threat level increased until finally something almost unbelievable happened: it started to rain! The business of unpacking lunches (with the addition of some very warmly received cake from one of our participants) had to be briefly shelved while coats were donned and an umbrella unfurled. A thankfully unfrazzled Hawthorn was cowered under by some. This was a novel experience! For a few minutes the rain was really quite fierce, but before long it had passed overhead. From our lofty position at the top of the field we watched the storm moving away from us in a north-eastward direction.

Lunch and weather interruptions over, our next target was the boundary stream. This, though, was in a valley of remarkably vertiginous proportions. We considered the drop and christened it ‘Valley of Death’ (though it is more properly known as High Park Hollow)! A path along the top edge of the valley proved illusory, fizzling out before we had gone far and requiring us to climb back into the field again, over the fence. Before we did, a Small Heath...

photo: John Martin

and a Field Grasshopper...

photo: John Martin

posed in the gorse which fringed the drop.

Back in the field again, more gorse finally produced a couple of Gorse Shieldbug nymphs.

By this time the group had fragmented, with people heading in various different directions. A couple of determined souls found another, only marginally less alarming route downwards and finally made it to the stream. Here Water Mint was flowering, attracting insects which included Volucella pellucens, a large, black and white hoverfly which used to be quite reasonably known as the Great Pied Hoverfly but has now been re-christened as the Pied Plumehorn.

photo: John Martin

Another hoverfly was also enjoying the flowers. I wonder if Syritta pipiens would be pleased to know that it has been labelled the Common Compost Fly? Mind you, the next fly in the book is called the Hairy Thickleg, so perhaps it got off lightly?

photo: John Martin

A Grayling was also seen down by the stream, somewhat surprisingly, but not photographed. A Speckled Wood was more co-operative.

photo: John Martin

Back up in the fields, the direction of travel was homing in on our starting point at the house. Smaller creatures were being vacuumed from the undergrowth. This is that rarest of things, a distinctive mite, Leptus trimaculatus.

The small wasp known properly as Callitula pyrrhogaster but christened by us “The Boy” had been common in vacuum samples all day. The red abdomen and vestigial wings are unique in combination.

Today we also found its fully winged relative Callitula bicolor, which has been named (can you guess?) the Winged Boy. It hardly needs saying that they can both be either male or female…

Time to head back to our hosts through the golden grass, occasionally punctuated by the lilac-blue of Harebells…

…and a return taxi ride back to the village hall. But not before we were served some delicious cookies by our hosts. A fine end to a very enjoyable day.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Treflach Microclimate

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 13:12:52 +0000

Wednesday 12th August 2026, Treflach Farm

Another week, another parched landscape…

There is something about Treflach Farm, in the Oswestry Uplands. Our visits seem to provoke extreme weather. The most recent, last September, coincided with such dismal wetness that most participants made late decisions to stay at home instead. We have also previously visited in extreme heat, causing an early start and finish. Now, here we were again on another very hot, energy-sapping day. Emerging from our cars we spied the adjacent Community Garden, an area which I don’t remember us examining on previous visits and made straight for it. It promised flowers and some greenery, all at close proximity. The sweeping views were an added bonus!

photo: Keith Fowler

Visible in the second photo above are some of the various brassicas which were being grown, some netted, some not. All were attracting squadrons of Small Whites.

We spent some time in this area, where a few of the finds were photographed, including the Common Batman Fly, Myathropa florea (note the black markings on the thorax).

photo: Keith Fowler

Ladybirds were generally hard to find on the day, but one plant produced a clutch of 22-spots.

An unusual find was this pair of Thrips. These insects defy easy identification. They seem to be a species in the Aeolothrips genus, but beyond that we cannot say.

Time to move on. The heat was already becoming arduous. From here, most of the site was downhill: good to begin with, but with the inevitable and unavoidable consequences of an uphill return. A second garden area detained us briefly.

photo: Keith Fowler

Some even braved the polytunnel, but not for long!
Onwards and downwards. The field at the bottom of the site is damp and marshy, with an excellent pond. An oasis in a desert landscape. Last September this area was very wet indeed. We anticipated it being rather less so today, though it was still encouragingly green.

photo: Keith Fowler

Plodding through the parched fields, grasshoppers sang and jumped about at our feet. My attention was caught by an attractive Meadow Grasshopper in pink and green livery.

Pink morphs seem to have some sort of increased prevalence in hot and sunny conditions, though this is far from a straightforward relationship. At any rate, a Field Grasshopper with a pinkish flush (though not by any means a proper pink morph) also appeared during the day.

Continuing downwards, the pesticide free approach to animal husbandry was demonstrated by the variety of life to be found on the cowpats. Obsidentify suggests that this fly is Neomyia cornicina

There were also numerous Sepsid flies running around, waggling their wings in typical fashion. This might be a Nemapoda species.

The pats were also full of holes created by beetles.

These appeared to be a species of Water Scavenger Beetle, literally swimming about in the fresh, liquid matter. Lovely! Sphaeridium scarabaeoides looks like a good possible identification.

We reached the wetland and found that it was still very respectably wet. One of the first finds in this area was a Crucifer Shieldbug.

photo: John Martin

A spider, Larinoides cornutus, was also swept from the vegetation. This species has a known association with water.

photo: John Martin

Another species associated with water is the, ahem, Water Ladybird. This is one:

Several species of Dragonfly were patrolling, including a couple of male Emperor Dragons who had periodic dogfights when their paths crossed.

The group had become slightly separated at this point but most lunched here, by the pond. To add to the enervating heat, the dampness produced something which felt like 100% humidity, so the option of lunch sat in the shade was welcomed with enthusiasm. This turned out to be almost the end of our useful efforts on the day (some of us, ie yours truly, had barely done anything useful from the beginning if truth be told). Some characteristic plants were photographed, including a horsetail, Equisetum palustre

photo: John Martin

and Water Plantain.

photo: John Martin

A little more searching was done before we steeled ourselves for the uphill return, which seemed much more dauting than it looks in this view over the pond!

photo: John Martin

Many thanks to our hosts for allowing permission for this return visit, on a day which was severely curtailed by the prevailing conditions.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Wet Heath, Dry Heath

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 11 Aug 2026 17:01:39 +0000

Wednesday 5th August 2026, Whixall Moss

The above photo shows how uncharacteristically brown the moss has become in this continuing drought. It hardly needs saying that the water level was exceptionally low, which allowed us to explore parts of the site which would normally be treacherously, or indeed impossibly boggy.
But I am getting ahead of the day’s events. Parking in the Morris Bridge car park, we took the usual long, straight track from there onto the moss. At the start of it is a cottage and garden, complete with several Buddleias, which were covered in insects, including two Hummingbird Hawkmoths.

photo: John Martin

We hadn’t got very far along the track before the first of the mosses’ specialist creatures made an appearance: juvenile Raft Spiders, Dolomedes fimbriatus were quite numerous in the herbage. Already quite large, their green legs showed that they were not adult. They would get bigger yet! This one has caught dinner:

Here is a close-up, for all you spider-lovers out there. Who couldn’t be enchanted by those eyes?

Prolonged dry weather is not good for most spider species, so it was good to see these juveniles in decent numbers. Many common species are not faring well though, making it quite an event to see supposedly common species such as the Four-spot Orbweaver…

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

… and Garden Spider in the vegetation alongside the track.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

The splendid little jumping spider Evarcha falcata made another Wednesday appearance,

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

as did the harvestman Dicranopalpus ramosus, another organism which has now been relegated to the status of ‘agg.’ as it is realised that more than one species is hiding inside apparently identical exteriors.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Further excitement appeared at this point, in the form of several big (queen bumblebee-sized) flies: Tachina grossa.

photo: John Martin

The track progressed towards and into a small woodland, where several beetle species appeared. The tortoise beetle Cassida rubiginosa was the first.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett
22-spot ladybirds

For various reasons weevils don’t feature in these reports as frequently as they used to. Here is just a single offering, by way of partial compensation: Rhinoncus pericarpius.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Hemiptera were well represented in the woods…
The Rhopalid bug, Corizus hyoscyami

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Birch Shieldbug

Hairy Shieldbug

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Tree Damsel Bug

and Marsh Damsel Bug.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We were nearly through the woods and out onto the moss proper, but not before we had played a game of ‘Spot the Toadlet’ on the track. There is one in the below photo. Can you spot it?

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Out on the moss, the main tracks have been populated at intervals by these rather ingenious and informative information posts.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

I had emerged ahead of the rest of the group. No sooner had I done so than a Hummingbird Hawkmoth flashed past me, hovered speculatively for a moment and then put down in a sunny spot on the ground for a rest. How different they look when they are grounded!

In due course the rest of the group emerged. We spent a short while beating, sweeping and vacuuming but that time of the day was approaching. Though the weather was intermittently sunny, the cloudy spells were accompanied by a surprisingly strong, cool breeze. Ineffectual attempts to find a sheltered lunch spot were made before we gave up and camped on the main track, hoping that the fringing saplings would offer some shelter (which they almost did).
During a rather extended lunch break, some of the party decided to explore an adjacent area of the moss which would certainly have been out of bounds in normally damp circumstances. We did of course, have special permissions for the day to allow us to wander off limits like this. Some of the characteristic plants of the mosses were present here:
Royal Fern

photo: Neil Nash

Bog Asphodel

photo: John Martin

Round-leaved Sundew

Bog Rosemary

photo: John Martin

Cross-leaved Heath.

photo: John Martin

This last is an indicator of suitability for the Bog Bush-cricket. My bat detector told me that males were singing all around, but they proved to be fiendishly difficult to spot until finally, a male gave himself away:

Most individuals have the fancy green highlights which can be seen above, but some lack them, as per this one, who was spotted later on in the day:

There was also time for a bit of fungus spotting, this Scleroderma citrinum attracting attention.

photo: John Martin

Back on the main track, the group moved on from the lunch spot, found another likely looking area and stopped to investigate. This is Jim, assiduously inspecting the results of his latest attack on the scenery with his vacuum sampler:

Here is one of the results, a 2mm micro ladybird, Nephus redtenbacheri, the Red-patched Ladybird.

And here is another, an as-yet unidentified rove beetle of similarly tiny dimensions.

Back to ladybirds, Whixall is home to two heathland specialists. We found both. This is one of three Hieroglyphic Ladybirds to appear in our trays. They predate Heather Beetles, among other things, of which there were plenty to keep them well fed.

This is the other heathland specialist, a Heather Ladybird. A scale-insect predator, they can also sometimes turn up in cypress hedges, which are home to several species of scale.

Meanwhile, back at the vacuum sampling department, a number of very notable flies were turning up. Let’s start with a frit fly, Aphanotrigonum nigripes. This is only the second Shropshire record and nationally it is very infrequently recorded, though this doubtless just under-recording rather than actual rarity, as it’s considered common on the continent in wet meadows and bogs. It’s very small and probably only really captured via suction sampling.

photo: Nigel Jones

Next, Opomyza lineatopunctatas. Not a county first, having previously been recorded at Whixall and Wem Mosses, but the most recent county record is as long ago as 1995.

photo: John Martin

The vacuums also captured Stilpon sublunatus, a species only previously recorded in Shropshire at Whixall in 1988 and described by our Dipterist as “a really tiny dark wing-marked fly” though sadly I don’t have a photo to prove it!
Not captured by the vacuum, but captured by a photographer, was yet another very notable fly, the cranefly Idioptera linnei.

photo: John Martin

Until it was discovered at Hodnet Heath in similar Sphagnum-dominated wet habitat, the Fenns/Whixall/Wem moss NNR was its only known Shropshire location. Shropshire remains the most southerly extent of this species in Britain.
We move away from flies and on to dragonflies. Our visit was too late for White-faced Darters, but just right for our smallest dragonfly species, the Black Darter. This male is respectably living up to its name.

Whereas this is a not very black at all female.

photo: John Martin

Other Odonata included Four-spotted Chaser…

photo: Neil Nash

…and Emerald Damselfly.

photo: John Martin

A spider, Micaria pulicaria.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We finish with Lepidoptera. Our lunch break was enlivened by yet another Clouded Yellow fly-by. It even landed briefly, but only to tease the photographers, disappearing at speed before anyone could aim a camera at it. More accommodating was this Painted Lady, which perched in a beating tray to pose for portraits.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Small Tortoiseshells have undergone a dramatic and much debated decline in recent decades, so it is always nice to see one these days.

photo: John Martin

Holly Blues seem to be having a good year.

photo: Neil Nash

And finally… no visit to the mosses would be complete without a healthy crop of Beautiful Yellow Underwing larvae, beaten from the heather. Or indeed just spotted at rest in it.

photo: Neil Nash

But today, as our day drew to a close, a bonus: an adult, demonstrating just how appropriately they are named.

A pleasing end to a very good day, which also included sightings of Marsh Harrier, Curlew and other notable birds. Many thanks to Natural England for allowing us permission to survey this important site.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Bizarre Genitalia

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:06:54 +0000

Before we touch down in the Shropshire Hills AONB, I have a late arrival to announce from last week’s foray into north Herefordshire. Identification work continues for some time after visits have taken place of course, and this has revealed a scarce Dolichopodid fly hiding in the catch: Rhaphium antennatum. Here he is:

photo: Nigel Jones

Wednesday 29th July 2026, Coppice Farm, Rattlinghope

This farm, in a valley through which the Bilbatch Brook flows, is undertaking a rewilding project over part of its land. A sign to that effect, with contact details, was spotted by a member of our organising committee, contact made and now, here we were on another warm, dry day. Parking in a field, the general aim was downwards, towards the brook.

photo: Keith Fowler

The parched remains of the grass were inspected as we descended and to my slight surprise were found to have not one but three species of grasshopper bouncing about in them (approximately three more than I was expecting). From left to right they are Common Green (female), Field (male) and Meadow (female).

The brook and its adjoining wetland were reached, and activities commenced in earnest. What a diligent lot we are!

photo: Jill Key

An early find from the vacuum sampler was a Red Marsh Ladybird

Another beetle, not vacuumed, was a near-lookalike, but actually a flea beetle, Neocrepidera transversa.

photo: John Lyden

This is Cassida flaveola, one of the tortoise beetles.

Next, three photos of two micromoths. The first is Epinotia tenerama.

photo: John Martin

The next two are both Argyresthia goedartella, the Bronze Alder Moth, which exists in two very different forms.

photo: John Lyden

A couple more of the very many finds in this area were this early instar Red Admiral larva, from the nettles

And a bug, Drymus brunneus, found lurking under a piece of bark on the ground, under the alders.

All this diligence generates an appetite. Time for lunch!

photo: John Lyden

As we ate, we were able to contemplate a fine view of the cars in which we had arrived a couple of hours previously, about 50m away. Let it not be said that we rush things… But eventually it was time to move on. Back up into the fields we climbed, then tracked the brook until we reached the next area of wetland. This route took us past a widening of the brook which formed a pond, which some people stopped to examine, while others continued towards the next destination. Patches of thistles en route attracted the now inevitable quota of Painted Ladies.

There follows a selection of images of creatures found somewhere around this part of the day, though precise times and locations are not known for all. To begin with, the cheerful sight of a Small Copper, this one on a hybrid mint, Mentha x piperita.

photo: John Martin

Sneezewort.

photo: John Martin

A pair of Kite-tailed Robberflies, in the process of making more Kite-tailed Robberflies.

A Tortoise Bug, continuing the seeming resurgence of this species this year.

photo: Neil Nash

A Blood-vein moth.

photo: Neil Nash

Two dragonflies. Firstly, a Common Darter.

photo: John Lyden

Next a very mature female Black-tailed Skimmer.

photo:Neil Nash

Our Dipterist chanced upon some prime fly habitat: a very old deer carcass (species unknown, though I spotted a Roe race across the top of the field and vault the fence some minutes earlier). Whether this produced any notable flies I can’t say, but it did reveal a handsome rove beetle, Ontholestes murinus.

Arriving at the wetland, the second tortoise beetle species of the day showed itself, this one Cassida viridis, the Green Tortoise Beetle.

photo: Liz Roberts

Altogether stranger was this sight, several feet up a tree:

Crayfish claws, sadly but inevitably those of the pestilential alien Signal Crayfish. They had presumably been eaten by something which had hauled them up the tree to eat in safety, which is some sort of small compensation for them being there in the first place. Though if it was a Mink which had eaten them, very small compensation indeed.
We moved through the alders and into the wetland proper.

photo: Jill Key

But not before this leaf beetle had been captured, Plagiosterna aenea, a species which is associated with alders.

There seems to be a law whereby the smaller a moth is, the longer its name becomes. Which brings us to Ochsenheimeria taurella…

photo: John Martin

Moving through the vegetation, a small, open stretch of the brook appeared.

photo: Liz Roberts

Here, Golden-ringed Dragonflies were perching and patrolling. This very confiding species always allows a close approach for photos.

So confiding in fact that when Jim moved from his seat, one soon appropriated it for its own use. Comparing photos, the wing damage shows that these were two different individuals.

photo: John Martin

More crayfish remains were found.

photo: Neil Nash

Other species photographed included a sedge: Carex piulicaris.

photo: John Martin

A large Tachinid fly, Tachina fera, one of several seen in the area.

photo: John Martin

A female Long-winged Conehead. Both this and the first damp area were full of singing Roesel’s Bush-crickets, but they remained stubbornly out of sight. Coneheads were fewer in number, but proved easier to see.

This area proved to be quite rich in shieldbugs. Here is a Bishop’s Mitre.

These are Hairy Shieldbugs hatchlings, fresh out of their eggs.

A big bruiser of a bumblebee attracted attention. This is a female Bombus rupestris, the Red-tailed Cuckoo Bee, the nest parasite of Bombus lapidarius, the Red-tailed Bumblebee. Note the very dark wings, shiny cuticle and big head. She will attempt to appropriate a nest for herself, turfing out the queen and subjugating the workers to produce her own offspring.

We worked our way along the valley until the point where time was called. Turning back revealed this fine view of the area we had been working in.

photo: Keith Fowler

Back to the brook we plodded, to the territory of the Golden-ringed Dragons. A largish stone was turned over speculatively and bingo! This intimidating beast was revealed, very much alive and in still possession of all of its limbs.

photo: John Martin

Caught out in the open, it stood and threatened. I went in for a closer view.

There is a strange sort of beauty to it, especially in the blue highlighting, but what odd things these non-insects are. Just how many pairs of antennae can you possibly need? It eventually decided that retreat was in order and began moving downstream, demonstrating that crayfish are just as willing move out of the water as in it.

We boggled at this spectacle for a while and in doing so spotted another big crayfish and an absolute tiddler, before finally leaving the wetland and heading back through the fields. This is the view that greeted us as we arrived back at our starting point. A fine end to a fine day.

photo: Keith Fowler

But wait. What of the rather provocative title of this post, I hear you ask. I’ll end as I started, with a microscope image of a dead fly. Fittingly, perhaps, whereas we started with a head and shoulders portrait, we finish at the ‘other end’ of the beast (a different beast, of a different species, found at a different site ie here). In the words of the finder “Attached are the rather bizarre genitalia of the tiny fly Meoneura neottiophila. It has spiky bits sticking out and two brushes of long fine curled hairs. All this on the end of a fly that is about 2.5mm length. Swept from the stream banks at Coppice Farm.”

photo: Nigel Jones

This is the sort of thing that we go out into the field for!! Many thanks to our host for allowing us permission to survey this interesting site.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Happy Valley

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 13:10:07 +0000

Wednesday 22nd July 2026, Mowley Valley, North Herefordshire

At the risk of repeating myself, this was another hot, dry, sunny day. By now, as I hardly need to say, much of the scenery had taken on a distinctly straw-coloured look (and not just because a lot of it was, in fact, straw):

This was an ‘away day’ over the border into Herefordshire, to a large, curving, flat-bottomed valley of the River Arrow, with flood meadows and steep, wooded sides. This extensive site is an active rewilding project and promises much of interest.
Emerging from our vehicles after a longish journey which was further complicated by an unwelcome road closure, it was immediately apparent from the noise that the grassland was full of grasshoppers and crickets. Specifically Roesel’s Bush-crickets (everywhere but nearly impossible to see) and Meadow Grasshoppers. Almost the first insect seen was this particular Meadow Grasshopper.

This species is usually flightless and short winged, especially in the female. But the above female is a macropter – a fully winged, flying form which tends to be produced at high population densities and in prolonged warm weather. This is what a female Meadow Grasshopper usually looks like (like all grasshoppers, colours are very variable):

The first area of exploration for most of the group was an uncut meadow which has had a number of scrapes created at its far end (relative to our entry point). This whole area floods in winter, the scrapes then retaining water for much of the year. We worked our way towards them, around and across the field, wading through enormous numbers of grasshoppers. One particularly eye-catching find en route was this teneral Dock Bug in fetching shades of pink.

photo: John Lyden

In due course the scrapes were reached. A few of us had made a reconnaissance trip here in March, when they were all marvellously full of toadspawn. They looked rather different now, but most were still holding at least some water and revealed themselves to be a bit of a dragonfly-fest. This produced much long-lens-type camera action, with the following results. I hope you like pictures of Odonata…
Emperor Dragonfly

photo: John Martin

Southern Hawker

Black-tailed Skimmer (an accommodating species which perches a lot!)

photo: John Lyden

Common Darter

photo: John Martin

Ruddy Darter

photo: John Lyden

And some damselflies, starting with what I believe is a new one for the site – Emerald Damselfly

photo: John Martin

Common Blue Damselfly

photo: John Lyden

And finally, Blue-tailed Damselfly

All of the above are males. Females tend to keep away from waterbodies until they are ready to mate, to avoid constant harassment from the males.
Odonates didn’t have the airspace all to themselves. Several fledgling Swallows were making low passes over the water, grazing the surface.

The edges of the scrapes also produced interest, including many Slender Groundhoppers

Plus several flies, including the spotty-eyed Hoverfly Eristalinus sepulchralis

photo: John Martin

And a Muscid fly of the genus Lispe.

photo: John Martin

Time to move on, into the valley proper. Here, the meadows had been mown, but pleasingly wide margins left for the wildlife.

photo: John Lyden

Before long we had become rather strung out through this extensive valley, so much so that I lost sight of anyone ahead of, or behind me. Abandoning hope of finding anyone in the near future, I chanced upon a bench, very handily placed in the shade, and broke into my sandwich box. In due course, munching and contemplating the view, I became aware of a small brown bird doing the ‘flycatcher thing’, from a tree on the opposite side of the meadow, at the edge of the woodland. Perched on a high branch, it periodically darted out, caught something then circled back again to its starting point. I aimed my inadequately sized zoom lens at it and captured a distant image, just about good enough to confirm it as a Spotted Flycatcher, with a photo-bombing Treecreeper close by for good measure.

We made our way through the valley in several discrete groups, making any sort of continuous narrative of what happened next impossible. My personal mission for the day was to map all the Orthoptera into the several OS grid squares that we crossed. A couple more grasshoppers did appear (Field and Common Green) plus Oak Bush-cricket and Long-winged Conehead. Meanwhile, others were indulging their own specialisms. Here are just a few images of the many finds that were made. A micro moth, Agriphila tristella

photo: John Lyden

The hoverfly Eristalis nemorum (awarded the disappointingly dull name of Stripe-faced Drone Fly in the new and usually rather florid naming system). Males of this species hover in a characteristic and hopeful way over females (and sometimes any vaguely similar-looking insect), rather like this…

photo: John Martin

A Common Blue butterfly

photo: John Lyden

The day was not without botanical interest, though sadly I am unable to report much of it. But here is Jim, entranced by a fine display of hybrid mint. Well, who wouldn’t be?

photo: John Martin

Combining botany with mycology, this is Pear Rust, Gymnosporangium sabinae.

photo: John Lyden

The day drew on, got hotter, we reached the end (or nearly the end) of the valley and began to flag, conscious that we now had to walk all the way back again. The disparate groups miraculously coalesced and about-turned. Some time on the return journey was spent at a damper area which produced much to keep us occupied, and not only because it was in the shade, though that helped.

And finally… more Clouded Yellows. There were several sightings across the day of perhaps multiple individuals. One dallied long enough to have its image captured as proof.

photo: John Martin

A highly enjoyable day at an exceptional site. Many thanks to our hosts for allowing us to indulge ourselves.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Another Hot Day

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Mon, 20 Jul 2026 18:53:19 +0000

Wednesday 15th July 2026, Llynclys Hill

Holidays and rival field trips reduced the number of participants this week, and the continuing hot weather provoked an earlier than usual finish for those who did make it to Llynclys.
The first task for the small band of attendees was to decide which part of this large site should be the focus of our investigations.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We decided upon Ant-hill Meadow, an area in which a lot of scrub clearance work has recently been undertaken. Reaching it involved a walk along a wooded path which provided some welcome shade. The most striking feature of this woodland was the extensive carpet of Dog’s Mercury under the trees, all of it laid flat and wilted due to the heat and dryness.
Arriving in the meadow, the grass was predictably dry and parched.

Despite this, butterflies were numerous, the most numerous of the lot being Gatekeepers

Others present in good numbers included Meadow Browns and Ringlets, various whites and a couple of Common Blues

For some time it seemed that we might have a rare, Painted Lady-free day. But no, one materialised on the knapweed.

Among the other, larger and more conspicuous invertebrates, multiple Common Green Grasshoppers could be heard (this one is a ‘brown form’ male).

Plus similarly abundant Field Grasshoppers.

Common Greens prefer a damper, more humid microclimate than other common grasshopper species, which makes me wonder how they will fare in the long term. There is already anecdotal evidence of their decline in southern England as summers become warmer and drier. On the other hand, Field Grasshoppers like it dry and hot. They must be loving it!

Our attention turned to the smaller invertebrates. We start with a parasitised aphid, found on oak. These identifications are a bit tentative, but the aphid may be Tuberculatus querceus and its parasite a Praon species, possibly flavinode.

photo: John Lyden

Two micro moths were found here, both recorded rather infrequently. First we have the Hypericum Neb, Oxypteryx atrella (classified as ‘local’). It feeds on St John’s Wort, of which there was plenty in the meadow.

photo: John Lyden

Whilst this is Hellinsia osteodactylus, the Small Goldenrod Plume (‘Uncommon’).

photo: John Lyden

Still with moths, though somewhat bigger, we were pleased to see a couple of Six-spot Burnets on the wing.

We move on to bugs. This year has seen an increase in the number of Tortoise Bugs that we have encountered and today was no exception. Here is an adult, swept from the vegetation.

And here are some of the several nymphs which were vacuumed over the day.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Talking of the vacuums, they were hard at work and producing finds aplenty as usual. Here are just a few of them, all Hemiptera save the final one, which is a wingless species of Psocoptera (a barkfly).

Myrmus miriformis

Ant Damsel Bug nymph

lacebug, Derephysia foliacea

Mocydiopsis attenuata

Cymus glandicolor. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

barkfly, Bertkauia lucifuga

Other finds included this weevil, Trichosirocalus troglodytes.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Several spiders were also photographed. The familiar Garden Spider, Araneus diadematus

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

The Buzzing Spider, Anyphaena accentuata

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Finally a jumping spider, Evarcha falcata.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Time for lunch, taken in the shade of a handily placed tree. While we ate, we contemplated several hawker dragonflies which circled relentlessly over us. I attempted photos but was utterly defeated by them, so their identities will remain mysterious. A Hummingbird Hawkmoth also zipped about in front of us for a while and proved similarly impossible to photograph. Lunch over, the keenest member of the group headed off into the quarries. The rest of us dallied, mostly, I think, due to my ongoing but fruitless photography efforts. Our minds were eventually returned to the task in hand by a message from our advanced party – Silver-washed Fritillaries in Upper Butcher’s Quarry! Off we hurried (well, staggered slowly upwards in the heat). Some minor directional confusion in the trees notwithstanding, the quarries were ultimately achieved. Good and less good news followed. The good news? The butterflies were putting on a fine display. The less good news: it seemed to be about 10 degrees hotter in there, the sun beating directly into the rocky amphitheatre. We soon flagged, but did get some fine views of the fritillaries

At some point a couple of particularly long-legged harvestman species appeared and were photographed: Leiobunum rotundum...

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

...and Opilio canestrinii.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

The trees produced several Tree Damsel bugs, both female...

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

...and male

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Some more vacuuming was done but before long an unspoken group lethargy became universal and the day drew to a rather premature, but hot, close. Rather than slog back uphill, we exited downwards through Lower Butcher’s Quarry. Here, Meadow Grasshoppers were present in numbers, along with Fragrant Orchids and one of the twayblades. The day’s third micro moth of note also appeared here, Nemophora minimella, the Small Scabious Longhorn (‘Rare’), helpfully sitting on its larval foodplant (Devil's- bit Scabious). Llynclys Common is the only known Shropshire site for this moth, with three records, all this century.

Small Scabious Longhorn. Photo: John Lyden

From here, our route took us out onto the road and back to the parking spot. A shortened, but enjoyable day. Thanks to Shropshire Wildlife Trust for allowing us to survey this varied nature reserve.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Cloudless Skies, Clouded Yellows

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 14:50:28 +0000

Before we arrive in Bicton, a brief return to Middle Spoad. The wonders of the IT age caused some photos of last week’s visit to arrive late, as they spent a couple of days loafing about in cyberspace before landing in my inbox….
You may remember the exceptional haul of creatures that were extracted from the River Clun. Well, here is another one: a River Limpet

Near, rather than actually associated with it, was a Walnut Orb-weaver spider

And this is a shot of what remained of the otherwise dry pond that was examined at the end of the day. The low water level had caused the pond-dipping platform to assume rather vertiginous proportions!

Photographs © Liz Roberts

Wednesday 8th July 2026, Dingle Farm, Bicton

This week saw a return visit to an arable farm, with free range chickens, sheep & Zebu cattle among other animals, and bounded to the north by the River Severn. It was another hot, sunny day, so we were keenly aware that there was also significant, shady woodland on site. Which was just as well, because the arable looked like this:

We nevertheless began in the fields, but chose a spot at the margin of one which was shaded by a line of mature trees. These were, of course, examined (from the shaded side) and produced a couple of photogenic species.
Hazel Leaf-roller

Oak Bush-cricket (a female nymph).

Down at ground level, vacuuming produced Target Number One from the grassy margin: The Boy aka Callitula pyrrhogaster

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Among a number of bugs were Capsus ater

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a Hairy Shieldbug

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Two small ladybirds next. Firstly a 16-spot

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Next an even smaller ‘micro’ species, Scymnus haemorrhoidalis, the Red-rumped Ladybird

A Swollen-thighed beetle (this one is a female; only males have the big thighs)

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Oulema obscura,

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a spider, Neottiura bimaculata.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Meanwhile, some of us had retraced our steps to the polytunnels, bravely (or insanely) intent on examining them before the day heated them up any further. The only invertebrate which I photographed before escaping to the outside world, which suddenly seemed remarkably cool in comparison, was a Painted Lady larva, chomping its way through what I think was a Globe Artichoke but might have been a Cardoon. Either way, something like a giant thistle, their usual foodplant of choice.

Next destination was the farm’s dung heap, something else which generates heat. What was I thinking?? My target was the Lesser Earwig, a species which lives in such places. Within a couple of minutes I’d seen one but it dived into the depths and was gone. Much further fruitless searching followed before Sonia, our host, spotted one, a female, and grabbed her. And here she (the earwig) is.

Triumph! Sonia departed to clean up, having bravely gone in bare handed. I removed my gloves and did similar. I’d just about finished when I received a call: back at the polytunnels a Clouded Yellow had appeared on the thistles and was posing, slightly skittishly, for photos. Off I hurried. It was still there. Some mediocre shots of it sat on the thistles having been bagged, attempts were then made to capture it in flight. This proved to be rather challenging, my best being this one of it about to exit from view. There is a similarly flighty skipper in there too.

Oh, and who had initially spotted it and raised the alarm? Sonia, of course!

Time moved on and the day grew hotter. A plan was hatched to move to the shade of the woodland near to the river. This would also serve as the lunch spot. Our baggage was ferried across the parched fields in the farm’s Land Rover, as indeed were some of the participants. Others walked it, slightly downhill and relieved of the burden of their backpacks. Arriving at our destination, the field margin against the woods was a sea of flowers, mostly thistles.

photo: Keith Fowler

Butterflies abounded here, particularly Painted Ladies.

photo: John Martin

Also spotted here were several White-legged Damselflies, a sign of the proximity of the river.

Other, vital items had also been ported in the Land Rover: a magnificent lunch, laid on by our hosts! As we had also brought our own lunches, an extremely jolly time was had over the next hour! We didn’t, in truth, move a great deal for the rest of the day, the attractions of the shade and the food rather outweighing the desire to explore. But our spot did have a river view…

photo: Keith Fowler

…complete with a small, sandy beach which we explored instead. This beach afforded views of duelling male Banded Demoiselles, as well as more White-legged Damselflies.

It also produced some finds for the vacuum, notably this ground beetle, Asaphidion curtum.

Further finds from either the beach or the adjacent woodland included Pithanus maerkelii

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A rove beetle, Tachyporus obtusus

Another rove, Tachynus cf rufipes

And a spider weevil, Exomias araneiformis.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Late in the day a large harvestman was captured and proved fiendishly tricky to identify. Eventually, after much scrutiny and photography, it has been declared to be a female Mitopus morio.

With that, we exited the woods and reverse-migrated across the fields, some using the Land Rover, others under their own steam. Those on foot were rewarded for their efforts by an encore Clouded Yellow performance. The same one? A different one? Who knows? It appeared, posed on a thistle and was gone again. A super end to a hot, not very active but thoroughly enjoyable day. Many thanks to our hosts for allowing us to do what we do and for feeding us, transporting us, and finding most of the best finds!

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Shingle Tingles

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:46:34 +0000

Wednesday 1st July 2026, Middle Spoad, Newcastle on Clun

Our visit this week took us to a former farm, through which the River Clun flows. This floods the meadows in winter and has a defining influence on the character of the land. The mature hedgerows and trees include willows and alders, plus several Black Poplars.
We began our investigations in a particularly scenic meadow, though we had crossed a bridge over the River Clun to get there, noting the extensive areas of exposed river shingle as we did so.

The meadow was made all the more attractive in the July sunshine by good numbers of butterflies.

Small Skipper

(both Small and Essex Skippers were present, but only the former was photographed)

Ringlet

Meadow Brown. Photo: John Martin

Small Tortoiseshell

Painted Lady

Aside from the several adult Painted Ladies, a nearly full-grown larva was spotted on knapweed.

Painted Lady larva

This provoked closer scrutiny of thistles (their usual first choice foodplant), where several others were subsequently found.
The many other finds from the grassland areas included this Tachinid fly, Phasia pusilla

photo: Nigel Jones

And a number of hoverflies including Eristalis intricaria.

photo: John Martin

Meanwhile, the grasses themselves were being scrutinised, and two parasitic fungi noted. This is Epichloe typhina (‘Choke’) on False Oat Grass

photo: John Lyden

And this is Ustilago filiformis (a cereal smut) on Glyceria maxima.

photo: John Lyden

While investigations of the grassland continued, others moved to the margins and sampled the hedges. This revealed a couple of bug species in particular abundance: Heterotoma planicornis

And nymphs of the Tree Damselbug, Himacerus apterus

The attractive nymph of Deraeocoris ruber was too smart not to be photographed.

Among the many insects extracted from the oaks were a Forest Bug

And the micro moth Carcina quercana.

At this point we reach the first of several county firsts recorded on the day. The Black Poplars, notable organisms in themselves, were hosting a ‘pouch gall’ Pemphigus populinigrae, not previously recorded in Shropshire.

photos: John Lyden

A Kidney-spot Ladybird larva was beaten from one of the many willows

Continuing the river-influenced theme, various sizes of yellow sally stonefly were absolutely ubiquitous in everything we beat or swept.

Moving closer to the river, Alder Tongue Gall was recorded.

photo: John Lyden

The Alders were not having an easy time of it – these galls are caused by Taphrina sadebeckii. This has been recorded in Shropshire only once before, last century and at the other end of the county in Colemere.

photo: John Lyden

I stated above that we began our investigations in the meadows. This is not entirely correct. Our Dipterist was so taken with the river shingle that he made straight for it and then spent much of his day in it.

photo: Keith Fowler

Others joined him later. To me, river shingle means 5-spot Ladybirds, a scarce species in Britain. In Shropshire it has been recorded a couple of times, in river shingle at the Welsh edges of the county, often frustratingly on the wrong (ie Welsh) side of the river! Well, there weren’t any, at which point my interest waned, beyond snapping a male Beautiful Demoiselle.

It is fortunate that the rest of the group was more diligent, because this habitat turned out to be a goldmine of super finds. To begin with, here is a Giant Lacewing, Osmylus fulvicephalus, a most splendid creature. Most of the relatively small number of Shropshire records of this species are from the Wyre Forest and this seems to be the first one from anywhere in the southwest of the county.

A Figwort Sawfly was taken from the figwort growing on the shingle.

photo: Nigel Jones

More strongly associated with shingle or river sediment were the spider hunting wasp Anoplius concinnus, with dozens of males seen running around over a raised bed of gravel, a very local shore fly species, Athyroglossa glabra and an equally local horsefly species, Tabanus cordiger.

Tabanus cordiger. Photo: John Martin
Next, Alliopsis pilitarsis, another county second record, but of a very scarce fly with very few records nationally.

photo: Nigel Jones

And finally (for the exposed river shingle) three notable beetles. The first two are both county first records: the little click beetle Zorochros minimus

photo: Caroline Uff

And the rove beetle Philonthus rubripennis.

photo: Caroline Uff
Also found was the ground beetle Bembidion decorum, a third county record, but the first in recent times. What a day!

But we were not done yet. Dragging ourselves from the shingle and the meadows, we headed off to a pond. Sadly, but predictably given the weather, it was almost completely dry. It did admit to a couple of noteworthy finds though, including this Iris Sawfly larva, Rhadinoceraea micans.

photo: John Martin

In the herbage next to the irises was a Poplar Hawkmoth, doing its best dead-leaves impression.

A short distance from this, another hawkmoth was spotted – an Elephant Hawkmoth.

And finally... to round the day off, a bug which was only recorded in Shropshire for the first time a couple of Wednesdays ago at Wildegoose Nursery made a second appearance: Liorhyssus hyalinus.

An exceptional day. Many thanks to our hosts for allowing us to indulge ourselves so richly.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Hot, Tiring but Rather Splendid

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 15:35:58 +0000

Wednesday 24^th June 2026, Green Acres Farm, Kemberton

This, our second visit to Green Acres Farm, produced a Joy of Wildlife first: an 8:30am start, with the intention of avoiding the afternoon heat, forecast to be over 30 Celsius. Indeed, it was touching that number as we left around 1pm.
Green Acres has been organic for 26 years. We had such a good time last year (despite on that occasion cowering against intermittent deluges!) that we were always going to ask to be allowed back.

A prominent feature of the fields is the amount of conservation wildflower planting which has taken place, both around the edges and also around and between the sapling trees which have been planted in widely spaced rows over a significant part of the farm. We began in a flower-rich area near to the farm buildings. Even though it was not yet 9am, the temperature was already in the region of 24 Celsius and the flowers were buzzing with bees and flies – a heartening sight. The hovers ranged from the very familiar Marmalade Fly, Episyrphus balteatus here on a Corn Marigold

To the large, migrant species Scaeva pyrastri (or White-bowed Smoothwing, if you will), on a mayweed species.

photo: John Martin

Potato Capsid bugs were also out in numbers, sitting mainly in thistles.

A birch in the boundary of this area produced a mating pair of Parent Bugs.

There are two ponds near to this area. We spent some time watching the dragon-and damselflies, including Emperors, Four-spotted and Broad-bodied Chasers, patrolling and dog-fighting over them. But eventually we moved on, into the fields proper, where we were met by the rather splendid sight of the aforementioned rows of saplings trees, almost completely submerged by flowers:

As you can see, their edges were vacuumed. They were also attacked with nets of various sorts. But there was also a lot of standing and watching. It was good to see a few Small Tortoiseshells about.

photo: John Martin

Meanwhile, above us the sounds of Corn Buntings and Skylarks filled the air. I tried to photograph them both. The larks evaded me but the buntings, sat on the overhead wires, eventually allowed a close enough approach for half-decent images

Back on the ground, the flower strips continued to hold our attention. But at the edge of the field I spotted a Scots Pine on the boundary.

It produced several ladybirds, including Pine,

10-spot

And Larch, albeit this one in larval form.

Plus a Pine Cone Bug

And a Forest Bug.

Finds at ground level included this very smart rove beetle. Sadly I don’t have an identification for it.

This area also produced a rather significant fly, as described by Nigel:

“I have one very nice record for a fly that is strongly associated with veteran trees. Madiza pachymera is designated as Nationally Scarce. Shropshire is a bit of a hot spot for it with previous records from Attingham Park, Millichope Park and Westcott (near Millichope). I swept the specimen off trees along the roadside edge of the agri-forestry field near the farm buildings. I noticed a number of very nice large oaks around the farm, so it is quite plausible the fly came from one of those, if not, most likely it came from an old tree on nearby land. This is the first time I have found this very scarce fly other than by flight interception traps put up in veteran trees.”

We could have spent the rest of the day inspecting these margins. But the time had come, and some of us made a break for the other side of the field, ostensibly as a route to an area of acid grassland farther on, but also because it offered the prospect of some enticing shade from the already energy-sapping sun and heat. But… the flowery splendour inevitably caused distractions.

Among the showier blooms there were subtler delights, including this Heath Groundsel.

photo: John Martin

Reaching the shade of the boundary at last, the trees were examined. Among the finds, a female Oak Bush-cricket nymph was tapped from the foliage

But a Black and Yellow Longhorn (Rutpela maculata) needed nothing more than patience while it hovered about indecisively, trying to decide where it wanted to land. It eventually rejected all the available hogweed and settled on a spent rose instead. I suppose it knew what it was doing!

The ultimate aim of our trek came into sight: the acid meadow. This needed to be climbed into, over a gate which had been tied closed with rope. On sloping ground and with an interesting sandy cliff at the top end, it was home to Roesel’s Bush-crickets

And Field Grasshoppers.

In Nigel’s words: “The bare banks and mini-sand cliff in the acid meadow had quite a lot of solitary bee and wasp activity. I was only able to capture a few specimens, but these features will very likely host a good range of nesting solitary bees and solitary wasps.”
The thistles therein were being carefully inspected by a rather faded Painted Lady. I think she was ovipositing, but when I managed to capture a picture of her she was doing nothing more than having a breather atop an unopened flowerhead.

At this point there was a rare appearance by a mammal (other than a human), who came in, had a look at us, decided they didn’t particularly approve of us and legged it again…

The remainder of our day involved a return to the main group. Unfortunately, this meant an uphill slog in the full glare of the sun. We arrived panting, to find them huddled in the shade – the same trees that during last year’s visit had sheltered us from a ferocious and very wet storm. They had of course been busy, some of their many finds including both Small and Essex Skipper butterflies, numerous bugs and, inevitably, “The Boy”. Among the bugs was a tiny shieldbug nymph: another Turtle Bug, of a similar size to the one found a fortnight earlier in Shrewsbury.

Those of us who had brought lunch proceeded to eat it in the shade. The rest had to watch! Either way, this was the last action of the day and we made our way back to our vehicles, parked fortuitously in the shade of a barn, and departed before the thermometer rose any higher.

The combination of a day truncated due to the heat, a rather linear progression and lack of photos has produced a shorter than average report. But this very much does not reflect on the quality of this site, which must surely be an exemplar of what can be achieved in farming with the right attitudes and skills. We are very grateful for the opportunity to explore what it has to offer. We will be back…again!

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Calliphorid Bling

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 13:32:35 +0000

Wednesday 17^th June 2026, Wildegoose Nursery, Lower Millichope

photo: Keith Fowler

I was absent for this trip, on a jolly in the Land Of The Giant Earwig (see previous post). The below narrative has been stitched together from the reports of those present, with some paraphrasing thrown in. Thanks and apologies in equal measure to reporters, photographers and readers alike for my shortcomings in this task!
Now, read on…

It was cloudy when we arrived and stayed that way for most of the morning. The sun broke through as we had lunch and the afternoon was sunny and warm. This brought out the hoverflies that will be mentioned in more detail below. Some flowers were buzzing!

A Cream-spot Ladybird came out of one of the hedges.

photo: Keith Fowler

A White Plume Moth came from a vac done near to the larger waste area

photo: John Martin

and a Painted Lady was hanging around the area where we had lunch.

photo: John Martin

An interesting find was the Milichiid fly Desmometopa sordida. This species is often a commensal of crab spiders (Thomisus and Misumena species), riding on the spiders and sucking their prey. Image of head attached. These tiny 2mm flies are rather distinctive with deeply scooped out faces and are not often recorded.

photo: Nigel Jones

A large migration eruption of hoverflies was much in evidence throughout the day with most flowers being attended by numerous hoverflies, mainly of the species Syrphus ribesii, Eupeodes luniger, E. corollae and the Marmalade Hoverfly Episyrphus balteatus. There was also a second county record for Eristalis similis. Other flies, of the non-hover persuasion included male and female Hybomitra bimaculata and the deer fly Chrysops caecutiens.

Marmalade Fly photo: John Martin

In less positive news, what seemed to be a rare migrant hoverfly turned out not to be, whilst our Dipterist fired the potential best fly of the day out of a poly tunnel with deft net skills while trying to obtain it!

Lunch was in one of the most splendid locations JoW has experienced.

photo: Nigel Jones

After lunch some members of the group set out on an expedition to the far corner of the walled garden, where rough growth and compost were rumoured to be present. In these rougher waste areas we felt free to do what we normally do, that is to say, attack the vegetation with beating sticks and sweep nets. Elsewhere, much restraint was exercised! Our Archnologist produced a fine array of finds for the day and this seems to be a suitable point to include some of them. Among them is evidence that the sometimes quoted method of identifying wolf spiders by the colour of their egg-sacs, is unreliable at best.

Araniella curcurbitina (f). Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Araniella curcurbitana (m). Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Pardosa pullata with buff egg-sac. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Pardosa amentata with blue egg-sac. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Pardosa amentata with white egg-sac. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Neottiura bimaculata. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Philodromus cespitus. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Pholcus phalangioides. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Nursery Web Spider. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

A nearby corner, by a wooden hut, produced the bug Liorhyssus hyalinus, which is likely to be first county record for this species.

photo: Keith Fowler

Here is a selection of other species which attracted the attention of the photographers. Firstly, a couple of what used to be known as Arctiid moth species, but are now Erebids.

Scarlet Tiger Moth. Photo: Caroline Uff

Cinnabar Moth larva. Photo: Caroline Uff

Followed by some shieldbugs and allies

Tortoise Bug. Photo: Caroline Uff

Hairy Shieldbug. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Green Shieldbug nymph. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Dock Bug. Photo: Keith Fowler

The licheners took to sleeping on the job, or "inspecting lichens on paving stones" as it is commonly referred to in the lichen trade...

photo: Nigel Jones

The vaccers were diligent…

Deraeocoris flavilinea. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Callitula pyrrhogaster. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

10-spot Ladybird. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Sitona hispidulus. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

…but the rest of the group tended to just stare at the flowers and ignore the little beasties. Net swinging was definitely gentle and beating restricted to gentle persuasion!!

Wool Carder-bee. Photo: John Martin

Swollen-thighed Beetle. Photo: Keith Fowler

Beautiful Demoiselle (f): Photo: John Martin

Blue-tailed Damselfly (m): Photo: Caroline Uff

At the end of the day great restraint was exercised by some individuals, who managed to escape from the premises having purchased only a few plants each.

A low-key day for once in excellent surroundings.

But what of the bling, I hear you ask! Well, a fabulous Calliphorid fly was spotted in the café, and here is the evidence...

photo: Nigel Jones

Photographs © as noted.

Magnificently Maintained

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 17:08:05 +0000

Before I begin this week's report, I must very sadly convey news of the passing of Jon Delf. Originally from Kent, Jon lived more recently in Cheshire where his skills as an entomologist were employed by Liverpool Hope University. Well known to the Shropshire entomological community, for several years he appeared regularly at Shropshire Invertebrate Group meetings and Shropshire & Worcestershire Entomology Days. I last saw him in October 2025 at the AES Exhibition at Kempton Park Racecourse, where he was in good spirits despite his medical issues. A very sad loss.

Wednesday 10th June 2026, Longden Road Cemetery, Shrewsbury

This week’s trip was a return visit to Longden Road Cemetery, specifically the ‘old’ part of it, which is maintained rather magnificently as a space for wildlife.

photo: Keith Fowler

Continuing a theme which began in Clun a few weeks ago, it contains the grave of a notable Shropshire author, this time Mary Webb.

photo: Keith Fowler

The predominant habitat within the cemetery must be the flower-rich grassland, which was looking splendid in the June sunshine.

So it was not surprising that grassland species featured heavily in our finds. Here is the first, a Common Green Grasshopper, something which we observed as 3rd instar nymphs a fortnight ago at White Grit Meadows and 4th (final) instar nymphs last week in the Ceri Forest. Now, right on cue, we were surrounded by adults, the males singing en masse when the sun shone.

Several grassland shieldbugs were found. Here is the first, a Small Grass Shieldbug, which is always a noteworthy find.

But it was upstaged almost immediately by this rather tiny nymph, which is that of a Turtle Bug, a species which has moved into the county in only the last few years and is still only otherwise known from a handful of sites in the southeast of it.

From turtles to tortoises – a boldly marked Tortoise Bug. This is another grassland shieldbug, which was unknown in Shropshire until a decade or so ago. It then went through a phase of being very commonly found but it feels like we have seen considerably fewer of them in recent times, so it was pleasing to find them as perhaps the commonest shieldbug species here.

And yet another recent incomer – this is a Crucifer Shieldbug nymph.

Now a species which has always been very common, but no less lovely for that: Hairy (or Sloe) Shieldbug.

Staying with the Hemiptera, this tiny hopper is Delphacinus mesomelas, a species of dry grassland, where it feeds on fescues.

The grassland itself was, unsurprisingly, full of interest to our botanist. Here are a couple of its components. Firstly Tor Grass, Brachypodium pinnatum agg.

photo: John Martin

And this is Grey Sedge, Carex divulsa (I admit that it’s a sedge, not a grass!).

photo: John Martin

Returning to invertebrates sitting in daisies, this is a male Bombus vestalis, the Vestal Cuckoo Bee, who’s name gives a clue as to the species’ habits. Cuckoo bees invade the nests of ‘true’ bumblebees, ejecting the queen and appropriating her workers to raise their own offspring.

A smart ground beetle, Pterostichus madidus, attracted the attention of a photographer.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

As did another beetle, this one not a grassland species. It is Ochina ptinoides, the Ivy Boring Beetle.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

“The Boy” (a nickname who's origins are lost in the mists of time, and which may be female) was vacuumed from the grass. More correctly it is Callitula pyrrhogaster, a tiny, parasitic wasp.

Here, continuing an unexpected series, are two species of mite which have admitted to identifications. The first Erythraeus phalangoides,

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

While the second is Leptus trimaculatus.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

More familiar species were observed as the day continued. A Small Tortoiseshell, a species seen in smaller numbers these days that in times past, stopped to have its portrait captured.

photo: John Martin

The first Ringlet of the Summer appeared.

photo: John Martin

Yellow Shells were often to be seen escaping from Ivy and shrubs when they attracted the attention of the beating stick and tray.

photo: Keith Fowler

A sparkling green weevil, Polydrusus Formosus, demanded to be photographed.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Late in the day, another weevil, the Alfalfa Weevil, Hypera postica, was vacuumed from long grass.

Two spiders were photographed: Harpactea hombergi

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a female Neottiura bimaculata, carrying her improbably large egg-sac.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Sawflies are often seen but less often identified. Obsidentify claims this one is Tenthredopsis scutellaris.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Near the end the day, Dioctria baumhaueri, a species of robberfly, was captured and identified.

Another late find was the micro moth (really very micro indeed!) Bucculatrix thoracella. Its common name is variously Lime Tuft or Lime Bent-wing and it was indeed beaten from a large lime tree.

Blastobasis lacticolella, the Large Pale Masoner, was another micro moth identified on the day.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Two more plants drew the attention of our botanist. The rather delicate Campanula persicifolia

photo: John Martin

And the rather less delicate Bergenia x schmidtii.

photo: John Martin

And finally…. The day produced another snakefly! We have been more than usually blessed with them this year. It is a different species, too, than either of those which appeared at The Isle on 20th May, being a female Atlantoraphidia maculicollis.

An excellent day. We are always grateful to be allowed to visit this brilliantly managed burial ground.

Post Script

I beg forgiveness for the late arrival of this blog post. My excuse is that I absconded to foreign climes (northern France) in search of Labidura riparia, the Tawny (or Giant, or Shore or Striped) Earwig. Europe’s largest earwig species, it was formerly present on the south coast of England but became extinct here about a century ago (probably due to, guess what, habitat loss and over-development of the coastline). Did we find it? Very much so! Here is the evidence:

Normal service will (hopefully) be resumed next week…

An Up and Down Day

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 10:44:18 +0000

Wednesday 3rd June 2026, Coed Cwmgolog and Siercwm, Ceri Forest

Managed by Natural Resources Wales, this large, publicly owned woodland is notable for its rides being frequented by Wood White butterflies. To quote directly from the NRW Resources Plan 2026: The tree species composition is largely coniferous, with elements of broadleaves in areas which have been felled and replanted. The total plan area is 1009 hectares. Large parts of Ceri forest are on steep ground in a very exposed position and are susceptible to severe damage in storms. This makes management more challenging and has resulted in some large clearfells to clear up storm damage.

This was another day in which the weather could fairly be described as “changeable”. Though given the miserable conditions upon arrival, we were glad of the later changes!

photo: John Lyden

Waterproofs were donned, concerns about a lack of sufficient layers of clothing were aired and eventually the shelter of the cars was slowly and reluctantly left behind. Our route was downhill, we hoped in altitude only.

One of the first finds was an organism we had seen a few weeks previously in Brineddin Wood, not a million miles away in southwest Shropshire: Phytobia carbonaria, a fly who’s larvae mine the stems of hawthorns and apples. Cutting a hawthorn stem revealed the tell-tale markings in the wood.

Another of the broadleaved tree species in this conifer-dominated landscape is Rowan, present along much of the route we followed. Its unripe berries are home to the larvae of a micro moth, Argyresthia conjugella, which goes by the name of Apple Fruit Moth due to it similarly targeting developing apples. This is the moth:

Around this time a slug was spotted, probably enjoying the weather rather more than we were. The identification is inconclusive but it seems to be good candidate for the Durham Slug, Arion flagellus, also rather excitingly/alarmingly known as the Spanish Stealth Slug!

photo: Keith Fowler

We continued downwards, aiming at the lower rides where Wood Whites had been seen in numbers only recently. Though they would be moribund in the prevailing weather, we hoped they would be found roosting in the vegetation. Reaching the bottom, we continued along the left-hand path at an intersection. But no such luck with the Wood Whites. Fortunately our luck with the weather was rather better. A miraculous parting of the clouds occurred and shortly afterwards the scene looked like this:

Surely this must bring out the Wood Whites? But no. We did come across a cluster of Common Blues though, initially roosting in the grass….

…and then up and about once the sunshine had warmed them up sufficiently. It also brought out our first Large Skippers of the year.

And a few Garden Chafers.

Reaching the farthest point of our explorations we turned and retraced our steps to where we had left some members of the party behind. In so doing we disturbed a couple of Common Green Grasshopper nymphs.

And so back to our sole vacuumer for the day, still diligently suction-sampling the verges near the bottom of the original descent.

Here we pitched camp for lunch. The sun continued to shine and we continued to dry out. When lunch was consumed and packed away a further exploration of the valley bottom was made and behold! A Wood White flew past, paused long enough to show that it was unquestionably a Wood White, and was gone again. And that was that! No photographic evidence was possible I’m afraid.

Some of the finds in this area included Euura bridgmanii galls on Sallow

photo: John Lyden

A March Moth caterpillar on Sycamore

And a Dock Bug on… dock.

We began a slow ascent back to our starting point, with the aim of then continuing onwards in another direction. A Common Groundhopper was spotted at the edge of the track

A flea-weevil, Tachyerges salicis (they really can jump!) was tapped from a Sallow.

And a Hairy Shieldbug was spotted at ground level.

Finds from the vacuum have largely gone under the radar in this report. One nice find was the 2mm micro ladybird Nephus redtenbacheri (the Red-patched Ladybird). This rather odd photo is framed by two fingers holding the glass tube in which it is temporarily residing.

By now the weather was starting to look threatening again. Brief (for the moment) squalls passed through. The now wet again Sallow foliage revealed a pair of Puss Moth eggs.

photo: John Lyden

And then, just as the heavens opened in a particularly meaningful way, an Eyed Hawkmoth was spotted sitting in the grass at the side of the track. What a super sight in the now dismal again light.

Delayed by the hawkmoth and now sopping once more, we trudged onwards and upwards, our leading member, who had unfortunately missed the moth, capturing our ascent.

photo: Clare Boyes

Near the top, and now with only the cars and dryness as aims, we had our third encounter in as many weeks with a Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn beetle.

While the downturn in the weather was not dampening the spirits of a pair of Common Blues.

We made it back to the cars and departed, steaming slightly. A final couple of images will serve to sum the day up. Firstly, here is the same view, taken on arrival and then later when the weather was in one of its more benign moments.

photos: Keith Fowler

And lastly, this is the view which greeted one of our party as he walked home.

photo: John Lyden

This is a site which clearly has much to offer. I’m glad that we were able to appreciate it in the sun for at least part of the day. Many thanks to NRW for allowing us to visit and to do what we do.

Marvellous Meadows

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 11:44:06 +0000

Wednesday 27^th May 2026, White Grit Meadows

White Grit Meadows consist of four wildflower meadows bounded by tall, thick hedgerows, with some small stands of Alder and Goat Willow trees. Part of the White Grit SSSI, these botanically rich meadows lie close to the foot of Corndon Hill, just over the border in Montomeryshire. The meadows are home to good populations of Heath Spotted Orchid, Dyers Greenweed and Devil’s-bit Scabious.

There was a large turnout for this event, which produced the first excitement of the day: badly synchronised car dancing, as people jockeyed for position in the limited space available. Three late(er)comers (no-one was actually late) were eventually banished to a more remote location and made to trudge back to the main group. That will teach them!

Finally, with everyone assembled, the group marched in something approaching unison to the site. The meadows form a backwards ‘L’ shape in plan, our entry point being the meadow in the corner, with one farther meadow to the left and two more ahead (in the vertical bit of the ‘L’ if that makes any sort of sense at all).

photo: Keith Fowler

Some headed into the grassland itself to botanise and indeed everythingelseologise white others headed to the margins to examine those instead. Early finds in the margins included a lovely Apple Fruit Weevil

And an equally lovely Green Hairstreak

Meanwhile, in the meadow, agregations of the micro-moth Micropteryx calthella were spotted in buttercup flowers. This sparkling little moth goes by the common name of Plain Gold, which hardly seems to do it justice.

There was more eye-catching iridescence from a much larger insect, a 15mm or so click beetle which we believe to be Ctenictera pectinicornis. This one is a female; males have fancier antennae. More injustice here, the photo failing to adequately show either the size or the shininess of this impressive insect.

The display of Heath Spotted Orchids did not disappoint, they being abundant in the meadow.

photo: John Martin

Two more grassland moth species seen were Syndemis musculana

And a pristine Mother Shipton

While a stand of gorse in the middle of the field yielded several Gorse Shieldbugs.

Many more finds were made of course but eventually we moved into the second field (working our way up the vertical bit of the back-to-front ‘L’). Not long after our entry into this second field, lunch was declared, a shady spot under the fringing trees being selected. Various butterflies zoomed and fluttered past while we ate, including Painted Ladies, which seem to be about to have one of those ‘Painted Lady Years’ where they appear in big numbers. This immaculate Small Copper proved easier to photograph.

A sure sign that Summer is approaching was the presence of grasshoppers bouncing about around our feet. These all turned out to be Common Greens and at this point in the year they are still nymphs, ranging from tiny 1^st instars to larger 4^th (final) instars. Here are two 3^rd instars, first an uncontroversially green one

And now a more confusingly not-at-all green one. Still a Common Green Grasshopper though!

The top field in the ‘L’ beckoned, its lower hedge affording a good view of the nearby Corndon Hill.

A number of very large flying things were circling it. A precise identification to species level eluded us but my suspicion is that they are related to kites…

Back in the meadow, it was good to see a couple of Six-spot Burnet larvae

A Common Heath moth was another nice sight.

And now, redemption for last week’s worst ever blog post photo. A scrubbier area in the centre of the meadow contained thistles and Hogweed, both hunting grounds for the Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn Beetle, Agapanthia villosoviridescens. And indeed one appeared on cue, but this week it was altogether more in focus. To retain a degree of contrariness, it chose to pose for photos on a nearby fern instead.

A last photo for this field is of a Red-headed Cardinal Beetle which appeared as we were retreating from it (the field, not the beetle).

And so back through the meadows, past our starting point and into the final one at the toe-end of the ‘L’. Red-and-black Froghoppers had been present all day. One finally posed for its portrait.

Another red and black insect had less choice in the matter. It was glued to the spot (and dead). A 7-spot Ladybird which had fallen victim to the parasitic wasp Dinocampus coccinellae, who’s larva lives within the hapless beetle, burrowing out when fully grown and pupating beneath it, the cocoon being attached to the still-living ladybird so that it is forced to stand over it as protection. Remarkably some ladybirds do survive all of this, but they are very much the minority and this one was certainly dead.

There was a definite sense of the day beginning to wind down by this time, as the warmth sapped the strength and will of the participants. There was just time for a Dock Bug to appear in the trays…

Before a second and final burst of sitting in the shade broke out.

photo: Keith Fowler

And so we returned to our vehicles. But a couple of intrepid souls were not yet done. An adjacent piece of access land, just sneaking back over the border into Shropshire, was rumoured to house a population of Petty Whin, rare in, if not actually absent from, Shropshire. And here it is!

photo: John Martin

Finally, a postscript. The subsequent microscope work done on the day’s catch of flies produced the following finds of particular note. As usual, I’ll let Nigel take up the tale…

The Empid fly Rhamphomyia albitarsis

photo: Nigel Jones

and the Sepsid fly (found by Jim) Sepsis duplicata.

photo: Nigel Jones

The Empid is Nationally Scarce and the Sepsid is very infrequently found by JoW, being a very local species. It is easily identified by the abundant long hairs on its mid and hind femora.
I also found three Empis bicuspidata which may be new to Montgomeryshire and has not been recorded in Shropshire.

A thoroughly enjoyable day. Many thanks to the owners for allowing access to this botanically rich and widely interesting site.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Almost Like the Good Old Days

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 26 May 2026 15:39:09 +0000

Wednesday 20^th May 2026, The Isle, Bicton

Our venue this week was return visit to a large, mainly arable farm within a meander of the River Severn, close to Bicton. The farm's practice is to reduce reliance on bagged fertiliser, improve soil health naturally and benefit the natural environment. The hot weather which we are experiencing as I type this had not yet arrived, but the day was nevertheless characterised by very pleasant sunshine and temperatures. What a day! Reader, it was almost like a May day from times past, with constant interest, abundant (by modern standards, anyway) life and hardly a dull moment. One result of this is a bumper crop of photos which, even after some fairly savage culling, has left considerably more than I would usually feature.

The narrative begins in the car park, a venue which often provides interest. Almost the first thing that was spotted was this fine Common Clubtail, fresh from the encircling Severn.

Several other dragons and damsels were also present, perhaps the nicest being a Red-eyed Damselfly, which will have come from the Isle Pool rather than the river.

The car park produced a variety of other finds, giving a hint of what was to come. This hoverfly has been christened the Snouted Duck Fly by someone with a vivid imagination. Its face can’t be seen in the below photo, but it does have quite the schnoz. More scientifically, it is Eurimyia (Anasimyia) lineata.
Another portent of what was to come were these mating 14-spot ladybirds. There was a lot of this sort of thing going on. Perhaps this report should have an Advisory: Parental Guidance warning attached to it…

And indeed the results of similar endeavours were also to be seen. This is a 24-spot Ladybird larva.

Many Lepidoptera larvae were also seen over the day. This was the first, a Clouded Drab larva, preparing to shed its skin (note the bulging head).

On arrival in the car park I had barely got out of the car when something hit me in the chest. It was a longhorn beetle of some sort, possibly Rhagium bifasciatum (Two-banded Longhorn). It zoomed off again before I could focus on it and was never seen again. But over the course of the day we saw a further seven longhorn beetle species, which feels like a record for us. This was the first, a Tobacco-coloured Longhorn, Alosterna tabacicolor.

We finally managed to extricate ourselves from the car park and set off along a lane leading down to the river and thence to several large meadows. Barely had we started along the lane when this splendid creature appeared.

It is a snakefly. We see them only very infrequently so they are always a subject of much ogling when one appears. This one is a male Phaeostigma notata. A second one (same species) appeared later in the day, amounting to about 5 years’ worth of snakefly sightings at normal rates!

Back to longhorn beetles and here’s more of that PG-rated behaviour again, this time from a pair of Wasp Beetles. We saw a lot of these, all over the areas we visited.

Also very common were (appropriately enough) Common Grammoptera (Grammoptera ruficornis).

And the remaining longhorn beetle species, beginning with an excellent sight: Lime Longhorn, Stenostola dubia, a local species, not often encountered.

Stenostola dubia

Variable Longhorn, Stenocorus meridianus

Rufous-shouldered Longhorn, Anaglyptus mysticus

And finally the worst photo ever to appear in a blog post. But it was all I could manage before it did a Geronimo into the undergrowth, never to be seen again.

Golden-bloomed Grey Longhorn, Agapanthia villosoviridescens

This view looks back at the point where we had entered the meadows from the lane. The river is on the left of picture, hidden behind young willows. The wooden building made an excellent base, and lunch spot!

Another Odonata river specialist was much in evidence here - Banded Demoiselle.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

At this point in proceedings, observations started coming in so thick and fast that any sort of coherent narrative becomes almost impossible, so I am mostly going to resort to compiling the images by species group, starting with some beetles.

10-spot Ladybird

Red-headed Cardinal Beetles

Black-headed Cardinal Beetle. photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

soldier beetle, Cantharis rustica. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Some weevils:

Curculio venosus. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Phyllobius pomaceus. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

a spider weevil, Exomias aranaeiformis. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Britain has two species of leaf beetles in the Gastrophysa genus. We saw both. This is G. polygoni

While this is the more familiar G. viridula, aka the Green Dock Beetle.

And these are Green Dock Beetle eggs (on dock, naturally).

But you will note that some are smaller and whiter than the rest. That’s because they belong to someone else, a species of hoverfly in fact. The florid naming committee has been at work again and christened it the Black-footed Bristleside, otherwise known as Parasyrphus nigritarsus. This hoverfly predates the eggs and larvae of various leaf beetles. As an adult it is not often seen and is in any case not easy to separate from other related species. The best way to identify it is by doing just this - finding its eggs, laid in among those of its unfortunate prey species. Green Dock Beetles are a particularly easy target, both for fly and entomologist. We were fortunate enough to find not only eggs but also a couple of larvae, already well through devouring their clutch of beetle eggs.

Staying with Diptera, here is one of the day’s most notable finds. A county second in fact: the picture-winged fly Oxyna parientina.

photo: Keith Fowler

This next fly was also notable - our Dipterist thinks it is the first time it has been collected on a Joy of Wildlife outing. And yet it was, as he says “ubiquitous in my youth”. It is a Lesser Housefly!

Fannia canicularis. Photo: Nigel Jones

Finally, for the flies, another good spot: Antheris ibis, the Yellow-legged Water Snipefly.

Time for another scenic view into the main meadow area including, in the foreground, a huge patch of Silverweed...

photo: Keith Fowler

…before we move to Lepidoptera, including several larvae:

Glyphipterix simpliciella. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Nemophora degeereella

Plum Tortrix, Hedya pruiniana. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Small Yellow Underwing

Timothy Tortrix larva

Small Quaker larva

Dun-bar larva

Satellite larva

Purple Hairstreak larva

And an egg

Small Copper egg

Next, Orthoptera. All tiny nymphs at this stage.

Field Grasshopper

Roesel's Bush-cricket

Oak Bush-cricket

Now Hemiptera, beginning with, as our Hemipterist puts it “My first cuckoo of the year”. That is, cuckoo-spit, produced by the nymph of a species of froghopper.

photo: Keith Fowler

Dock Bugs

Forest Bug nymph. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Rhabdomiris striatellus

A few Hymenoptera….

mason bee. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Nomada fabriciana. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

sawfly larva, Periclista pubescens

A mayfly

Green Drake, Ephemera danica. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And a caddisfly

Welshman's Button, Sericostoma personatum. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Before we (almost) conclude with a selection of spiders.

a cucumber green spider. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Tetragnatha extensa. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Gibberania gibbosa. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Nursery Web Spider. Photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

By the time some of us had completed a circuit of the largest field, the temperature had risen to the point where an unspoken agreement was reached to begin the return to our vehicles.

As we retreated, a pair of Mute Swans whistled overhead. Another lovely sight in a day filled with them.

Many thanks to the owners for allowing access to this exceptional site.

Undiscovered Delights

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 19 May 2026 10:53:49 +0000

Wednesday 13^thMay 2026, St. John the Baptist Churchyard, Bishop’s Castle and St. George’s Churchyard, Clun

A double-header this week, the morning being spent in Bishop’s Castle and the afternoon in Clun. The weather could best be described as ‘changeable’ with good spells of sunshine interspersed with sharp showers and, at the end of the day, a brief but stupendous hailstorm which left some of us soaked and steaming on the way home. Then there was the temperature: perishing cold! The day nevertheless produced a number of significant finds to compensate for the unfriendly weather…

We started at St. John the Baptist in Bishop’s Castle, discovering on arrival that none of us had anticipated just how chilly it would be. Nevertheless, the weather looks lovely in this shot!

photo: Keith Fowler

Without further ado, here is the star find of the day: not, perhaps, the most spectacular looking creature, even when it is complete (which it isn’t, most of the abdomen having been removed for critical determination). But the best finds cannot always be the most photogenic.

photo: Nigel Jones

It is Fannia conspecta and it is only the second time that it has been found anywhere in Britain. Here is Nigel’s account of the find:
“I’ve spent hours trying to ID the fly using various keys, not realising that this recently discovered species (described in 2003) was not in my keys. Eventually I twigged that there was an item in a Dipterological journal about a new species for the UK found in 2022 in Norfolk, and it is exactly the same as the Bishop’s Castle fly. This fly is rarely encountered anywhere in the world and is only known from several European countries – always in very low numbers. A very notable Shropshire first.”

In contrast, something more immediately cheerful: a ladybird with a smiley face on its back! It is a 14-spot.

Adjacent to the churchyard was what seemed to be the world’s smallest rookery, containing just a single nest. It was still managing to emit a tremendous racket though!

Not long after the above photo was taken, the Heavens opened. Invertebrates hid from the rain and the cold. This rather torpid hoverfly, Epistrophe elegans, was tapped from a Yew tree where it was sheltering.

The Yews also produced several Pine Ladybirds, who are not as host-specific as their name would suggest.

The sun returned and another smart black and red beetle was found.

This was another of the day’s notable finds: Anthocomus fasciatus, a beetle related to the malachite beetles. Nationally Scarce, there are around a dozen records in Shropshire this century, most from the north of the county. Here is another shot of it, toying briefly with the idea of attempting escape in an upwards direction.

We progressed further into the rather extensive burial ground, the sun continuing, for the time being, to look kindly upon us.

photo: Keith Fowler

Here, a Cypress tree produced a Juniper Shieldbug

Whilst an Orange-tip, still moribund from the cold, was inadvertently swept from the long grass.

Which also produced a Meadow Ladybird

And a Dock Bug.

A smart hoverfly, Chrysotoxum arcuatum, played a game of hide and seek with me around a Box bush before I finally managed a shot of it.

And now more notable but not necessarily photogenic organisms. A Yew tree had been eyeballed with the tips of the shoots browned and withered.

photo: John Lyden

This is caused by a Needle Blight called Cryptocline taxicola and appears to be the first time it has been reported in Shropshire. Fortunately its effects on the plant seem to be mild.

And finally (for Bishop’s Castle), this:

photo: John Lyden

No, not a newly discovered planet. It is a microscope shot of a Ground Elder leaf, suffering the effects of another pathogenic invader. But this is not a fungus. Nor a plant. Nor an animal. It is Plasmopara nivea and it is an Oomycete, which is Kingdom Chromista. So there! This is the third Shropshire record of it.

Lunch was taken, then we moved onwards and southwards to Clun, and St. George’s Church.

The playwright John Osborne once lived nearby and is buried here, along with his 5th and final wife.

Moving on to the finds, we start with another third Shropshire record, this time the Oak Leaf Blister, Taphrina caerulescens (fungal) on Red Oak.

photo: John Lyden

An interesting larva, which proved to be that of the Green-brindled Crescent moth, was extracted from a Cotoneaster.

Ladybirds included 16-spot

And Cream-spot.

Several tiny Speckled Bush-cricket nymphs were extracted from a less kempt area. At this age they are really very speckled indeed.

And we end on perhaps the most photogenic thing to be found all day (though Anthocomus might argue with that assessment). A jumping spider, specifically a male Euophrys frontalis. Common, but what a looker!

Soon after he was discovered, we retreated from the cold into the church where we were royally refreshed with very much appreciated tea, coffee, cake and warmth. A fine end to a challenging but ultimately very productive day. As our Dipterist said “A pretty good day out then! Just goes to show that whatever the weather, there is always the prospect of previously undiscovered delights. Top work everyone!” Many thanks to our hosts for allowing us to survey and for their generous hospitality.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Uphill Struggle

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 12 May 2026 14:27:00 +0000

Wednesday 6th May 2026, Brineddin Wood, Chapel Lawn

In my opinion, Chapel Lawn, deep in the Welsh Marches countryside, should have been included by A. E. Housman as one of his "quietest places under the sun". ‘Rural’ hardly covers it. Though I admit that the list would be unpoetically long if he'd included every qualifying place in this part of Shropshire and in any case it neither rhymes nor scans, so he probably knew what he was doing. But it's certainly very quiet! Brineddin Wood stands over the village on the south-facing slope of Hodre Hill. An information board in the woodland gives a comprehensive description and history of the site.

photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

We had arrived and parked in the village hall car park. From here it was a walk of 10 minutes or so across fields to the wood. Weather forecasts had predicted a grey and rather chilly day. Well, the wind was rather fresh, but the weather which greeted us looked altogether more like this:

And the view to our destination looked like this:

As the group contemplated what threatened to be a rather testing ascent, thoughts turned to something we had passed as we walked out of the car park…

photo: Keith Fowler

In due course, we panted our way up to the entrance gate. We were not yet on site! Through the gate we went, where we found ourselves on the perimeter path running along the bottom of the wood.

photo: Keith Fowler

We considered the woodland above us on what seemed to be a 45 degree slope. We considered the perimeter path. We decided that the path was clearly in need of a very thorough and careful investigation. Opposite us, across the River Redlake, was Caer Caradoc. Well, a Caer Caradoc - there are several; Caractacus clearly got about a bit!

photo: Keith Fowler

In the above picture the river’s route is marked by the meandering line of flanking trees. Several lines of molehills can be seen, also meandering across the field. The pleasant, sunny aspect took our minds off the words of our host as he let us in through the gate: “There are loads of deer in the area, so you may encounter some ticks”. We continued to be distracted as a Painted Lady flew past us and landed in the adjacent field, where it was photographed with a long lens.

photo: John Martin

At this point the vacuumers got down to business, whereupon the tick situation became all too real. The first sample produced at least four of them.

Over the course of the day it became apparent that this was the norm. Every beat, sweep or vacuum sample produced ticks in numbers. They were everywhere. I have never seen so many ticks in my life. Trousers were tucked into socks. But we carried on and tried to concentrate on the other finds.
Another species which was surprisingly common in the vacuum samples was Bordered Shieldbug.

Not a species we commonly encounter, it is found in Cleavers and other bindweeds, which begs the question why it isn’t seen more often. Here, it turned up in most samples, often in multiples, though not rivalling the ticks in abundance.
Several tiny Oak Bush-cricket nymphs appeared from the undergrowth. An arboreal species, we often find these hatchlings at ground level. I don’t know whether they just fall out of the trees or if they are there by choice (eggs are laid in the bark of tree trunks, so they could go either way). As predators, they should be able to find food in either situation. At this age they are indistinguishable from the closely related Southern Oak Bush-cricket, but the chances of that synanthropic species being in this wood are vanishingly small.

Ladybirds were in surprisingly short supply. The odd 7-spot was seen and late in the day a single Meadow Ladybird was vacuumed. Otherwise all the ladybirds we found were 14-spots.

Bluebells lined the path and formed patches under the trees.

Two organisms associated with them were duly found. This is the micro-moth Hysterophora maculosana.

photo: John Martin

And this is Blubell Rust, Uromyces hyacinthi.

photo: John Lyden

On the subject of rusts, this is Pale Bramble Rust, Kuehnola uredinis.

photo: John Lyden

It is wiglet season - hurray! Or if you want to be po-faced about it, earwig nymph season. Several appeared over the day, all of them second instar Common Earwigs.

Back to micro-moths. This is Cauchas rufimitrella.

photo: John Lyden

Whilst this is Nematopogon swammerdamella.

photo: John Lyden

The time had come for some of us at least to face the prospect of an ascent into the woods.

We had been accompanied all day by the sound of Pied Flycatcher song. I slogged uphill in the hope that I could see one. I did. But it remained resolutely above me no matter how high I ascended. In the end, this distant view of it, not exactly showing its best side, was all I could achieve.

Several areas in the woodland have been fenced to exclude deer. It was hoped that we could survey these enclosures (or, more accurately ‘exclosures’) so that a comparison could be made with the woodland outside them, at the mercy of the deer. The deer are having a serious impact on the woodland understorey and particularly on the regeneration of the oaks, all the germinating seedlings being eaten by them. Unfortunately, within the exclosures we quickly found the Bramble scrub to be too hard going to make much headway and so rather failed our targets in this respect. To add insult to injury, ticks appeared to be just as prevalent within the exclosures as without them!

The rest of the day continued at the lower level, finds continuing to be made. Rather than attempting a chronological account of the ones that were photographed I will list them taxonomically, starting with the flies. We begin with what must have been the find of the day, the scarce Tachinid, Carcelia bombylans.

Carcelia bombylans. photo: John Martin

Phania funesta. photo: John Martin

Myathropa florea. photo: John Martin

And now a picture of a stick. There were quite a few of these, it being a woodland. But wait, this is not just any stick, it is a section of Hawthorn twig which reveals the signs of the fly Phytobia carbonaria, the larvae of which mine the stems of hawthorns and apples.

photo: John Lyden

We move on to beetles:

Woodland Dor Beetle

Red-headed Cardinal Beetle

Rhagium mordax. photo: John Martin

Cantharis obscura. photo: John Lyden

Grynobius planus

Hazel Leaf-roller. photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Silver-green Leaf Weevil. photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Hairy Spider Weevil. photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Small Nettle Weevil. photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Clover Seed Weevil. photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Now a few other insects.

Green Shieldbug. photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

mayfly, cf. Ecdyonurus torrentis

stonefly cf. Isoperla grammatica

A couple of spiders…

Philodromus dispar. photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

Pachybgatha degeeri. photo: Nigel Cane-Honeysett

And finally two more beetles, these found in the local churchyard in which we had a brief diversion as we walked back to our vehicles at the end of the day.

Amara cf. similata

Two-spotted Carpet Beetle

Many thanks to our hosts for granting us access to this lovely site.

Oozing ooze

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Tue, 05 May 2026 14:11:00 +0000

Wednesday 29th April 2026, Langley Fields, Dawley

I was absent for this trip, a return to a brownfield site on the edge of Telford Town Park, but fortunately I have the eye-witness accounts of several of the attendees to relate the events of the day. I will therefore let them take up the story….

We duly arrived at Duce Drive and, remembering that our group Scout had been shouted at last time for parking on the road, (whatever next - a car on the road!) we parked on the pavement. It is not illegal to park on the pavement apparently just to drive on the pavement so, providing your get your vehicle there by other means, you are within the law.

We were still grumping about the officialdom of non-officials including musing on whether Mr Shouty was, in fact a descendant of Mussolini, bearing in mind the name of the road, when a vehicle whizzed round the bend, failed to make the turn and mounted the pavement briefly. Perhaps the shouty one had a point.

After assembling our gear and, in some cases our person, we headed for the site but, on reaching it had to jump nimbly aside (oh alright shuffle off the path) to avoid being run over by a large young person on an electric scooter who hurtled past at a break-neck speed. Fortunately they had about their person some sort of miniature wireless or radiogram which emitted a noise at a decibel level of which Pink Floyd would have been proud in their heyday.

It is worth pointing out at this juncture that three of the group realised they only had two serviceable lower limbs between them – work that one out. Accordingly a lot of sitting down happened throughout the day. This was augmented by a younger member of the group whose warranty had only relatively recently expired finding some ooze oozing out of a tree and sitting down for an extraordinary amount of time to watch it ooze. Others within the group felt it was a lot like watching paint dry with flies but it kept him happy. Was it worth it I hear you cry – well read on.

Despite the lovely weather and close proximity to civilisation, very few other people were encountered apart from a couple of dog walkers with badly behaved dogs. We were assured by the owner of a particularly aggressive dog that, despite the snarling and baring of teeth, he was as gentle as a lamb and wouldn’t hurt a fly, In the same way, presumably, that a salt water crocodile, man eating tiger or mantis shrimp wouldn’t. And if you don’t think one of those is dangerous just spend a few minutes with one down your drainpipe trousers...

A very sunny day but a brisk wind kept temperatures down – except in sheltered areas where it was very warm.

photo: Neil Nash

The site was very dry but there still managed to be a few areas of thick sticky mud. Very little floral interest outside gorse that had more or less gone over and a few broom.

photo: Keith Fowler

Some of the trees were in flower and a sap run and nearby Acer providing some entertainment late in the day. Some hawthorn was in flower (imported varieties?) but I found next to nothing in them and got spiked for my troubles.

We started in the rough grassy area close to the cars which was relatively productive. The small pool there had long gone but there was some dampness.

24-Spot Ladybird

Bishop's Mitre Shieldbug. Photo: Keith Fowler

jumping spider, Euophrys frontalis

pirate spider, Ero sp.

running crab spider, Philodromus sp.

sun jumping spider, Heliophanus cupreus

weevil, Exapion ulicis

Green Longhorn Moth, Adela reaumurella

We moved into the main site.

photo: Keith Fowler

It was hard work finding things but Neil found a Heather ladybird

and I located a Cream-streaked (spotty version).

photo: Keith Fowler

A long net was used to sweep the Scots pine from which I dislodged the cream-streaked ladybird and three more were discovered. The pines also produced the Pine Cone Bug, Gastrodes grossipes.

photo: Keith Fowler

And we found the Boy (Callitula pyrrhogaster) – not a new site as we found it here last year.

The group lunched in a sheltered area by the large pool. Generally the pools were in poor condition but there were good numbers of Large-red Damsels on the wing.

photo: Keith Fowler

Smooth Newt. Photo: Neil Nash

After lunch we continued to move through the site at the far side from the cars continuing to do our thing until the sap run and maple provided the late excitement.

Common Meshweaver, Dictyna arundinacea

Goldenrod Crab Spider, Misumena vatia (female)

Goldenrod Crab Spider (male)

Nursery Web Spider, Pisaura mirabilis (male)

Trashline Spider, Cyclosa conica

wolf spiders mating

Scarce Footman, Eilema complana larva

Yellow-girdled Brusheye, Dasysyrphus tricinctus

Other finds included several ladybirds – Rhyzobius litura, 7-spot, 14-spot, 16- spot, 24 spot and Harlequin. Plus some shieldbugs – Green, Forest nymph and Gorse.

And finally, we come to the sap run.

photo: Nigel Jones

Our Dipterist takes up the tale.... So, was it worth it? Spoilers - yes it was, with several scarce or uncommon species present.

I managed to grab some photos of the Brachyopa bicolor hoverfly (a scarce species) visiting a small sap run on Aspen.

photo: Nigel Jones

I saw five individual Brachyopa, plus two Ferdinadea cuprea attracted to the aspen. Apart from the male B. bicolor photographed, all were attracted to the base of the tree. There were three Brachyopa insensilis (local) male and female, and two B.bicolor male and female.

We also had four species of Dasysyrphus, which these days counts as a good tally:
D. albostriatus – numbers
D. tricinctus (Jim caught this)
D. pinastri
D. venustus

Not a bad day out after a grim start with very little about.

Thank you to the site owners, Telford & Wrekin Council, for granting us permission to do what we do.

Photographs © Nigel Cane-Honeysett except as noted

Tick VG?

noreply@blogger.com (David Williams) — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:58:00 +0000

Wednesday 22nd April 2026, Oaks Wood, Habberley

Oaks Wood is, despite its name, a mixed woodland with much Norway Spruce and other tree species in addition to oaks. There are also meadows, ponds and clearfell areas within its 200 acres, so we were only ever going to scratch the surface of its possibilities during this, our first visit to the site.

The entry point for the site was Brown’s Coppice, an area which, as you can see, contained much Silver Birch.

photo: Keith Fowler

An early find was, unsurprisingly, a Birch Shieldbug.

The UK’s largest ladybird, species, Eyed Ladybird, soon appeared.

At the other end of the scale, Ivy Ladybird, a sub-3mm micro ladybird species, was somewht surprisingly vacuumed from leaf litter.

Nettles produced the large, emerald green weevil Phyllobius pomaceous.

photo: John Martin

Snails do not feature much in these reports. But this does not mean that they are not recorded - we just tend not to photograph them very often. We will attempt to correct this deficiency! Here are a couple to begin with. Firstly Euconulus fulvus

photo: John Martin

And this one is probably a Balea species but identification is ongoing…

photo: John Martin

We progressed from Brown’s Coppice into an open area of grassland which afforded an excellent view of Earls/Pontesford Hill on the other side of the Habberley Brook valley.

photo: Keith Fowler

Many Orange-tips were patrolling the grassland and it wasn’t long before eggs were located on Cuckoo Flower.

Three Rhopald bugs were photographed: Rhopalus subrufus,

Corizus hyoscyami

photo: John Martin

And Stictopleurus punctatonervosus.

It was also a good day for hoverflies (sadly, an increasingly uncommon event). Ferdinandea cuprea had been sighted in Brown’s Coppice but evaded the cameras. However Xylota segnis,

photo: John Martin
Epistrophe elegans and

photo: John Martin

a pair of Helophilus pendulus all had their likenesses captured.

photo: John Martin

Two very smart moth larvae attracted attention. This is The Drinker

And this is a Scarlet Tiger, an increasingly common species but always a nice find.

The next revelation could hardly be described as a nice find though, by any except the most dedicated arachnologist. A Sheep Tick.

Worse news followed a few days later when one of the participants reported finding one on their person. We rarely encounter ticks during our outings in Shropshire but it seems that they may be becoming more common. A timely reminder to take precautions during feld trips and inspect carefully afterwards.

To change the tone, here is the third snail of the day: Clausilia bidentata.

Several Slender Groundhoppers were discovered in a nettlebed.

Photographing them proved to be a rather painful process. In contrast, this beetle was presented in a pot, a much easier target! It is Leistus terminatus.

Exiting the fields we now re-entered woodland. A single, female Green Longhorn moth, Adela reaumurella, appeared almost immediately.

Aside from the Eyed Ladybird, conifer-specialist ladybird species had thus far proved elusive. But, finally, several Larch Ladybirds showed themselves.

A short distance into this block of woodland is a pond.

photo: Keith Fowler

Staring into it eventually revealed the presence of several Palmate Newts which, however, proved impossible to photograph adequately. A Large Red Damselfly was more accommodating.

photo: John Martin

As was Sanicle, though being a plant, it was never going to be very good at evading the photographer's lens!.

photo: John Martin

Another of the several ladybirds noticed is this 14-spot, which was unusually lightly marked.

Moving through the woodland brought us to the final part of this vast site that we reached on this visit: an area of regenerating Norway Spruce clearfell, giving another good view across to Earls Hill.

Norway Spruce isn’t a great species for native wildlife, but the ubiquitous 7-spot Ladybirds didn’t seem to mind.

A better species is Broom….

…which belatedly produced a number of Pine Ladybirds amongst other species.

At this point time was called on a warm, sunny and altogether very pleasant day (bloodsucking arachnids notwithstanding!). Thank you to the owners of Oaks Woods for allowing us to explore this interesting site.

Photographs © the author except as noted.

Wrekin Forest Volunteers

Organic Riches

Wednesday 7th October 2026, Fordhall Farm

Wombling Free

Wednesday 30th September 2026, Dudmaston Estate

Fairway to Heaven

Wednesday 23rd September 2026, Welshpool Golf Course

Richly Productive

Wednesday 16th September 2026, Wern Farm, Sarn

A Return to Summer

Wednesday 9th September 2026, Old Cow Pasture and Pentre Bach, Melverley

Post Script

Summer, What Summer?

Wednesday 2nd September 2026, Stiperstones

Dame Edna's Glasses

Wednesday 26th August 2026, Abbey Manor, Buildwas

Something Falling from the Sky?!

Wednesday 19th August 2026, The Villa, Betchcott

Treflach Microclimate

Wednesday 12th August 2026, Treflach Farm

Wet Heath, Dry Heath

Wednesday 5th August 2026, Whixall Moss

Bizarre Genitalia

Wednesday 29th July 2026, Coppice Farm, Rattlinghope

Happy Valley

Wednesday 22nd July 2026, Mowley Valley, North Herefordshire

Another Hot Day

Wednesday 15th July 2026, Llynclys Hill

Cloudless Skies, Clouded Yellows

Wednesday 8th July 2026, Dingle Farm, Bicton

Shingle Tingles

Wednesday 1st July 2026, Middle Spoad, Newcastle on Clun

Hot, Tiring but Rather Splendid

Wednesday 24th June 2026, Green Acres Farm, Kemberton

Calliphorid Bling

Wednesday 17th June 2026, Wildegoose Nursery, Lower Millichope

Magnificently Maintained

Wednesday 10th June 2026, Longden Road Cemetery, Shrewsbury

Post Script

An Up and Down Day

Wednesday 3rd June 2026, Coed Cwmgolog and Siercwm, Ceri Forest

Marvellous Meadows

Wednesday 27th May 2026, White Grit Meadows

Almost Like the Good Old Days

Wednesday 20th May 2026, The Isle, Bicton

Undiscovered Delights

Wednesday 13th May 2026, St. John the Baptist Churchyard, Bishop’s Castle and St. George’s Churchyard, Clun

Uphill Struggle

Wednesday 6th May 2026, Brineddin Wood, Chapel Lawn

Oozing ooze

Wednesday 29th April 2026, Langley Fields, Dawley

Tick VG?

Wednesday 22nd April 2026, Oaks Wood, Habberley

Wednesday 24^th June 2026, Green Acres Farm, Kemberton

Wednesday 17^th June 2026, Wildegoose Nursery, Lower Millichope

Wednesday 27^th May 2026, White Grit Meadows

Wednesday 20^th May 2026, The Isle, Bicton

Wednesday 13^thMay 2026, St. John the Baptist Churchyard, Bishop’s Castle and St. George’s Churchyard, Clun