Merseyside Nature (2013 August-September)

Merseyside Nature August/September

Friends of MerseysideBiobank

Special points of interest: Phil reports how the warm dry summer has benefitted insect life on the Sefton dunes Our first articles from Tony Carter shares with us his fungi studies of Merseyside Hugh attends the Bat Walk and Talk Hugh’s journey looking for the Grass of Parnassus on the Ainsdale Dunes Hugh continues his WeBS count Bob visits Hilbre for the very first time

Inside this issue:

Created by and for Volunteer Naturalists. Edited by Bob Jude and Hugh Harris It would be good to hear from naturalists involved with mammals, birds, bats amphibians, plants or fungi.

Articles, poems, stories from 2501000 words with accompanying photos will take us all on your journey.

We would like to give special thanks this month to Tony Carter who has provided us with added material giving an insight into local Fungi.

Email your article to:

Phil Smith’s Wildlife Notes

2-3

Tony Carter’s Fascinating Fungi

4

Tony Carter reports on fungi around the Formby Nature Reserve

newsletter@activenaturalist.org.uk September around Court Hey Park Pair of Green-veined White Common Carder bee

5

Syrphus Bee

A Bat Walk around Court Hey Park

5

Woodland Trust - Practical skills at Otterspool Park

6

Counting Grass-ofParnassus

7

LBS - Southport Marshes

8

September WeBS

8

Hilbre Island

9-10

Events

11

Fruit of Flag Iris Pair of Helophilus

Amendments to previous newsletter Hilary Ash, kindly informed us of an identification error in the previous newsletter. On page 5, ‘A Further Selection of Flora and Fauna at Parr Hall’, the plant labelled Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) should read Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum)

Thanks also to Pat Lockwood who noted that Lesser Bur-reed (Sparganium americanum) in the article, “Visit to Parr Hall Millenium Green LNR”, was likely Least Burreed (Sparganium natans).

Eupatorium cannabinum

Merseyside Nature

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Wildlife Notes - August 2013 - Dr Phil Smith It was the warmest August since 2004 and the driest and

Pinfold Pond in Ainsdale NNR is also good for dragonflies,

sunniest since 2007, welcome news for our hard-pressed

Ruddy Darter and Southern Hawker being spotted on

butterflies and other insects.

21st, the latter showing its inquisitive nature by flying over to inspect me.

As usual, Graylings were a feature of the frontal dunes along the coast, nectaring especially on Sea Holly. At last, Small Coppers began to appear in reasonable numbers, with ten on Ragwort at Freshfield Dune Heath Nature Reserve on 3rd, together with 10 other butterfly species, Bufftip (Phalera bucephala)

including a Holly Blue.

Another visit to this superb reserve on 8th produced both Common and Slender Groundhoppers, together with an

Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)

abundance of the Mottled Grasshopper, a real favourite

A warm August is good

of mine that comes in about a dozen colour-forms.

ing dog-walkers who allow their pets to dive into the

news for invertebrates along the Sefton Coast Phil takes time out to organize the Parnassia

palustris survey

However, the new boardwalk around the pond is attract-

Several people reported Wall Browns in the dunes from

water, completely inappropriate behaviour in a National

the second week and I certainly saw more than usual of

Nature Reserve.

this nationally declining species, which has been lost from many inland localities. Then, late in the month, second-

Much of my time this month was spent organising with

brood Small Heaths put in a welcome appearance.

Merseyside BioBank and taking part in the coastwide Grass-of-Parnassus survey. No less than 43 volunteers

Several trips were made to slack 47 in the Birkdale front-

have been recruited to find out how much of this plant we

als where three scrapes were restored in March 2012 to

have, where it grows and what conditions it likes.

improve their condition for wildlife, including dragonflies.

By recording both the variety and numbers of these insects, I hope to show whether the work has been worthwhile. So far, the omens are good with 12 species identified and several doing particularly well.

Thus, I had peak counts of 109 Emerald Damselflies and 36 Common Darters on 22nd. However, numbers of

Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)

Ruddy Darters were down with a maximum of only two.

With its big starry white flowers, this is an iconic species

This species likes densely vegetated pools, so they should

for the Sefton Coast, much appreciated since Victorian

increase as the plant life develops.

times. It is declining nationally and there may be more of it in our dune-slacks than anywhere else in the country.

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Wildlife Notes - July 2013 - Dr Phil Smith We need to know much more about this glorious plant so that it can be conserved for future generations to enjoy.

I also undertook my own survey of a much less attractive plant, Blunt-flowered Rush, a mainly southern species in Britain, scarce in the Northwest.

Despite an abundance of apparently suitable wet-slack habitat, it is only known from six sites on the Sefton dunes where it forms dense patches. Why it doesn’t spread further is one of the questions I am trying to answer.

Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis) , A. Easton, Wikicommons

There was little time for bird-watching during August but I bumped into an immature male Redstart at Hightown dunes on 16 th.

Phil questions why Blunt Flowered

Liverpool Bay is an important staging post for terns from

Rush is limited to a

many parts of Britain before they set off on their epic

small local area

autumn migration to western and southern Africa. Noisy Sandwich Terns regularly roost on Ainsdale beach in

Phil counts a new

August and I counted a record number (for me) of 490 on

personal record of

12 th. rd

However, a similar flock on 23 was repeatedly and delib-

Parnassia palustris

erately flushed by a couple with a camera. It was a disreputable performance! Perhaps it was lucky I didn’t catch up with them, as my language might not have been entirely diplomatic.

Finally, a visit with Trevor Davenport to the Birkdale Green Beach and adjacent frontal dunes on 28 th was rewarded with some spectacular caterpillars of Dark Tussock, Buff -tip and Poplar Hawk Moth, a reminder of the extraordinary diversity of small creatures to be found on our wonderful coastline.

Poplar Hawk Moth (Laothoe populi )

Sandwich Terns

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Fascinating Fungi - Tony Carter Autumn is the time when most fungi start to do their work of converting rotting vegetable material to food resources for other organisms. This is when the visible fruit bodies appear and interesting species have recently materialised, some in most unexpected places.

One of the more common fungi is Amanita rubescens (The Blusher) and as one would expect it is a red colour.

Tony Carter tells us about recent fungi finds in the Liverpool suburbs

It has a very close relative, Amanita franchetii which is yellow. This fungus is uncommon and has only appeared in this area in the past couple of years. It is probably moving north as the climate warms and it appeared this month at Sudley House, in Liverpool, under a small copse of mature Beech trees.

It was of sufficient interest that I was requested to send it to Kew Herbarium.

Tony has patiently waited a year to confirm the first

In the same place and on the same day another fungus that has only recently been recorded in the northwest was collected.

This is Boletus radicans (Rooting Bolete). This is another yellow coloured species which has pores instead of gills and the flesh turns blue when cut open.

Within the week, I found more on the central reservations of Mather Avenue, Heath Road and Allerton Road in Liverpool.

Boletus radicans

Hohenbuehelia found on a conifer

Agrocybe rivulosa

Last year, at Allerton Golf Course, I found a fungus growing on a branch that had fallen from the very old Araucaria araucana (Monkey Puzzle Tree) growing beside the old hall that is now the clubhouse. I identified it as Hohenbuehelia cyphelliformis.

This is a very unusual fungus on a very unlikely host.

Interestingly, I have found the Boletus and the Amanita growing together at three different sites. Perhaps there is a connection between the two.

Another species that has recently moved north is Melanoleuca verrucipes (Warty Cavalier). Unrecorded in the northwest until three years ago, it has appeared twice at Calderstones Park. This year I collected it at Hale Hall Wood where it grows on very fresh woodchip so you would be lucky to find it in the same place the following year. This specimen was also requested by Kew.

recorded

Another fresh woodchip lover, recently invading from Europe, probably with imported material, is Agrocybe rivulosa. This appeared on a pile of woodchip stored at Childwall.

The Blusher (Amanita rubescens)

Melanoleuca verrucipes

Hohenbuehelia

It was sent to Kew but then it was discovered that another very similar species had also been found on Araucaria. The difference is microscopic and the specimens I sent were not clear. So I have waited all year for it to grow again which it has now done. The microscopy is clear. It has been confirmed as the Hohenbuehelia, the first time it has been recorded on a conifer.

Merseyside Nature

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Formby Nature Reserve - Tony Carter On Sunday 22nd September 2013, I joined a colleague who was leading a public foray for The National Trust at Formby Nature Reserve. I normally cover the area between the Pinfold and Fishermans Paths so I had not previously looked for fungi in this part of the coast.

We eventually identified 64 species of fungus. I was surprised that, although the habitat in both areas is the same, there was a marked difference in the predominance of some species. We identified Geastrum triplex (Collared Earthstar) fruits in their hundreds at Ainsdale. I have never recorded Geastrum fimbriatum (Sessile Earthstar), yet, at Formby, we found dozens of G. fimbriatum but only one triplex.

We also recorded lots of large Chroogomphus rutilus (Copper Pin), an occasional find at Ainsdale.

Auriscalpium vulgare (Earpick Fungus), that grows from buried pine cones, is one that we struggle to find at Ainsdale.

We found four species within ten minutes, all associated with Ammophila (Marram Grass).

The star was a Melanoleuca (Cavalier) that I eventually identified as Melanoleuca cinereifolia.

The one we found was a very light brown.

National Trust public foray at Formby led

by Tony Carter Tony describes how

Auriscalpium vulgare

Our inexperienced public found them with ease. But there was no sign of any species of Strobilurus tenacellus (Pinecone Cap), a common species at Ainsdale.

Later in the day we had a look at the outer sand dunes, not an ecosystem we look at very often.

Formby fungi Melanoleuca cinereifolia.

There is a lighter coloured variation named maritima, now incorporated into cinereifolia. The spores, microscopic features and substrate are right and no other species fits.

species differ significantly from those found at Ainsdale, though the habitats are similar

Geastrum fimbriatum

South Huyton Rangers/Merseyside Biobank: Bat Talk and Walk, Court Hey Park SJ4190 On a dark, wet, late-summer Friday evening over 50 adults and children came with their torches to Court Hey Park, Knowsley to learn about these flying mammals.

The evening began with a warm introduction and quizzes “How much do you know about Bats?” by Karen, Huyton Rangers and Ben, Merseyside Biobank in the Cornflower Café.

Ten true or false statements to whet the appetites of our bat observers who readily participated and ticked the quiz-sheets. This was followed a close encounter with one of the commonest bats, a live Pipistrelle, expertly handled by Ben, which had popular appeal.

Leaving the warmth and hospitality of the café, the torch-lit party accompanied by three guides, equipped with Bat detectors, walked to the woodland margins of the park and the lightly wooded areas.

There we scanned the trees with torches and detectors looking for bats and hoping to attract moths and other insects to the lights of the torches for them to feed on.

An air of expectancy pervaded the group as the detectors picked up the high-pitched squeaks and sounds of feasting on insects in the dark and shadowy branches of the trees above. We had found the bats but these elusive little creatures remained unseen.

Interest was sustained by Ben who explained how the bat’s echolocation communicating system worked and the guides assisted by question and answer responses while we waited for positive sightings.

However as the evening became wetter and colder it became apparent that the bats were not coming out to fly and so our one identifiable bat remained the Pipistrelle in the Cornflower Café.

Nevertheless, the experience and positive learning that arose from the evening will be immeasurable.

Hugh@MBAN Sept. 2013

Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus Pipistrellus)

Description: Head and body 3.5-5cm: wingspan 18-24cm. Ears and wings blackish brown. Fur ranges from orange to dark brown on back and from yellow to greyish-brown underneath, but the basal part of each hair is always dark.

Habits and signs: Entirely nocturnal, usually emerging from roost at dusk and flitting silently through the air with a rapid and rather jerky flight, although some people can hear some of their high pitched calls. The bats commonly roost in house roofs. Their droppings are often mistaken for mouse droppings, but they are very crumbly and are easily identified by the insect remains in them.

The bats usually hibernate from November to March but may fly on mild nights in winter.

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What’s in your Quadrat? 1.9 - Hugh Harris Lancashire Wildlife Trust: Woodland Conservation Practical Skills, Otterspool Park - SJ 3886

The group identified and recorded these native trees along the path through the gorge:

This was the first in a series of three courses made available through Lancashire Wildlife Trust covering the basics of woodland management, based on woodland sites around Liverpool.

[More information given on the most common native trees].

Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) Black Poplar (Populus nigra) Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)

Over the series of courses Volunteers will look at woodland tree and plant ID; the theory of woodland management and practical skills such as tree felling and planning.

The first workshop on Summer Tree Identification; held on Saturday 31st August, led by Adam Graham, Wildlife Trust Officer was in the Ranger’s Office located in the Harvester public house on Otterspool Drive.

Silver Birch (Betula pendula) growing to 30m in height. Leaves; very triangular, double teeth up the straight sides. Bark; orange-red on young stems, soon white, but growing rough black arrows/diamonds.

The knowledge, experience, planning and resources were in place but just when you think everything is going well the inevitable happened - the laptop presentation wouldn’t work!

Making the only decision possible in the circumstances,

English Oak (Quercus robur) growing to 35m in height. Leaves with irregular deep lobes, stalked acorns and grey, short, knobbly ridged bark.

Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)

Adam moved the 14 volunteers outdoors to Otterspool Gorge where we were shown how to identify trees in situ with use of keys, leaf, bark and profile.

London Plane (Platanus x hispanica) White Poplar (Populus alba) Elder (Sambucus nigra) Yew (Taxus baccata)

Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) grows to 30m in height. Leaves; in opposite pairs, 9-13 irregularly serrated leaflets (the last wild tree into leaf and one of the first to go bare).

Bark; pale grey with shallow crisscross ridges.

Beech (Fagus sylvatica); one of the UK’s tallest broadleaf trees up to 40m. Leaves; to 10cm with odd, tiny, distant teeth; hair-fringed, silky all over. Bark; silver-grey with horizontal etchings or shallow/rugged criss -cross ridges.

Wych Elm (Ulmus glabra); a giant tree up to 40m. leaves; the largest of any native tree, hard, oblong, with horn-like lobes at the ‘shoulders’.

Bark; smooth and grey for 20 years, then grey-brown shaggy ridges.

Lime (Tilia cordata) Alder (Alnus glutinosa) Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) height to 39m. Leaves; with 7 stalkless leaflets, jaggedly/ double-toothed. Bark; in youth, smooth and pink-grey, red-brown and coarsely scaly by 80 years.

Evergreen Oak (Quercus ilex) Sweet Chestnut (Castanea sativa) … along with several imported ornamental trees like Atlas Cedar, Lawson’s Cypress and Plum Cherry.

These and other trees were identified and appraised from the perspective of habitat management.

Hugh@MBAN Sept. 2013

Hugh reports on the learning experience of a Lancashire Woodland Conservation Practical skills course

Merseyside Nature

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Grass of Parnassus Count 2013, Ainsdale Dunes NNR - Hugh Harris SD 290113 “A slack plant that has attracted attention since the early 19th century is Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia palustris) Not a grass at all, but related to the saxifrages, its starry white flowers decorate the slacks of the Ainsdale dunes in late summer. It often occurs in masses around the dryer fringes of the wet-slacks, looking from a distance like a tidemark. The plant is declining nationally and has been listed as ‘endangered’ in Lancashire. However it is abundant in many Sefton Coast dune slacks”.

Easy-Moderate: Varied walking with extensive views of the sand dunes.

Dewberry and Creeping Willow

National Nature Reserve, Pinewoods.

Plant succession. 1km 45min approx.

Start: West End Lodge NNR base

Flora and fauna of

SD301111

the Ainsdale dunes

West End Walk – Follow sandy track to right of NNR residences, keeping Natural England yard on your right.

Thick vegetation and Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) alongside track which continues slightly uphill.

Vegetation thins to reveal pinewood plantation on dune-sides. ‘Scalloped’ sand winning site on left. Keep to footpaths and vehicle tracks; [Fencing and restricted areas require permits].

Puffball

deciduous trees; Willow, Alder, Birch and Poplar fringe the dark pinewoods, home of the Red Squirrel, Fox and Buzzard. The fixeddunes are the habitat of Dewberry (Rubus caesius,) a sand-dune bramble. Look for fungus on either side of the track; Puffball and Earthstar.

You are now entering the mature dune-slacks behind the younger frontal dunes which stretch southwards and northwards for 20 miles in a convex arc in front of you from the Mersey to the Ribble estuaries known as the Sefton Coast and contain England’s largest system of sand dunes. Proceed straight ahead.

Small enclosure – The fencing on the right encloses an area of fragmented dune-slacks whilst on the left areas of Creeping willow show the extent of scrub invasion in the wet duneslacks which are flooded in winter.

Creeping Willow is one of the most abundant occurring here mostly as the very variable coastal variety argentea which grows close to the ground.

The plant usually appears within 10 years of the slack being formed and eventually becomes dominant. Here, rabbits browse the stems controlling the growth and providing a form of conservation grazing. Dragonflies hover above the path and Butterflies alight on shrubs. Continue on the track even-though it becomes overgrown with Creeping willow and wheel-rutted by Reserve vehicles.

You can observe occasional Garden Asparagus, relicts of cultivated asparagus fields at Woodvale.

Proceed to a fork in the tracks, stay on the right hand track and follow it

Merseyrail trains can be seen on left through gap in woods. Junction of four tracks in clearing.

First Firebreak –Turn right at clear-

Common Blue Butterfly

ing and follow path between tall pinewoods on the hind dunes: soft sand makes walking slower. Along left hand side small wind-blown

round the fencing until you come to the large enclosure.

Access to the Large Enclosure is by stile. Walking inland towards the sea you can observe plant succession from dunes formed decades or centuries ago towards the colonisation of new bare habitat.

Large enclosure - Our area of allocated dune slacks for the purpose of surveying Grass-of Parnassus. Using our first Slack No.56, Grid reference SD290113 as our starting point we counted a colony of 3 plants in an area of 1m² in the NE facing corner in the fringe vegetation.

The slack itself showed slight evidence of trampling by mammals or man. The wet dune-slack habitat showed diverse evidence of scrub invasion; Creeping Willow, Moss, Dewberry, Marsh Helleborine, Hawkbit, Marram, Rosebay Willowherb, Common Fleabane, Red Clover, Lesser Centaury, Perennial Sow-thistle and Marsh Thistle.

There was also evidence of Rabbit grazing.

Other allocated slacks showed variation in habitats; freshwater marsh and wet grassland. There was diversity in vegetation and some slacks had re-profiled and extended. Numbers of plants ranged from 0 – 494.

Grass-of-Parnassus avoids the wettest areas and does not thrive in competition with tall vegetation. Our information on its distribution, numbers and the places where it grows along with other data will contribute to its future conservation.

After surveying numerous wet dune slacks in both Ainsdale NNR and LNR you know exactly what Dr Phil Smith means by ‘endangered’. This apparent decline in numbers since last year is supported by local observations.

Hugh@MBAN Sept. 2013

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Liverpool Botanical Society: Southport Marshes - Hugh Harris SD3318 Meeting at Southport Rail Station on Saturday morning, 22nd September 2013, the party led by Peter Gateley proceeded through the resort towards the Marine Lake and Pier.

En route we observed cultivated and natural planting along the roadsides and pathways by the local council and other means of; Grey Poplar, New Zealand Holly, Lyme-grass, Hedge woundwort, Michaelmas Daisy, Cistus, Alsike clover, Sea radish, Tamarisk, Hoary mustard, Lucerne, Yarrow, Sun spurge, Fennel and Common Eveningprimrose.

We descended to the shore and our route was straightforward - following the shoreline between the newly completed sea wall (2000) and the Irish Sea to Marshside.

The shoreline north of the Pier is a different habitat to that of the sand dune system south of it. The sand dunes give way to the vegetation of salt-marshes, mud-flats and reclaimed land.

This is no amenity beach area but the domain of the naturalist.

The effects of ‘salting’ the shore with Spartina, Cord grass (Spartina anglica) and tidal exposure on the diversity of plants could be explored in the sediment; Egg wrack, Annual Sea-blite, Sea lettuce and Sea rocket.

The aim of ‘salting’ or planting clumps of Spartina was to encourage salt marsh growth to enable more land claim. Other grasses have adapted to the new conditions and Saltmarsh grass (Puccinellia maritima ) with the Spartina.

The sandy soil is calcium enriched with shell fragments. Here we were joined by two of our members who had started from the Marshside carpark. On the shore, a strandline community of plants including Spear -leaved Orache, Sea-sandwort and Prickly saltwort was found in the maritime sediment.

Perennial Sow-thistle, Sea holly, Sea Mayweed and Sea Plantain were growing amongst the deposits of sea coal which prompted a lively discussion on where it originated – Point of Ayr, Cumbria or even ships.

The sandy path soon became overgrown with Hard-grass (Parapholis strigosa) and it seemed a suitable place to stop for lunch.

Lunch-time provided an ideal opportunity to explore the saltmarshes with binoculars for waders and wetland birds.

A lone Little Egret and a flock of Canada geese searched the marsh for food while flocks of Goldfinch, Starling and House Martin flew about. Skeins of noisy Pink-footed geese flew overhead on their way north.

Along the waterline Oystercatcher, Shelduck and Cormorant were found and to remind us of our long A visit to hot summer a single Swallow chased insects in the afternoon Southport Salt sunshine.

Marshes Continuing along the shore Sea Plantain, Sea milkwort, Viper’sbugloss and Strawberry Clover Hugh reports on were observed.

Long-bracted sedge, Sea-club the ongoing bird rush and Distant sedge began to count around the appear in the coastal vegetation as we approached Marshside and reMersey Estuary claimed-land around the road that extends across the saltmarsh towards the sea from the RSPB carpark. Amphibious Bistort appeared in the increasingly thicker vegetation. Two of our members returned to the Station and we were joined by Dr Phil Smith who guided us around the ‘rubble-mounds’ where he directed us to Common Sea-lavender (Limonium vulgare) and clumps of Hjelmqvist’s Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii), thickets of Japanese knotweed hybrid (Fallopia japonica ssp). and Seapurslane (Atriplex portulacoides).

Little Stint, El Fayoum , Wiki Commons We spent some time ‘tickling fish’ in the strand pools and caught Whiting (Merlangius merlangus) and Pollack (Pollachius pollachius) before completing the meeting.

Hugh@MBAN Sept. 2013

September WeBS Count: Hale Shore - Hugh Harris

HELP! BIRDERS NEEDED

SJ4681

The Mersey Estuary is one of Britain’s best wetlands. We know this because each month we count the waterfowl as part of the national Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS). However, we need ‘new blood’ volunteers. You don’t need to be an experienced wildfowl counter, though you should be able to identify common waders and wildfowl. If you think you can help then please email Dermot Smith at dermot.smith71@gmail.com or phone 07505 418832 for further details. For more information plus recent reports and photos visit the Mersey Estuary WeBS page on facebook

Counters, Rob Cockbain and I along the North shore of the Mersey Estuary, counted Curlew Sandpiper (Calidris ferruginea ) (a species of National importance) along the Hale Shore.

With the aid of a ‘scope, 800 Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna ) (a species of International importance) were counted across the river in front of the Weaver Sluices. Warren Sumner counted a flock of 300 Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) at Liverpool Sailing Club.

However the tide had covered the Cressington, Garston, Oglet and Dungeon Point shoreline resulting in a low count of 9 gulls.

A flock of Redshank (Tringa tetanus ) another species of International importance) was observed returning along the North shore from the west on the ebb-tide.

A roost of Cormorants (Phalacrocorax carboI ) was observed on a jetty by Tranmere Oil Terminal.

Dermot Smith, BTO commented that the September count was good with

good numbers of Redshank, Curlew and Black-tailed godwit.

Counts for Great Crested Grebe, Cormorant and Little Egret were higher than usual and a new record was set for Moorhen.

As for me, the highlight of the Hale count was the one Little Stint (Calidris minuta) that we observed on the Hale shore-line between the Lighthouse and Within Way.

Hugh@MBAN Sept 2013

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Hilbre Island - Where the Earth Meets the Sky - Bob Jude MBAN membership has its advantages as when opportunities come to visit nature sites we have contacts such as Tony Parker. In September, Tony who is the Assistant Curator in Vertebrate Zoology at Liverpool Museum invited all associated members on a field trip to Hilbre Island.

Hilbre is one of those places that everyone should visit and it is advisable to make the journey with a guide to assist in the identification of wildlife and lead the way,

On our way

The long walk to Hilbre led by Tony Parker

Our first distant Grey Seal

On Saturday 21st September we set out for West Kirby with our advised itinerary of waterproofs, strong footwear, lunch, snacks, water, camera and binoculars. Arriving at West Kirby we just managed to get the final parking spot at the South Parade, and talked to a large group of RSPB twitchers who were soon on their way to Hilbre carrying a collection of very large tripod scopes. We found Tony near the notice board and met with Claire, another Biobank volunteer. Franco, Louise, Sue and Tim soon joined us.

Leaving at 9.45am, we hurried the 2 mile, 1 hour walk to arrive at the island before the incoming tide but on our way we spotted distant Gulls, Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus), a Cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and high overhead a Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).

The safe, recommended route, avoids pitfalls such as quicksand and passes the edge of a small group of islands at the mouth of the Dee, Little Eye and Middle Eye, and leads to the largest island in the chain, Hilbre.

Hilbre has a long and interesting history that is not immediately apparent from its current designation as a Local Nature Reserve managed

by Wirral MBC. There is evidence of occupation in Neolithic times from flints and arrowheads and artefacts discovered from the Bronze Age.

The islands were once a defensive outpost of Chester occupied by Romans soldiers who left coins, broaches and buckles. Hilbre’s name is derived from St Hildeburgh and the remains of an ancient medieval chapel and cemetery whose remains are long since gone.

Benedictine Monks inhabited the island from 1081 for around 400 years and much later in the 18 th century, at the height of the slave trade and the rise of Liverpool as a major trading port, there was a public house whose innkeeper was reputedly a rich man from smuggling and wrecking.

We would be here for 5 hours until it was safe to return and were relieved to find there were some limited facilities. It was not long before we saw our very first wild Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus).

Passing Little Eye, where the overlying Bunter Sandstone becomes hazardous and extremely slippery, covered with seaweed and algae we eventually reached the small grass covered mound of Middle Eye.

The most prolific and easiest to identify species were Oystercatchers and a large colony nested on an inaccessible base at the edge of the sandstone.

I counted more than 50 bird watchers who had set up their scopes along the cliff edges.

We were encouraged to hurry as the tide was rising fast and we could be cut off, marooned on this tiny island, a hundred yards from our destination. Reaching the low sandstone cliff face of Hilbre it was a puzzle how we would climb up but just around the corner to the left there was an easy path to the top.

They shared their finds, pointing out various bird species such as Turnstone and Red Diver. A Harbour Porpoise was soon spotted and Tim watching with his scope, exclaimed an excited “Arh Whow” every time they broke the surface. Altogether 3 Porpoise were seen.

At lunch time a Lunar Underwing

We passed a small area of wetland and scrub where Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) had made their home, a little further on, over a garden fence we saw a pair of Linnets (Carduelis cannabina)

(Omphaloscelis lunosa) paid us a visit and rested on Louise’ hand as a

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Hilbre Island - Where the Earth Meets the Sky - Bob Jude hoverfly joined us for lunch partaking nectar from the occasional Hawkbit (Leontodon) flower.

Hawkbit and Hoverfly

Much later, taking a lone walk back to the boggy area, looking for dragonflies, a Common Darter flew past and I photographed some solitary bees on the last of the Ragwort flowers.

Fresh water boggy area

With limited wild flowers there weren’t many invertebrates other than the occasional butterfly, and solitary bees but in spring this predominantly grassy mound must be very beautiful when it is covered with patches of Bluebell, Thrift and later Bird’s foot Trefoil.

It was quiet and restful and on a warm dry September day a very pleasant place to be indeed.

Going back to the group I lay on the grass and looked up as flocks of Oystercatcher flew overhead, their silvery white wings illuminated against the wispy clouds of a bright blue sky, as they caught the sunlight in a marvellous aerial spectacle.

There are stunning views in all directions, south towards the Welsh Hills and Great Orme, north to West Kirby and east along the River Dee and South Wirral coastline.

The five hours passed rather too quickly and many birds were identified, I can’t say I saw them all as we only had a small pair of binoculars and Norma was using them much of the time.

A September day spent on a tiny enchanted island Looking back to the island, in the distance, where the earth meets the sky, it may look like a simple, sandstone, grass covered mound but for archaeologists, artists, photographers, writers and naturalists, it is a magical, soulful place.

Despite the tired, wet legs and sore feet it was one of those great days.

Thank you Tony for the experience, it was a journey to remember and a visit not to be missed.

Louise Bentley’s list of additional birds (Absent from the article)

Claire voiced aloud how she would like to add a scope to her Christmas list of field gear and it was not until Louise sent me a total of the wildlife

by E-Mail that I realised how much I missed.

Sitting near the cliff edge and watching below, a short distance away, the head of a solitary Grey Seal (Halichoerus grypus) bobbed up and down.

pools, and rivulets in the sand, stopping only occasionally to look at small crustaceans.

When it was time to go, we left the well worn buildings, the remains of an old lifeboat station and ancient tidal gauges, the small lighthouse and the ultra modern, solar powered Coastal Observatory Webcam. We trekked the 2 miles back across the red rocks, through glimmering tidal

6 Brent Geese (Branta bernicla) Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) Robin (Erithacus rubecula) Scoter (Melanitta nigra) Guillemot (Uria aalge) 3 Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba) Dunlin (Calidris alpine) 2 Ringed Plovers (Charadrius hiaticula) Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)

at the mouth of the Dee Estuary Wet legs and tired limbs, the long trek home

Merseyside Nature

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Events Events are run throughout the year by Liverpool Museum.

These include Mammal Trapping at Knowsley Park and other venues.

Please contact Tony.Parker@liverpoolmuseums.org. uk for details and to book places.

Museum collections are open to amateur naturalists and volunteers (by appointment) Would you help count birds on the Mersey Estuary?

Urgent call for more volunteers for the WeBS surveys? Become a key part of the national Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS) Contact Dermot.smith71@gmail.com or phone 0705418832 Interested in Orthoptera There is a need for volunteers interested in Grasshoppers & Crickets, Earwigs, Cockroaches, Stick Insects and Mantids.

Make a date in your diary for Orthopterists’ meeting, 6th November 2013, 1:30-8:00pm at Natural History Museum, London Please visit www.orthoptera.org.uk/recording/ index.php?q=newsletters and download their latest newsletter.

Find activity events Knowsley: www.knowsley.gov.uk/ things-to-see-and-do/events.aspx Liverpool Parks: liverpool.gov.uk/ leisure-parks-and-events Wildlife Trust: www.lancswt.org.uk/ what-s-on Court Hey Park: www.courtheypark.co.uk National Wildflower Centre: www.nwc.org.uk/events

Merseyside Naturalist Association

Liverpool Botanical Society

The MNA organize informal nature events including field trips, talks and practical sessions There are coach visits to places such as Gilgrin Farm, South Stack, Leighton Moss, Puffin Island, Lake Vyrnwy, Pennington Flash, Golden Valley, Blackloft Sands Cwm Idwall and local visits to Hilbre Island, Freshfield, Redrocks, Birkdale, Hale and many other venues. Interested in joining, visit www.mnapage.info for the programme of events

Saturday 5th October Fungi of Eastham Woods Meet Eastham Wood Car Park 11.00 No 2 Bus leaves Sir Thomas Street 10.08 to Heygarth Road Leader Steve Cross (0780 7341220) Indoor Meetings Saturday 9th November Treasure House Theatre, Level 1 World Museum Historic Plants and Botanists of Manchester, David Bishop Saturday 7th December Treasure House Theatre, Level 1 World Museum Uncommon Trees of Court Hey Park, Rob Duffy

Sunday, 27 October 2013 Ainsdale NNR, Merseyside Ken Jordan Memorial Foray. A joint meeting with Merseyside Naturalists Association. Meet 10.30 car park at Reserve Manager’s Office.

SD303112 (PR8 3QW).

Take A565 north past Woodvale Airport, turn on to Coastal Road, over railway bridge and left into private drive. Leader - Tony Carter (0151-724-4600) Forays are not suitable for very small children.

Bring strong footwear, food and drink. If travelling a considerable distance to a foray it is advisable to confirm with the leader that the foray is taking place, as on extremely rare occasions forays have had to be changed at short notice. DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED. Beginners are welcome at all forays. Further details about terrain and accessibility of sites can be obtained by contacting the foray leader.

Saturday 11th January Treasure House Theatre, Level 1 World Museum Caledonian Pine Forests Peter Gately Saturday 8th February Treasure House Theatre, Level 1 World Museum AGM plus members’ field meetings photos

Events Late news Nature events listed on local websites