merseyside nature (2013 august-september)
DESCRIPTION
Newsletter of the Merseyside BioBank Active Naturalists.TRANSCRIPT
It would be good to hear from natu-
ralists involved with mammals, birds,
bats amphibians, plants or fungi.
Articles, poems, stories from 250-
1000 words with accompanying pho-
tos 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:
September around Court Hey Park
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
Amendments to previous newsletter
Created by and for Volunteer Naturalists. Edited by Bob Jude and Hugh Harris
Inside this issue:
Phil Smith’s Wildlife Notes 2-3
Tony Carter’s Fascinating
Fungi
4
Tony Carter reports on
fungi around the Formby
Nature Reserve
5
A Bat Walk around Court
Hey Park
5
Woodland Trust - Practical
skills at Otterspool Park
6
Counting Grass-of-
Parnassus
7
LBS - Southport Marshes 8
September WeBS 8
Hilbre Island 9-10
Events 11
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 can-
nabinum)
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 Bur-
reed (Sparganium natans).
Friends of MerseysideBiobank
Merseyside Nature
August/September
Pair of Green-veined White
Common Carder bee
Syrphus
Bee
Fruit of Flag Iris
Pair of Helophilus
Eupatorium cannabinum
It was the warmest August since 2004 and the driest and
sunniest since 2007, welcome news for our hard-pressed
butterflies and other insects.
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,
including a Holly Blue.
Another visit to this superb reserve on 8th produced both
Common and Slender Groundhoppers, together with an
abundance of the Mottled Grasshopper, a real favourite
of mine that comes in about a dozen colour-forms.
Several people reported Wall Browns in the dunes from
the second week and I certainly saw more than usual of
this nationally declining species, which has been lost from
many inland localities. Then, late in the month, second-
brood Small Heaths put in a welcome appearance.
Several trips were made to slack 47 in the Birkdale front-
als where three scrapes were restored in March 2012 to
improve their condition for wildlife, including dragonflies.
By recording both the variety and numbers of these in-
sects, I hope to show whether the work has been worth-
while. So far, the omens are good with 12 species identi-
fied and several doing particularly well.
Thus, I had peak counts of 109 Emerald Damselflies and
36 Common Darters on 22nd. However, numbers of
Ruddy Darters were down with a maximum of only two.
This species likes densely vegetated pools, so they should
increase as the plant life develops.
Pinfold Pond in Ainsdale NNR is also good for dragonflies,
Ruddy Darter and Southern Hawker being spotted on
21st, the latter showing its inquisitive nature by flying over
to inspect me.
However, the new boardwalk around the pond is attract-
ing dog-walkers who allow their pets to dive into the
water, completely inappropriate behaviour in a National
Nature Reserve.
Much of my time this month was spent organising with
Merseyside BioBank and taking part in the coastwide
Grass-of-Parnassus survey. No less than 43 volunteers
have been recruited to find out how much of this plant we
have, where it grows and what conditions it likes.
With its big starry white flowers, this is an iconic species
for the Sefton Coast, much appreciated since Victorian
times. It is declining nationally and there may be more of
it in our dune-slacks than anywhere else in the country.
Wildlife Notes - August 2013 - Dr Phil Smith
Page 2 Merseyside Nature
A warm August is good
news for invertebrates
along the Sefton Coast
Phil takes time out to
organize the Parnassia
palustris survey
Emerald Damselfly (Lestes sponsa)
Small Heath (Coenonympha pamphilus)
Bufftip (Phalera bucephala)
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.
There was little time for bird-watching during August but I
bumped into an immature male Redstart at Hightown
dunes on 16th.
Liverpool Bay is an important staging post for terns from
many parts of Britain before they set off on their epic
autumn migration to western and southern Africa. Noisy
Sandwich Terns regularly roost on Ainsdale beach in
August and I counted a record number (for me) of 490 on
12th.
However, a similar flock on 23rd was repeatedly and delib-
erately flushed by a couple with a camera. It was a dis-
reputable 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 28th was rewarded
with some spectacular caterpillars of Dark Tussock, Buff
-tip and Poplar Hawk Moth, a reminder of the extraordi-
nary diversity of small creatures to be found on our won-
derful coastline.
Wildlife Notes - July 2013 - Dr Phil Smith
Page 3 Merseyside Nature
Phil questions why
Blunt Flowered
Rush is limited to a
small local area
Phil counts a new
personal record of
Sandwich Terns Parnassia palustris
Sandwich Tern (Sterna sandvicensis) , A. Easton, Wikicommons
Poplar Hawk Moth (Laothoe populi )
In the same place and on the same
day another fungus that has only
recently been recorded in the north-
west was collected.
This is Boletus radicans (Rooting
Bolete). This is another yellow col-
oured species which has pores in-
stead of gills and the flesh turns blue
when cut open.
Within the week, I found more on the
central reservations of Mather Ave-
nue, Heath Road and Allerton Road in
Liverpool.
Interestingly, I have found the Bo-letus and the Amanita growing to-
gether at three different sites. Per-
haps there is a connection between
the two.
Another species that has recently
moved north is Melanoleuca verruci-pes (Warty Cavalier). Unrecorded in
the northwest until three years ago,
it has appeared twice at Calder-
stones 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.
Another fresh woodchip lover, re-
cently invading from Europe, proba-
bly with imported material, is Agro-cybe rivulosa. This appeared on a pile
of woodchip stored at Childwall.
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.
It was sent to Kew but then it was
discovered that another very similar
species had also been found on
Araucaria. The difference is micro-
scopic 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 Hohen-buehelia, the first time it has been
recorded on a conifer.
Fascinating Fungi - Tony Carter
Page 4 Merseyside Nature
Tony Carter tells
us about recent
fungi finds in the
Liverpool suburbs
Tony has patiently
waited a year to
confirm the first
recorded
Hohenbuehelia
found on a conifer
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 ap-
pear 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.
It has a very close relative, Amanita franchetii which is yellow. This fun-
gus is uncommon and has only ap-
peared in this area in the past couple
of years. It is probably moving north
as the climate warms and it ap-
peared 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.
The Blusher (Amanita rubescens)
Boletus radicans
Melanoleuca verrucipes
Hohenbuehelia
Agrocybe rivulosa
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 differ-
ence in the predominance of some
species. We identified Geastrum triplex (Collared Earthstar) fruits in
their hundreds at Ainsdale. I have
never recorded Geastrum fimbria-tum (Sessile Earthstar), yet, at
Formby, we found dozens of G. fim-briatum but only one triplex.
We also recorded lots of large
Chroogomphus rutilus (Copper Pin),
an occasional find at Ainsdale. Auriscalpium vulgare (Earpick Fun-
gus), that grows from buried pine
cones, is one that we struggle to find
at Ainsdale.
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.
We found four species within ten
minutes, all associated with Ammo-phila (Marram Grass).
The star was a Melanoleuca (Cavalier) that I eventually identified
as Melanoleuca cinereifolia.
The one we found was a very light
brown.
There is a lighter coloured variation
named maritima, now incorporated
into cinereifolia. The spores, micro-
scopic features and substrate are
right and no other species fits.
Formby Nature Reserve - Tony Carter
Page 5 Merseyside Nature
National Trust public
foray at Formby led
by Tony Carter
Tony describes how
Formby fungi
species differ
significantly from
those found at
Ainsdale, though the
habitats are similar
Melanoleuca cinereifolia.
Auriscalpium vulgare
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 Corn-
flower 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 accom-
panied 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 re-
mained unseen.
Interest was sustained by Ben who
explained how the bat’s echo-
location communicating system
worked and the guides assisted by
question and answer responses
while we waited for positive sight-
ings.
However as the evening became
wetter and colder it became appar-
ent 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 drop-
pings, but they are very crumbly and
are easily identified by the insect re-
mains in them.
The bats usually hibernate from Novem-
ber to March but may fly on mild nights
in winter.
Lancashire Wildlife Trust: Wood-
land Conservation Practical Skills,
Otterspool Park - SJ 3886 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.
Over the series of courses Volun-
teers 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.
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,
Adam moved the 14 volunteers out-
doors to Otterspool Gorge where we
were shown how to identify trees in situ with use of keys, leaf, bark and
profile.
The group identified and recorded
these native trees along the path
through the gorge:
[More information given on the most
common native trees].
Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)
Black Poplar (Populus nigra)
Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus)
Wild Cherry (Prunus avium)
Silver Birch (Betula pendula) grow-
ing to 30m in height. Leaves; very
triangular, double teeth up the
straight sides. Bark; orange-red on
young stems, soon white, but grow-
ing rough black arrows/diamonds.
London Plane (Platanus x hispanica)
White Poplar (Populus alba)
Elder (Sambucus nigra)
Yew (Taxus baccata)
English Oak (Quercus robur) grow-
ing to 35m in height. Leaves with
irregular deep lobes, stalked acorns
and grey, short, knobbly ridged bark.
Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea)
Common Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
grows to 30m in height. Leaves; in
opposite pairs, 9-13 irregularly ser-
rated leaflets (the last wild tree into
leaf and one of the first to go bare).
Bark; pale grey with shallow criss-
cross 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 horizon-
tal 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 hippo-castanum) 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 orna-
mental trees like Atlas Cedar, Law-
son’s Cypress and Plum Cherry.
These and other trees were identi-
fied and appraised from the perspec-
tive of habitat management.
Hugh@MBAN Sept. 2013
What’s in your Quadrat? 1.9 - Hugh Harris
Page 6 Merseyside Nature
Hugh reports on the
learning experience of
a Lancashire Woodland
Conservation Practical
skills course
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 tide-
mark. 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.
National Nature Reserve, Pinewoods. Plant succession. 1km 45min approx. Start: West End Lodge NNR base SD301111 West End Walk – Follow sandy track
to right of NNR residences, keeping
Natural England yard on your right.
Thick vegetation and Evening Prim-
rose (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 re-
quire permits].
Merseyrail trains can be seen on left
through gap in woods. Junction of
four tracks in clearing. First Firebreak –Turn right at clear-
ing and follow path between tall
pinewoods on the hind dunes: soft
sand makes walking slower. Along
left hand side small wind-blown
deciduous trees; Willow, Alder,
Birch and Poplar fringe the dark
pinewoods, home of the Red Squir-
rel, Fox and Buzzard. The fixed-
dunes are the habitat of Dewberry
(Rubus caesius,) a sand-dune bram-
ble. 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 south-
wards 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 con-
tain 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 dune-
slacks 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 Butter-
flies 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
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 cen-
turies ago towards the colonisation
of new bare habitat.
Large enclosure - Our area of allo-
cated 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 evi-
dence 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 Willow-
herb, Common Fleabane, Red Clo-
ver, Lesser Centaury, Perennial
Sow-thistle and Marsh Thistle.
There was also evidence of Rabbit
grazing.
Other allocated slacks showed varia-
tion in habitats; freshwater marsh
and wet grassland. There was diver-
sity in vegetation and some slacks
had re-profiled and extended. Num-
bers 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, num-
bers 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 appar-
ent decline in numbers since last
year is supported by local observa-
tions.
Hugh@MBAN Sept. 2013
Grass of Parnassus Count 2013, Ainsdale Dunes NNR - Hugh Harris
Page 7 Merseyside Nature
Flora and fauna of
the Ainsdale dunes
Dewberry and Creeping Willow
Puffball
Common Blue Butterfly
SD3318 Meeting at Southport Rail Station on
Saturday morning, 22nd September
2013, the party led by Peter Gateley
proceeded through the resort to-
wards 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 Evening-
primrose.
We descended to the shore and our
route was straightforward - follow-
ing 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 re-
claimed 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 mari-tima ) 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 car-
park. 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 over-
grown with Hard-grass (Parapholis strigosa) and it seemed a suitable
place to stop for lunch.
Lunch-time provided an ideal oppor-
tunity 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
hot summer a single Swallow
chased insects in the afternoon
sunshine.
Continuing along the shore Sea
Plantain, Sea milkwort, Viper’s-
bugloss and Strawberry Clover
were observed.
Long-bracted sedge, Sea-club
rush and Distant sedge began to
appear in the coastal vegetation as
we approached Marshside and re-
claimed-land around the road that
extends across the saltmarsh to-
wards the sea from the RSPB car-
park. Amphibious Bistort appeared
in the increasingly thicker vegeta-
tion. 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 di-
rected us to Common Sea-lavender
(Limonium vulgare) and clumps of
Hjelmqvist’s Cotoneaster
(Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii), thickets
of Japanese knotweed hybrid
(Fallopia japonica ssp). and Sea-
purslane (Atriplex portulacoides). We spent some time ‘tickling fish’ in
the strand pools and caught Whiting
(Merlangius merlangus) and Pollack
(Pollachius pollachius) before com-
pleting the meeting.
Hugh@MBAN Sept. 2013
Liverpool Botanical Society: Southport Marshes - Hugh Harris
Page 8 Merseyside Nature
A visit to
Southport Salt
Marshes
Hugh reports on
the ongoing bird
count around the
Mersey Estuary
September WeBS Count: Hale Shore - Hugh Harris
SJ4681 Counters, Rob Cockbain and I along
the North shore of the Mersey Estu-
ary, 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 Gold-
finch (Carduelis carduelis) at Liver-
pool 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 teta-nus ) another species of Interna-
tional importance) was observed
returning along the North shore from
the west on the ebb-tide.
A roost of Cormorants
(Phalacrocorax carboI ) was ob-
served 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
HELP! BIRDERS NEEDED
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
[email protected] or phone
07505 418832 for further details. For
more information plus recent reports
and photos visit the Mersey Estuary
WeBS page on facebook
Little Stint, El Fayoum , Wiki Commons
MBAN membership has its advan-
tages 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 mem-
bers on a field trip to Hilbre Island.
Hilbre is one of those places that
everyone should visit and it is advis-
able to make the journey with a guide
to assist in the identification of wild-
life and lead the way,
On Saturday 21st September we set
out for West Kirby with our advised
itinerary of waterproofs, strong
footwear, lunch, snacks, water, cam-
era and binoculars. Arriving at West
Kirby we just managed to get the
final parking spot at the South Pa-
rade, and talked to a large group of
RSPB twitchers who were soon on
their way to Hilbre carrying a collec-
tion 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 os-tralegus), a Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax carbo) and high
overhead a Kestrel (Falco tinnuncu-lus).
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 ap-
parent 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 18th
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.
Passing Little Eye, where the overly-
ing Bunter Sandstone becomes haz-
ardous and extremely slippery, cov-
ered with seaweed and algae we
eventually reached the small grass
covered mound of Middle Eye.
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 destina-
tion. 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.
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 Lin-
nets (Carduelis cannabina)
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).
The most prolific and easiest to
identify species were Oyster-
catchers and a large colony nested
on an inaccessible base at the edge
of the sandstone.
I counted more than 50 bird watch-
ers who had set up their scopes
along the cliff edges.
They shared their finds, pointing out
various bird species such as Turn-
stone 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
(Omphaloscelis lunosa) paid us a
visit and rested on Louise’ hand as a
Hilbre Island - Where the Earth Meets the Sky - Bob Jude
Page 9 Merseyside Nature
The long walk to
Hilbre led by
Tony Parker
Our first distant Grey Seal
On our way
hoverfly joined us for lunch partak-
ing nectar from the occasional
Hawkbit (Leontodon) flower.
Much later, taking a lone walk back to
the boggy area, looking for dragon-
flies, a Common Darter flew past
and I photographed some solitary
bees on the last of the Ragwort
flowers.
With limited wild flowers there were-
n’t many invertebrates other than
the occasional butterfly, and soli-
tary bees but in spring this predomi-
nantly grassy mound must be very
beautiful when it is covered with
patches of Bluebell, Thrift and later
Bird’s foot Trefoil.
Sitting near the cliff edge and watch-
ing below, a short distance away, the
head of a solitary Grey Seal
(Halichoerus grypus) bobbed up and
down.
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 direc-
tions, 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 identi-
fied, 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.
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.
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
pools, and rivulets in the sand, stop-
ping only occasionally to look at
small crustaceans.
Looking back to the island, in the
distance, where the earth meets the
sky, it may look like a simple, sand-
stone, grass covered mound but for
archaeologists, artists, photogra-
phers, 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 experi-
ence, it was a journey to remember
and a visit not to be missed.
Louise Bentley’s list of additional
birds (Absent from the article)
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 hi-aticula)
Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea)
Hilbre Island - Where the Earth Meets the Sky - Bob Jude
Page 10 Merseyside Nature
A September day
spent on a tiny
enchanted island
at the mouth of
the Dee Estuary
Wet legs and
tired limbs, the
long trek home
Hawkbit and Hoverfly
Fresh water boggy area
Events are run throughout the
year by Liverpool Museum.
These include Mammal Trapping at
Knowsley Park and other venues.
Please contact
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 Der-
[email protected] or phone
0705418832
Interested in Orthoptera
There is a need for volunteers inter-
ested in Grasshoppers & Crickets,
Earwigs, Cockroaches, Stick Insects
and Mantids.
Make a date in your diary for Orthop-
terists’ meeting, 6th November 2013,
1:30-8:00pm at Natural History Mu-
seum, 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
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. Inter-
ested in joining, visit
www.mnapage.info for the pro-
gramme of events
Sunday, 27 October 2013
Ainsdale NNR, Merseyside
Ken Jordan Memorial Foray. A
joint meeting with Merseyside Natu-
ralists 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 wel-
come at all forays. Further details
about terrain and accessibility of
sites can be obtained by contacting
the foray leader.
Liverpool Botanical Society
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
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
Page 11 Merseyside Nature
Events
Late news
Nature events
listed on local
websites