Merseyside Nature (2013 August-September)

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:

[email protected]

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


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


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


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.


What’s in your Quadrat? 1.9 - Hugh Harris


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.


Grass of Parnassus Count 2013, Ainsdale Dunes NNR - Hugh Harris


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.


Liverpool Botanical Society: Southport Marshes - Hugh Harris


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


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


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

[email protected].

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


World Museum

Uncommon Trees of Court Hey Park,

Rob Duffy

Saturday 11th January


World Museum

Caledonian Pine Forests

Peter Gately

Saturday 8th February


World Museum

AGM plus members’ field meetings

photos

Events


Events

Late news

Nature events

listed on local

websites

mailto:[email protected]




http://www.orthoptera.org.uk/recording/index.php?q=newsletters

http://www.orthoptera.org.uk/recording/index.php?q=newsletters

http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/things-to-see-and-do/events.aspx

http://www.knowsley.gov.uk/things-to-see-and-do/events.aspx

http://liverpool.gov.uk/leisure-parks-and-events

http://liverpool.gov.uk/leisure-parks-and-events

http://www.lancswt.org.uk/what-s-on

http://www.lancswt.org.uk/what-s-on

http://www.courtheypark.co.uk

http://www.nwc.org.uk/events

http://www.mnapage.info

Documents

Merseyside Nature (2013 August-September)