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RUGBY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY

Newsletter No 240 PRESIDENT – Mr F Pearson January2016

CHAIRMANMr T Landless, 27 Spicer Place, Rugby.

VICE – CHAIRMANMr L Classey, 13 Orson Leys, Rugby.

HON SECRETARYMrs W Classey, 13 Orson Leys, Rugby.

HON TREASURERMr D Knapp, 44 Orson Leys, Rugby.

PROGRAMME SECSMr P Hodges & Mrs J Tolley-Hodges

30 Rupert Brooke Road, Rugby.

NEWSLETTER EDITORMr M Slater, 44 Bucknill Crescent, Hillmorton.

Firstly, let me wish you all a Happy New Year. With this issue of the newsletter are included notice and details of the Annual General Meeting on 11th February.

Other dates for your diary Thursday 10 March 2016 – RNHS Annual Dinner at Badgers Tearoom, Brandon Marsh. Further details and a booking form are included with this Newsletter.

Thursday 19 May 2016 – RNHS Visit to The Deep Aquarium in Hull and the RSPB Reserve at Bempton Cliffs in North Yorkshire. Further details and a booking form will be included with the March Newsletter.

For further information about either of these forthcoming events, please contact David Knapp – tel 01788 817346 or email:

Finally a reminder that 2016 subscriptions are now due if you have not yet paid!

Details of the Annual General Meeting – 11th.February.2016

All Officers retire at the Annual General Meeting in accordance with the rules, but are eligible for re-election. Any nominations correctly proposed and seconded should be forwarded to the Hon sec before the meeting. Proposers and seconders must be members of the society.

President and Vice-Presidents

As President:Mr.F.Pearson

As Vice-Presidents:Mrs.G.Bale, Miss.P.Keats,Mr.G.Robson,

Mr.J.Russell, Dr.M.Thompson.

For your guidance the retiring Officers and Committee are:

Chairman:Mr.T.Landless.

Vice-Chairman:Mr.L.Classey.

Hon. Treasurer:Mr.D.Knapp.

Hon. Secretary:Mrs.W.Classey

Programme Secretaries:Mr.P.Hodges, Mrs.J.Tolley-Hodges.

Newsletter Editor:Mr.M.Slater.

Committee: Mr.D.Poole, Dr.P.Reeve, Mr.G.Robson, Dr.J.Sherratt.

All of the Officers are willing to stand for re-election.

All of the Committee members are willing to stand for re-election.

Dormice – Sarah Brookes MSc

This was a well-attended meeting for the first meeting of the winter programme and we started with an additional short talk by Chris Redstall, who asked if we had heard of the Princethorpe Woodlands Living Landscape Project. The answer was that about 50% of our members knew of this.

Chris explained that he is a landscape officer with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and is based at Brandon Marsh. The area covered by the project includes a number of ancient woodlands pre-dating 1600 and within the villages of Brandon, Cubbington, Brinklow, Willenhall, Binley and Frankton.

A grant has recently been awarded by the heritage lottery fund and a further bid is in the pipeline for 2016 to develop and manage the area. Members were asked to fill in a questionnaire for Chris which covered the frequency of visits to the area, the reasons for the visits e.g. wildlife or recreational and the form of transport used to reach the site.

The main talk of the evening was Sarah Brookes the Conservation Management officer of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust speaking on dormice. Sarah introduced the native or Hazel Dormouse which is fairly rare and difficult to see, as it resides high in the tree canopy and is nocturnal. Albeit that this species was once widespread, over the past twenty years there has been a 40% decline in the population as stated by PTES (People’s Trust for Endangered Species).

Sarah firstly talked about the Edible Dormouse, which is big, noisy and bad-tempered, it can be mistaken for a Grey Squirrel as it is grey and with a bushy tail. This species is numerous in the Chilterns area and is known for causing havoc and damage to local properties. It appeared in this country after a number imported by Lord Walter Rothschild at Tring escaped in 1902, although there are reports of imports as early as Roman times.

This species is a pest in woodland habitats as it debarks trees and predates native woodland birds, it also a pest in houses chewing through cables and insulation. They are very social animals, and according to one population study their numbers appear to be increasing exponentially.

Conversely the Hazel Dormouse is very difficult to find as it is not found in traps, the best way to find them is to put up nest boxes. Another sign to look for are hazel nuts as the dormice have a unique way of nibbling them. Dormice hibernate over the winter but can also go into a state of summer torpor (the sleepy dormouse) if there is not sufficient food for them, however if conditions are favourable they can produce two litters a year.

To prevent a further decline of numbers a programme of captive breeding and release has been established by PTES, a number of pairs having been released in woodlands in Warwickshire. The numbers released at present are thirty four, that is seventeen pairs and all have been microchipped for identification purposes in the future. Past success has been quite variable and more research is required, nest boxes must be installed and volunteers are always required to assist with the survey programme.

Tony Smith

Amphibians & Reptiles - Jan Clemons(Warwickshire Amphibian & Reptile Team - WART).

Introduction – Jan gave the background of the Native Species of Amphibians e.g. Common Frog, Pool Frog, Common Toad, Natterjack Toad, Smooth Newt, Palmate Newt & Great Crested Newt.

Native Species of Reptiles – Grass Snake, Adder, Smooth Snake, Common Lizard, Sand Lizard, Slow Worm

Introduced Amphibians – Alpine Newt, Midwife Toad, American Bullfrog,

Introduced Reptiles – Wall Lizard, Green Lizard, Red Eared Terrapins.

Threats To –

  • Habitat Fragmentation & Destruction e.g. Agricultural Intensification & Industrialisation.
  • Fish in Ponds.
  • Roads – Toads & frogs heading to breeding ponds.
  • Fungal Diseases e.g. Chitrid – Frog Red Leg.
  • Tourism in coastal areas – Dune System slacks e.g. Natterjack toads.
  • Fires on lowland Heathland.

Successes –

  • Pool frog re-introduction to Norfolk Pingo from Scandinavia.
  • Lowland Heathland Nature Reserves e.g. Arne Dorset, Studland Heath. Dorset
  • Great Crested Newt – European & British Protected species.
  • Sand Lizard European & British Protected species.
  • Smooth Snake –European & British Protected Species.
  • Setting up of the Amphibian & reptile Trust.

Identification of all the Native & Alien Species was covered with colour pictures in the form of a very professional Powerpoint presentation. It was very well received by the participating RNHS Members in the Audience.

Paul E Hodges

A Taste of Spain - John & Val Roberts

Introduction – Was a map showing the country of Spain, John discussed its size relative to Britain (e.g.Twice the size) 400 miles from top to bottom & 400 miles across. It has a human population of 42 million (20millon less than in Britain). Geographically it has the most areas of mountains & High Plateaus in Europe. The Atlantic coast is wet & windy, the south & east coasts are temperate and Mediterranean. Threats to the wild life habitats come from a number of sources –Mainly Intensification of Agriculture, The Spread of Industrialisation & Tourism (eg 14.3 million Briton’s holiday in Spain-requiring hotels, water, recreational activities.

John & Val took us first to the Picos Mountains the wettest region rising to 8700 ft above sea level. He showed us the biodiversity of the flora in the Wild Flower Meadows. Illustrated with slides of Carthusian Pink, Columbine, Cardinal Fritillary Butterfly, Purple Shot Copper Butterfly and Spanish Heath Butterfly. Mammals –included Chamois, Roe Deer Fawn. In the Arctic/Alpine flora notable species included Shaggy Hawkweed, Common Rock Roses, carpets of Jurina Thistles, St Daboc’s Heath.

Spanish Purple Hairstreak Butterfly, Spanish Fritillary, the Spanish form of Golden Ringed Dragonfly. Spanish (Iberian)Ibex, Iberian Rock Lizards, Bluethroat (a good shot of a Male).White Storks nesting, Lesser Kestrels, Griffon Vultures, Feral Goats, Spanish Gatekeepers, Sawfly Orchids, Spanish Marbled White Butterflies, Cow Basil, Yellow Pheasants-eye and Dwarf Bindweed (Really attractive purple). Greater Flamingo’s & Black Winged Stilt, Broomrapes (Sinonorium), Azure Winged Magpies, 2 tailed Pasha Butterfly.

Steppe Grassland – Great Bustards, Xerophytic plants, Violet Drop-wing Dragonfly

Gibraltar – Barbary Macaques (Only European Monkey’s)

Central Andalucia – 10 species of Toadflaxes also Saxifraga globifera.

Rhonda Region- Salvia bifolora (5-6feet high in patches), Lizard Orchids.

Badlands-Montpellier Snake, Spanish Swallowtail Butterfly.

Weedy fields-Poppies, Wild Tulips, Green Hairstreak Butterfly, Moroccan Orange Tip Butterfly, Spanish Festoon Butterfly, Birthwort or Dutchman’s Pipe, Yellow Bee Orchids.

Sierra Nevada – Hoop Petticoat Narcissi, Snow Melt Ox-Eye Daisies, Rock Storks-bill, Crocus Nivalensis, Spanish Fritillaries, Provence Hairstreak Butterfly.

Alhambra & Iberian Mountains – Beautiful Flax, Lotsia Conifer, Oseolated Lizard, Adonis Blue Butterflies, Rock Soapwort, Pyrenean Ergano, Yellow Turks Cap Lily, Scarce Copper Butterfly, Large Blue Butterfly (Sub Species), Fungi –Bog Beacon.

Pryenees – Pyrenean Thistles, Pyrenean Violet.

Odessa National Park – Snow Finches, Large Tortoiseshell Butterfly, Ashy Cranesbill and Marmots. Peter Reeve gave the vote of thanks at the end.

Paul E Hodges

Parasitic Wasps – An Evening Looking at Ichneumanidae - Tim Newton (Identification and Presentation) & Robin Gossage (Photography)

  • 4000 +UK Species (Nocturnal & Diurnal Species exist).
  • Predominantly Parasitoides which kill the host every time.
  • Moth trap bycatch – Yellowy Brown-250 species are possible to identify down to species level.
  • Have a specific vein in the wing formation that is unique to ichneumanidae.
  • Also the females have well developed ovipositors of different lengths depending on the host species larval habitat.
  • Ovipositors are protected by a sheath that comes in three parts that can be triangular or rounded.
  • The body of ichneumanidae are broken down into a variety of parts named in the literature e.g. First segment with Breathing Spiracle.
  • Natural History Museum in London are going through their collections & identifying new species all the time.
  • They tend to feed on the flower heads of umbellifers.
  • Females with longer ovipositors tend to parasitise grubs of species that are deep within living or dead wood habitats.
  • Females with shorter ovipositors tend to parasitise larvae of moths & Butterflies (The hairiness of caterpillars is an arms race defence against this).
  • Gavin at the Natural History Museum in London is attempting to compile phenology related to flight periods of these insects.
  • The females ovipositors are made of chitin & have teeth at the tip that are used with a sawing action in wood & are tipped with zinc or calcium to make them harder.
  • Ovipositors are often held between a pair of legs to stop them twisting & being damaged in the process of being used.
  • To locate hosts Parasitic wasps drum with their sensitive antennae – which can detect chemical signals, a possibly feel vibrations. They can even tell the size & heath of the host by using both antennae.
  • They even have a notch on their legs to clean debris from their antennae (50 -60 segments).
  • Some of the ichneumons can even inject an anaesthetic into the host while egg laying.
  • The wings can be beautifully iridescent.
  • One of these parasitic wasps is an ant mimic that drops its wings & looks like an ant apart from its short ovipositor.
  • Tim Newton brought his personal collection boxes of these insects for members to study & appreciate the range of forms, sizes, colours, etc.
  • Many have their lifecycle within a few months & some of the larger species can hibernate & overwinter under the bark of dead wood.
  • Size ranges from 3mm – 130mm long depending on the species.
  • Some species are host specific, some species have multiple potential host species.
  • Robin Gossages Digital Photographic images taken with a Canon Camera with a Macro lens & Ring Flash – His contribution was essential to the success of the evening.

Paul E Hodges

Dunchurch Meadow – Karl Curtis

Karl Curtis, Reserves and Community Engagement Manager at WWT came to illustrate a project the Trust has been involved in since 2012 to celebrate and improve wildflower meadows. With only 2% of species rich wildflower meadows left since 1930, a project was initiated by Plantlife, The Wildlife Trusts and the Rare Breeds Survival Trust to promote coronation meadows which gained support from HRH Prince Charles. The partnership secured funding from Biffa to allow coronation meadows to be utilised to improve other meadows through physical restoration to provide a legacy to the project.

In Warwickshire Draycote Meadows SSSI was celebrated as the coronation meadow and a receptor site at Dunchurch was chosen to be restored using the green hay from Draycote. Explaining the mechanical process of ground preparation, harvesting, seeding and continued management, Karl detailed how the project provided some key learning on how this kind of operation may be widened to enhance other sites and already 9 species had transferred across with success. Concluding the talk, it is anticipated that the Trust will continue to manage the meadow by cutting and grazing, in the hope that Dunchurch Meadow also becomes as glorious as Draycote Meadow.

Trials and Tribulations of an Urban Botanist – Brian Laney

On 3rd December Brian Laney gave us an enthusiastic and informative talk on the Trials and Tribulations of an Urban Botanist. His main subjects were finding rare and scarce plants and some species thought to have been extinct. He has found that many of these plants can be found in urban areas, road verges and industrial estates that are not normally checked by Botanists.

His first example was the rare Lizard Orchid which has now been re-found in many counties in the South East with many specimens found in Kent. A specimen has been found in Oxfordshire and Brian expects that it will soon be found in Warwickshire. Many other plants (too numerous to list here) were described and illustrated, many growing on walls and ledges and on wasteland in industrial estates. Also examples of Southern Oak Bush Crickets found in trees on a Northampton Industrial Estate. These wingless crickets are spreading across the country.

He also brought some examples of stick insects that can be found in South West England. Three species originally from New Zealand are now naturalised in UK. These are: The Prickly, The Unarmed and The Mediterranean. The naturalised stick insects seen in the UK are all female and reproduce by laying fertile eggs without the need for a male, a process known as parthenogenesis.

LC

Rugby Natural History Society Photographic Competition 2015

Sightings – A good number of fungi, Field Blewits, Inkcaps, Polypores. Snipe, Little Egret at Coombe also sixteen nests of Harvest Mouse recorded in survey at Coombe. Great-spotted Woodpecker hammering, Frogs breeding and a Jay in a garden at Dunchurch.

The judge, Steven Cheshire commented that the selection of prints had been quite difficult to judge. He is the head of marketing at Brandon Marsh and his remit covers taking and sourcing photographs for the trust magazine. The things he looked for were a well framed image, good sharp subject matter, how the eye looks around the image and good composition.

The initial part of the Plants section was predominantly fungi orientated, Puffball, Dung Roundhead Fungi, Shaggy Inkcap, Dryad’s Saddle and an unusual perspective on Scarlet Elf Cap. The judge commented on composition and digital developing, also the angles of taking shots to include the plants habitat. More traditional shots included Oxlip, Foxgloves, Teasels, Catkins, Gentians and a Mulberry Tree, along with Seaweeds and Devil’s Matchsticks a species of Lichen.

The next section was invertebrates with quite a number of insect species to the fore Poplar Hawk Moth, Six-spot Burnet Moth, Bloody-nosed Beetle, Ladybirds, Damselflies and Dragonflies. The main comment with such small subjects was the depth of field limitation, the section finished with various species of butterfly, including Common Blue, Peacock, Speckled Wood and Brown Argus.

Finally the Vertebrates section with Common Seal, Red Deer Stag and two entries featuring Grass Snakes. The main body of this section was bird shots including Little Egret, Black Guillemot, Little Owl, Shetland Wren, Red Grouse and Kingfisher.

The plant section was won by Devil’s Matchsticks; Invertebrates by Great Silver Water Beetle and Vertebrates by Shetland Wren. Then the audience vote amongst these three pictures and the overwhelming winner was “Shetland Wren” by Tony Smith. The shield was presented and then a vote of thanks given by Di Weaver.

Thanks on the evening go to Joan Sherratt for organising the competition and putting the Powerpoint presentation together and Steven Cheshire for judging the three categories. Also David Poole and Andy Farthing for their work with the raffle. Sue Knapp, Beryl Sharlot and Wendy Classey for organising the buffet. Not least the members who entered photographs in the competition and provided food for the buffet.

MS

2015 Overall Winner – Shetland Wren by Tony Smith

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