november 2015 bristol naturalist news...summer time, but the changes in the time of sunrise and...
TRANSCRIPT
Contents
NOVEMBER 2015
Bristol Naturalist News
Photo © Lesley Cox
Discover Your Natural World
Bristol Naturalists’ Society BULLETIN NO. 545 NOVEMBER 2015
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CONTENTS
3 Diary of Events
New Membership Rates
4 Society Walk Society Talk
5 Chairman’s Notes
Welcome to new members
Phenology
New Treasurer needed
6 LIBRARY Proceedings online
BRERC seeks volunteers of all sorts!
7 GEOLOGY SECTION
Trees & Car Parks – R Bland writes
8 INVERTEBRATE SECTION
Notes for November. Items of Interest
9 MAMMAL SECTION
Harvest Mouse surveys
Book Club
10 ORNITHOLOGY SECTION Meeting Report; Fieldwork, Recent News
Swift Seminar, 13/11
12 MISCELLANY
Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project Botanic Gdn
13 In Praise of Ivy
14 BOTANY SECTION Botanical notes
Cover picture: Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), featured in Lesley Cox’s article on ivy, page13.
HON. PRESIDENT: David Hill, BSc (Sheff), DPhil (Oxon).
HON. CHAIRMAN: Roger Steer, Winpenny Cottage, Bagstone, Wotton-u-Edge, GL12 8BD
[email protected] 01454 294371
HON. PROCEEDINGS EDITOR: Mr. Richard Bland, 18a Knoll Hill, BS9 1RA NB New email:
[email protected] 0117 9681061 HON. SEC.: Lesley Cox 07786 437 528
HON. MEM'SHIP SEC.: Mrs. Margaret Fay 81 Cumberland Rd., BS1 6UG. 0117 921 4280
HON. TREASURER: Mr Stephen Fay, 81 Cumberland Rd., BS1 6UG. 0117 921 4280
BULLETIN DISTRIBUTION Hand deliveries save about £800 a year, so help is much appreciated. Offers please to: HON. CIRCULATION SEC.: Brian Frost, 60 Purdy
Court, New Station Rd, Fishponds, Bristol, BS16 3RT. 0117 9651242. [email protected] He will be pleased to supply further details. Also
contact him about problems with (non-)delivery.
BULLETIN COPY DEADLINE: 7th of month before
publication to the editor: David B Davies, The Summer House, 51a Dial Hill Rd., Clevedon, BS21 7EW. 01275 873167 [email protected]
Grants: The society makes grants of around
£500 for projects that meet the Society’s charitable aims of promoting research & education in natural history & its conservation in
the Bristol region. Information and an application form can be downloaded from: http://bns.myspecies.info/search/site/Grants
(and bristolnats.org.uk) Email completed applications to [email protected].
Health & Safety on walks: Members
participate at their own risk. They are
responsible for being properly clothed and shod. Dogs may only be brought on a walk with prior agreement of the leader.
BULLETIN NO. 545 NOVEMBER 2015
Bristol Naturalists’ Society Discover Your Natural World
Registered Charity No: 235494 www.bristolnats.org.uk
Bristol Naturalists’ Society Discover Your Natural World
Registered Charity No: 235494 www.bristolnats.org.uk
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Diary of events Back to contents
Council usually meets on the first Wednesday of each month (but in Sept. 2015 on 9th –
the 2nd
Weds). Any member can attend, but must give advance notice if wishing to speak.
Visitors & guests are very welcome at any of our meetings. If contact details are given, please contact the leader beforehand, and make yourself known on arrival. We hope that you will enjoy the meeting, and consider joining the Society. To find out how to join, visit http://bns.myspecies.info and click on membership.
NOVEMBER 2015 Thu 5 Society Walk: Oldbury-on-Severn Society 10:00 page 4 Wed 11 Talk - Penguins Ornithology 19:30 page 10 Sat 14 Walk – Chew Valley Ornithology 09:30 page 10 Thu 19 Society Talk – Forest Vision Society 19:30 page 4 Mon 23 Coastal Plants of Somerset Botany 19:30 page 12 Wed 25 Dolomitization Geology 19:30 page 7
DECEMBER 2015 Thu 3 Society Talk – Butterflies Society 19:30 Wed 9 Talk Farmland Birds Ornithology 19:30 Sat 12 Walk – Marshfield Ornithology Mon 28 Indoor meeting AGM + Members’ evg: (TBC) Botany 19:30 page 12
JANUARY 2016 Wed 13 TBA Ornithology 19:30 Thu 21 Society Talk – TBA Society 19:30 Mon 25 Indoor meeting Botany 19:30 Wed 27 AGM + Members’ evening Geology 19:30 page 7
FOR OTHER EVENTS OF INTEREST Please refer to
Page 8 – Museum Winter Lecture 3/12; Wildlife Photographer of the Year; ‘Erdkunde’; ‘Death’ ;’Cuna’
Page 14 – Wildlife Project, Botanic Garden
NEW MEMBERSHIP RATES FOR 2016 All membership subscriptions are due for renewal on the 1
st of January. Members
who joined in 2015 after June will be charged half and those who joined after September automatically have their membership carried forward to the next year without further payment. The new rates are:
£25 FOR A SINGLE MEMBERSHIP, and £35 FOR A ‘HOUSEHOLD’
Other membership rates remain unchanged. If you have set up a standing order PLEASE ask your bank to make the necessary alterations – this will minimise the amount of chasing up needed in the New Year.
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SOCIETY ITEMS Back to contents / Back to Diary
Society Mid-week Walk
Thursday 5th November, about 4 miles. Meet at 10 am, opposite the Anchor Inn, Oldbury on Severn, BS35 1QA, ST609923. This area is on the flood plain so fairly level. The walk is through lanes and field paths and includes the Severn Way along the banks of the River Severn. The walk is designed to take advantage of the abundance of hedgerow fruits and to see Autumn colours. If the tide is right we will hear the mighty roar of the river over the shoals and see plenty of bird life.
Everyone is reminded to wear suitable footwear and clothing. Although paths are mostly good, one cannot rule out some mud if the weather has been wet. The walk finishes at the Anchor Inn about 1pm where we are promised excellent refreshments. If the day is poor we can reconvene at the same place and time a week later. Do keep in touch.
Tony Smith: telephone 0117 9656566
The next walk is scheduled to be from The Ring O’Bells, Hinton Blewitt, BS39 5AN, on 3rd December. I haven’t yet finished planning next year’s walks so I welcome ideas from people. You may email me on [email protected] The October Walk: I was suddenly taken to hospital on Thursday, 5th October and had no time to notify anyone. Two people did contact me and were told what had happened but I hope no one had a wasted journey travelling to the venue and finding me not there. Tony
SOCIETY TALK
FOREST VISION
Speaker: Rod Leslie
Thursday 19th November at 7.30pm Guide Association Hall, Westmoreland Road, BS6 6YW Rod Leslie is the retired head of policy at the Forestry Commission. He worked for the FC for over 35 years and in his time as a forester he not only worked in Field Management & Conservation Policy but was also the Commission’s Private Forestry & Environment Officer for the South and West of England. Almost single handedly he changed FC thinking and practice.
Rod’s talk this evening will tell the story of the Forestry Commission’s journey from environmental pariah after the Flow Country debacle in the late 1980s to popular hero when over 500,000 people joined together on one petition alone to block the Government’s proposed sell off of forests in 2011. At the heart of the action from the start, Rod will focus on the wildlife and biodiversity of the nation’s forests, telling the inside story of the Flow Country and looking at the FC’s wide-ranging, large scale habitat restoration which is in the lead on breaking topics like rewilding … and if you want to know more he’ll have his book, Forest Vision, on sale at the discounted price of £10 (RRP £12.99)
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CHAIRMAN’S NOTES he days are getting shorter. By the time you are reading this, the clocks will either have gone back, or will soon do so. Of course nature does not observe British Summer Time, but the changes in the time of sunrise and sunset have effects, that
allow us better insights into what goes on at those magical times of day – dawn and dusk. Around these times, there are mass movements of birds - Crows, Rooks, Jackdaws and Gulls in particular. Where do they go? The earlier sunsets bring owls within the grasp of ordinary mortals. On my way home from our last Council meeting, I was pleased to briefly watch a Barn Owl (I was driving). It was in a familiar spot for them, but it has been at least a year since I saw one there. There is an old photographic saying “At sunrise and sunset there is a magical period – The Golden Hour – when the light is unlike that at any other time. As every good photographer knows, this lasts only 20 minutes”. Now we have later sunrises and earlier sunsets, take the chance to experience these special times. If you can, take a camera (and maybe a tripod, too!) Now we have a Bulletin with a full colour front page, and space for smaller colour pictures on the back page, why not share your efforts with us?”
Roger Steer
Welcome to membership of BNS to those who’ve joined recently: Miss Ellen Baker (Interests: Botany); Ms. Megan Dickens; Mr. David Hawkins (General, Botany, Invertebrates, Ornithology).
PHENOLOGY eptember was the coldest since 1994, and the last twelve months have been the
coldest since 1996, and the same as the average since 1853. Perhaps this is
unsurprising following last year which was the warmest since 1853- the weather has
a strong tendency to balance out. High pressure dominated for three of the four weeks, and
helped ensure a bumper harvest. In general the dates when nuts and berries ripened was
later than average, because of the late spring, but the onset of leaf colour change and leaf
fall looks likely to be earlier than usual. Late October is usually the peak time. The
phenology website called Natures Calendar, which is run by the Woodland Trust always
has fewer records sent in for the autumn events than for the spring, but recording the
complex ways that plants react to weather conditions is crucial to understanding the impact
of climate change.
Richard Bland
NEW TREASURER NEEDED tephen Fay has done an extraordinary job of tidying up and simplifying our accounts over several years, but is now planning to stand down. If you think you might be interested in taking over from him, please contact him as soon as possible for details:
81 Cumberland Rd., BS1 6UG. 0117 921 4280. [email protected]
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LIBRARY
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HON. LIBRARIAN: Jim Webster [email protected]. BNS Library at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery, BS8 1RL.
Open: Wed. 1.15pm-2.15pm, Sat. 10.15am-12.15pm. Committee member on duty: 0117 922 3651 (library opening hours).
Access to the Society’s Proceedings and Nature in Avon online We are very grateful to the Biodiversity Heritage Library and its participating institutions (Harvard and the Natural History Museum in particular) for digitising our Proceedings and Nature in Avon without charge and making them publicly available. To access them you can google “Biodiversity Heritage Library” and use the search facilities, or you can go direct to our own index pages at: http://biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/98898#/summary (for the Proceedings, i.e. up to 1993); and http://biodiversitylibrary.org/bibliography/99328#/summary (for Nature in Avon, from 1994 to date)
BRERC (Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre) urgently need volunteers We are the central repository for wildlife and geological data for the West of England. We collect, manage and disseminate data to the rest of the world. Don't worry if you haven't got the skills needed: training is provided. We are particularly looking for long term volunteers: Data logger: log emails, documents and reports; thank individuals for their submissions. Data assessor: Data must be processed correctly. Evaluate documents - identify important species / habitats for entry into systems. Some wildlife / ecological knowledge helpful. Long term (6 month plus) opportunities available Data entry: around 200,000 records come in yearly. A good intro to the work of a records centre. Interest in wildlife helps. Full training in using database given. Spreadsheet data entry: Handling 100s of records at a time! Large volumes come in via spreadsheets; we need help to validate, verify and process it before loading onto our database. We give training, but familiarity with spreadsheets & databases helps. GIS volunteer: Habitat info, such as location of hedgerows or woodlands, is recorded on electronic maps. GIS volunteers use specialist software Mapinfo Professional. Previous experience of GIS an advantage. Generally only long term (6 month plus). Admin: Cataloguing our collection of images, updating library catalogue, filing, help with mailings. Database/spreadsheet skills useful but training given. Long term (6 month plus) Where is BRERC? Most roles are at St Nicholas' Church, St Nicholas St, Bristol. Yatton satellite office open 2 days a week. Some roles allow work on your home computer. How often do I need to volunteer? The amount of time our volunteers commit ranges from a few hours a month to several days a week. How do I find out more? Please visit our website www.brerc.org.uk. For more info about volunteer roles, or an informal chat, please ring Daniel Marshall or Tim Corner on 0117
9349833 or email [email protected] or [email protected] If you are interested we will invite you in for an informal interview. We need 2 character (not necessarily employment) references, which can be by email, post or telephone.
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GEOLOGY SECTION
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PRESIDENT: Roger Steer [email protected] 01454 294371 HON. SEC.: Richard Ashley [email protected] 01934 838850
LECTURE MEETINGS Lecture meetings take place in the S H Reynolds lecture Theatre, Wills Memorial Building, University
of Bristol, BS8 1RJ. For those unfamiliar with this venue: Enter the Wills Building via main entrance and walk ahead between the two staircases. Turn right when you reach some display cases. The lecture room is on your left.
DOLOMITIZATION 7.30pm, Wednesday 25 November 2015 Dr Tatyana Gabellone The process of Dolomitization by which a proportion of the calcium carbonate in limestones is replaced by magnesium carbonate has had a profound effect on the geology of the Bristol District, but how it occurs and what its effects are is very little understood by many local geologists. Dr Tatyana Gabellone of the School of Earth Sciences at the University of Bristol has studied the subject extensively particularly in her native Italy where the Dolomites give their name to the process.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND MEMBERS’ EVENING Members of the Section 7.30pm, Wednesday 27 January Members are reminded that the President of the Section Roger Steer has announced his intention to stand down after many years of valiant service. The positions of Secretary, Field Secretary and Committee Members will also become vacant. Please give some thought to finding suitable candidates for these posts.
Trees and Car Parks deally car parks should have 100% tree canopy cover to ensure cars are shaded in summer, and to help reduce the urban heat island effect. However planners rarely insist on adequate tree cover despite the city objective of doubling canopy cover in Bristol a generation, and supermarkets and other car park providers seem to regard trees as a
nuisance that will limit total parking space. In some car parks I know trees are dying, and if they do, they are not replaced. If you are interested in a survey to gather a few facts on car parks and trees please contact me for details on 0117 968 1061 or [email protected]
Richard Bland
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INVERTEBRATE SECTION PRESIDENT: Mark Pajak [email protected]
SECRETARY: Tony Smith 0117 965 6566 [email protected] Back to contents / Back to Diary
INVERTEBRATE NOTES FOR NOVEMBER 2015 lthough they may seem unnecessary, cruel and out-dated to some, insect collections still are necessary for those who wish to accurately identify many species. If key features can only be seen by very close observation, often under high power magnification, or indeed if dissection is required to ensure an identification, responsible collecting is the only sure
way to be certain what we are dealing with. To be able to monitor and improve our environment for ourselves and the creatures we share the planet with, we first need to be sure we know what those creatures are.
Recently Bristol Museum & Art Gallery received a donation of the moth collection of Frank Smith of Perranporth, Cornwall. Now in his 90s, Frank, the Moth Recorder for Cornwall, decided after considerable deliberation to donate his collection to Bristol Museum. His lovingly preserved specimens will now be cared for in the museum where they are available for consultation by
appointment. The specimens ‘vouch’ for the accuracy of identification and recording in that county over many decades. This collection joins others including those of more local recorders such as Ken Poole, Stephen Blathwayt and Charles Bartlett (all three who were prominent in the BNS in their time).
One species which is not difficult to identify is the Clifden Nonpareil (or Blue Underwing as it is also sometimes known). This very large moth with dark blue hindwings is a very rare migrant
to our region but at least two have appeared in Somerset this September and one even closer to Bristol at Lower Woods, near Wickwar (Martin Evans & Roger Edmondson). Also arriving from foreign shores at the same time have been good numbers of Convolvulus Hawk-moths, with two trapped in Clevedon (Bob Fleetwoood) and one even found dead washed up in the surf at Weston-super-Mare (Jim Barnett). No doubt there have been many others which have gone unnoticed.
November is an exciting time for anyone keen on the Hymenoptera. Information on how to key out solitary as well as social bees has never been easy to find, spread around various published sources. On 5 November the Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland by Steven Falk and illustrated by Richard Lewington will be published by British Wildlife Publishing. Priced at £50 there are pre-publication offers currently on-line. This promises to be a firecracker of a book.
Ray Barnett 08/10/15
ITEMS OF INTEREST: Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015 exhibition 28 November 2015 – 10 April 2016. This year (as in 2013) the exhibition will be held at M Shed rather than at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery (adults £5, concessions £4, under 16s free). Erdkunde: the study of the Earth exhibition until 3 January 2016 Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, in the 200
th year since the publication of William Smith’s geological map, two contemporary
artists respond to his work and to the specimens in the collections of Bristol Museum. Behind the scenes tours to the geology collections on 14 November. Death: the human experience exhibition until 13 March 2016 Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. Exhibition includes references to wildlife such as the Death’s Head Hawk-moth. Cuna: a lecture on nesting 1 Nov. M Shed. A talk by contemporary artist Andy Holden and his father ornithologist Peter Holden on nest building. (Book via Spike Island website). Museum Winter Lecture – William Smith’s search for a money making career: talk by Prof. Hugh Torrens 3 December – book via Bristol Museum website.
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READING GROUP / BOOK CLUB The Reading Group welcomes new members
Contact: Tony Smith 0117 965 6566 [email protected]
The reading group normally meets evenings at four to six week intervals so please contact the above to find out dates, places and times. Our next book is ‘Deep Things out of Darkness’, a history of natural history by John G T Anderson.
MAMMAL SECTION Back to contents / Back to Diary
PRESIDENT: Gill Brown [email protected] 01275 810420 SECRETARY: Hannah Broughton [email protected]
MAMMAL RECORDER: Roger Symes [email protected]
FIELD MEETINGS HARVEST MOUSE SURVEYS There will be an opportunity to take part in harvest mouse surveys in the Yatton and Congresbury area, and possibly further afield, in the winter months. These will be arranged at fairly short notice so if you are interested please send your contact details to Gill and she will keep you informed.
Google Group. Please join the group by emailing a request to Hannah, or by emailing the group
address: [email protected], or apply for membership to be approved via: http://groups.google.com/group/bristolmammalgroup. To be a Group member you need a 'Google
Account'. This is easy to create; you just need to register a password.
The Google Group has a discussion forum; members post useful information or anything relevant they want to share. We hope all BNS members interested in mammals will become members of the Group and this will
generate ideas for outings, talks and other initiatives. It would be useful for members to share information on any skills they have which they would be willing to share with other members.
Image ©Philippa Foster
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ORNITHOLOGY SECTION PRESIDENT:- Giles Morris, 01275 373917 [email protected]
HON SEC.:- Lesley Cox 07786 437528 [email protected] Back to contents / Back to Diary
INDOOR MEETING PENGUINS: FROM EMPEROR TO FAIRY Wednesday, 11th November Speaker: Charles Kinsey. 7:30 p.m.
The Guide Association Hall, Westmoreland Road, BS6 6YW Not the American Dream in reverse but the breadth of the topic covered tonight by our own Charles Kinsey who has been fortunate enough to have seen most of the world’s species of Penguin. Opinion differs amongst scientists on the extant number of species and, depending on the authority being quoted, 17-20 different types are found in very diverse climates; arctic, temperate and equatorial, within the southern hemisphere.
Charles’ talk will cover matters relating to these birds’ behaviour and biology, details and descriptions of other birds and animals that live alongside penguins in the wild, as well as a variety of associated conservation issues. It will be fully illustrated by his own pictures & videos, illuminated by personal anecdotes and will spring a few surprises along the way.
FIELD MEETING Field meetings take place at regular intervals throughout the year. Typically, one or two are held every month and non-members are welcome. Unless specified, just turn up at the start point and make yourself known to the leader so that he/she may ensure that you enjoy the meeting to its fullest. Our
Winter Lecture programme exploring a wide variety of specific topics and related issues continues throughout the season and here too, all are welcome, so make a date to join us on the second Wednesday of each month.
CHEW VALLEY LAKE Saturday, 14th November Leader: Mike Johnson (0117 9532545). 9:30 a.m. Meet at 9.30 a.m. at Bristol Water’s Woodford Lodge ST 568614 off the B3114 road between Chew Stoke and West Harptree on the left hand side of the road just after leaving Chew Stoke. We will visit a number of sites around the Lake where there should be a good selection of duck, gulls waders and passerines. Some of the areas within the Lake grounds do require a permit costing £3.50 for the day, which can be purchased at the Lodge. The walk will be flat but we may walk on wet grass and some areas could be muddy. The meeting will finish about 1:00 p.m.
FIELD MEETING REPORT Sand Point - Saturday 12
th September
he Sand Point car park was blustery, but dry as four of us gathered for this morning walk. There were clearly showers scooting up the Bristol Channel, but the main concern was that the strength of the wind would keep any small passerines well down in the scrub, making for some hard birding.
However, while we waited to see if there were to be any latecomers, there was activity enough to keep us interested. A brief burst of Chiffchaff song was followed by a fly past of swallows. Swallows were in evidence most of the morning, though it was unclear whether these
were locals or a steady flow of migrants. Almost all movement seemed to be westerly, so perhaps it was migration in progress.
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After a bit of excitement as a Curlew (or was it a Whimbrel?) flashed overhead, our attention focused on a raptor hunched on a fencepost in the fields behind the car park. Typical spot for a buzzard, we thought, but it turned out to be a juvenile hobby. A real bonus before we had even left the car park and it stayed long enough to give excellent views in the scopes, also enjoyed by a couple of passing dog walkers.
Moving up the steps through the scrub, we were kept busy by constant movement and calls from a mixture of tits and warblers, but when we reached the open ground at the top of the ridge the wind brought in a rain squall. After an abortive attempt to find sheltered bushes on the north side of the point, we returned to the top path and it soon became clear that the birds were on the southern slope. We had soon added Stonechat, Whitethroat, a possible Lesser Whitethroat and Linnets to the list. Moving on to the tip of the point produced at least 4 Wheatears and a Sparrowhawk. The tide was receding below with Curlew, Shelduck, Oystercatcher and Little
Egrets following the water down the shore. The return walk was made in much brighter conditions, with even some butterflies in
evidence, including a wonderfully bright and fresh Clouded Yellow. Although the Autumn Ladies Tresses had largely finished flowering, Eyebright and Yellowwort added a touch of colour to the turf. Bullfinch and Goldfinch brought our species total up to a respectable 35 and there was still time for the hobby to give a brief, dashing appearance before we got back to the cars.
Giles Morris
FIELDWORK
Winter Garden Bird Survey This survey began at the start of October, but runs through to the end of March and always needs new members. It has revealed startling changes in bird use of gardens over forty years, and simply requires weekly counts of the birds using your garden. Please contact me for details on 0117 968 1061 or [email protected]
RECENT BIRD NEWS am writing this from a storm-battered Shetland without access to the September bird news so it will not be at all comprehensive. It will therefore just be based on my own notes and what I
can recall were some of the month's notable features. Siskins were a prominent feature of the month. These small finches of coniferous and
mixed woodland are prone to population booms. They are common in the extensive conifer plantations of the northern and western parts of Britain and their range extends East into Siberia. They passed over in good numbers, although not matching some huge counts from the east coast. This visible migration is usually apparent only because their calls are heard as singles or small parties pass over. In my case I rarely seem to see the birds themselves these days so it's
more like invisible migration. Watch out for flocks on Alders during the winter. Typical autumn migrant waders were generally in poor supply with a mere smattering of
young Curlew Sandpipers and Little Stints. Duck numbers on Severnside were good, presumably thanks to the flooding of the old rifle range. Most must have been feeding there at night as they were concentrated on the foreshore by day. Regular Pintail here were unusual, peaking at 22 and Shoveler reached 90, which is probably a site record.
Normal service will hopefully be resumed for October and so far has already produced some excellent birds.
John Martin Swift Seminar On Friday 13 November there will be a free Swift seminar at Clifton Zoo, 1.15-4.15 organised by the RSPB. To register e-mail [email protected] Please give your name, your profession and your motivation for attending the seminar. Further information at www.Bristolswifts.co.uk Richard Bland
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MISCELLANY Back to contents / Back to Diary
Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project For further information contact Mandy Leivers on 0117 903 0609 or e-mail [email protected]. Pre-booking essential for all events. Details of meeting points are given on booking.
Wed. 11 Nov. The science & beauty of birds (Talk) Oliver Smart introduces insights into the science of birds, their adaptations, evolution and physiology. Illustrated by his own photographs the talk will also cover the aesthetics and rewards of bird photography. 7–8pm £4. Sat. 14 Nov. Needle felt your own Gorge-ous goat (Course). Discover the joys of needle felting with artist Helen Taylor. After hearing how the Avon Gorge goats are helping to protect our rare plants, you’ll create your own beautiful needle felted sculpture, or portrait of a goat. 10am – 4pm. £30 (includes materials)
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UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL BOTANIC GARDEN
The Holmes, Stoke Park Rd, Stoke Bishop, BS9 1JG. Booking: 0117 331 4906. www.bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden
Email: [email protected] Sun. 8/15/22 Nov. 09.30 - 16.30 Intro to growing vegetables, with Steve Collins. Linnaeus study room, Botanic Garden. 3-wk. course, on growing vegetables. Includes planning your site, sowing seed, creating compost. Practical demonstrations with opportunity to participate (weather permitting). £120. http://www.bristol.ac.uk/botanic-garden/events/2015/introduction-to-growing-vegetables.html Thu. 19 Nov. 19.30-21.00. Friends’ Lecture: The Gardens of English Heritage - Christopher Weddell (a trainee at the Botanic Garden in 1994, now Senior Gardens Advisor for English Heritage). With 11 major garden sites, from Belsay in Northumberland to Osborne on the Isle of Wight, the gardens of English Heritage provide a cross section of garden and social history, presentation and design styles, and horticultural challenges. A whistle-stop tour from Elizabethan England to the 1930s taking in an eclectic range of people, gardens and plants. Venue: Frank Theatre, Wills Physics Lab., Tyndall Avenue, BS8 1TL. Free to Friends on production of membership card; visitors asked for a donation (suggested £5). Attendees can use any University car park: the nearest are in University Walk and The Hawthorns. Sat. 28 Nov., 10.00-16.00. Gift wrapping workshop. Unlock the secret to a professionally wrapped gift which looks too good to open! Print your own paper and create stylish flourishes. Workshop led by Amanda White of Gift Frippery. Materials and seasonal refreshment included. Bring a big bag to take creations home. £35. Linnaeus Study Room. Sat. 5 Dec., 14.30. Christmas wreath workshop. £40
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IN PRAISE OF IVY MAY GOD BLESS HER AND ALL WHO SAIL IN HER! Though much complained about by the “pom-pom gardeners” (those who like all their shrubs to be pruned to resemble cheer leaders’ accoutrements) - Hedera Helix brings the most wondrous joy to this time of year. The heady aroma, made large by the warm autumn sunshine, emanating from the profusion of flowers, drowns the olfactory system bringing a comforting sense of wellbeing and with it the realisation that this clarion call to the invertebrate world has delivered an abundance of treasure – Bees – homing in on this late source of food. Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, large and small cover Ivy’s rough cut mantle and dither before the flowering spurs, whilst butterflies, hoverflies, wasps, flies and bugs join the dance - and spiders wait in quiet contemplation of the forthcoming meal. Huddling inside, are the quiet sheltering places of winter solace for those that need respite from the frost, snow, wind and rain yet to come and the, now deteriorating, spring homes of Blackbird, Wren and Dunnock which will be re-incarnated next year. By that time, there will still be a few of the black, bullet hard berries left that the Woodpigeons have balanced precariously to feed on, by spreading their wings amongst the fragmented crown, and to which the Blackbirds, who could pick them off with greater ease, have finally had to resort as other, more tempting, berries of hawthorn, yew, pyracantha and cotoneaster have run out. …. And amongst Ivy’s treasure trove, almost echoing the earlier presence of the Hornet Moth is the Hornet Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria), our largest hoverfly (right) In one study carried out by Sussex University focusing on role of Ivy, it was found that: -
On average 89 per cent of pollen pellets brought by worker bees to hives were from ivy.
80 per cent of honeybees foraging on ivy were collecting nectar not pollen.
The Ivy nectar was high quality, with a lot of sugar (49 per cent). This may be basic data of which all are aware (except the “pom-pom gardeners”) but it is still worth reminding ourselves that access to high quality nectar and pollen sources late in the season increases the chances of successful overwintering for the hive. Ivy is central to this, as it is for nesting, sheltering and dining for many species all year, every year.
Lesley Cox
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BOTANY SECTION PRESIDENT:- Vacant
HON. SEC:- Clive Lovatt 07 851 433 920 ([email protected]) Back to contents / Back to Diary
INDOOR MEETINGS Indoor meetings are held from October to March, normally on the 4th Monday in the month at 7.30pm at the Guide Association Hall, Westmoreland Road, Westbury Park, Bristol BS6 6YW. The December meeting may be deferred to the first week in January (Members’ evening). Bob Buck will be talking on 25 years of managing the St George’s Flower Bank, Portbury on 22 February 2016. Send me an email with BNS Botany in the subject line if you would like to be on a mailing list about BNS Botany meetings (advance notices, reports etc).
COASTAL PLANTS OF SOMERSET Mon. 23 November Helena Crouch 7.30 pm Somerset has a variety of coastal habitats and associated plant species, despite the coastline being entirely estuarine. In 2014, with help from other members of Somerset Rare Plants Group, Helena undertook a survey for Natural England of the rare plants of the coast, from the Parrett to the Avon, giving her a good working knowledge of our coastline and its flora.
In this talk, Helena will take us on an exploration of the different coastal habitats, including rocky shores, saltmarshes and sand dunes, looking at the common and rarer plants we might expect to find in each and explaining their adaptations to their challenging environments.
Helena is well-known as Vice-County Recorder for the north part of Somerset on behalf of the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. She has been a member of BSBI since 1983 and since moving to Somerset in 1997 she has also been an active member of Somerset Rare Plants Group, Bristol Naturalists’ Society and Bath Natural History Society, and has led weekly botanical walks for the Cam Valley Wildlife Group for seventeen years. Helena has a degree in Botany and a PhD in the field of plant succession, an interest which began with a school project on a saltmarsh.
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BOTANICAL NOTES Field Meeting Reports (by the Secretary unless otherwise stated) The meeting report for Libby Houston’s guided tour of the whitebeams of Leigh Woods will appear in next month’s Bulletin. Portishead Down & Weston Big Wood, Sun. 16
th August (Liz McDonnell and Clive Lovatt)
This was a joint meeting with the Somerset Rare Plants Group and 12 members and friends of both societies met on Valley Road to look at the plants on roadsides, and in ancient woodland and species-rich grassland.
In the disturbed verges by Black Rock Quarry we found Narrow-leaved Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus sylvestris), Water Bent - or as we know it, Teddy-bear Grass - (Polypogon viridis), Ploughman’s Spikenard (Inula conyza) and 20+ plants of Pale St John’s-wort (Hypericum montanum). This has a GB Red List category of Near Threatened and has apparently not been recorded at this location before. We noted that the well-known road verge population of Purple Gromwell (Lithospermum purpureocaeruleum) was doing well,
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and is currently 24m in length. We noted that the lower part of the dense mat had been mown by the local authority. The current season’s grey fruits were developing, but a few hard white shining seeds from last year were still visible on some of the old shoots. In the wood above we later found about a dozen saplings of Wild Service-tree (Sorbus torminalis), some no more than a foot high but assuredly older than they looked. We could not locate a mature tree though.
Weston Big Wood is a large ancient woodland managed by the Avon Wildlife Trust. It is dominated by Small-leaved Lime (Tilia cordata) and has a rich ground flora. We climbed the steps to the top and made our way along the circular path to the north-east. Herb Paris (Paris quadrifolia) was recorded in two places, one patch having at least 100 shoots, a few with a large single black fruit in the centre of the four or five large leaves. Margarete Earle identified a splendid fungus on a decaying tree trunk as Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus).
We had lunch on the south-facing species-rich slopes of Portishead Down which had plants such as Salad Burnet (Poterium sanguisorba), Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis), Woolly Thistle (Cirsium eriophorum), Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), Greater Knapweed (Centaurea scabiosa) and Burnet Saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga). We made our way back to the woodland through a sloping damp tall-herb-dominated field into which scrub was spreading from the surrounding woodland and hedgerows. A small flush was well trampled by cattle and species including Bog Stitchwort (Stellaria alsine) and Small Sweet-grass (Glyceria declinata) were recorded. Back in Weston Big Wood we found a few spikes of Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) by the path, the flowers on two of them being more of a purple colour than the usual pink.
We then walked the southern half of the circular woodland path through an open clearing, mostly dominated by brambles, but with interesting grassland species beside the path such as Marjoram (Origanum vulgare) Wild Basil (Clinopodium vulgare) and Zig-zag Clover (Trifolium medium). Back in the wood, someone called back Libby Houston saying he had seen a whitebeam by the path in dense shade with large round leaves. The tree is a coppice with a number of slender twisted stems. After some reflection Libby confirmed it as Round-leaved Whitebeam (Sorbus eminens). Back to contents / Back to Diary
Eastwood Farm Local Nature Reserve, Thursday 3 September (by Helena Crouch) On a fine day, three members met to explore this extensive Local Nature Reserve to the south of the River Avon in Bristol. The river cuts through Pennant Sandstone at this point and the geology and history of Eastwood Farm have resulted in a wide variety of habitats and a varied flora.
Our target species for the day was Greater Dodder (Cuscuta europaea), a parasitic plant which grows on nettles alongside rivers. This species is Nationally Scarce and in VC6 it is restricted to the banks of the River Avon, but here it can be abundant. We found many patches, in two different 1km squares. Some splendid plants of Small Teasel (Dipsacus pilosus) were also seen along the river bank, whilst clumps of Common Club-rush (Schoenoplectus lacustris) were growing in the river. We explored a delightful meadow, where Devil’s-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis) was flowering abundantly. Here we also found Tormentil (Potentilla erecta), Greater Bird’s-foot-trefoil (Lotus pedunculatus) and two fruiting plants of Corky-fruited Water-dropwort (Oenanthe pimpinelloides). On a bank by the track to Beese’s Tea Gardens, we were pleased to find a small patch of Greater Woodrush (Luzula sylvatica); later we found sheets of this species growing on the steep rocky side of the river valley at the south of the reserve. We were entertained by some busy conservation workers on the steep hillside: a dozen young pigs were busily reducing the area to bare soil and lumps of sandstone. It will be interesting to see what
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flora returns. Their clearance meant that we could clearly see three large Broom bushes on Broom Hill.
It was a shame that the meeting date inadvertently clashed with a Society Mid-week Walk so that only two members joined me for the day, as this local site within Bristol is definitely worth a visit. For most of the day, it was in fact difficult to believe that we were only a short walk from a large industrial and residential part of the city. Back to contents / Back to Diary
Treegazing in Victoria Square, Sunday 6 September 10 of us attended this meeting and enjoyed a two hour-long walk – but a very short walk indeed being wholly within Victoria Square. Tony knew this place well – he explained that he had once helped a PhD student using the Square as an example of a cultural landscape. The diagonal walkway used to be covered over with an iron ‘bird-cage’. This was to keep the public out of what was once a private garden for the adjacent property owners. We therefore went in by the old official entrance half-way along the Royal Promenade. Tony showed us the covered-up entrances to an old tunnel which ran under the diagonal path. The SW half of the square, he said, used to have tennis courts. We started with a large Tulip Tree and soon found that many of the trees were more or less familiar: two Fern-leaved beeches (Aspleniifolia); sycamores and hybrid limes alternating in a line (one of the former had pushed over the small boundary wall); elm and alder; a sort of birch where the white papery bark gives way to an ugly dark trunk as it ages (Jacqemontii);a variety of oaks and a rather odd hornbeam.
The oaks included a large Holm Oak, a recently planted Cork Oak and a variety of Lucombe Oak, itself a hybrid of the Cork and Turkey Oaks. Fulhamensis is thought to be a backcross to the Cork Oak. The hornbeam had some branches with cut leaves. Tony explained this is a ‘signature tree’ of the old local nursery Galloways which I think used to be on Whiteladies Road when Queen Victoria was young. We were told that they planted many of the historic trees on old estates around Bristol. Nearby was a Black Mulberry in fruit – delightful to taste again (I had a big tree in one of my Malawi gardens).
Tony has two very special talents – the fact that his walks nearly always seem to bring the sunshine out and the supremely affable way he shares his knowledge. Tony has promised to write up a factsheet with more dendrological detail than I can muster. Email me for a copy.
Plant records If you've found some interesting plants in the Bristol area this year, let me know. There was a good array of uncommon plants (none in great quantity) on a disturbed roadside near the Lawrence Hill roundabout in September, as illustrated by the photograph of Apple-of-Peru, Nicandra physalodes. Cockspur grass can be seen in the background. Thorn-apple and Purple Amaranth could also be seen by the roadside (as Helena Crouch did, shouting to me as she passed).
Clive Lovatt, Shirehampton, 8 October 2015
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Photo © C Lovatt