RECORD Newsletter Issue 3 Summer 2017 by RECORD LRC

Issue 1 Winter 2016

The Local Environmental Records centre serving Cheshire, Halton, Warrington and Wirral

Issue 3

Golden-bloomed grey longhorn beetle (Agapanthia villosoviridescens) ÂŠLeanna Dixon

Summer 2017

Contents RECORD Round up

3-7

Wildlife on your doorstep by Lisa Reeves

8-9

Species Spotlight - Natterjack Toads by Susie Phillips

10-11

New species in Cheshire

In Search of the Green Hairstreak by Katie Piercy

12-13

Count Me in Graduates

Chester Zoo’s Nature Reserve News by Andy Jennings-Giles

15-17

What to look out for in the coming months

18-19

Shared on Social Media

Upcoming events in Cheshire

21-26

A note from the editor… Welcome to our Summer newsletter. It is a very busy time of year for us here at RECORD and you can find out about what we have been up to in the RECORD Round Up section. We have lots of interesting articles for you to read including some insights into Cheshire Wildlife Trust’s work to conserve the Natterjack toad and Green hairstreak butterfly .

There is lots going on across the region at the moment, check out the events section at the end of the newsletter to see how you can get involved in recording wildlife across Cheshire. Thank you again to everyone who has contributed. Please get in touch if you would like to submit an article for the next issue. Leanna Dixon (Data Services Officer, leanna@record-lrc.co.uk)

RECORD Round Up It has been a very busy few months at RECORD. In addition to holding our conference we have attended several events to promote the importance of wildlife recording, taken part in two bioblitz’s, carried out several surveys and run a wildlife recording day. Keep reading to find out more about what we have been up to.

RECORD Conference - Strength in Partnership - 7th May 2017 The theme of this years conference was strength in partnership working, celebrating the diverse partnership projects RECORD is involved in and how collaboration on shared goals can deliver much more for conservation. We had presentations from several of our project partners and hedgehog enthusiast and ecologist, Hugh Warrick. Geoff Settle of the Warrington Nature Conservation Forum gives us his account of the day below…

RECORD attendance by WNCF speakers at conference at Chester Zoo Warrington has a wealth of ecologists who live in the town and on the 7th May several of them played a big part delivering speeches at the annual RECORD Conference at Chester Zoo. Their passion shone through for their specialisms as well as recording data on RODIS (RECORD Online Data Input System), the Cheshire biodiversity database. RECORD is a charity and non-profit making organisation that deals with all data for Cheshire wildlife, Cheshire biodiversity, Cheshire nature, Cheshire habitats, Cheshire wildlife sites and Cheshire geology, geomorphology and geodiversity. The Chair of RECORD, Tony Parker from Penketh introduced the speakers in turn. Many of them are members of the Warrington Nature Conservation Forum (WNCF) and in fact Tony is a past chair. The opening speaker and author Hugh Warwick (pictured left) gave a very interesting talk on his theory of Linescapes: - Remapping and Reconnecting Britain's Fragmented Wildlife (also the title of his new book). His theory stems from decades of studying Hedgehogs, the way they travel and the impact caused on their habitat by man’s impact on the landscape by dissecting it with the construction of roads, rail and garden fences. Hugh said, “One way to help reconnect Hedgehog’s jour3

neys is to make holes at the base of garden fences to allow them to get through to neighbouring gardens. The holes reconnect the hedgehog’s linescape.” The WNCF will look for more ways of re-establishing the linescape in Warrington, for example re-establishing tree lines and canopies to replace those felled. Tranches of trees provide avenues for bats as they travel about at night. The next topic was about Swift surveys in Chester presented by Roger Nutter (pictured left). During his talk, he praised Brian Martin, a renowned birder from Grappenhall. He said “Brian produced a comprehensive Swift survey across Cheshire back in 1995. We have been using his knowledge and expertise to guide us. I have to admit that we needed 25 people to do what he did single handedly!”

Jane Cullen from Latchford (Warrington Guardian’s 2015 Great and Green Award Winner) spoke about the work of the Wirral and Cheshire Badger Group under the title of the “Data Sett”. She describes herself now as a full-time volunteer and chair of the group. The group’s aim is to protect the badger in many ways including a vaccination programme to prevent TB spreading across Cheshire and badgers being culled. Jane said, “We are very grateful to Eric Fletcher, RECORD’s manager and his team for help in recording data on RODIS and mapping the badger’s activities.” The maps Jane showed gave a fascinating insight into badger’s nocturnal travels. A colourful talk followed about Diptera (the study of flies) by Glenn Rostron covering Hoverflies, Soldier flies, Crane flies and many more. He cited the excellent recording work and academic papers of his colleague from Croft, Phil Brighton. Between 1970 and 2013 something like 6,500 species totalling 59,000 records were entered into RODIS. The last speaker Carl Clee took to the stage before we all went out into the sunshine to see the construction site that will be the extension to Chester Zoo’s new Wildlife Reserve (pictured right). Carl works with Tony Parker at Liverpool World Museum and he described the work that they doing to produce the first ever online “Atlas of Bees, Wasps and Ants of Lancashire and Cheshire.” Geoff Settle - Chair Warrington Nature Conservation Forum.

The Julia Hancell Award for services to Wildlife Recording and Nature Conservation in the Cheshire Region

The first winner of the Julia Hancell award (trophy pictured left) was announced during the RECORD conference. This annual award is presented to those who have made a significant, positive impact on wildlife recording and nature conservation within the Cheshire region. It also provides recognition of the positive impact Julia made on both RECORD and nature conservation. It is hoped that the award will encourage others to further Julia’s positive work and build stronger cohesion within the Cheshire region’s nature conservation community.

This years winner was RECORD’s long term volunteer Steve Ryder (pictured above with RECORD trustee Paul Oldfield). Steve has been at RECORD since 2008, he started volunteering through the Count Me In project and is one of the founding members of the Count Me In Graduates group (CMIG) who meet on a monthly basis to visit areas of conservation interest to record as much as they can. Steve has trained a vast number of RECORD volunteers to use the RODIS system and provides front line support to data inputting volunteers within the office. Steve also assists at public events engaging with the public raising awareness of RECORD and conservation issues.

Towards the end of May we took part in the Port Sunlight River Park Bioblitz. Over the 2 days we recorded as much wildlife as we could across the former landfill site and engaged with visitors to the park with the RECORD wildlife identification quiz. (Pictured above and below - Port Sunlight River Park. Pictured left - Bee orchids recorded at the park).

In June we attended the Cheshire show where we teamed up with Liverpool World Museum. This year we

focused on the recording of bees to compliment the upcoming release of the new Atlas of Bees, Wasps and Ants of Cheshire. Our display and

bee

themed

quiz

(pictured left) was commended with a rosette by the judges! 6

Pictured above is a Smooth newt found at the Ness Gardens Mini Bioblitz. There was also an abundance of the Black and yellow longhorn beetles (pictured right). RECORD staff and volunteers are also carrying out monthly surveys at Ness Gardens to create a more extensive species list for the site. As part of the Saltscape project we organised a recording day at Anderton Narture Park in Northwich.

Armed with nets, binoculars and identification guides the attendees (pictured left) recorded as much as they could throughout the day. Two interesting finds were the Small skipper butterfly and the Birdcherry ermine moth (pictured below).

Long tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus)

Common foxglove (Digitalis purpurea)

Common linnet (Linaria cannabina)

Wildlife on your doorstep by Lisa Reeves The heady heat of summer approaches and the garden is slowly starting to look like an artist’s pallet, awash with an array of vibrant colours. Wildflowers seem to burst into life from tiny seedlings overnight. Campion, foxgloves, lupins and alliums look bold and stunning; enticing bees to take a closer look. The heady scent of philadelphus (mock orange) flowers encapsulates your senses with its exquisite perfume as you walk by. Delicate blossoms have now fallen like confetti and fruit is starting to form in the orchard and soft fruit garden. The hawthorn blossom has now also faded to be replaced by blooms of elderflower and honeysuckle attracting a variety of moths such as, hummingbird moths and pale tussock moths. Pale Tussock Moth (Calliteara pudibunda) ©Lisa Reeves

Trees are now in full leaf, creating dabbled shade and safe perches for birds; the rich canopy providing shelter and food for a host of beautiful birds such as: longtailed tits, linnets and goldcrests. In summer everything is bathed in golden light, as the sun sits high in the beautiful azure blue sky. On a really hot sunny day I like to sit in the shade of the hobnut tree with my binoculars ready waiting to spot anything that moves in the garden. As I sit here I can hear the distant hum of a lawn mower and the smell of a barbeque wafting through the air. Not far from where I am sitting there is a bird bath and there is nothing more delightful than watching a blackbird happily splashing about in fresh clean water. It really is a joy to watch as they splash and splosh about throwing water everywhere. I watch as a robin has a tug of war contest with a worm, and starlings squabble loudly with each other under the bird feeder. Birds are so busy at the moment darting about the garden looking for food. They look so tired and worn out with all those mouths to feed. The hedges are alive with the sound of baby chicks, and fledglings hop about under the hedge tweeting constantly to be fed. 8

I decide to walk over to the wildflower area of the garden to see what wildlife I can spot there. I am not disappointed to see that it’s a hive of activity with holly blue butterflies, froghoppers, hoverflies, solitary bees and bumblebees. Bees busily buzz from flower to flower in front of me gathering nectar whilst butterflies sun themselves outstretched on leaves. Long grasses by the wildlflowers create a great habitat for grasshoppers, spiders and other small creatures to hide in; and I have placed an upturned plastic pot saucer there which grasshoppers and spiders love to sit on.

Holly blue (Celastrina argiolus) ©Lisa Reeves

As I walk back to the cool dappled shade of the orchard I pass the pond. I see insects skimming the surface of the water to take a drink and 2 frogs looking up at me. I hear a pop in the water and a flash of a newts tail as it dives down into the pond. As I take a closer look I notice that newts have started to lay their eggs on blades of grass and vegetation that hang over the side of the pond. I can’t wait to see the baby newtlets. As I sit back down I also notice some hedgehog poo and the faint smell of fox under the tree. The hedgehogs and foxes are such Newt egg ©Lisa Reeves

fun to watch in the evening, as it’s not just during the day that the garden is full of wildlife.

Hedgehogs run around the garden munching beetles and slugs, bumping into one another and making huffing noises at the foxes and cats. There has been a lot of huffing and snorting from the hedgehogs recently as they see off other hedgehog rivals or sometimes getting friendly with them, so plenty of food and water will be put out for them and I will be keeping my eyes open for babies. Our garden is informal, with a variety of trees, shrubs, plants, flowers and wildlife habitats. It’s a garden where wildlife can feed, drink, rest and produce their young. It has

Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) ©Lisa Reeves

many wild areas in it, but that doesn’t mean it is scruffy.

This garden is as beautiful as any formal garden, and I would say it is even richer for having so much wildlife. It’s great to share your garden with wildlife and I think it would be a soulless place if they weren’t there. So even if you have a small garden or a tidy garden there is still something you can do for wildlife this summer. Sow wildflowers in a plant pot, put a dish of water out or a birdbath in the garden. Maybe ask your neighbours if you can make a hedgehog corridor in the fence or perhaps just leave a bit behind the shed to go wild. It doesn’t matter how big or small the gesture is, the wildlife will appreciate it. Learn more about garden wildlife by visiting Lisa’s Blog Ljay Nature 9

Species Spotlight Natterjack Toad (Epidalea calamita) by Susie Phillips The Natterjack Toad Epidalea calamita is one of Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rarest amphibian species, with a distinctive yellow dorsal stripe and an active lifestyle distinguishing it from the common toad, its dramatic population decline in the latter half of the 20th century has afforded the species protection as a European Protected Species and under sec-

tion 9 Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 making it a criminal offense to capture, trade, injure or kill the animal. Natterjacks are commonplace across Europe but

Natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita) by John Clare is licensed under

BY 2.0

are confined to a handful of breeding sites across the UK. This species of toad is unique in their preference for coastal habitats (where sandy soil allows them to burrow, protecting them from predators and the extremities of weather during summer and winter) with many populations present along the sand dune systems across the Northwest. Red Rocks reserve on the Wirral coastline is the only site in Cheshire to hold a population of Natterjack

toads. The 11 hectare site is recognised as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to its unique habitat mix of reedbeds and developing sand dunes with brackish dune slacks, giving rise to a diverse range of flora and fauna. On a warm evening you may be lucky enough to hear the distinctive symphony of the male toads calling during breeding season or spot the long single stranded spawn strings laid across one of the many pools. The reserve has long been known as a site for the toads since the early 19th Century, however the population was driven to extinction in the early 1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. Consequently, a reintroduction programme using individuals from a source population in North Merseyside was implemented by Natural England and Cheshire Wildlife Trust. Subsequent management of the breeding pools on the reserve (removing competing common toad spawn, fencing off areas from the general public, alongside preserving areas of sand dune) has been a priority for the Wildlife Trust, combined with extensive monitoring of the population. Current analysis shows that the Red Rocks population has fluctuated in number somewhat since the decline in the 1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, with a general increase following the reintroduction. Data collected in 2017 however shows a record number of both individual toads and spawn stings, therefore it will be of interest to determine the cause of this success and indeed if it increases the stability of the population. Small, isolated populations are at high risk of local extinction due to loss of genetic variability and, due to the lack of suitable surrounding coastal dune habitat, the Natterjack toad population at Red Rocks is now thought to be 10

completely isolated. Therefore, knowledge of population size and genetic diversity of the Natterjack toads at this site is vital to avoid a second local extinction event. Researchers at the University of Chester are working with the trust to launch a project to quantify the number of individuals and assess the genetic diversity of this population in hope to protect it for many years to come.

To find out more about the Natterjack toads and the population at Red Rocks follow these links on the Cheshire Wildlife Trust Website http://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/species/natterjack-toad & http://www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/reserves/red-rocks-marsh

New Ladybird Species in Cheshire

Scymnus femoralis ÂŠJeff Clarke

Most of us will be familiar with ladybirds as being brightly coloured beetles but there are several small, inconspicuous ladybirds that may easily be overlooked by the untrained eye. Scymnus femoralis is just 2.2mm in length and was first discovered in Cheshire by local ecologist Jeff Clarke on the 18th May 2017. This tiny ladybird is generally found in grassland and woodland rides, particularly sandy or calcareous soils at the roots of grasses and low-growing plants. It is not uncommon in south-east England but there are few records elsewhere. Jeff Clarke will be releasing an atlas of Ladybirds in Cheshire in the near future, keep an eye on his twitter account for further details @birderjeff

In Search of the Green Hairstreak by Katie Piercy (Cheshire Wildlife Trust)

Tucked away in a hidden corner of Delamere Forest I find myself crawling across the floor through young bilberry and heather bushes. Spiders hang lazily from their webs beside me whilst flies move with sluggish purpose above. A moment earlier I spotted something flying low and fast over the heathland and had

now pursued it across ditches and mushroom encrusted tree stumps to its final resting spot. I inch closer trying to get a better view. Almost horizontal the butterfly has tilted its entire body, trying to catch the rays of the weak spring sun. As it turns there’s a flash of green before it takes to the air once more,

Green hairstreak butterfly (Callophrys rubi) ©Natalie Webb

startled by my appearance. Ten years ago this heathland had been a conifer plantation, with too little light and no food for the little creature I had just spotted. Its presence marked a significant chapter in the changing future of the site, a sign that once absent species are returning, thanks to conservation work which has been taking place for two decades. For many, the green hairstreak is not a familiar species. With its iridescent green wings this small butterfly is stunningly beautiful, looking more like a piece of jewellery than an insect. Widespread across the UK it uses a large range of habitats from heathland, to moorland, to chalk grassland. Its choice of food plants is also rather eclectic, including bird’s foot trefoil, bilberry, broom and even the ever-present bramble. Yet despite all this few people will ever have the pleasure of observing this interesting species. This is partly due to the fact that the green hairstreak isn’t a garden visitor and exists mostly in small colonies. It’s also

Great Blakemere ©Vaughan Edge

Bilberry ©Ian Dossett 12

well camouflaged, blending perfectly with fresh young birch or bilberry leaves when perching. Yet,

though not always an easy find, it is well worth searching out. The green hairstreak flies rather early compared to many species, emerging towards the end of April and fading out again around June. The males and females are identical, their green outer wings always on display when resting, whilst their brown inner wings can only be glimpsed during their rapid flight. The colour of their shimmering wings is in fact an illusion, caused by the diffraction of light rather than pigmentation. Wintering as a pupa, unlike other hairstreak butterflies, they are often found buried in the soil. Amazingly enough, if disturbed, these pupa can make a sound loud enough to be heard by human ears. Like many of our butterfly species the green hairstreak isn’t doing well, its distribution having de-

creased by 29% since the 1970’s. Much of this is due to habitat loss. In Delamere Forest the Delamere’s Lost Mosses project, run by the Cheshire Wildlife Trust in partnership with the Forestry Commission, has been continuing restoration work in the forest working to bring back some of the habitats and food plants of this species. Over 120ha of mossland habitat is being restored, along with areas of lowland heathland. Since the start of the project in 2014 scrub clearance work has opened up areas, allowing in more light and increasing the amount of bilberry. Alongside the restoration work, the project has been carrying out surveys to ascertain where the green hairstreak is currently found. Two of the best sites within the area are Abbots Moss and Black Lake, both Cheshire Wildlife Trust nature reserves. Abbots Moss in particular saw individuals numbering over 100 on several surveys this year, the warm spring helping to boost the population. An additional five

sites have been identified across the landscape, with three of these populations previously unknown. Future conservation work on these sites can now be catered towards the needs of the green hairstreaks, including keeping the sites open but ensuring some scrub remains. It is hoped too that this little butterfly will begin to spread out into the newly restored mosslands as they become more suitable. With all this it may be possible to reverse the declines being seen elsewhere and ensure the green Green hairstreak butterfly (Callophrys rubi) ©Donna Nook is licensed under CC BY 2.0

hairstreak remains one of the brightest jewels of Delamere’s meres and mosses.

Count Me In Graduates (CMIG) 21st May 2017 - Owley Wood Mayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s event was at a lovely little site called Owley Wood in Weaverham, Northwich. It is an ancient six hectare semi-natural clough wood in the Saltscape region situated on a steep hillside by the river Weaver. It has an abundance of Ash, Oak, Sycamore and some unusually tall Hazel and Hawthorn which reach up to the canopy. The wood is owned by Cheshire Wildlife Trust and the day to day maintenance of the site is performed by The Friends of Owley Wood with the Weaverham Trust and partners owning and looking after the adjoining meadow known as Bottom Pitch. As part of the Saltscape project, CMIG member and RECORD volunteer, Peter Lennon has previously helped re-lay a hedge at the wood using the Cheshire hedge laying technique and also participated in the maintenance and creation of footpaths and steps. The 10 strong group met at 10:30am, on a relatively dull and cool morning; although the weather forecast was for a warm and sunny day - no surprise there then! As the group started walking at their usual leisurely pace, the birds were singing their various songs (Blackbird, Song Thrush etc), Steve was frantically recording all the species, whilst eminent botanist, all round ecologist and CMIG member Jack Swan occasionally tested and corrected the group on their ID skills. Some of the plant species found were: Meadow buttercup, Cocksfoot, Honeysuckle, Yellow flag iris, Welsh poppy, Yellow archangel and Himalayan balsam. The notable tree species recorded were some very large and impressive Sycamore, three species of oak; Sessile, Turkey and Pedunculate, Western red cedar (pole) and a single Black poplar. Of all the bird species heard or seen perhaps the most thrilling was a sighting of a Hobby along with a Sparrowhawk, Barn swallow and Greater Spotted Woodpecker. Down by the River Weaver, the scratchy sound of the Willow warbler and a delightful family of swans were recorded (pictured). As we strolled down the lower path by the river Jack spotted a wild honeybee nest. Along with the Tree , Early, Common Carder and White/Buff bumblebees this brought the total bee species count up to five. Other insects found were: Red-headed cardinal beetle and Green dock beetles along with several Harlequin ladybirds and only one of our Mute swans (Cygnus olor ) ÂŠPeter Lennon native species; the Cream spot, a worrying sign for our native ladybirds! 14

Serge Wich©

Chester Zoo Nature Reserve News June 2017: Waiting for the rain-gods! by Andy Jennings-Giles You may remember in the last newsletter that we had just finished excavating the lower meadow pond and the south facing mounds were starting to take shape. The contractor soon completed the soil stripping and then set to work on adding shallow depressions and a meander to the north-south ditch running across the meadow. This allows water to naturally overflow from the pond in Phase 1 and travel down through the grassland into the new meadow pond. The ‘scalloped’ depressions will only hold water for part of the year and remain damp at other times, which can be important for rare water beetles and other specialised plants and invertebrates. From there an overspill allows water to flow down into the wet grassland where some will eventually reach the larger wet-meadow pond. Taken together, these features can be seen as a mini-catchment and water should naturally be filtered through vegetation on the journey from the car parks down to the reedbed by the canal. The zoo’s horticulture projects team have also installed two new bridges over the meadow ditch line so that visitors can take a circular walk down to the viewing hide and past the meadow pond and back without getting their feet wet. Work on the new viewing platform looking out over the wet-meadow pond started in April and was also carried out by the projects team. The first task was to install the main support posts which have been dutifully recycled from the zoo’s old orangutan enclosure, and therefore extensively tested! With a bit of help from the contractor’s JCB they were soon knocked in and then it was possible to add the oak planking which was left-over from another project at Delamere forest. This certainly saved a lot of money and transport emissions with the added bonus of sturdy rustic charm! The final touches were 15

to add woven hazel screens with viewing slots and shelving for your binoculars and thermos flasks. Hardwood benches have been upcycled from an old zoo exhibit and have been dotted around the reserve and on the platform itself. Another new feature is the Hügelkultur made from piles of logs covered in earth. The exposed wood should be excellent for mason bees, leafcutter bees and some solitary wasps and we’re planning to drill a number of holes from 2-10mm in size. The top and sides will be planted with wildflowers, though management will also maintain bare patches of soil to encourage mining bees. In the last week of March, RECORD staff and volunteers donned their wellies and joined forces with the zoo projects and gardens teams to plant over 400 whips on the new mounds. The species planted included Dog rose Rosa canina , Guelder rose Viburnum opulus, Hazel Corylus avellana and Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna which are all commonly found in local hedgerows. The whips are largely doing well despite the lack of rain and we’re hoping to introduce a greater variety of species this coming winter. The new pathways are taking shape and are constructed from a long-lasting permeable mesh covered in mulch. We’re sowing the paths with traditional meadow grasses that should gradually spread into the surrounding wildflower mix. The mix is comprised of Red Fescue Festuca rubra, Crested dog’s-tail Cynosurus cristatus, Common bent Agrostis capillaris, Rough meadow-grass Poa trivialis, and the hay meadow favourite: Sweet vernal-grass Anthoxanthum odoratum. The idea is to mow the grass on the pathways fairly short so that people can get up close and personal with the wildflowers, and the route may help some butterflies access nectar sources.

The stripped ground has been harrowed in 3 directions to try and break up the surface in preparation for the wildflower seed. Following this some careful calculations were made to sow the locally sourced seed at approximately 1g per square metre over all the flat areas. The sowing was done by hand to ensure the seeds were properly mixed. Since then we’ve had a particularly dry April and May, so we’re praying to the rain gods to kick-start the germination process!

©Mike

©Mike Griffiths

RECORD volunteers and staff recently carried out a preliminary survey of the invertebrates of the nature reserve. This survey was largely to refine possible survey techniques and to take a snapshot of activity. We combined a visual search with netting, beating and the use of an adapted leaf blower to capture inverts from Phase 1, 2 and the wet meadow areas of the reserve. Notable finds included a scarce Tortoise beetle Cassida vibex identified by Jeff Clarke (the second record for Cheshire!), and the Woundwort shield bug Eysarcoris fabricii and the Large cranefly Tipula maxima identified by Phil Brighton. Interestingly Tipula maxima is the largest of the british craneflies with distinctively patterned wings and the Woundwort shield bug has only spread into Cheshire in the last 20 years or so. Jeff Clarke also vacuumed up a spectacular Golden-bloomed grey Longhorn beetle Agapanthia villosoviridescens in the reedbeds of the wet meadow.

Golden-bloomed grey longhorn beetle (Agapanthia villosoviridescens) ©Leanna Dixon

Butterfly records for the spring have included good numbers of Green Veined White Pieris napi and Orange tip Anthocharis cardamines down in the wet meadow, the latter obviously benefiting from the profusion of Cuckoo flower Cardamine pratensis.

Green vieined white butterfly (Pieris napi)

Carl Clee, Honorary curator from World Museum Liverpool has provided a malaise trap at the bottom of the main meadow. This will provide baseline data for the aculeate assemblage and to monitor change as the reserve develops. The data will also feed into the Provisional Distribution Atlas of bees in the Cheshire region coordinated by Carl and RECORD with support from Chester Zoo. In the next edition we’ll give you more details about this year’s field surveys and our plans for interpretation and education at the reserve.

©Leanna Dixon

Monthly wildlife workshops are being help on Chester Zoo’s Nature Reserve, the next is: INTERESTING INVERTEBRATES: INTRODUCTION TO WILDLIFE MONITORING WORKSHOP - Saturday 12th August 8-10am. To find out more or to book please visit the Chester Zoo online events pages. 17

What to look out for in the coming months Summer has officially begun! While a few Blackbirds Turdus merula will keep singing, they will soon start to moult their feathers, grow new ones, and fall silent. Moulting will finish by September, but they will not be heard singing again until January. Greenfinches Carduelis chloris and Goldfinches Carduelis carduelis remain very vocal. If you are visiting Cheshire's meres and mosses during July, look out for Yellow water lily Nuphar lutea and Starworts Callitriche palustris as well as Common reed Typha latifolia and Lesser reed-mace Typha angustifolia. Grey willow Salix cinerea and Alder Alnus glutinosa grow in the boggy woodland, as well as species such as Greater tussock sedge Carex paniculata and Tufted sedge Carex elata which are rare in Cheshire, along with Bog myrtle Myrica gale, Cross-leaved heath Erica tetralix and Heather Calluna vulgaris. At this time of year there is an abundance of insects and July is especially good for hoverflies, lacewings, butterflies, moths and dragonflies. Butterfly species that you are may see include the Painted lady Vanessa cardui and Red admiral Vanessa atalanta. By wetlands, ponds and streams look out for the dramatic blue and green Emperor dragonfly Anax imperator or the iridescent emerald green Beautiful demoiselle Calopteryx virgo by running streams.

Yellow water lily (Nuphar lutea ) ©bathyporeia is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Emperor dragonfly (Anax imperator) ©Tristram Brelstaff is licensed under CC BY 2.0

During August, late summer will be upon us and Elderberries Sambucus will ripen and be feasted on by hungry birds. Other berries are ripening too, such as Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, Sloes Prunus spinosa and Rose-hips. These will provide sustenance for many species through the harsh winter months. If we are lucky to have some hot days they can bring the restful sound of grasshoppers calling ('stridulating') from the long grass, advertising their territories. In Britain the species most likely to be spotted are the Common green Omocestus viridulus, Common field Chorthippus brunneus and the Meadow grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus.

Common green grasshopper (Omocestus viridulus) ©Patrick Clement

Waders are returning to the estuaries, having bred in highlands pastures or wetlands in Britain or further north. Some are just passing through on their way back to Africa. Lapwings Vanellus vanellus and Golden plovers Pluvialis apricaria join Knots Calidris canuta and Bar-tailed godwits Limosa lapponica feeding in the mud. As we move towards the end of Summer, great changes will

be brought about. Around the time of the harvest the craneflies or ‘daddy-long-legs’ Tipulidae appear in their greatest numbers. Many butterflies are still on the wing from the second or third hatchings. The male Gatekeeper Pyronia tithonus sets up territories along hedges where the nectar-bearing plants of marjoram, mint, wood sage and bramble attract the adults. The attractive Wall butterfly Lasiommata megera can be found basking in the sun on rocks and stones. The verges start to look ragged with dead grass seed heads, etiolated Common nettles Urtica dioica and the skeletons of Cow parsleys Anthriscus sylvestris and Hogweed Heracleum. Purple loosestrife Lythrum salicaria has striking spikes of pink flowers that penetrate the otherwise monotonous green river fringe. The white flowers of Greater bindweed Calystegia sepium and the umbellifer Wild angelica Angelica sylvestris attract honeybees and hoverflies. The yellow flowers of Common bird's-foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus and Yellow loosestrife Lysimachia punctata can also be found growing in dense stands of vegetation in damp marshy ground.

The birds have now stopped moulting and are in their winter plumage. Family groups are often still together with some young pestering the adults for handouts. Many small birds however such as tits Paridae, Chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collybita and others move through countryside together in flocks helping each other find food. Whilst this month there is no difficulty in uncovering insects, later in the year food will become harder to find. By moving together, prey is disturbed out of its hiding place and anything missed by one bird will be found by others. On warm days it may be possible to hear warblers such as Willow warblers Phylloscopus trochilus sing once again. Edited by Rachel Cross from articles by Peter McSweeney on his website When to Watch Wildlife

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Upcoming events in Cheshire: July - September 2017 15th July - Cheshire Plant Recording: Eastham Ferry Meeting to see if Mentha pulegium survives. Meet at 2pm at Eastham Ferry Park on verge for a gentle stroll. Contact: Graeme M Kay 0161 439 7995 email: graeme.m.kay@gmail.com

16th July - Cheshire Wildlife Trust: Recording visit to Gowy

Meadows Recording visit to Gowy Meadows Nature Reserve. This is CWTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest reserve and is home to good number of breeding birds, insects and wildlfowers. Meet at the Lay by opposite reserve entrance on Thornton Green Lane (SJ442746), Gowy Meadows, Thornton le Moors, Cheshire. Start time: 10am. For further info please contact Tony Parker on 07790 609218 or email Tonyparker874@gmail.com

19th July - Cheshire Wildlife Trust: Recording Visit to Upper Moss Side Farm Halton and Warrington the local group of Cheshire Wildlife Trust are hosting a recording visit to Upper Moss Side Farm. The walk will first explore the western section of Moore Nature Reserve before moving on the Forestry Commission site at Upper Moss Side Farm with a visit to the hide at Norton Marsh. Hopefully we should see a good variety of spring plants and insects as well as the summer migrant birdlife. Start time: 7pm. Location: Moore Nature Reserve car park (SJ578856) For further info please contact Tony Parker on 07790 609218 or email Tonyparker874@gmail.com

Peacock butterfly (Aglais io) ÂŠLeanna Dixon

22nd July - Cheshire and Peak District Butterfly Conservation: Identification of Common Species New Ferry Butterfly Park, Howell Road, Birkenhead CH62 5BU. 10:30AM – 2:00PM. Situated on Bebington Road between the railway over bridge and the Aldi supermarket. The Butterfly Park is an award winning, family friendly site, established on a former railway siding now reclaimed by nature. This compact park contains a range of habitats in which most of Cheshire’s butterfly species have been recorded. This is an easy walk and there is wheelchair access in the southern part of the park. A gentle tour of the park will be followed by instruction on the identification of Cheshire’s butterflies and their habitats. This is the perfect opportunity to prepare yourself for the summer butterfly season. In event of poor weather please contact Malcolm Plant for confirmation that the event will proceed (07764449084; malcplant2009@hotmail.com)

29th July - Saltscape Wildlife Recording Day: Weaver Valley Parkway Join RECORD at sites within the Saltscape project area (Weaver Valley, Cheshire) and help to record as much wildlife as possible Practice your identification skills and help increase the number of wildlife records for these areas. Places on these events are limited so please do book if you would like to attend. For more information or to book a place please email: info@record-lrc.co.uk

29th July - Warrington Plant Group: Vascular plant meeting, Wilderspool Old Cut, Warrington Meet at 10am at Morrisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s off London Road (SJ611864) to walk west and explore Wilderspool Old Cut to see whether the sand leek still grows there. Contact details: Gail Quartly-Bishop Email: gailqb@hotmail.com

29th July - Cheshire and Peak District Butterfly Conservation: The Marine Environment Red Rocks, West Kirby. Leader: Tim Ward The Marine Environment: Grayling; understanding their needs. Details to be finalised. Contact: henbury@aol.com

29th July - Cheshire Wildlife Trust: Small Mammal Trapping 9am - 12pm. Spend the morning looking at basic small mammal trapping including basic trapping methods and how to design a small mammal survey. This is an adult training event. If people would like to be involved in setting the traps please contact Kevin Feeney directly. Kevin Feeney 07793 249438. kfeeney@cheshirewt.org.uk. Book online.

29th July - Saltscape: Wings around Winsford Bats are an important species and contribute a great deal to our environment with some plants relying completely on bats to pollinate and disperse their seeds. The bat population and behaviour can indicate a rise or fall in insects and therefore changes in aspects of biodiversity. On this bat walk you will learn about these nocturnal mammals and get to see and hear them feeding and moving about in the dark. Join local Ecologist Jeff Clarke and visit these wonderful creatures! Places limited, booking essential. Email info@saltscape.co.uk to book your place and get more information on the meeting point.

6th August - Cheshire Wildlife Trust: Recording visit to Spike Island & Pickering’s Pasture Halton and Warrington local group of Cheshire Wildlife Trust are hosting a recording visit to Spike Island & Pickering’s Pasture. The walk will begin at Spike Island before taking the Trans-Pennine trail to Pickering’s Pasture, Looking at the variety of summer wildlife along the estuary and amongst the wildflower meadows and saltmarsh. 10am Catalyst Museum Car Park, WA80DF For further info please contact Tony Parker on 07790 609218 or email Tonyparker874@gmail.com

12th August - Chester Zoo: Interesting Invertebrates: Introduction to Wildlife Monitoring Workshop Join us on Saturday 12 August for an introduction to wildlife monitoring and surveying on our nature reserve.

Have you been inspired by TV programmes like Springwatch? Do you feel like you want to start nature watching yourself but don’t know where to start? Well these sessions are perfect for you! Join us for a stroll around our Nature Reserve as we discover what wildlife is living down there. This is a chance to help out with our ongoing native species monitoring as we’ll be doing some surveys see what’s around and finding out the best ways to record and help the wildlife we see. This session will focus on Interesting Invertebrates. Did you know that we have around 30 types of woodlouse in the UK and about the same number of slug species? We’ll be on the hunt for these and many more of our amazingly diverse UK creepy crawlies. Explore our other sessions throughout the year here. Where: Nature Reserve When: Saturday 12 August, 8-10am Who for: Adults (16+) Book online.

13th August - Warrington Plant Group: Vascular plant meeting, Highfield Moss SSSI Meet at 10am at the Travellers’ Rest pub, Lowton (SJ609962) to walk down to the moss and see whether we can find the marsh gentian which is reputed to grow here. Contact details: Gail Quartly-Bishop Email: gailqb@hotmail.com

19th August - Saltscape Wildlife Recording Day: Marbury Country Park Join RECORD at sites within the Saltscape project area (Weaver Valley, Cheshire) and help to record as much wildlife as possible Practice your identification skills and help increase the number of wildlife records for these areas. Places on these events are limited so please do book if you would like to attend. For more information or to book a place please email: info@record-lrc.co.uk

20th August - Cheshire Plant Recording: Frodsham Follow Sandstone Trail SW to find Melamprum pratense. Park at SJ519766 Contact: Graeme M Kay 0161 439 7995 email: graeme.m.kay@gmail.com

26th August - Cheshire Wildlife Trust: An Introduction to Local Patching and Wildlife Recording Slideshow followed by a guided walk around the nearby Gowy Meadows nature reserve where we will put into practice as much of the content of the presentation as time allows. The training will start with Steve Holmes presenting a slideshow which may last for 6090 minutes. This will hopefully then put us ‘in the field’ in plenty of time to have a picnic lunch within the Gowy Meadows reserve where as much ‘how to’, ‘what to’, ‘what not to’ etc.; will be covered off. By this time of year, breeding birds will have finished for the year but the first returning migrant birds could be coming through, perhaps including Green Sandpiper and Snipe and there ought to still be a variety of dragonflies and hoverflies on the wing. 10am-2:30pm. Book online. 25

27th August - Cheshire Wildlife Trust: The Beauty of Heswallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Heathland Wirral Wildlife the local group for Cheshire Wildlife will be running a walk through Cleaver Heath and The Heswall Dales. Where the heather will be in flower and discuss the flora and fauna of lowland heaths, as well as their management. All the while, enjoying spectacular views across the Dee Estuary. 2pm-4pm. Meet at Cleaver Heath nature reserve. Contact details: Alan Irving 01948 820728

2nd September - Cheshire Plant Recording: Thurstaton Meeting to see if Drosera intermedia and Scutellaria minor survive. Meet at 2pm at Thurstaston SJ246846. Contact: Graeme M Kay 0161 439 7995 email: graeme.m.kay@gmail.com

2nd September - Cheshire Wildlife Trust: Beginner's Sphagnum Identification in Delamere Forest Come and learn about the amazing world of sphagnum with the Delamereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lost Mosses project officer Katie Piercy. Learn about the different groups of sphagnum and how to use a key to identify them. Have a go at identifying some of the common species. Suitable for absolute beginners, no prior knowledge required. 10am-12:30pm Book online

9th September - Warrington Plant Group: Vascular plant meeting, Gorse Covert Mounds, Birchwood Meet 10am at the small car park on Gorse Covert Road (SJ667928) to explore the flora of Gorse Covert Mounds, a popular local nature spot featuring grassland, woodland and ponds. Contact details: Gail Quartly-Bishop Email: gailqb@hotmail.com

RECORD LRC, Cedar House, Chester Zoo, Caughall Road, Upton, CH2 1LH. Tel: 01244 383749 E-mail: info@record-lrc.co.uk Web: www.record-lrc.co.uk

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