The Secrets of Catshawhill

Making a run for it between the weather, it was to head south to Catshawhill yesterday, a tiny area of species rich grassland that grades into a pocket-hankie sized, basin fen. Small it maybe, but perfectly formed, as they say. Grading from grassland dominated by Sweet Vernal-grass and Crested Dog’s-tail, mixed with mire communities of Purple Moor-grass and Rushes, with large clumps of the yellow flowering Tormentil. The slope then grade through various blue-green Sedge flushes and patches of Meadowsweet to the Schwingmoor basin fen, formed mainly of Bottle Sedge and Water Horsetail, with many heads of Lesser Tussock Sedge and floating rafts of Bog Bean.

Catshawhill – 29 June 2012 (Copyright Carol Jones)

This is a little gem of a site, surrounded as it is on almost all sides by improved fields and highly enriched arable land. This year, following large amounts of rain, the sward is long and a rich mixture of greens, varying from the grey green of the Rushes, through the dark green of the Meadowsweet, to the rich almost golden green of the Sweet Vernal-grass. Standing, looking down across the site, with the wind swaying the tall lengths of grass, it almost feels as though the sward is alive, like a large shoal of fish, swimming this way and that in the current.

Though the weather is not rapidly moving towards summer, the march of the season continues relentlessly onwards as the vegetation matures and comes into flower. Yesterday, the site was enlivened by the appearance of flowers and decidedly in summer by the flowering of a range of Orchids. Yesterday’s were mainly Common Spotted Orchids (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), in a whole range of colours from the very pale almost white, through various shades of pink, to the dark almost a fuchsia pink coloured. Mixed with a number of Northern Marsh Orchids (D. purpurella), with their rich purple flowers carefully streaked with crimson.

Do have to say the favourite of the visit was related to the central Schwingmoor fen, where above the swaying Sedges and Water Horsetails, and the rafts of Bog Bean, with the occasional white flower remaining, there sprouted the delicate pink flowers of the Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi). Ragged Robin have petals that are divided into four thin segments, which give the flowers a distinctively tatty look, and from where the common name obviously comes. Strangely within the fen at Catshawhill, though scattered widely across the place, they were decidedly concentrated within one area in the centre, surrounded by a small circle of Willows.

Schingmoor Fen and Ragged Robin – 29 June (Copyright Carol Jones)

Then when finally leaving the site, there was one more surprise to be had. On walking back across, what I have always assumed was an improved field, this field gave up one final secret that it still retained elements of its original composition. The sward was dominated by Sweet Vernal-grass, Crested Dog’s-tail and Yorkshire Fog, then the surprise, every few paces there was a Common Spotted Orchid, and quite often a several in a cluster. To be honest I should have suspected, for an early look at some of the wet areas around the edge of the field, that had revealed both Ragged Robin and a number of Sedge species, but somehow this still came as a surprise.

Flying Visits

Having spent several days thinking and digesting Saturday’s flying trip to some of my favourite places in the North Pennines, and trying to make a decision about what single experience or two to concentrate on in this blog. I’ve come to the conclusion that a flying visit that contained some wonderful sights and sounds needs a flying summary of the best highlights or maybe just those that stand out in the mind.

First stop of the day, was Cow Green Reservoir, where the idea was to follow the trail and find some of the rare and unusual plants that are associated with the range of upland habitats present, from blanket bog to limestone grassland. High on the list had to be the all time favourite of Spring Gentian, with its bright blue star-like flowers, however, even with this years bad season, I still thought that we were probably too late for this speciality. But then there are also things like Scottish Asphodel, Yellow Saxifrage, various Violets, Pansies, and their hybrids, as well as Spring Sandwort, Moonwort and Alpine Bistort to name a few. Well that was the plan, but the weather had other ideas as to what would stand out.

Cow Green Reservoir is a lonely and wild place even on a beautiful summers day, but on a grey day, when the showers were regularly passing down the valley, as white walls of cloud, it had an especially haunting atmosphere. The atmosphere was accelerated by the calls of various waders, that were whisked off rapidly into the wind. The weather, though did also produced some amazing views, from a pair of Golden Plovers standing on a peat bank, to the Lapwings dancing display on the lazy wind and to the lazy glide pass of a patrolling Curlew.

Looking north up Cow Green Reservoir towards an Approaching Shower – 23 June 2012 (Copyright Ross Lockley)

As for the plants we were too late in the season for the Spring Gentian, too early for some of the others, such as Yellow Saxifrage and for many of the others the weather was either too wet or too cold to remain open. For the masses had shut up their blooms, such as the Mountain Pansies and the Common Rockrose that had closed their flowers to protect them against the weather. But on a grey day there were various spots of colour, my favourite amongst the greyness was the sight of the Scottish Asphodel (Tofieldia pusilla), a slender white flowered plant that was produced spots of colour along the ranging torrent of Red Syke, unusual in England, but at home in the Highlands of Scotland.

Moving down the valley our next stop was High Force, where we took the footpath up the far side of the falls, again the plan had been for the plants, particularly the Rock Whitebeam and the largest Juniper woodland in England; but the views had other plans. The massive amounts of rain that we have recently had, produced an amazing sight in the form of the falls themselves, where huge amounts of water poured over the Great Whin Sill before disappearing in a ranging torrent downstream.

High Force – 23 June 2012 (Copyright Ross Lockley)

I have been coming to this area for almost twenty years and in all that time, I have never seen so much water pass over these falls. Usually the amount of water is carefully controlled by the outflow from Cow Green Reservoir, so high flows are rarely ever seen. Within the High Force Hotel, there used to be pictures of the waterfall, before the reservoir was built and one shows the water flowing totally over the centre rock outcrop, something unlikely ever to be seen again. However, Saturday, though the water passing over the falls was no where nearly at that level, was still amazing.

As for the plants, never sure what round here is my favourite, the Rock Whitebeam (Sorbus rupicola) is special as it hangs on by a thread to the rock face, but today, we were somewhat late for the flowers which had become browned with age. I love the Juniper (Juniperus communis) woodland, with its many shapes and forms, and I’m so sad that it now has contracted Phytophthora which may well mark the final downfall of trees that are many hundred of years old. However, some of my favourites are the carpets of Mountain Pansies that coat the upper grassy slopes, where the full variation of colour is found from the pure yellows, through various stages of tricolour to the pure purple, and even on a damp day like Saturday, here they made an amazing picture.

Mountain Pansies – 06 June 2011 – (Copyright Carol Jones)

Our final stop of the day and the furthest south in Teesdale, was Bowlees Quarry. At the quarry it was Orchid time and this time they outshone all, though there were many other amazing plants, colonising the disused quarry, but maybe more of those on another visit. For Saturday the memory is of the amazing display of Orchids to be found here, from the Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) to the Northern March Orchid (D. purpurella), and possible many hybrids between the two. There were many carpets of Common Twayblades (Listera ovata) with their man-shaped cream coloured flowers. Then there were the Fragrant Orchids (Gymnadenia conopsea), with flowers that are pinker, have amazingly long spurs and an almost vanilla scent (but I’m never quite sure of that). To the cream of the day, the Greater Butterfly Orchid (Platanthera chlorantha), even though they still needed another few days of sunshine to bring out their blooms. Just the spikes of flower buds, so well hidden amongst the fresh grass shoots and the white Pignut flowers are so amazing.

Common Twayblade – 23 June 2012 – (Copyright Ross Lockley)

 

For this post I must thank the the Lost Naturalist’s companion for the use of his photos, as my point and shoot camera for wet weather work, decided to die in the middle of a very wet visit.

Lost Naturalist Goes Hi-tec

For those of you that can’t live without your technology, the Lost Naturalist has joined the 21st century, by adding a QR (Quick Response) code to the site, so that you can now read my blog while on the go, on your mobile phone, ipad, tablet etc, anywhere.

Just download a QR app (most of which I’m told are free) from your app store, scan the image – either below this entry or on the side bar, and follow Lost Naturalist on-line wherever and whenever you like.

 Meanwhile I’m returning to quill and parchment for my next entry…

Midsummer Musings

At least the summer solstice yesterday had weather that was equal to the day – bright and clear with blue skies and sunshine. Unlike today, the first day of summer where the rain has returned, the clouds have dropped and it feels like November again.

Making the most of the weather yesterday, it was to head up country to Branxholme Wester Loch. This is an upland loch formed in an old kettle hole and has one of the most amazing varieties of associated fen and raised bogs communities found in the Scottish Borders. From open water the communities develop in concentric circles towards dry land, passing through Reed swamp, quaking bog formed from floating rafts of vegetation, to rich Sedge and Brown Moss fen, with a scatter of Willow and Birch, through to Sphagnum dominated raised bog, and finally to wet heath and calcareous flushes that spread out across the outer edges of the hollow.

Branxholme Wester Loch – 20 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

At this time of year, the wetlands are alive with colours, totally different from those visits to sites back in March, that feel a life time ago, when they were wrapped in a coat of winter dowdiness. Now the greens are fresh and varied from the grey-green of Bottle and Slender Sedges to the rich yellow-greens of the Sphagnum carpets. Amongst which are scattered a variety of colours, as though someone has taken a box of paints and then flicked a paint brush full of colours across the green background.

Wetland Communities Surrounding Branxholme Wester Loch – 20 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

From the cacophony of colour, my attention was caught by a couple of old favourites. First, creeping across the spongy Sphagnum carpet was the tiny Cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccus), possibly named because the unopened flowers are on long slender stalks that resembles a crane’s head and neck. For me its partially the shape of the pale pink flowers; that have petals that curl back, away from the stamens and reminds me of an Ali Baba type turban and partially the red berries that are ridiculously large compared to the tiny size of the plant.

Then secondly there were the pale lime green rosettes of Common Butterwort (Pinguicula vulgaris) topped with long spurred violet flowers. These are amazingly insect consuming plants, that spread their inviting lime green leaves across the moss surface and invite insects to land, where they are trapped on the sticky surface. Once trapped, the leaves curl up and secrete enzymes to digest the still living insects. When absorbed, the leaves open again and the dried remains are lost to the wind. Maybe its this catching and digesting of insects that associates these plants with the protection of people from fairies and witches.

Dreams of Yesterday

While sitting in a very hot, stuffy meeting this afternoon, with the after effects of lunch in the sunshine, it was easy to drift off, back to the open countryside and warm sunshine of yesterday, when I was at the North Esk Reservoir, exploring some of  the species rich grassland there. The North Esk is situated on the very southern edge of the Pentland Hills, and is a refuge for a number of species now rare in both the Scottish Borders and Mid Lothian.

Drifting back to yesterday, I am standing on the dam at the southern edge of the reservoir, looking out across the still blue water, surrounded by the rounded grassy hills of the Pentlands. Standing there observing the scene and watching small cumuli scud slowly across the sky, while Sky Larks trill in the gentle breeze and wondering if we may finally be heading towards summer.

North Esk Reservoir – 18 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Turning south, the feeling of summer increases as the area below, a mixture of rush pasture, with drier grasslands on the slopes, seems to sing with this fresh new growth. The grasslands in particular have this slight yellow tinge from the many emerging grass inflorescences, that are rippling gently in the breeze. Amongst the fresh greens the colours of early summer emerge, there were the white umbels of Pignut, the occasional washed out purple bloom of Bitter Vetch and the sky blue eyes of Germander Speedwell, accompanied by many yellow spots of Tormentil.

 

North Esk Valley – 18 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Wandering through the grassland, the developing Common Spotted Orchids, caused much discussion, as this year the leaves seem excessively spotted. Many more of the plants seen here than usual, have so many spots that they have begun to coalesce into each other to turn the leaves more purple then green. Rather than the usual sight of spots that can be individually identified.

The most interesting aspect for me today, was the recent rediscovery of several Mountain Everlasting (Antennaria dioica) plants on the thin soils of a short steep slope above the stream. Possibly named everlasting because when the flowers are dried they last for a long time and use to be gathered for dried flower arrangements or named because the flowers come up in the same place year after year due to its perennial nature. The plant itself is an attractive affair, covered with white woolie hairs that gives its other common name of Cat’s Paw.

Down amongst the grasslands the field seems to be singing with life, particular insect, as the air was filled with large numbers of a hairy bodied flies. Now I am no expert on flies, but these had an uncanny resemblance to cleggs, but luckily seemed not to be the biting kind! Accompanying these were the occasional flash of blue from a Damselfly, the first of the season!

Oh! I Do Like To Be Beside the Seaside!

“Oh! I do like to be beside the seaside
I do like to be beside the sea!
I do like to stroll upon the Prom, Prom, Prom!
Where the brass bands play:
“Tiddely-om-pom-pom!”
So just let me be beside the seaside
I’ll be beside myself with glee”

OK, no proms or brass bands yesterday, but I did go to the seaside, in fact we went to the north Northumberland coast in an effort to try and escape the wet mizzling weather of the Scottish Borders. Failed miserably in that, for the coast was also grey, and mizzling! Unfortunately this fails to display the wonders of the north Northumberland coast to its full grandeur, as most of it was lost in cloud. However, the lost naturalist is not totally put off by the weather and went to one of my favourite places along the Northumberland coast at Scremerston, where there are some fantastic limestone grasslands that have developed across the slag heaps of some long disused lime kilns.

 

Scremerston Beech – 17 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Here the coastal grassland is formed on a mixture of deep soils, that grade rapidly into the thin soils of the slag heaps, as a result two distinctive communities have formed. On the deeper soils the grasslands are dominated by large patches of Bloody Cranesbill, which when in full bloom, produce pillows of fushia pink flowers, usually mixed with the yellows of Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil and edging into patches of Kidney Vetch, with their distinctive fluffy yellow heads. Then on the thinner soils the communities become carpets of lilac Wild Thyme, mixed with the lemon yellow flowers of Mouse-ear Hawkweed, together with the prickly rosettes of Carline Thistle and the occasional shoot of Vipers Bugloss, with spikes of blue flowers.

Bloody Cranesbill – 17 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Some how with this year’s strange weather, the amazing sheets of colour that should by now have been visible, and buzzing with the sound of bees, are still a number of weeks away. Currently there was just the odd pin prick of colour amongst the masses of leaves, and flowers that should by now gone to seed where still happily producing blooms. An example of this are the Cowslips, which still had a number of yellow flowers visible, while the Bloody Cranesbill and Restharrow are mainly just in bud. But still the strange weather had produced some wonderful sights to see as well, such as the many Northern Marsh Orchids in full bloom, together with a number of possible hybrids, the white umbel flowers of the Scots Lovage along the back of the shore line, and the invasion of snails that could be found on almost any of the shoot available.

Orchid – Northern Marsh Orchid or Hybrid? – 17 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Jet Fighters at Nine O’clock

As the rain runs down the window for yet another day this year, and I’m thinking that in weather like this; that the lost naturalist is more likely to become the drowned naturalist if I was outside, I amuse myself with some armchair bird watching. The weather, may not be good for either me or the birds, but the breaks between the showers have given some wonderful bird watching moments.

Observations show that even though the pecking order at the bird feeder during bad weather are not as tight as it usually is, it still exists and certainly some birds won’t feed while others are present. For example I watched a Greenfinch doing a series of circuit and bumps, flying in a wide arc, from a Hawthorn bush on the opposite side of the lane that took him over the gate and passed the feeder, before circling back over the hedge to the perch in the Hawthorn again. As for why the bird didn’t stop and feed? Possibly because a Great Spotted Woodpecker was currently feeding. Have to say that when the Woodie is feeding, not much else dares to attempt to get a look in. Occasionally the bravest individuals will sneak in around the base of the feeder, but mainly they sit on the side lines and wait until the Great Spotted Woodpecker has moved on. Otherwise the bullies of the feeder, are a lot more lenient, allowing many more birds to crowd onto the feeder during the breaks in the showers.

Feeders – 15 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Some of the best interactions were from a pair of Great Tit parents with two newly fledged youngsters, who were still slightly fluffy, and were expecting Mum and Dad to bring nuts from the feeder, hanging below the table, up to them sitting on the bird table. They peered pitifully over the edge, and when their parents weren’t quick enough, out would come this pitiful call, obviously calling to hurry up dinner and reminding Mum and Dad that they’ll starve if not fed soon!!!

But my favourite sights from the last couple of days, came from the Nuthatches, who were again parents feeding the demands of a newly fledged youngster. Nuthatches, always swoop round the garden like jet fighters, coming from out of the sun at a great rate of knots to arrive at the feeder, as though from out of no where, then rapidly disappearing again when either disturbed or finished. Usually we only see a single Nuthatch at a time, but the other day for the first time I saw first two, then suddenly three Nuthatches. The three birds, two parents feeding, as usual, a very demanding youngster that sat on the bird table. In this case either one or both the parents fed it nuts from the feeder, more often or not the parents took it in turns to feed, while the other rested either on the edge of the bird bath or on the pole of the bird table. As for the youngster, not fluffy like the Great Tits, but certainly larger than its parents and most demanding of food, regularly reminding its parents when food failed to appear quick enough.

Nuthatch on Feeder – 15 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Boxes

This is the third blog from the first weekend in June – taken from Monday 4th June 2012.

What will be in the box today? Tree Sparrows, Blue Tits or Wasps? Take your pick!!

So the morning saw the continuation of the bird theme, assisting the expert as we rung a variety of chicks, this time from a number of nest boxes.

The first out of the box were some Tree Sparrows. This first bunch were so mature, that as the lid of the box was opened, one, not so chick-like Tree Sparrow, exploded out and disappeared into a nearby bush, before it could be confined and ringed. Mature they might have been, but for the first time it gave the opportunity to see a Tree Sparrow up close. We don’t get too many of those in the Scottish Borders and certainly none in my garden. Its quite amazing, how much of a difference just a chestnut brown head and nap, can give a bird, taking it from the ordinary of a House Sparrow to the special of a Tree Sparrow.

 Tree Sparrow – About to Fledge – 04 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

The next couple of boxes, also had Tree Sparrows in them, but these were of progressively younger broods. The first box, had birds where almost all of the feathers had appeared, but they still had that classic yellow surround to the beak, that says “Feed me, feed me now”! Having handled one of these, I was just so amazed at how light they were. No more than a bag of feathers, or so they felt. The next box, also contained Tree Sparrows, and these were even younger, and had probably only been hatched a day. At this point I almost said that they were cute, but no, Tree Sparrow chicks at a day old, are not cute. At this stage they look more related to reptilian creatures then warm blooded birds!

 

Tree Sparrow – Feed Me Feed Me Now! – 04 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Following several empty boxes and a couple of boxes that had probably been attacked by Great Spotted Woodpeckers after a tasty snack, which it was decided not to disturb again, we found my favourite find of the day, a set of Blue Tit chicks. These chicks reminded me of little punks of the bird world, with their top knots of yellow feathers, surrounded by extremely long whiskery out-growths, that fanned their heads some what like a mad professors. These bundles of energy also refused to sit still and moved around in the hand, as though they were head banging to a silent rock song, which made all the photos taken blurred to say the least.

Oh yes! Then there were the wasps, who had readily been seen entering the final box of the day, so as the saying goes “discretion is the better part of valour”, and we decided to leave it undisturbed for another day.

Distractions!

This is the second of three blogs from last weekend – taken from Sunday 3rd June 2012.

Another bright sunny morning and another hunt to monitor Rock Pipits, however, this time we headed north to Quarryhead, on the north coast of Aberdeenshire. Here the first broods had already fledged and we were on the look out for the fledglings and where the adults were setting up home for their second broods. Not being the most experienced at this and also being in a new area, it was so easy to be distracted by other sights and sounds.

The distractions began soon after our arrival, when looking out over the sea and the attention was caught by the magnificent sights of Fulmars that were gliding round the cliffs on the thermals, as though they were on wires. Swooping, banking and playing with the coastal breezes.

Looking East from Quarryhead towards Poukburn, Aberdeenshire – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Quarryhead is situated on an area of coast line that is formed from a series of low rocky cliffs, interspersed with slumping grassy slopes. The cliffs here erode into regular rectangle blocks, that were highlighted with large patches of a bright yellow lichen, and look almost as though someone has been splashing around the rocks with a tin of yellow paint.

 

Lichen Encrusted Rocks – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

The vegetation on top of the cliffs is dominated mainly by coastal grassland, with the occasional patch of heath, where Crowberry formed distinctive patches. Colour was added from large splashes of blue, formed by flowering Spring Squill, which was sprinkled with the yellow of Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil flowers. Then the edges of the cliff were highlighted with carpets of pink from the Wild Thrift and patches of white Sea Campion.

Spring Squill Carpet – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Moving slightly further west, we then made a stop at Aberdour Bay. Here the rocks have changed from rectangular and blocky to a rich warm orange sandstone, where the different sized particles are so easy to see, and have been differentiated into different size layers by the action of wind or water. The rich warm orange colour almost made me think that this part of Aberdeenshire may be rusting away, soon to disappear into the sea.

 

Aberdour Bay – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

We had come here to look at the amazing sight of House Martins nesting on the coastal cliffs, wedging their nests along various outcrops of rock, hopefully well clear of the waves and any summer storms. Using the various crevices formed on the eroding rock faces to support their nests. Currently the birds where busy, collecting more mud from a spring seepage high on the cliff face and them coming back to add another new nest to the several already present on this rock face.

 

House Martin Nests – 03 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Spots or Smudges?

This is the first of three blogs that all date from last weekend, 2nd – 4th June, when the Lost Naturalist travelled north to Aberdeenshire.

Saturday morning, was again one of those OK moments, when I was standing, by the bottom of a concrete pier looking up at the low cliff above, and wondering whether I’m seeing clear spots or smudges?

Having risen at some unearthly hour and travelled south to reach Girdle Ness, on the edge of Aberdeen, before the local punters have even fluttered an eyelid at the first signs of a new morning, I could almost believe I was seeing either. Spots or smudges? Smudges or spots? At last with a fumble of the focussing ring of the binoculars the bird came properly into view and it was a Rock Pipit, I think. So much for my first attempt at trying to tell the difference between Rock Pipits and Meadow Pipits from a distance. Why can’t they sit still like plants? At least then I’d have enough time to look them up properly! With birds though, I hardly get them into focus and I’m desperately searching for identifying characteristics, especially on those at a distance and they’re off. Luckily though, there was an expert on hand to help sort the differences. Finally having got my eye in a bit, I decided that Rock Pipits are in fact greyer than the Meadow Pipits, which have a much more olive/yellowish tinge to them.

Girdle Ness, Aberdeen – 02 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Anyway, it was bright and early on Saturday morning and we were assisting in the ringing of some the unfledged Rock Pipit, Meadow Pipit and Linnet chicks. I’m not sure that the ringers shouldn’t be getting danger money, as investigating the nests often involves climbing cliff faces, or diving into the depths of Gorse bushes! But the prizes are worth it – tiny balls of fluff. I was surprised at how light they were, and in general how primitive they look. Species such as Linnets have very little cute value at this age, as they look more like baby dinosaurs then birds, being awkward, ungainly, and mainly bags of skin.

In general I have to say that the Pipits were my favourite chicks, what with more feathers and looking decidedly more bird like, however, they still had the a touch of wildness to them with a few remaining tufts of wispy hairs over their newly emerged feathers.

Meadow Pipit Chick – 02 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)

Then there were the Linnet chicks, that had the very strong resemblance to dinosaurs, in fact the Linnet chicks reminded me of what I imagine baby Velociraptors must have looked like. They were much smaller with less feathers, at this point the feathers were just a few emerging along the wings, and a generally they had much more reptilian feel to their form.

 

Linnet Chick – 02 June 2012 (Copyright – Carol Jones)