St Mary’s Nature Reserve

A view of the rocky shore of this Local Nature Reserve. There is cliff top grassland, wetland, tidal and sub-tidal habitats, a small semi-tidal island and a fresh-water pond. The area holds major geological, ornithological and marine interest. The rock pools are home to a wonderful array of marine life, while seabirds can be observed from the island itself.  The shoreline and newly created cliff top wetland are feeding and resting sites for many waders, terns and gulls.

First to catch our eye was the seaweed growing by the causeway. Spiral Wrack (Fucus spiralis), an intertidal brown seaweed, found on the high shore is pictured below. It grows up to 40 cm long, without air bladders and lives for up to 4 years. The species can tolerate a high level of desiccation.  It has both sexes on one plant.

Another splendid seaweed, Egg Wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum), is shown below. A common large brown seaweed, dominant on sheltered rocky shores. The species has long strap like fronds with large egg-shaped air bladders at regular intervals. The fronds of Ascophyllum nodosum are typically between 0.5 and 2m in length.  The species grows slowly and plants can live to be several decades old.

It is often accompanied by Polysiphonia lanosa. These red tufts are an epiphytic algae that is hemi-parasitic, attached by creeping rhizoids with branches penetrating the Egg Wrack.

Some fronds of Cladophora rupestris a densely tufted green seaweed were clinging to the rocks but not smothering them.

Other green algae were covering the rocks. This one is fairly common on the North East coast. We thought it was Ulva intestinalis, a type of gutweed.

The algae pictured below is another Ulva (Sea Lettuce) species.

Buckshorn or Stagshorn Plantain (Plantago coronopus) is thriving here, its numbers seem to be increasing along this coast. It had edible leaves.

This plant growing by the car park was difficult to identify. Possibly Hemlock (Conium maculatum) since it smelled fetid although the stems were not spotted as yet.

Bird life was excellent. While watching Oyster catchers on the rocks an auk flew past. There was a field of wet pasture with fifty or more feeding Curlew. On the ponds which had been well grazed by the ponies were a lively flock of Redshank probing the mud at the edges.

The picture below is of Teal and a Grey heron but we saw Coot, Tufted Duck, Moorhen, Black backed Gull, Herring gull, Black headed Gull, Greylag and Canada Goose. There was a pair of Snipe (Galinago galinago), a bird on the RSPB amber list.

The star of the show was a gorgeous Shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis). I have never seen one here before although I have heard they are nesting on Marsden rock.  It is on the RSPB red list, meaning that urgent action is needed to conserve this species.

 

 

 

 

Jesmond Dene – Some Lichens on Trees

Pictures of lichens have accumulated over the winter. The photo below shows a group of at least three kinds of Cladonia growing on a tree beside Red Walk. It looks like a busy community. The ones looking like golf tees are C fimbriata although they do have quite squamulous podetia and could be C humilis. They had reddish fruits. The very squat and squalulose apothecia in the middle are probably C pyxidata.

This picture below of the Cladonia with the taller podetia is C coniocrea. The apothecia visible at the tips are red/brown. Very common on acid barked trees.

Growing on a tree nearby some Parmelia sulcata.

Not far from the Parmelia, on the same tree, is a discoid Phlyctis argena, a white paint lichen.

This very attractive lichen, Physcia aipolia, growing by the Ouseburn at Pets Corner, on the sawn wood railing. It has abundant black apothecia.

The lichen below was picked up from the path. They are all tree lichen probably disturbed by birds. Top left is the very common Oak Moss or Evernia prunastri. Top right is Hypogymnia physodes. Bottom left is Usnea subfloridana, uncommon. Bottom right is Ramalina farinacea.

Some of the trees branches like the one shown below, are covered in these lichens.

 

 

Cullercoats – Rockpools

We spent some time exploring the foreshore area at low tide with a volunteer marine biologist to assist with identification. The picture shows Carboniferous resistant mineralised sandstone ridges lying above the waterline.

Hermit crabs, probably (Pagurus bernhardus) were abundant. The one below was inside a periwinkle shell, others were in larger Dogwhelk shells. The Dogwhelks (Nucella lapillus) likes to hide in tight groups deep in crevices.  They are common on rocky shores.

Sea Lettuce (Ulva latuca) easily found looks like lettuce and is edible.

Corallina officinalis is another common alga. It formed a soft turf with silt on the lower shore.

Its structure of white calcareous segments, is shown below. It was used as a source of calcium carbonate for medicine. Toothed wrack (Fucus serratus) also in the picture covered many of the rocks.

Below is a brown seaweed called False Irish Moss (Mastocarpus stellatus) , distinguished from Irish Moss by channelling in the frond.

We spotted a tiny Amphipod and this Isopod of some kind.

Cladophora rupestris,  pictured below. is  a  densely tufted green algae, that grows up to 20 cm in height, with dark green or bluish coloured dull fronds.  Typically they branch profusely upwards from the base, in an irregular, whorled or opposite pattern. The seaweed had a rough feel.

This Chiton (Lepidochitona cinerea) or Coat of Mail Shell, clinging to a Limpet, is probably the commonest and most widespread Chiton found on British rocky shores. Both Limpet and Chiton are Molluscs and graze on micro-algae on the rocks.

Sponges can be difficult to identify. The bright red/pink one could be (Hymeniacedon sanguinea). We also found the Breadcrumb Sponge (Halichondria panicea), olive green, deep inside a crevice.

Barnacles covered the rocks providing grip for boots amongst the slippery seaweeds. On close up these are (Semibalanus balanoides). The green lichen could be Verrucaria mucosa.

After some searching in crevices Beadlet Anemones were discovered. Actinea equina is a relative of jellyfish. It has stinging cells called nematocysts which it uses to catch prey or for defence.

The group organizer found a Snakelocks Anemone possibly (Anemone sulcata), its purple tipped tentacles are barely visible. Also in the picture a Topshell (Calliostoma zizyphinum) and the tiny coiled up white- shelled (Spirorbis spirorbis).

The sunshine was bright enough to make photography difficult as this last shot of a seaweed fringed pool shows.

 

 

Reference:

The Hamlyn Guide to Seashores and Shallow Seas.

https://www.marlin.ac.uk/

Big Garden Birdwatch – 2018

This annual event is the only time when I take time to watch and count birds in the back garden for an hour. I had put out the usual feeding amount. The Robin was first to appear. There might have been two, since females also have red breasts, but only one was seen at any time.

A pair of Blackbirds soon followed. They like to hide in the safety of the beech hedge like this handsome male.

The blackbird pictured below could be male, female or probably a juvenile male. The beak had a yellow tip. The other male did not chase it away.

There are feeders in the hedge to attract smaller birds including blackbirds. I also counted two Sparrows and a Dunnock. A Magpie flew in but did not settle.

Eventually two Pigeons (Columba livia domestica) glided in, Sorefoot and Beauty, who are regular attenders.

People sometimes despise Pigeons but they are beautiful and intelligent birds They recognise people who are familiar to them.  The photo below highlights the T -check pattern on the wing and purple iridescent neck feathers. Both green and purple luminosities are produced by green and purple barbules on the feathers which interfere with and reflect light into glowing colours.

I was surprised at how few birds there were compared to last year. Perhaps the cold spells had resulted in high mortality or a cat had scared them. A cat appeared towards the end of the hour in the neighbours garden.

 

Reference: Iridescence in pigeons

Warkworth Beach

On a surprisingly mild January day, the beach was empty of people and expansive. The beginning of the Marram grass covered sand dunes can be seen on the right hand side of the picture.

Near the car park, Snowdrops (Galanthus nivalis) were nearly in full flower.  Not native plants, Snowdrops have been naturalizing for centuries.

White Deadnettle (Lamium album) has been flowering throughout the winter.  A herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the mint family (Lamiaceae), it can be eaten in salads. The one in the picture looks very like Mint.

A Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) is showing female flowers in the top left of this photo. Scots pine is monoecious, having both male and female flowers grow on the same tree.  Female flowers are the small, red-purple and globular,  growingat the tips of the shoots. It is one of the three native UK conifers. This one has probably been planted.

We noticed many kinds of sea and wading bird. Possibly Red -throated diver,  Common or Velvet Scoter and Auks of some kind. More definitely, Cormorant, Black backed Gull, a golden host of Curlew feeding in the estuary, and a lone Redshank. A flight of Lapwing took to the air in a wonderful display.

In the Dune slacks and saltmarsh edges, shown below, I stopped to look at some of the larger plants.

This Sea Arrow-grass (Triglochin maritima) still displaying its long handsome dried seed heads. Apparently it tastes like coriander but the leavescontains a toxic cyanobacteria, so best eaten in small quantities.

This is Weld (Reseda luteola) or Dyers Rocket. It produces a yellow/ green dye and the flavonoid luteolin.

Very bristly, this must be Bristly Ox-tongue (Helminthotheca echioides), which tolerates a salty environment. As the name suggests it is used as a de-wormer. Dogs sometimes like to eat it, even though a bristle emerges from each papule on the leaf.

This drift of Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) still had it attractively scented dried heads on show. Although a member of the Dandelion family, it only has central disk florets and no rays, hence the name Golden Buttons. It is now considered poisonous and is a source of insecticidal Pyrethins.

Many Lichen ‘species’ grow by the sea or even in the sea. There were rock covering Xanthoria parietina in the yellow zone but also this green variety. 

The lichen lobes are much thinner in shady locations than in those exposed to full sunshine. They look greener as the algae are not masked by the sunburst colour of the pigment parietin.

This one looks like a Pertusaria or Aspicilia but when examined by a hand lens was more like Lecanora gangaloides.  Photograph can be confusing. The yellow Xanthoria parietina can be seen around it with the greyish Hypnogymnia physodes.

Another confusing picture of Tephromela atra below, a common seaside  rock lichen.

This one with apothecia like garnets set in coral, is Lecanora campestris.

 

 

 

References:

www.lichens.lastdragon.org/

http://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/

Derwent Reservoir

Derwent reservoir was built in the 1960s to provide a water supply for North East England. It is one of the largest inland waters in england; 3.5 miles (5.6 km) long), maximum depth of 100 ft (30m),  and when full holds 11,000 million gallons (50,000,000m³). In the picture below some yachts were racing on the lake. The sailing club is active in mid January, in spite of the cold.

The bricks that make up the dam were dug from the floor of the Derwent valley prior to flooding, the dam makes a spectacular curve in the landscape. There is also a small hydro-electric plant. The lake sediments contain high concentrations of zinc, cadmium and lead from polluted old mine waters around Blanchland. The lake water has been affected and is surprisingly empty of algae.  The lake is a fishing resource in the summer, being stocked with trout and roach.

The area is managed for wildlife, Millshield pasture has a good selection of sedges and flora, Cronkley Heath has insect and reptile interest and there is a managed mire at Pow Hill.  The Violet Oil Beetle has been recorded here. It would make a good summer botany outing. Insects are featured in the decorated stone below, including the Violet Oil Beetle (middle left).

Belted Galloway are a beef breed used for conservation grazing on rough pasture. Of a hardy nature, naturally hornless, the white banded body is easily spotted in the moorlands.

Not so recognizable, these small white faced sheep were busy eating hay. Could they be Shetland Sheep? Soay sheep and Exmoor ponies are also used as grazing animals.

The bins were wooden and looked interesting, perhaps an upside down acorn?

Although the valley had been flooded when the lake was constructed some of the trees looked well grown, gnarled, like this Ash,

or this Oak below. The name Derwent is thought to be derived from an Old Welsh word for Oak.

We had been puzzling over this scatter of Seagull feathers shown below,

when we witnessed a Red Kite attack, on the birds near the lake. Spectacular in flight as in the picture below,  I did not think they made such effective predators. They are wise to choose the Reservoir area because on Grouse Moors their presence would probably not be tolerated.

Walls are usually interesting; this one was a dry stone wall with a row of tie stones. The capstones had been mortared and at one point there was a hole through which sheep had used.

Mortared wall tops provide an environment for many organisms like this Orange Mosscap (Rickenella fibula), growing among the Grimmia and Wall Screw Moss (Tortula muralis).

 

References:

http://www.explorenorthpennines.org.uk/sites/default/files/activity/downloads/derwentaccesswildlifeleafletweb.pdf

http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/8222/

Rothley Crags – Mosses

Bryophytes (Mosses and Liverworts) are challenging. There are over 1000 species in the UK. The picture below shows Silky Wall Feather Moss (Homalothecium sericeum), a fairly common moss on walls.

The Bank Haircap (Polytrichastrum commune) is also fairly common on woodland floors.

However, I am not sure what this is.  The photograph does not show sufficient detail, possibly some kind of Neckera?

This picture shows Cypress-leaved Plait Moss (Hypnum cupressiforme).

Another Hypnum in the photo below looks like Heath Plait moss (Hypnum jutlandicum).

The long stalked snaky moss is (Plagiothecium undulatum) growing amongst another moss  shown more clearly in the next picture,

still covered in frost, Broom Fork-moss (Dicranum scoparium).

 

Common Tamarisk Moss (Thuidium tamariscinum) is a beautiful fern-like moss, liking wetter conditions.

A glorious green carpet of some kind of Beard Moss, maybe Revolute (Pseudocrassidium revolutum)?

 

References:

Grasses, Ferns, Mosses and Lichens – Roger Phillips

http://www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk/

 

 

 

 

 

Rothley Crags – Flora & Lichens

A lichen and moss collection showing some of the diversity. The lichen with the red apothecia (fruit-like) growths is probably Cladonia diversa.

This Corydalis (Ceratocapnos claviculata), not in flower yet, is the Climbing Corydalis. It likes to scramble among the Bracken for support as in the photo below.

Ling Heather (Calluna vulgaris) also likes the acid upland soils. Bell Heather (Erica cinerea) was also evident by its dried flower heads.

On the crags the only trees noticed were Rowans, tenaciously growing on the sandstone bluffs.

Lichens abounded but they are difficult to identify by photograph. This black lumpy one could be Arthonia lapidicola. Arthonia is Greek for ‘to sprinkle’. Lapidicola means in Latin ‘dwelling in a stony place’. The names are more descriptive than you might think.

Also on rock, some familiar lichens like Ochrolechia parella, the Crab’s eye Lichen, common on sandstone walls.

and Tephromela atra, meaning ‘ashy-black dark’.

Pertusaria corallina is the white crustose lichen, the name means’ bored through like coral’. The red fruited one might be Cladonia bellidflora which means ‘twig like with beautiful flowers’.

These pictured below is likely to be Cladonia chlorophaea?

Below is Cladonia portentosa meaning ‘monstrous’ or ‘unruly’, one of the reindeer lichen.

I am not sure what those below are Cladonia glauca?

Peltigera hymenina meaning  ‘shield bearing  little folded membrane’ seen struggling through the Big Shaggy moss (Rhytidiadelphus  triquetrus)

The Cladonia beside the Star jelly might be C coniocrea or even (C ochrochlora)

Another assemblage of lichen (Parmelia sulcata) is the green leafy one. Parmelia saxitilis was common on the sandstone boulders. Parmelia means ’embedded fruit bowl’; sulcata- furrowed; saxatili liking rocks.

There were so many lichens that I collected some. Not a good thing to do in this area, but most were already loose. The names are largely guesswork.

Reference:

Lichens – Frank S Dobson

http://www.lichens.lastdragon.org/index.html

http://www.dorsetnature.co.uk/Dorset-lichen.html

 

Rothley Crags- Geology and Landscape

Rothley Crags form an imposing moorland area in Mid – Northumberland, managed by the  National Trust. The bedrock consists of Millstone Grit from the Pendleian upper Carboniferous period. Dating from 300 million years ago, a great river delta with a S-E flow laid down these resistant sandstone channel deposits. Underneath the grits, the limestones, Little and Oakwood exposures, have been deeply eroded and quarried for agricultural use.

Cross-bedded layering can be barely detected in the photograph. It is a layer set at an angle to the main bedding plane. The sedimentary structures which result are roughly horizontal units composed of inclined layers. These are formed by ripples, waves etc. in the depositional environment.

This Rowan Tree (Sorbus aucuparia) is growing in a cleft in the rock, gaining some shelter.

The Rothley Grits are very coarse-grained and pebbly sandstones containing substantial amounts of feldspar. The pebble bands can be seen in the picture below; garnets can sometimes be found in such rock.

The ‘Castle’ is a ‘gothick’ folly built in the 1760’s by Sir Walter Blackett the owner of Wallington Hall. Ironically, there was a genuine medieval tower on the site which was demolished to facilitate the novel ‘eyecatcher’. Sir Walter used the crags as a Deer Park.

The Stell is an ancient Iron Age/ Romano British Hillfort, part of the outer wall is pictured below. There is an inner enclosure and two outer stone banks. It was used in medieval or post-medieval times as a beacon to warn against attacks along the Border. It has suffered from some quarrying.

The area was still in agricultural use in the Middle ages. The ridges in the field below are probably a relict of a medieval open field system.

Herons (Ardea cinerea) were making the most of foraging in the wet field of winter wheat, probably for worms or rodents.

This hedge has recently been laid in the Northumberland style although barbed wire strung posts and netting are in support.

 

Northumbrian style hedges are deeply cut with billhook or axe. Thorn trees such as Hawthorn and Blackthorn are used because they grow thickly enough to be effective both as a sheep barrier and shelter.

This hedge has hazel standards for coppicing but is laid in a single row, not a double, which would form a thicker barrier.

While admiring the lichen covered rock we came across some Star Jelly. It was covered in ice but had a gelatinous feel. The blobs were stuck to the rock as in the picture below. Debate still rages as to what they are and how they form. Perhaps they are Nostoc commune?

 

Another photo below, showing more specimens.

The following is a quote from: https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Nostoc

‘Nostoc is a diverse genus of cyanobacteria. They are found in gelatinous colonies, composed of filaments called “trichomes” surrounded by a thin sheath. They are common in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. These organisms are known for their unusual ability to lie dormant for long periods of time and abruptly recover metabolic activity when rehydrated with liquid water. The bacteria’s ability to withstand freezing and thawing cycles make them well-adapted to living in extreme environments, such as the Arctic and Antarctica. They can fix atmospheric nitrogen, making them good candidates for environments with low nitrogen rates. Nostoc, first discovered in the 19th century, is one of the most widespread phototrophic bacteria in the world. As a nitrogen fixer, these bacteria may provide plants with important nutrients and therefore can be used agriculturally. In 1988 a terrestrial species, Nostoc commune, was found to harbor a previously unidentified UV-A/B absorbing pigment. This protective pigment has enabled them to survive not only while under hydration-related stress, but in areas of extreme UV radiation as well.’

Then again, it could be unfertilized frogspawn, chytrid fungus, slime mould, or deer sperm, since Nostoc usually is greenish in colour.

We passed a few farms observing Texel sheep, a poultry yard with hens, ducks, a goose, and these cows in a shed. Probably heifers in calf, they might produce Simmental, Charolais crossed calves. They stopped eating hay to inspect us as we passed. I wonder what they think of their yellow ear tags. From my experience they prefer pink.

Among the glorious views this one of the Simonside Hills was outstanding.

 

 

 

References:

Wheat farming

Geology reference

Landscape reference

Star Jelly

Birds at St Mary’s Island

This is a popular area for visitors and bird watchers. The picture below shows how the the various interests can create incongruities. The pond area is being managed to create habitat diversity.  Exmoor ponies were busy trampling down the rougher grasses around the lake.

A blackbird and his mate were actively foraging. They appear numerous in the winter since numbers are boosted by continental arrivals.

Since the tide was low, exposing the coastal rocks, birds like Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Black-headed Gull and Turnstone were feeding or resting on the rocks. Lapwings are another species in decline. There were 30-40 birds on the foreshore, but this abundance is deceptive, because numbers are boosted by Scandinavian arrivals for the winter.

Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) are often found by the coast and increasingly inland. These were resting and preening. Their numbers increase in the winter due to migration from Scandinavia. We also spotted a Kingfisher, with its unmistakable colours, on the rocks; they often come to the coast to feed in the winter.

Although the Starlings were not numerous enough to murmur they flew above us making shapes across the sky as they settled down to roost.

The clifftop fields and grassland are managed for  wildlife. A Kestrel hovered near us  as the sun set. A superb flying display which the photo below does not quite capture. A Heron flew overhead, its long legs stretched behind.

Male Stonechats (Saxicola torquata) were vying for higher positions in their effort to attract females.

A Grey Seal made an appearance by the Island rocks. Despite notices advising visitors not to venture onto the rocks, some were in proximity to the seal, who does look wary.