Contents

Photo © Mike Hutchison

MAY 2020

Bristol Naturalist News

Discover Your Natural World

Bristol Naturalists’ Society

BULLETIN NO. 590 MAY 2020

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BULLETIN NO. 590 MAY 2020

HON. PRESIDENT: Andrew Radford, Professor

of Behavioural Ecology, Bristol University

HON. CHAIRMAN: Ray Barnett

ray.barnett@bristol.gov.uk

HON. PROCEEDINGS RECEIVING EDITOR:

Dee Holladay, dee.holladay@tiscali.co.uk

HON. SEC.: Lesley Cox 07786 437 528

secretary@bristolnats.org.uk

HON. MEMBERSHIP SEC: Mrs. Margaret Fay

81 Cumberland Rd., BS1 6UG. 0117 921 4280

membership@bristolnats.org.uk

HON. TREASURER: Mary Jane Steer

01454 294371 treasurerbns@winpenny.org.uk

BULLETIN COPY DEADLINE: 7th of month before

publication to the editor: David B Davies,

51a Dial Hill Rd., Clevedon, BS21 7EW.

01275 873167 daviddavies512@gmail.com .

Health & Safety on walks: Members

participate at their own risk. They are

responsible for being properly clothed and shod.

Dogs may only be brought on a walk with prior

agreement of the leader.

CONTENTS

3 BNS and Covid-19: Chairman’s Statement Your observations are welcome!

4 Richard Bland Memorial Copse

5 Garden Watch: Sign up! Bristol Weather

6 NATTY NEWS : Bumblebees;

7 Covid-19 – Sources - and Vaccine?

8 99-million-year old bird

9 BOTANY SECTION Future meetings; Botanical notes; Sandwith family history

12 Plant records

14 GEOLOGY SECTION The new President writes

15 INVERTEBRATE SECTION

Notes for May; Beeflies

18 LIBRARY Closure; From the WWI Archives Members’ Letters

20 ORNITHOLOGY SECTION Meeting Report 21 Breeding Bird Survey;

22 Recent News

23 Miscellany Redland Green Birds;

24 Botanic Garden; Richard Bland

Cover picture: Bee-fly: See the article on

page 16.

Bristol Naturalists’ Society Discover Your Natural World

Registered Charity No: 235494

www.bristolnats.org.uk

Bristol Naturalists’ Society Discover Your Natural World

Registered Charity No: 235494

www.bristolnats.org.uk

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SOCIETY ITEMS

Contents

Bristol Naturalists’ Society and the Coronavirus Covid-19 Emergency, 25 March 2020.

Dear Member, In the current national emergency BNS Council has considered what is best for the Society and for its members. As a consequence the following steps have been taken:

• the Society’s Library has been closed since early March

• all Society meetings have now been cancelled at least until the end of June, with the possibility of a further extension

• the monthly Bulletin will continue, if at all possible, but in place of the information about meetings it will carry notes and observations by members on wildlife and geology

• the publication and distribution of the annual publication Nature in Avon for 2019 may possibly be delayed to later in the year

• improvements to the Society website are being actively pursued and implemented and greater use will be made of social media outlets (e.g., the Society’s Facebook group and Twitter feed) to provide information on local wildlife and geology

• planning for a programme of indoor and field meetings for the autumn and winter will continue in anticipation of an improved national outlook.

We wish all our members well in the coming months and hope you will be able to enjoy the natural world from wherever you are located despite the restrictions now in place. Fortunately, geology and nature are always around us and taking an interest in them is both rewarding and therapeutic. Please abide by all the government advice to stay safe and we look forward to seeing you again as soon as we are able to return to our usual extensive programme of walks and talks.

Ray Barnett Chairman, BNS

Send your observations to Bristol Naturalist News Many thanks to all our contributors – it is so gratifying to discover new talents hidden among the membership – talents which only emerge to wider view because of the space freed up by the absence of meetings. And the material is no idle chat: you have observations of real interest for each other. Please do keep them coming. Length: Pictures are most important, with few words if possible – leaving both room for your picture to be a decent size and space for others’ observations to get in. Just the picture (“worth a thousand words”!) and a caption may be enough. Your editor looks forward to hearing from you. Best wishes. David Davies daviddavies512@gmail.com

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Richard Bland’s Memorial Copse Contents

Members may be aware that following Richard Bland’s untimely demise, a strong momentum

grew to have a memorial of some kind as testament to his contribution to the City, to our greater

knowledge of natural history emanating from his data collection around the region and to his

enormous contribution to a number of organisations. It was decided there could be no better

accolade than a memorial copse on his beloved Downs. However, getting permission to plant

trees on the Downs would not be easy, so representatives of the Bristol Naturalists’ Society,

Bristol Tree Forum, Friends of the Downs and Bristol City Council met (very appropriately) on

the Downs in January 2019 to discuss possibilities.

An area at the top of Ivywell Road was selected for planting with native species, including

English Oak (Quercus robur), Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea), Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa),

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Hazel (Corylus avellana), Holly (Ilex aquifolium), Bristol

Whitebeam (Sorbus bristoliensis) and Wild Cherry (Prunus avium) amongst other native

species. The City’s Nature Conservation Officer subsequently passed the grassland as fit for

tree planting with no rare grassland plant species being present and all that remained was to put

a proposal to The Downs Committee with a view to planting in the following November. The

meeting, in

October, was

supported in

person by

representatives

from the BNS,

the BTF and

FoD+AG but,

unluckily, the

Tree Officer as

the appropriate

proposer of the

motion was still

recovering from

surgery leading

to the decision

being

postponed.

However, with

all queries and

potential objections cleared up at the following meeting, a planting date was set for 23rd March

where all were welcome to witness and take part in the creation of Richard’s Memorial Copse –

then lockdown was imposed!

Huge praise must go to John Atkinson (BCC Tree Officer) who single-handedly planted

groups of trees with only a few onlookers in support, including of course, Richard’s wife. It was

feared that neighbours might object to a copse with the potential to block the view to the Sea

Walls but nearby residents were canvassed regarding the proposal. In yet another testament to

Richard’s popularity and esteem the support was overwhelming. When lockdown is over,

members will be able to stroll through this superb, practical addition to the support of our native

flora and fauna; perhaps for some, with memories of Richard in their thoughts.

Lesley Cox

Creation of Richard Bland’s Memorial Copse Photo © Mark Ashdown

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GARDEN WATCH Contents Avoid cabin fever; sign up for the BNS/BTO Garden Watch With lockdown creating a lot of frustration and causing a stir-crazy mentality amongst

many, help is at hand in the form of our gardens. Gardens are extraordinarily important

for wildlife and we are offering members the opportunity to focus attention on them with a

simple recording scheme that notes whatever species individuals can recognise. Members

are probably familiar with the Big Garden Birdwatch run by the RSPB at the end of every

January and this is very similar, except that this scheme runs each week.

Just as the BNS had decided to offer this facility to members, the BTO asked if we

would promote their very similar scheme so we have decided to amalgamate our forces

and pass all our results to the national organisation when the lockdown ceases. One

important thing to note: all sightings should be recorded whether avian, amphibian,

invertebrate or mammal but don’t record anything you don’t recognise – just the species

you do.

Anyone interested in taking part please contact secretary@bristolnats.org.uk to receive

the recording forms and resources. Results will be channelled through the BNS. Many

thanks.

Lesley Cox

Bristol Weather Contents

March 2020

What a change one can experience in one month! March began as the preceding seven months

had done, with substantial rainfall. The first 15 days of the month having 10 days defined as

‘wet days’; where the 24-hour rainfall exceeds 2.0 mm. This abruptly came to an end in the

second half of the month as high pressure moved in and the wind turned to a more northerly

direction. This set the seeds of a much drier weather regime which is continuing into April.

Although initially cooler when the northerlies set in it soon warmed up and there were some

welcome warm days, especially given what else is going on around the world.

The rainfall in the first part of the month was above average but because of the drier spell

later in the month it was not as much as the previous seven consecutive months and at 70.0 mm

was only 105% of the 30-year average.

The average temperature for the month of 8.0°C was close to the 30-year average but was

only 0.1°C above the average for February 2020, which was a milder than average month. The

maximum average temperature was 0.9°C above the average for March but the minimum

temperature was -0.4°C below the long-term average. Put the figures together, and the whole

month looks quite an average one with regard to the temperature at least.

One of the most notable events of the weather in March 2020 was the sunshine recordings.

It was the sunniest March since 2012 when there was 48.5% of the maximum possible

sunshine. In 2020 it was 46.1% of the maximum. It was the 3rd highest maximum hour, W/m2,

for March on 29th at 14:00 hours. (W/m2 relates to irradiance or Watts per Sq. metre.) This data

started in 2006. The 26th March was the 2nd sunniest day of March since the record began.

The highest mean wind speed of 15.8 mph on 10th was the highest for March since 16.4

mph was recorded the 10th in 2011. The average pressure of 1016 mb is the joint highest, with

2019, since 1021 mb was recorded for March 2015.

The maximum daily temperature of 17.9°C recorded on the 24th was the highest for the

month since 18.7°C on March 30th 2017. It was also the highest temperature of the year so far

and since October 1st 2019, when the maximum temperature reached 19.1°C. Barry Horton

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NATTY NEWS Contents

Bumblebees and Land Management The Bumblebee Conservation Trust will be carrying out a new Project which the organisation

hopes will provide a plan for the recovery of our pollinators. Pollinators, including bumblebees, are

declining worldwide in response to interacting factors relating to agricultural intensification, habitat

loss, habitat fragmentation and pesticides but pollinators are essential for sustainable farming.

Farmers are however under considerable economic pressure to increase productivity, which can

reduce the availability of suitable habitats for

wild pollinators. Honeybees are estimated to

be capable of providing only around 34% of

pollination service demands, demonstrating

the importance of wild pollinators such as

bumblebees to make up this shortfall. When

land is managed sensitively, agricultural

habitats can provide floral resources, nesting

habitats, and connectivity, reversing

pollinator decline whilst still producing food.

A new cutting-edge, science led,

evidence-based project, will be trialled using

the University of Exeter’s Bee-Steward

model at a landscape scale across the Fowey

Valley, Cornwall. It is hoped that the model

will predict the best places to target land

management changes to increase bumblebee

populations. Collecting bumblebee and

habitat data to refine the model will test its

capabilities, with the future aim of

promoting its use amongst farmers,

landowners and conservation bodies to help

inform management decisions at a landscape scale. During 2019, the Trust worked with its partners

to gather baseline bumblebee and habitat data, so that trialling of the model over a three-year period

could start from January 2020 but the project may be delayed because of the current lockdown. By

comparing different scenarios, decisions could be made regarding which management regimes are

likely to have the most beneficial impact on bumblebee populations and the provision of ongoing

and bespoke support for this habitat work, to ensure the best result for pollinators. The data will

evaluate the success of the habitat improvement works, the accuracy of the model’s predictions, and

explore the effect of these changes on the agricultural productivity of the farms involved. We

expect that the abundance of bumblebees in response to habitat changes will be accurately predicted

by the Bee-Steward model. If the model and approach is successful, we will then be able to roll out

a tool to farmers, land managers and conservationists for a landscape-scale, targeted approach to

pollinator recovery. This will contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. The Bumblebee

Conservation Trust are working in partnership with the Duchy of Cornwall Estate, Duchy of

Cornwall Nursery, The Lanhydrock Estate Company, The National Trust, Trewithen Dairy, and the

University of Exeter. Pollinating the Fowey Valley has received funding from the Prince of Wales

Charitable Foundation.

Buff-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) on Mahonia

Photo ©Mike Hutchinson

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Covid-19: sources – and Vaccine? Contents Bats are considered to be the most likely source of SARS-CoV-2

which causes the disease Covid-19 with illegally imported Pangolins

possibly as intermediary hosts according to experts from around the

world including the USA, the UK, Hong Kong and Australia. They

found that it was improbable for the virus to have been created

through laboratory manipulation and point out that it is the seventh

coronavirus to infect humans, with SARS-CoV (Severe Acute

Respiratory Syndrome) MERS CoV and SARS CoV-2 causing serious

disease whereas, HKU1, NL63, OC43 and 229E only caused mild

symptoms. The authors propose two likely scenarios that can plausibly explain the origins of

SARS-CoV-2. 1) Natural selection in an animal host prior to zoonotic (transmissible from animals

– Gk. zo-on, animal, nosos disease) transfer and 2) Natural selection in humans following zoonotic

transfer and they also discuss whether selection during passage could give rise to SARS-CoV-2. As

many cases of Covid-19 were linked to the Huanan market in Wuhan it is possible that an animal

source was present at this location. Anderson, et al. write, Given the similarity of SARS-CoV-2 to

bat SARS-CoV-like coronaviruses, it is likely that bats serve as a reservoir for its progenitor.

Malayan pangolins (Manis javanica) contain coronaviruses similar to SARS CoV2. Although the

RaTG13 bat virus remains the closest to SARS-CoV-2 across the genome, some pangolin

coronaviruses exhibit strong similarity to SARS-CoV-2 in the RBD (Receptor Binding Domain),

including all six key RBD residues. This clearly shows that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein optimized

for binding to human-like ACE2 is the result of natural selection. In 2003, SARS CoV emerged in

Guangdong Province in China, where the conclusion was that the xenographic barrier had been

crossed passing from bats to masked civet cats to humans in markets where all were present as live

specimens or as food. In 2012, MERS (Middle-East Respiratory

Syndrome) emerged in Saudi Arabia with the transmission route

from Bats – Camels – Humans. In December 2019, Severe

Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2, was identified with the market in

Wuhan believed to be the epicentre. The transmission route is

believed to be Bats – Pangolins – Humans. The animals

involved may not suffer any effects although camels can fall ill

with the virus. See articles: 1) Andersen, et al. The Proximal

Origin of SARS- CoV2 in Nature Medicine 2020, 17th March. 2)

Zhang, et al., (Fig. 1)Journal of Proteome Research, 2020,

whilst Germany’s Primate Research Laboratory, suggest a line of

clinical research in: 3) Hoffman, et al., (Fig.2) published in Cell

2020, 5th March. See link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ry9wPe3roP4&feature=youtu.be

STOP PRESS University of Bristol Ready To Test Vaccines For COVID-19

The University of Bristol and spin-out company Imophoron have announced they are ready to test

COVID-19 vaccine candidates in a pre-clinical programme.

Professor Imre Berger co-founder at Imophoron and Director of the University’s Max Planck-

Bristol Centre for Minimal Biology, added: "COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) infects cells using its so-

called 'Spike' protein. Most COVID-19 vaccines now being fast-tracked present the complete Spike

to the immune system, which reacts by making antibodies. This approach risks inducing antibodies

that bind to the wrong parts of the Spike and could make the disease even worse. In vaccines for

SARS-CoV-1, this sometimes resulted in severe lung tissue damage; Imophoron’s vaccines, in

contrast, present only very specific parts of the Spike essential for cell entry and are potentially

much less prone to this risk.” Lesley Cox 7th April 2020

Fig. 2

Fig. 1

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99-million-year old Bird Contents Fossils inform us of life on earth millions of years ago

but new discoveries challenge our knowledge on a

regular basis. One such find, in a country now referred to

as Myanmar (Burma) does precisely that and I am

indebted to Margaret Fay for drawing my attention to this

find. The specimen is of a 99 million-year old dinosaur

skull, preserved in amber. Extrapolating from its skull,

Oculudentavis khaungraae would have been about the

size of a Bee Hummingbird, the smallest bird now alive –

and for those of you who attended Vicky Coules BNS

talk in February 2019, it will come as no surprise that

birds are modern day dinosaurs. The name is derived

from Latin Oculu-dent-avis, which refers to ‘eyes-teeth-

bird’, whilst khaungraae is a derivative of the name of

the lady who found and donated it. Xing et al, from the

China University of Geosciences, Beijing, in

collaboration with others from around the world, write,

Skeletal inclusions in approximately 99 million-year old

amber from northern Myanmar provide unprecedented

insights into the soft tissue and skeletal anatomy of

minute fauna, which are not typically preserved in other

depositional environments. Among a diversity of

vertebrates seven specimens that preserve the skeletal

remains of enantiornithine have previously been described

all of which (including one seemingly mature specimen) are smaller than ones recovered from lithic

materials. Here we describe an exceptionally well preserved and diminutive bird-like skull that

documents a new species which we name ‘Oculudentavis khaungraaegen et sp. nov. The find

appears to represent the smallest find of the Mesozoic era, rivalling the Bee Hummingbird

(Mellisuga helenae) in size. The O. khaungraae preserves features that hint at miniaturization

constraints, including a unique pattern of cranial fusion and an autapomorphic (derived trait of a

given taxon) ocular morphology that resembles the eyes of lizards. The conically arranged scleral

ossicles define a small pupil, indicative of diurnal activity. Miniaturization most commonly arises

in isolated environments and the diminutive size of Oculudentavis is therefore consistent with

previous suggestions that this amber formed on an island within the Trans-Tethyan arc (Tethys was

a former ocean that formerly separated the supercontinents Gondwana and Laurasia). The size and

morphology of this species suggests an unknown bauplan (body plan) and a previously undetected

ecology. This discovery highlights the potential of amber deposits to reveal the lowest limits of

vertebrate body size. Reported in Nature, Vol. 579, pp. 245-249. 11th March. NB. The

Enantiornithes perished about 66 million years ago along with many other species of life on earth

when an asteroid collided with the earth. However, the Neornithes survived this and went on to

become the class of animals called Aves (birds) named by Linnaeus’ in his Systema Naturae.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INmUCv-yeH0

Lesley Cox, 6th April 2020

Oculudentavis khaungraae

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BOTANY SECTION PRESIDENT:- Clive Lovatt clivemlovatt@gmail.com Contents HON. SEC:- David Hawkins ecoteric@googlemail.com

FIELD MEETINGS – Cancelled until further notice As members will be all too aware, the current requirement for social distancing (at least 2m apart) and the advice, nay instruction, to stay at home save for personal exercise with no more than reasonable car use, makes holding field meetings impossible for the foreseeable future. At least we had a meeting in February.

No doubt botanists will spring into life like snowdrops when the time comes … I'm suggesting a picnic at the viewpoint in Stokeleigh Camp, Leigh Woods. After all, that seems to have been the place where the Sea Stork’s-bill, Erodium maritimum, was first recorded in Britain, in a book (historically referred to as Merrett’s bungling Pinax) published in 1666, and we all know that was the date of the Great Fire of London, following the Plague of the previous year.

Do take a look at the Somerset Rare Plants Group Website. Under ‘Instead of meetings’ you can find their 20-year archive of newsletters, the progress of a project to record ‘first flowering dates of selected plants seen on your exercise’ and a column of historical jottings ‘for the socially distanced [or stay-at-home] botanist’. There’s also a Rare Plant Register for traditional Somerset (which, remember comes right up to Bristol) with a host of fascinating species accounts by Helena Crouch.

BOTANICAL NOTES The Sandwith family Contents ‘I so loved the flowers’:

more on the botanical education of Noel Sandwith (1901-1965)

I wrote last month about Noel Sandwith of Bristol and Kew how in July 1912 he went with his mother to White’s house at the top of Woodland Road near the University and came back with a souvenir in the form of an uncommon Willow-herb for their herbarium.

Having seen their Wild Flower Society diaries for 1913-1919 (hopefully still somewhere at Bristol University), I was pretty sure they would have been WFS members and so I bought a volume into which had been bound some of the Wild Flower Magazines covering part of this period. I turned the pages with some excitement, expecting to find mention of them which would enliven my story-telling of botanical days long past.

Both, as I expected, were at various times sectional prize-winners. Noel was ‘easily first’ in 1911, with 644 plants in flower including many plants which no other Junior member had seen, many sedges and speedwells, Canary-grass, and clearly in the Avon Gorge, Green Hellebore and Nit-grass. His mother won her section in 1913 with 738 flowers.

In 1911 the youngster won a prize for the following short story, in which mother and son appear. Remember that one of the WFS rules was that every flower entered in a Diary had first to be picked.

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Goat’s-beard, or Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon, from a drawing by WH Fitch in Illustrations of the British Flora, a companion volume to Bentham & Hooker’s Handbook of the British Flora, which was used by the Wild Flower Society as the basis of its recording. Mrs Sandwith kept an annotated copy of the Flora (once seen in Bristol University Library stores) and she presumably had a copy of the Illustrations too. From a copy in CM Lovatt’s library with some plants hand-coloured by a

Scottish botanist. Contents

THE LAZY GOAT'S BEARD Once upon a time there lived in a sunny meadow a Yellow Goat's-beard, who, although young and beautiful was terribly lazy. One day she would not expand her petals, but sleepily dozed the whole morning, while the sun shone overhead, and made the meadow bright and warm. Soon the soft humming of bees could be heard around the lazy one, but as she was asleep, they sighed and said, ‘Would that you were awake for we have no pollen today’, but she heeded not and went on sleeping. Then the bees went on to her

neighbour, the old spotted orchid, who would always rise with the sun, however feeble, and with her permission sucked out her sweet nectar.

The Goat’s-beard went on sleeping, however, until the noise of thunder disturbed her, and she awoke with a start, to find it pouring with rain. Then the Orchid awoke and said, ‘You have wasted the whole day by sleeping, and now you have awoken it is pouring with rain, and you must shut up soon, as you go to bed at noon’, and the Goat’s-beard listened and said, ‘Tomorrow I will wake whilst the sun rises’, but she could say no more as her petals closed in.

Next morning she fulfilled her promise, and woke early, with the sun spreading his rays all over the meadow. She was able to enjoy this for some time, but as we shall see, she came to a bad end. A great many bees hummed around her, and seeing her awake, two or three of them settled on her and soon exhausted her stock of nectar, and she looked up in her pride, and said to the Orchid, ‘Look at me surrounded by all these gentlemen, and foolish you down in the cold’. Then the Orchid said, ‘I prophesy that you will die before the day is done’, and the Goat’s-beard might well be terrified, when a rustle was heard in the grass, and a woman and her son appeared. As they passed the Goat’s-beard, the boy cried, ‘Here is the flower we wanted, quick mother, and pick it at once’.

Then his mother came and picked our lazy and proud heroine, and she swooned away in the woman’s hand, and as our companion vanished out of sight, the old Orchid said, ‘I knew my prophecy would come true, for pride always goes before a fall’.

By Noel Sandwith, aged 10 years and two months.

In the Wild Flower Magazine for February-March 1912 Mrs Sandwith describes ‘A Flower Hunt in Lincolnshire’ when in what should have been a hot August 1911, she and her two boys (Gambier Sandwith didn’t take to botany and is rarely mentioned in the sources I have studied; her husband, Rev EP Sandwith had died some years previously) stayed for two nights at Theddlethorpe. The dunes there are now a National Nature Reserve. On Monday 28 August there was pouring rain, but it cleared, and they cycled down to the beach. The flora they found ‘corresponded closely … to some of the coast-lines of North Somersetshire’ but they were particularly pleased to find Flixweed, Descurainia sophia ‘which we had never found before and was particularly interesting to us, because already we had found two interesting Sisymbriums, which closely resemble the Flixweed, and form

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an interesting feature in our dried collection’. Not long afterwards, in 1913, they found it at Berrow (Hb Leiden). Contents

The only plant in their (mainly alien plant) herbarium in Bristol Museum which was collected during this ‘flower hunt’ is a specimen of Grass-leaved Orache, Atriplex littoralis, but it is not mentioned in the text. Using the online catalogue of the Sandwith (mainly native plant) herbarium in Leiden, The Netherlands, I have traced the very specimen of Flixweed Mrs Sandwith remarked upon.

The specimen label for Flixweed, gathered by the Sandwith family during their flower-hunt on the Lincolnshire coast in August 1911. Held at the National Herbarium, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Having lunched, they left their bicycles and walked over an extensive area of waste ground

called The Warren, finding, as one does in such places, pink Centuaries and Viper’s Bugloss, Echium vulgare. Cycling back, ‘we found a vast tract of Salicornia, called [Glasswort or Marsh] Samphire, and saw the pickers with great hampers gathering it for the market’. Mrs Sandwith explained that ‘it is largely used for pickle’ and, who knows, she may have added, in the way that leaders on botanical meetings invariably do, that it is a different sort of Samphire, Crithmum maritimum, that Shakespeare wrote of in King Lear as being gathered, ‘dreadful trade’, on the chalk cliffs of Dover. ‘Thus ended’, she concluded, ‘one of many happy flower hunting expeditions made in the summer holidays’.

From such a beginning Noel Sandwith went on to read Classics at Oxford University, where he soon met Riddelsdell, engaged on the Flora of Gloucester-shire and the discrimination of brambles and Druce, the General Secretary of the Botanical Exchange Club that morphed into today’s BSBI. He spent his working life at Kew, and went on several foreign expeditions, regularly returning home to Clifton or a summer house at Tickenham, where he could study the roses close at hand. Once asked why he never married, his reply was simply ‘because I so loved the flowers’.

Mrs Sandwith, later in life, Kew

collection of photographs of British Botanists

Noel Sandwith at Kew, Kew collection of photographs of British Botanists.

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PLANT RECORDS Contents For the reasons indicated above, I've hardly been out recently and certainly nowhere near Bristol. I've had four reports of interesting plant finds in the Bristol area recently.

Mary Wood reported finding the purple-leaved garden form of Wood Spurge, Euphorbia amygdaloides ‘Purpurea’ on Monday 16 March, before she went into self-isolation! It was very striking and growing quite happily on the path beside Colliter’s Brook (approx. ST560700). Unfortunately she didn’t take a photo, but I expect it will still be there when we can travel again.

Lois Pryce sent me some observations of plants flowering, including cowslips in a new

2 km square (tetrad). Brian Lancastle sent me spectacular images

of two established alien plants (both recorded in the Flora of the Bristol Region 2000) from his exercise on 31 March by Hazel Brook in the Blaise Castle Estate. I've occasionally walked down there but never at the right time. There is only one other site in traditional Gloucestershire. He was amazed at the quantity of the Turkish Squill, Scilla bithynica and he saw it in three different 1 km squares (monads). It has also been seen in recent years on verges in the village of Leigh Woods (North

Road and Church Road, Dave Gibbs, 2014). The other is the Purple Toothwort, Lathraea clandestina, which in most instances was growing with the Squill. This has 16 monads in Gloucestershire in nine clusters, four monads by Hazel Brook, and

four monads in Somerset. We’ve promised a winter twigs meeting at Blaise next year so perhaps we can go and see them.

If you are fired up by David Hawkins’ account of new local

bryophytes (as well as his two field meetings last year) you may want to obtain Mosses and Liverworts of Britain and Ireland: A Field Guide (2010) still obtainable at £30 including postage through the British Bryological Society website. (Left). Not much use at the moment, but we’ve two copies in the BNS Library, one donated from the estate of the late Justin Smith. A run-in with Balloonwort (contributed by David Hawkins) On Sunday 15th March, having spent the morning bryologizing on Portishead Point (which included an encounter with the scarce calcicole Stirton’s Yoke-moss) and surrounds, I went for a run around Portishead Marine Lake. On the third lap I began

to tire and decided to take a shortcut that involved passing the back of the cricket pavilion and crossing a patch of hard bare ground used for parking on match days. To be honest, by this point I was ‘running’ very slowly indeed.

Turkish Squill, Scilla bithynica, Hazel Brook, Blaise Castle Estate, 31 March 2020. Photo: Brian Lancastle

Purple Toothwort, Lathraea clandestina, Hazel Brook, Blaise Castle Estate, 31 March 2020. Photo©Brian Lancastle.

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As I am sure is the case with many readers, my eyes tend to be aimed downwards when out and about – naturally, on the eternal hunt for curious growing or crawling things. Suddenly some pale green spots scattered on the earth caught my attention: they looked unfamiliar. I stopped, crouched down and was amazed and delighted to realize that I was looking a small part of a huge colony of Sphaerocarpos liverwort, commonly known as Balloonwort (the reason for this being evident when you consider its unmistakeable appearance). There must be many thousands of plants at this site; as well as the bare ground they clearly like the microhabitat provided by plastic meshing. Contents

Sphaerocarpos at Portishead Lake Grounds. Photo © David Hawkins.

There are two species in the UK, Micheli’s

(Sphaerocarpos michelii) and Texas Balloonwort (S. texanus). Both form clusters of inflated structures which house the reproductive organs and spore bodies. I immediately contacted British Bryological Society recorder for North Somerset (vice-county 6) and North Wiltshire (VC7), Sharon Pilkington, who confirmed that Balloonwort has never been recorded in VC6 before. As the two species can only differentiated by their spores, I have sent her a specimen for determination.

Balloonworts are thought of as rare in Britain, but Sharon remarked that they have

recently been discovered on campsites in Dorset and Hampshire – so the species seem to be spreading and they clearly favour the sort of scurfy, compacted ground that tends to be available in such places. There can be little doubt that they are under-recorded too, not least as they favour overlooked or ‘unappealing’ habitats such as arable fields, plant nurseries, neglected corners of gardens and waste ground.

Growing alongside and around the balloonwort was a Pottia moss (Hennediella sp.).

There are three species in the UK and again all are scarce, with scattered distributions. I’m still working out which one it is (I might need Sharon’s help here too), but whatever the result this will also be of considerable interest.

In these times of straitened wanderings, a first vice-county record in an easy-to-miss

location such as this only serves to underline how many unnoticed things there might be in our local patches. And it has reminded me to change my route more often and investigate even the most unpromising of areas. Who knows what might turn up?

PS. Don’t be put off bryophytes by their apparent difficulty. With just a little practice,

many species can confidently be identified on your own with no more help than a ×20 hand lens. It just happens that the two examples discussed here are a bit fiddly. If you’ve found any interesting plants on your daily exercise, please let me know. Keep well, everyone.

Clive Lovatt, Stroud, 7 April 2020

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GEOLOGY SECTION

PRESIDENT: Richard Arthur Contents

HON. SEC: Richard Ashley, richardwashley@gmail.com Tel: 01934 838850

BNS Geology in 2020 The Section’s new President writes:

am certain that all members will be well aware that the Society’s founding President,

William Sanders, was a geologist. Most will also know that geology has featured heavily

in the Society and I am quite certain that many learned papers of geological interest will

continue to be published in the proceedings (Nature in Avon).

When I was a geology undergraduate at Bristol in the mid 70’s the University staff gave

regular BNS lectures and, along with many of their undergraduates, were frequently

present in the audience. Academic staff also regularly contributed to the proceedings. At

that time the University felt it had a duty to be part of the community and gave the staff the

time, support and incentive to research the local area and led extra-mural courses.

Although the renamed department of Earth Sciences continues to provide a much

appreciated home for meetings, it is now rare to see lecturers or undergraduates at

meetings. Given current demands I cannot see a return to the past, especially as there is

such immense pressure to churn out papers of high level novel research. However, if in

my limited time as President, I can act as a catalyst to get a just few undergrads /

postgrads, and the occasional academic staff to present papers (ideally which they have

written for Nature in Avon) at meetings, and perhaps encourage a few of the wider BNS

membership to take up an interest in geology I will be delighted.

At the Geology Section AGM it became clear that the position of President would

remain unfilled and the Secretary, Richard Ashley, would be asked to soldier on. I felt

Richard needed support and agreed to stand as President, but only if he continued as

Secretary or a replacement found. I am pleased to confirm that Richard Ashley will

continue and that I was elected as President. I have to say that I feel the membership owe

Richard a great deal, as he has kept the Section going single handed, often in

considerable adversity, for quite some time. A task I certainly could not do.

From a personal perspective a love of geology has not only given me a satisfying

career, it has provided many intriguing and varied detective stories, each to be solved

using an inexhaustible supply of puzzling clues. It has also provided the means to begin to

appreciate the complex interactions which determine the environment as a whole. It has

also helped choose some rather interesting places to holiday - including persuading my

wife to join me at a few different actively erupting volcanoes and end up standing rather

close to some absolutely mesmerising fast moving red hot lava flows!

My interests are however very varied, some might say too varied, but I will always be

just as fascinated by wildlife as I am by rocks, so in many ways BNS is my ideal society.

Although I have to say, when I signed up, I was not able to put Ephemeroptera (chalk

stream mayflies) or fish as my secondary interest! Something I hope to rectify alongside

banishing the rather disappointing, limited but increasingly common view that geology is

just the study of some old rocks.

Richard FJ Arthur

I

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INVERTEBRATE SECTION PRESIDENT: Mike Hutchinson mike@mikehutchinson.com Contents Hon. SECRETARY: Moth Broyles mothbroyles@gmail.com 07809 281421

INVERTEBRATE NOTES FOR MAY 2020 With the enforced isolation in response to the Covid-19 emergency, most naturalists will no doubt be concentrating on the wildlife that can be seen in gardens or in your local area if taking daily exercise. One of the delights of studying invertebrates is that they can be found wherever you are and not just outside, they share our houses too.

The end of March has seen many people noting the beeflies in their gardens, nectaring at primroses and other spring flowers. As well as the common Dark-edged Beefly Bombylius major, it has been an opportunity to help map the spread of the Dotted Beefly B. discolor which has been expanding its range in recent years. Other creatures to look out for include the Green Shieldbug Palomena prasina which emerges from hibernation looking somewhat bronzy rather than green due to metabolic changes that take place over the winter.

On sunny days other prominent garden inhabitants include the wolf spiders (Pardosa species) which sunbathe on bare soil or the bottom of fences. They are active predators hunting down prey and can often be observed with their egg sacs being carried attached to the spinnerets at their rear end. Frustratingly though, being able to distinguish the 15 or so species apart is very difficult so not a group to begin your study of arachnids with really.

With time to spend focussed on gardens, another invertebrate to look out for and which would aid our knowledge of their occurrence and abundance is the landhopper Arcitalitrus dorrieni. Accidentally imported from Australia by the horticultural trade, landhoppers look just like the sandhoppers you can find in profusion on beaches under seaweed and stones. One way to find them is to look under plant post – a favourite hiding place.

Most gardens will be home to several species of hoverfly. The large droneflies mimicking honey bees are typified by Eristalis pertinax (with pale yellow claws on the first two pairs of legs) and E. tenax with black legs. Smaller species of Eristalis also occur commonly in gardens as do the more delicate and smaller still Platycheirus species such as P. albimanus whose Latin name gives away the white ‘feet’ that can be seen on this species.

Bumblebees are another group like the Wolf Spiders which are obvious and therefore tempting to identify. Some are relatively easy to put a name to eg Tree Bumblebee Bombus hypnorum, but others are much more challenging including the common white-tailed and buff-tailed bumblebees, which are harder to differentiate than many think.

One possible small silver lining of the ‘lockdown’ is that people are taking greater advantage of social media to photograph and report their sightings of animals and plants. If you have the technology, you too can take advantage by posting your request for help in identifying species on the BNS Facebook Group pages or via Twitter.

Ray Barnett 30/03/20

16

BEEFLIES Contents The editor’s appeal for observations has been met with four mentions of Beeflies. The first is in Ray Barnett’s Invertebrate Notes (para 2) – referring to the common Dark-edged Beefly and the increasing spread of the Dotted Beefly. Others have sent in news of both.

Ray Gooding sent in a most useful guide for those who (like your editor) are innocent of almost all knowledge. His article includes a fine image of the Dotted Beefly: “NATURE IN MY GARDEN

Bombylius is a large genus of flies belonging to the family Bombylilidae. They are known as Bee-flies, due to their resemblance to bees and bumblebees which they mimic. They have a thick coat of fur with the colour ranging from pale orange to brown but the most obvious means of identification is by the long stiff proboscis, which is used to probe for nectar as they fly, much like hummingbirds. Also, by their rapid darting flight and the peculiar structure of their legs. The female deposits her

eggs close to the entrance of the underground nests of solitary bees and wasps. After hatching the larvae find their way into the nests to feed parasitically on the grubs.

“One species of this genus of Bee-fly is Bombylius major (Dark edged Bee-fly) is widely distributed throughout the northern hemisphere. The leading edges of its wings are prominently black. The Bee-fly that I have photographed in my garden is actually Bombylius discolor (Dotted Bee-fly), which has black spots on its wings. Ray Barnett has informed me that this particular bee-fly has been increasing in the region and can be used as a signal to indicate the presence of the mining bee Andrena flavipes, on which it parasitizes”. Ray Gooding

Charles Kinsey, whom some recall speaking some 18 months ago on “BAJA CALIFORNIA – The Best Kept Secret of Wildlife Watching”, still exercises his hobby of photography and sent this picture of B. major exploiting a celandine in Bristol Zoo’s deserted car park. Photo © Charles Kinsey

Finally, it turns out the Invertebrate Section President has a garden devoted to attracting insects, where he exercises his passion for wildlife photography and may have made the first film of Bombylius major feeding, so advancing the knowledge of beefly behaviour. Mike Hutchinson writes:

Invertebrate alpinists Contents Before we all got locked down, I made what turned out to be a great decision. I bought 3 alpine plants (Saxifraga x arendsii, Aubretia hybrida and Arabis caucasica) for a small corner in the garden. My intention was to add to the early colour of my dandelions and to attract some pollinators. Events unfolded that went beyond my ambition and my humble alpine patch soon perked the interest of fly biologists in the UK and beyond.

Photo © Ray Gooding

Photo © Charles Kinsey

17

Within a couple of days of their arrival, my new plants were attracting dark-edged beeflies (Bombylius major), the most common of about 11 beefly species that have been recorded in the UK. They visited all the plants but apparently preferred the Arabis and Aubretia. As expected, I noticed them plunging their proboscis deep into the flowers to feed. However, just as often, they would instead do a rapid tap dance on a flower that is difficult for the eye to properly decipher. Being a wildlife cameraman, I set about filming the latter behaviour in slow motion and here is where things got really interesting.

My footage shows that during this tap dance, the beeflies scrape pollen from the flower anthers with the tarsi (feet) of their front legs and transfer the pollen to the tip of the proboscis. The tip of the proboscis is divided into two labella which open and close in a scissor action. After being scraped across an anther, a foot is raised and placed pollen-laden onto the dorsal surface of the proboscis. The foot then slides down to the tip of the proboscis where it is run between the parted labella, thus scraping pollen off the foot, onto the proboscis. I assume at least some of this pollen is subsequently ingested.

Turning to the literature, I found that in 1988, a researcher named Mark Deyrup, published an account of exactly this behaviour observed in Poecilognathus punctipennis. a pretty beefly from the southern U.S. and Mexico. However, I didn’t find a description of this behaviour in B.major, just a brief reference to a ‘personal communication’ with other researchers that Deyrup had had: “pollen-feeding is virtually universal in female bombyliids, with the exception of species that lack functional mouthparts”. Interestingly, the eyes of the individual I filmed were touching, not separated, indicating it was male, not female. Conflictingly, a more recent paper by Kastinger and Weber (2000) states “the proboscis of Bombyliidae is a typical sucking tool & does not have any biting and chewing components. Conclusive proof of deliberate pollen consumption is still lacking.”

I uploaded my footage to Twitter and asked dipterists for thoughts and comments. I was met with some enthusiastic responses. Neal Evenhuis, an entomologist in Hawaii said he had written about the behaviour I was seeing in 2003 and in fact had used a scanning electron microscope to image the hairs on the tarsi used for pollen gathering in several beefly genera. Surprisingly, for a common, very noticeable species, my footage might be the first time the pollen feeding technique has been clearly filmed or at least filmed and widely shared. My footage also clearly shows pollen-covered legs coming into contact with the stigmas of flowers, highlighting the potential for pollination to occur via the legs of beeflies (perhaps more likely than via the furry body). Contents

Our knowledge has been furthered by researchers such as Panov (2007) who analysed beefly gut contents and showed there are sex differences in pollen consumption. Females consume much more pollen than males throughout the season. It’s likely they need the protein for egg formation. However, despite all this, some modern texts still mention only nectar feeding in descriptions of Bombylius. Even this month’s Natural History Museum blog says “Adult bee-flies only drink

nectar” (maybe using the word ‘drink’ instead of consume gets them off the hook?). Between March and the end of May, you might be able to witness this pollen-feeding

behaviour yourself. If not, you can see my original video and a summary of my initial research findings by typing this link into your internet browser: https://tinyurl.com/rmdkcma

Michael Hutchinson

Photo © Michael Hutchinson

Photo © Michael Hutchinson

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LIBRARY

BNS Library at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery, BS8 1RL. Contents LIBRARY COMMITTEE CHAIR: - Clive Lovatt clivemlovatt@gmail.com HON. LIBRARIAN:- Jim Webster jim.bnslibrarian@gmail.com The Library is open: Wednesdays 1.15pm-2.15pm, Saturdays 10.15am-12.15pm. Tel. (opening hours only): 0117 922 3651. CLOSED on Saturdays connected with Bank Holiday

Mondays, and New Year, Christmas & Easter. CLOSED now till after the Museum re-opens.

FROM THE ARCHIVES Contents The Society and its Library during the First World War In 1914, the Society had 150 members. In 1917 there were 114 and Council noted that ‘there is abundant need for fresh workers in every field’.

The 1915 and 1916 Proceedings were combined as a single issue, no doubt as a matter of economy, and the 1917 edition was only printed after the war. Council’s Report for 1916 stated that ‘the call of War duties has occupied so many members that the work of the Society has been purposely kept to routine, and with the object of affording occasional change of thought to the lovers of Nature’. Still, the indoor and outdoor meetings continued, and the Geological Section was well supported by local undergraduates, specially admitted as Associate members. In 1916 the Entomological Section had 17 members, who regularly brought exhibits or short notes to indoor meetings. Miss Roper, Acting Honorary Secretary and a recent past President, and best known as a botanist, displayed not only larvae of British butterflies and fungi parasitic on insects, but also plant galls and various beetles. Mrs Sandwith, another botanist, brought in a male Stag beetle.

Library use and borrowing was fairly consistent throughout the War and was not significantly different from what it had been before. There were about 15 borrowers each year, taking out five or six books on average. One member, according to the 1915 report, still had 10 volumes they had taken out in 1912 and the committee were thinking about asking Council to set time limits for lending.

Lists of the clubs, societies or institutions with which we exchanged journals (50 in 1914) and those overseas to which we sent free copies of our Proceedings were regularly published. In 1914 there were 52 in 11 foreign countries: Austria, France, Germany, Norway and Switzerland in Europe; Australia, Canada and India in the British Empire; and Mexico, the United States and Uruguay in the Americas. In 1917 ‘Six Societies belonging to enemy nations’ were removed from the Exchange List by the Hon. Librarian, a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps. However, this may have been offered up more as a retaliation than an attack, because, as they had earlier noted, ‘we have, of course, received no exchanges from Germany and Austria’. Contents

In 1914, 253 unbound parts were received from corresponding societies. This number held up well during the war, reflecting the desire of kindred bodies all over the country to keep up appearances. In 1918 the Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society was added to the Exchange List and back issues were swapped too, theirs to 1871, and we were able to supply ‘a still more complete set’. The same year the Government asked for waste paper for re-manufacture and the library supplied ‘two hundredweight of surplus material’. That’s equivalent to about 15-20 shelf feet. I wonder what it was that was recycled. Mrs Sandwith read a paper on Charophytes (macroscopic green algae often encrusted with lime) at the 471st General Meeting of the Society, just four days before the Armistice.

‘Then (**) at last peace, precarious peace, came down upon the world and the survivors could go home. Like the stray figures left on the stage at the end of a great tragedy, they now had to tidy up the ruins of war and in their hearts bury the noble dead’.

Council reported that 1919 ‘has been a success both on account of the improved attendance at the meetings, and the number of new members elected; also because the papers read proved

19

to be of special interest, and all were given by members or local scientists’. On 9 January 1919 ‘about 100’ members (that’s most of them!) were present at a Special Meeting in Bristol Museum honouring the completion of work on the Museum’s collections by GC Griffiths, the President of our Entomological Section. The librarians concentrated on checking their exchanges were up to date and asking for duplicates ‘where it appeared any previous numbers had been missed’. They found their counterparts to be most co-operative in filling any gaps.

By 1921 the Entomological Section had 30 members and our Society’s membership had recovered to 144.

**The coda (bar its first sentence), from Olivia Manning’s Fortunes of War novel sequence. The rest of the material is from the published annual reports of the Society.

Clive Lovatt, Stroud, 6 April 2020

MEMBERS’ LETTERS Contents It is always fascinating to read the Bristol Naturalist News but today, more than ever it’s a delight to receive.

Thank you to all contributors. Lovely to have the time to immediately sit and read a little, saving the rest for later!

In a very unscientific way I had wondered where all that electricity for cars was coming from, good to see I wasn’t alone.

I wish that birds (other than Magpies and pigeons) were a little more common in my garden but being at home all the time, there are more than I thought. (See Information on Garden Watch). Being one of the Million + who are totally confined to Barracks almost every visitor to the garden is welcome and I was delighted to see a Brimstone early last week and more recently a Speckled Wood, on Anemone Blanda and a most beautiful Peacock, on Bergenia.

Thank you so much for News of the outside world!

Good wishes to all the team. (S.B.)

What a delight to receive; The Bulletin! It really cheered me up. (DH)

Unprecedented times are making us all do things differently. We are

on a steep learning curve to make as much as we can of the ability to

communicate electronically. We look forward to the next

Bulletin. Keep up the good work and most importantly, stay safe.

(A&D).

I look forward to receiving my bulletin. I can hear the blackcap

singing outside and the sparrows chirping which is a tonic after

having just watched the news. Off to work now - at least the commute

is short now that I'm working on our dining table. Take care, and I

look forward to seeing you again in healthier, happier times. (ML)

Thank you for keeping us in touch. I think you might enjoy this little

bit of nature. The swans were taken last year in my sister’s garden in

west London. (BP)

MW reports Swallows looking to nest in the garage.

With thanks to all our members, and especially

to all the writers who make the Bulletin a good read!

Lesley.

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ORNITHOLOGY SECTION PRESIDENT:- Giles Morris, 01275 373917 danesmorris@btinternet.com HON SEC.:- Lesley Cox 07786 437528 fledglingnat@icloud.com Contents

Field Meeting Report Conham: Bristol-Bath River path, Sunday 15th March

nly four of us turned up at the Conham River car park for a walk south along the tow

path in the pouring rain. The spot was delightfully green and fresh, made more so

by the contrast of the drab drive along parts of the Crews Hole Road.

Conham River Park is a good example of regeneration from an industrial past.

Remnants of the former copper and brass industry can be found; in fact, the brass slag

which formerly polluted the river was made into bricks and used for the Black Castle in

Arnos Vale. Then followed a sewage works, a rubbish dump and it is now an attractive,

maturing wooded area with a thriving bird population.

We soon spotted a jay flying across the parking area, closely followed by another. A

good omen despite the weather.

As we walked along the river path we heard many wrens and great tits but the bird of

the day was definitely the song thrush. So many varied calls set me wondering how wide

the repertoire of each individual thrush was. Among the scrub and young trees we saw

blue tits and a few long tailed tits, dunnocks, robins and we heard a buzzard, nuthatch and

green woodpecker.

We had been joined by a couple of walkers foraging for nettles and wild garlic to cook

in their Sunday nut roast. They went home pleased with some very muddy horse radish

roots. As horse radish grows rampantly, I suppose that is not too great a sin.

We made our way past Beese's Tea Garden with moorhens struggling against the fast

flowing current and mallard taking off and landing all around. When we reached the

heronry we tried to spot some young in the nest but it must have been too early. The nests

seemed too small to contain an adult and a clutch of babies in a few weeks. The herons

looked miserable at the top of the trees but when do they ever look otherwise?

As we moved on from the scrubby wooded area to more mature woodland with tall

cherry trees and even a poplar grove, we expected to see a greater number of birds but in

fact the scrubby area was more prolific. I was delighted when Giles pointed out the 'slow,

deep rhythmic notes' of a stock dove. That was a first for me and I hope I recognise it next

time.

On the way back we saw a heron stalking

in the lagoon and we were fascinated by some

scarlet elf caps. Altogether we only saw 20

species of birds but it was well worth braving

the weather to notice the early signs of spring:

a snatch of blackcap song and the celandines

and blackthorn breaking into flower. Also, it

was a good chance for two of us to test out our

new waterproofs!

Pat Rice

O

21

The BBS - Making Your Birding Count. Contents The BTO’s Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and its partner count, the Winter Bird Survey, are a

great way to make your bird watching more meaningful and for you to get the satisfaction of

knowing that you are providing one small piece of a much larger jigsaw that might provide really

valuable national conservation data.

In the Bristol area we have the advantage of being able to contribute to a long running local

scheme (the Avon BBS) as well as the national one. This local scheme is a great thing for first

timers, first because the methodology is simpler and second because you can choose your own

kilometre square to survey (unless someone else has got there first!). Do you have a local

patch? Well, make it an Avon BBS square!

I cover two squares for the local Avon BBS. These are ST5175 and ST5275 (check an OS

map for the grid refs!) which cover my home patch of Easton-in-Gordano and Pill. With each

square you walk two parallel transects across the square, so two lines 1km long, and count

every bird that you see or hear as you walk. You do this reasonably early in the morning on two

days. Once on a date in April to mid-May and then once again in late May to the end of June. I

am hoping that I’ll even be able to complete this year’s survey as it will count as my daily

exercise walk from home!

The transects in my home squares cross quite a mix of different habitats. Some farmland,

both grazed and arable, playing fields and parks, a churchyard, village streets and the centre of

Pill. I even walk a section of St George’s Flower Bank LNR on the verge of the A369, which

makes hearing the bird song above the traffic noise quite a challenge.

This variety of habitats creates an interestingly varied avifauna for me to record. There is

one section along the edge of a field bordering Pill where I always enjoy Skylark song. The

suburban gardens provide good numbers of Blue and Great Tits, Goldfinches and Greenfinches.

The centre of Pill has big populations of House Sparrows and Starlings, but also a pleasing

number of Swifts still using the older buildings. The park on Watchhouse Hill, on the edge of the

Avon, has an active heronry, so I usually see or hear some of them as I pass and both Green

and Great Spotted Woodpecker are regulars.

As on all “patch walks” it’s the unexpected encounters that stick most in the memory. The

bright colours of a male Redstart in the hedgerow on the edge of the A369 was unexpected, as

was a female Pied Flycatcher in the Community Orchard in Pill. Of course both were passing

through to breeding grounds elsewhere, but they certainly brightened up those early mornings.

I also do a couple of National BBS squares on farmland, one close to home around Lower

Failand and another in the Mendips. One might expect that, being out in the countryside, the

variety and number of birds seen in these squares would be greater than downtown Pill, but that

has definitely not been my experience. My two home-patch squares regularly turn up 30-40

species and many of those in very reasonable numbers. The farmland squares struggle to get

above 25 species and most of those only in single figure numbers. In both squares the numbers

of species only get as high as they do because the transects pass through woods or skirt

houses with gardens. It is also very noticeable that the corvids outnumber all other groups on

open farmland.

These are merely casual personal observations from a few years in a few locations but

multiply these figures by thousands across the whole country and statistical patterns start to

emerge. The effects of modern agricultural practices on both the diversity and abundance of our

wildlife have been well documented and are surely beyond serious dispute. A major source of

data for scientists studying these changes has been provided over many years by the thousands

of amateur ornithologists doing BBS counts (and before it the CBS). Britain has in the BTO a

citizen science base unmatched anywhere else in the world.

Most of us watch birds for the pleasure it brings us. How much more satisfying it can be to

know that one’s hobby is doing something really useful. Make your birding count!

Giles Morris

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RECENT NEWS Contents

Early Wheatear, Laughing Gull (and that was only the start…) Rupert Higgins reports:

arch may well turn out to have been the last month for some time that birdwatchers were able to get out and about and fortunately it provided some memorable moments.

The first came on 5th, with the appearance of a male Wheatear (or more properly Northern Wheatear) at Northwick Warth. This is five days earlier than our average first record but this has been a slow spring for migrant birds and this was the first Wheatear seen in the whole country. First sightings, unsurprisingly, are usually on the south coast, so this was an unusual accolade for our area. For many birders their first Wheatear of the year is proof that spring has really

arrived, one that many of us will miss out on this year. The migration of this species is truly amazing. Like many of our insectivorous birds they winter south of the Sahara, in a wide range from Sudan in the east to Mauritania in the west. The journey from Africa to the UK is impressive but not as stunning as the migration of some Wheatear populations. This species, uniquely, has colonised Greenland from western Europe and Alaska from eastern Russia. Although these birds could, presumably, winter in the Americas they continue to migrate to Africa. For the Greenland birds this involves a sea crossing, made in a single hop, of over 3,000km and for the Alaskan birds a journey of 15,000km each way. Truly humbling, for a bird only slightly larger than a Robin.

The second outstanding event of the month, the discovery of a Laughing Gull at Chew Valley Lake, caused much more of a stir in the birding community. It was first seen on the afternoon of 10th March and identified by the now routine combination of digital photography and social media. It stayed until 15th March, settling into a routine of visiting the lake during the afternoon for a brief bathe and then reappearing in the evening roost, before moving to Cheddar Reservoir for three days. During its absences from the lake it presumably fed in nearby fields but was never found. There have been two previous records of this species in Avon, which between them were seen by a grand total of five people, so this was very welcome to local birders and attracted observers across the country, for many of whom it was their first experience of this species in the UK. As is often the case, more intense observation meant that other notable birds were found, on this occasion a Slavonian Grebe and a Ring-necked Duck. Four species and one sub-species of Nearctic (North American) gull have been seen at Chew Valley Lake. Although gull numbers are at their highest in mid-winter spring has been the best time to find these rarities; they most probably cross the Atlantic in the autumn and, having spent the winter to the south of us, join flocks of other species moving north. We know from ringing recoveries of Ring-billed Gull that a few individuals settled into a pattern of regular migration from North America to Europe.

Finally, a few observers were treated to the sight of juvenile White-tailed Eagles, over Dolebury Warren and the mouth of the River Avon. Whilst the bird that visited Blagdon Lake in 2016 was probably a wild individual, wandering from Europe, this year’s birds were both released on the Isle of Wight last year as part of a re-introduction scheme. Whatever one’s opinion of these schemes and the “tickability” of the birds (definitely not, in my opinion) the bird we saw was truly impressive, dwarfing the Buzzards and Peregrine that were mobbing it.

Rupert Higgins avonbirdrecorder@outlook.com

M

Wheatear (2011) Photo © Steve Hale

23

MISCELLANY

Redland Green birds Contents Redland Green & Cotham Amenities Society (RGCAS) has provided funding for Redland Green Community Group (RGCG) to put up bird boxes – a project reported in their recent newsletter here quoted by Robert Muston, a long-time member of both groups. He notes that BNS ornithological expertise would be of considerable benefit to them.

“Redland Green Community Group has purchased 16 bird nesting boxes, which in January were put up in trees around the Green over several gloomy but dry weekends. We opted for boxes made from "woodcrete"; a mix of concrete and wood fibres. These have numerous advantages, the principal ones being longevity and protection from predators. As the Green and surrounding area harbour predators such as great spotted woodpeckers, grey squirrels and magpies, it really is important that the boxes are resistant to predator attacks.

“We aim to monitor the boxes over the coming nesting season. With interest being shown in the boxes quite literally as soon as we removed our ladder from the tree, we hope that uptake will be high. The neighbouring allotments are a real boon for the Green, as they tend to be biodiversity hotspots (confirmed by recent research at Bristol University), and our own observations of the rich variety of insect life, in particular, just over the fence leads us to believe that there will be plenty of food in the area for the birds we are encouraging to nest. It is very gratifying to feel that working together with RCAS, we have been able to offer another improvement to the Green’s capacity to harbour wildlife.

We would be pleased to hear from anyone (via webadmin@rgcg.org.uk) with ornithological interest or expertise who might like to assist us with monitoring. We would also be particularly interested to hear from any qualified ringers, as it would be great to contribute to the British Trust for Ornithology’s scientific work on monitoring bird populations.

For more detail, please see: https://sites.google.com/site/redlandgreencommunity/2020/new-nesting-boxes-for-birds "

We would be pleased to hear from anyone… with… expertise… to assist us with monitoring

Photo © Julie Parker

24

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL BOTANIC GARDEN Contents

The Holmes, Stoke Park Rd, Stoke Bishop, BS9 1JG. Tel. 0117 428 2041 https://botanic-garden.bristol.ac.uk.

Email: botanic-gardens@bristol.ac.uk

ur work has changed, and we are now only carrying out critical care work to keep the collections alive. Most administrative staff are

working from home. We are developing a series of short videos for people to stay connected. Please see our Twitter account to follow them, they are informative, interesting and fun!

The Garden is eerily quiet, apart from the opera of spring bird song. Recent bright dry weather has brought on the spring blossom.

An unusual form of Magnolia denudata is in this photo. It has flowered before but rarely with such profusion, is in full glory. Magnolia denudate ‘Forrest’s Pink’ is growing by the main gate displaying its huge goblet flowers streaked with rose-pink at the base. This striking cultivar was raised at Caerhays Castle & Gardens in Cornwall and thought to have originated from seeds from one of Scottish plants explorer George Forrest’s collections. It is a very striking addition to our collections, very ornamental and will have a bigger impact over the coming years as we train it to grow up and over the garden gate.

Richard Bland, commemorated by new planting on the Downs – p4

O

Richard on the Granny Downs, courtesy of Avon Gorge & Downs Wildlife Project, J Parsons

BNS Field Meeting in Leigh Woods17 April 2007

Photo © D B Davies