Hazel Graves writes:

Following the welcome and notices the floor was opened to members to discuss any natural history items. Ivan Pedley once again provided a great deal of interest with a collection of specimens.

His first item of interest was a discussion about the fungus found by members on the previous outdoor meeting to Beacon Hill. Birch Conk or Chaga (Inonotus obliquus) was observed high up on a Birch tree.  No photos were available, but Ivan brought in a fungus reference book with details. It seems that Chaga, which grows mainly on Birch trees, has never previously been found in Leicestershire. The fruit bodies grow underneath the bark and the “conk” which is visible is a sterile mass of mycelium, high in melanin and resembling burnt charcoal.

Ivan’s next talking point was a herbarium sheet showing Rye infected with Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) a very unwelcome contaminant of cereal and grass crops. Poisoning with ergotamine throughout history has led to diseases caused by vasoconstriction leading to convulsions and gangrene of feet, known as Saint Anthony's fire. Other effects are hallucinations caused by the mimicking of neurotransmitters.

Ivan also brought in two twigs both bearing Common Feather-Moss Kindbergia praelonga growing in its typical fashion from the ground up as socks. The height of the “socks” to either knee length or ankle length depends on the humidity of the environment.

Common Feather-Moss (Kindbergia praelonga) (Photo: Hazel Graves)

Judith brought in a selection of leaves found that day at Whetstone with various life-forms on them and asked for help.  A Holly leaf had the lichen Physcia tenella growing on it. An Oak leaf had Common Spangle Galls caused by the wasp Neuroterus quercusbaccarum f. agamic. Another Oak leaf had a colony of minute fungi on it, as yet unidentified.

Alan then introduced the speaker for the evening, Kate Thorpe of the RSPB to give a talk entitled “Bringing a Boom to Middleton Lakes”. 

Kate began her lecture by explaining that she has had a life-long interest in birds and has worked on wetland sites for all her career. In the mid-1990s there were estimated to be only 11 Bitterns left in the UK, mainly in East Anglia; this population collapse was to a large extent due to loss of essential habitat i.e. a large area of squidgy reed beds with many edges and islands. A project was set up to discover the essential factors needed for bitterns to breed and this was found to include a concentration of small fish such as Rudd, Roach and Perch at 10 kg per hectare.  The results of this were used to improve habitat for Bitterns at Middleton and other places such as the Avalon Marshes in Somerset and the Ouse Marshes in Cambridgeshire.  At Middleton reeds were planted by hand and protected from geese by mesh fencing.  Fish were brought in as excess from fish farms. It took several years to get the habitat good enough, but overwintering birds turned up and in 2001 the first booming male turned up. Monitoring has continued and there are probably 2 booming males and 3 females with nests on the site, with several young being raised.  The Middleton Lakes Reserve is part of many sites of watery habitat in the River Tame Valley, and it was hoped that although Middleton has probably reached its carrying capacity for Bitterns, there is plenty of suitable habitat in the Valley for the youngsters to eventually set up territories, and booming has been heard at other sites.

This lecture was extremely well received and questions followed.

Pouran asked if the mesh fencing was removed or left in place – it is removed; and asked about the size of the fish – from 20 g to 300 g.

Alan asked if there were any problems with inbreeding as at one point there were only 11 in the UK. The answer was that once the habitat is available unrelated birds who fly in from the continent to overwinter are likely to stay and breed, although no one has yet looked at the gene pool. 

Questions were also asked about Lesser-spotted Woodpeckers and the boom sound made by male Bitterns.

The evening closed with much appreciation for the lively and enthusiastic talk given by Kate.

Photo at top: RSPB