Hazel Graves writes:

The October Field trip took us to Broombriggs Farm Country Park in Charnwood Forest near Woodhouse Eaves, Leicestershire.  The farm was given to Leicestershire County Council in 1970 by the Frears family, with a view to it being maintained as a typical Charnwood Forest farm. Existing woodlands and parkland trees on the farm have been retained, and more recent tree planting has been carried out to increase biodiversity and add to the tree numbers of the National Forest.

There is a well-marked and easy walking trail around the farm.  We climbed through woodland, then between woodland and field edge, eventually reaching the summit of the walk with good views over the lower farm and the surrounding countryside. We then dropped back along field edges and back to the Beacon Road carpark.

Broombriggs Farm is an interesting place to visit at any season but particularly good in the autumn.  The path from the carpark leading uphill through the woodland parallel to the road contains a wide range of trees, and shrubs, both newly planted, self-set and mature.  Beech, Blackthorn, Bramble, Cherry, Dog Rose, Dogwood, Elder, Elm, Field Maple, Hawthorn, Hazel, Honeysuckle, Holly, Hornbeam, Horse Chestnut, Lime, Oaks, Sweet Chestnut, Sycamore, Turkey Oak, Yew, and an assortment of conifers, line the route.  Also patches of Gorse, Bramble, Ivy, Creeping Thistle, Ferns including Bracken, andNettle and of course plants such as Shepherd's Purse, Buttercup, Mallow etc.  All of these species have leaf mines (moths, flies, beetles) or galls, caused by a wide range of fauna or fungi, or both. Between us we recorded 18 gall species and 23 mine species on 20 plant species.  The latter can be of real interest to recorders as they are confirmed breeding records of the moths, compared to the non-breeding records of moth trapping and casual observation. The full list will be in the report that appears in the Newsletter for members.

Pseudoneuroterus saliens f.agamic galls on Turkey Oak (Photo: Peter Smith)

We did not expect to see a wide range of insects.  However, we found numerous Harlequin and 7-spot Ladybirds, but surprisingly still many harlequin larvae. Perhaps our biggest surprise was the sighting of a perched Holly Blue, presumably a result of a third brood this year, as indicated in the Philip’s Guide to Butterflies by J A Thomas. 

Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus (Photo: Simon Bennett)

A good find was an Adonis’ Ladybird, a small ladybird, well-spotted amongst the other two species. A Hawthorn Shieldbug and an Arboridia ribauti leafhopper were also found, the latter an interesting species because it seems that only females have been found in Britain. A green larva was found on a bramble leaf.  A request to the UK Hoverflies Facebook group for help with identification provided an almost immediate answer to its ID: Epistrophe grossulariae.   Some of the Dogwood leaves had a variety of stages of aphids underneath them.  A few samples were taken home and photographed and by using the excellent website “Influential Points” were found to be Common dogwood-grass aphid Anoecia corni, so called as they use grass as an alternative host during the summer.  It is always amusing to find “Tree Snot”, a ball of eggs of the Caddisfly Glyphotaelius pellucidus set in jelly on, or dangling from, a leaf. They should be dangling over water so that on hatching the larvae fall into the water to continue development.  Unfortunately this ball of jelly was on a holly leaf over a dry path.  Amusingly I found the 2.2 mm springtail Entomobrya albocincta in a photograph taken of a lichen! Springtails are now considered arthropods but not insects being in the Class Entognatha.  Albugo candida White Rust is a widely distributed plant pathogen which affects brassicas. Although called a rust it is in fact not a fungus but a pseudofungus with a very different classification.

Hoverfly larva, Epistrophe grossulariae, on Bramble. (Photo: Simon Bennett)

At this time of year, fungi were also one of our targets, however we saw disappointingly few compared to a similarly timed visit made several years ago.  Some we were able to identify. Everyone enjoys seeing the red and white Fly Agaric.  The Honey Fungus at the base of a Birch tree was spectacular. It was good to see both Shaggy Parasol and Parasol Mushroom on the same day. The stipe of Parasol Mushroom has a scaly looking zig-zag pattern whereas Shaggy Parasol has a stipe which is unpatterned. Sycamore Tarspot seems almost ubiquitous on Sycamore leaves.  Illosporiopsis christiansenii and Erythricium aurantiacum are colourful lichenicolous fungi that parasitize lichen. Both were found on trees in the orchard. Several other fungi were recorded.

Red Cracking Bolete, Boletus (=Xerocomellus) chrysenteron (Photo: Peter Smith)

Any countryside trip will always provide the chance to make a bird list, and we saw or heard 13 species with a possible sighting of one of the Goshawks which are known to inhabit a nearby woodland.  The highest point is a good place to stop and scan the skies – ravens, sparrowhawks, kestrels have all been seen from this vantage point. Particularly charming was the flock of mixed tits – it never fails to bring a smile to faces seeing Long-tailed-tits.  On this occasion we saw or heard 14 species: Buzzard, Blue tit, Carrion crow, Great Tit, Jackdaw, Jay, Long-tailed tit, Magpie, Nuthatch, Robin, Starling, Stonechat, Woodpigeon, Goshawk(unconfirmed).

We were surprised to see a range of species of plants still in flower, 26 in total. The Common Toadflax has been persistently found for many years around one of the seats on the slope overlooking Maplewell Road, but we noticed an increase in plants now stretching down the hill.  Our list included the following: Annual Meadow-grass, Autumn Hawkbit, Black Nightshade, Bramble, Cat's-ear, Chicory, Cocks-foot, Common Field Speedwell, Common Mouse-ear, Creeping Buttercup, Daisy, Dandelion, Field Pansy, Groundsel, Herb Robert, Hogweed, Meadow Buttercup, Nipplewort, Pineappleweed, Prickly Sowthistle, Red Clover, Shepherd’s-purse, Scentless Mayweed, Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Common Toadflax, White Clover, and Yarrow. 

Thyme-leaved Speedwell, Veronica serpyllifolia (Photo: Peter Smith)

We saw one Grey Squirrel and evidence of Moles at two sites.

A few lichens and mosses were noted and recorded. One moss Grey-cushioned Grimmia Grimmia pulvinate is common and regularly found on Charnwood stone wall so easy to get to know. And one of the beautiful Polytrichum mosses was in evidence, but not able to be identified easily to species as no capsules were seen.

The lichen Fanfare of Trumpets Ramalina fastigiata was found and easily identified as the name perfectly illustrates its structure.  Another lichen I could identify as I see it at the base of the same tree each time I visit and have had it confirmed, Cladonia coniocraea. The ubiquitous orange/yellow lichen Xanthoria parietina was present on bare twigs of bushes near the summit. And the lemon-yellow patches of Rhizocarpon geographicum Yellow Map Lichen were also easily noted on the stone walls.

I hope everyone enjoyed the outing – I certainly did.  Many thanks to the members who joined me – we made a good team, jointly spotting and identifying species. I suggest, if this trip is repeated in the future, that at least three hours is a better target than two!

A full report will be published in the newsletter, which is available to members.

(Photo at top: Peter Smith)