Poster for our next talk - 9th August

If anyone could help us publicise this talk on such an important subject, and also our other talks/walks, please do so or contact me (through comments at the bottom if necessary.)

Rhinoceros Beetle; what do you require from us?

There has been a recent sighting and photo of Rhinoceros Beetle on this Blog. The link below should therefore be of interest as it mentions this beetle and the preferred habitats of other beetles. It also links at the bottom of the article to really good info about "Invertebrates and Ancient Trees".

It may seem a little odd to our modern perception of what makes a woodland but dare it be admitted we have got it all wrong. Could closed canopy woodland (everywhere) be perhaps a sign of serious degredation of both trees and habitat?

Is planting more of these woodlands the answer? If not, why are we doing so?

Read here: http://www.ancienttreeforum.co.uk/saproxylic-beetles-in-capability-brown-landscapes-and-the-importance-of-continuity/

Ramble this Saturday 30th July

It's the Big Butterfly Count again.

Every year at the end of July we have a walk round Cromwell Bottom Nature Reserve and record which butterflies are flying, and how many. There's plenty of other things to look at if it's not butterfly weather !

This is also a Wildside Walk in the Countryside Departments Wildside Activity Booklet, so families are welcome, as always.

It is an easy walk with plenty of stops, and now we have the luxury of the Cabin organised by Cromwell Bottom Wildlife Group, and they will be open for us for snacks and toilets. You can eat your own picnics at their tables (space is limited.)

Meet 10.30 for 10.40 at the Crowther Bridge Car Park (turn in at the brick office block on the Elland to Brighouse Road - there is a clock on the front.) Take extra care on the 50 mph road!

Lichens have another lodger

For those interested in Lichens or biology, this article is very interesting. It seems Lichens have a third component in the symbiosis that has been hiding in plain view without anyone realising for 150 years.  Who says three is a crowd?

 (Just let the initial subscription advert run itself out).

http://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/07/how-a-guy-from-a-montana-trailer-park-upturned-150-years-of-biology/491702/

Rhinoceros Beetle

This interesting beetle was found (I believe in the Ovenden area) by Julian Birkhead earlier this month. It can be up to 20 mm long and this looks to be a female as the male has a larger, upturned horn (projection) on its head. It feeds on sap on warm summer nights.

Julian says "The rhinoceros beetle is widespread but not common. You can see distribution maps on iRecord where I've logged my sighting of it: http://www.brc.ac.uk/irecord/record-details?occurrence_id=3618546. I once saw two, including a male, in Shibden valley ten years ago."

Southern Hawker Dragonfly ?

Found at Wainstalls today

This nest of an unfortunate Linnet had been completely exposed to the sun by a cow eating all the fronds of a fern off.  The nest had been built on top of the raised tussock of fern in a bog. We could see the cow's footprints. It was impossible to tell whether it was a full clutch and the other eggs had been predated, or the Linnet had only laid one egg when it happened.                                        

Found by Annie Honjo near Wainstalls.

Another Linnet's nest in gorse nearby had five eggs on 3rd July which had all hatched by today when I monitored the tiny blind downy nestlings.

I also watched a pair of Linnets today with a juvenile recently fledged, still being fed by its mother.

July talk at Halifax Scientific Society

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