This Blog covers nature sightings and related news in the Calderdale area.
It includes all groups - Plants, animals and fungi with links to specialist sites.
Anyone wishing to become a member of this Blog and post sightings please contact us.
If you would like to join the Halifax Scientific Society either email me or come along to the next meeting.
All welcome:
calderdalewildlifeblog@gmail.com
Please contact us about any sensitive records before posting on the blog

Sunday 16 August 2020

New Website

We moved the blog to our new website for a time


All recent posts can be found on the new website blog

https://www.halifaxscientificsociety.org.uk/blog/



Sunday 26 July 2020

Moorland Flowers - 26th July - Baitings to Great Manshead

I am sort of making a series of this moorland flowers thing! I really enjoyed seeing the Yellow Rattle. As usual, any help appreciated.
Is this new Heather growth or Crowberry?
Looking down from the 'Man's Head'

Beautiful Hay Meadow



No Idea

Goldenrod?

Yellow Rattle

Is this Mouse Ear sp.?


no contact

Unfortunately there is no contact from the Blog to any links except the fungi blog!
Please rectify.

Wednesday 22 July 2020

Moorland Flowers - Oxygrains - Rishworth Moor - 22nd July - A Mystery Plant As well

I went to Oxygrains today and saw a few bits and bobs.
Hope you enjoy and this mystery plant is quite interesting.

 
Mystery Plant - Foliage and Flowers

 
Mystery Plant - Flowers

 
Heath Bedstraw
So common here in Rishworth and area

 
Herb Robert 'album'
A few plants of this, new to me,
not the species, this form.


Sunday 19 July 2020

Rishworth - Orchids and IDs...!

A really nice plant walk today. I really enjoyed seeing my first Orchid. Just so it is clear, on the captions I have added Rishworth to them



Common Mallow, Rishworth

Red Campion, Rishworth

Harebells, Rishworth - Never seen these before

Common Green Grasshopper, Rishworth
Tormentil and Creeping Cinquefoil, Rishworth

Creeping Cinquefoil leaves, Rishworth

A different Harebell plant, Rishworth


Common Spotted Orchid, Rishworth
???

Events Update

Further to the notice about indoor meetings being cancelled for the foreseeable future.
We have decided that we can continue the walks programme subject to social distancing rules.
Walks will resume starting Saturday 8th August.
It would be helpful if anyone planning to attend could contact walk leaders (or get a message to them) beforehand.
Numbers may be limited in some cases and some walks may not go ahead dependent on the event.
Please check the blog and the new website http://www.halifaxscientificsociety.org.uk/events/ for updates.

Saturday 8th August - 10:30 to 15:30
A Ryburn Tributary Walk
A walk in a watercourse, wet feet are likely
This is a great way to cover new ground and see little known features in the landscape.
Exact location dependent on water levels on the day
Meet Peachysteve on Halifax Road, Kebroyd.  HX6 3HN
3 miles

Wednesday 15 July 2020

Rishworth - Plant walk and a couple of IDs

Can't put my finger on this. It has nettle-like leaves

Confused on this aswell

The mystery plant with nettle leaves again

Birds Foot Trefoil on the slope where the Burnet moths live

Went for a walk today. Found a few Purple Toadflax and some interesting IDs. The above video is what I think is Common Toadflax at the start of the video.
The mystery Toadflax plant

Wednesday 8 July 2020

Rishworth Today - Purple Toadflax and More!

Hello all,

I went out for a nice walk today and spotted a few plants.
One or two may want IDing.
I am not sure of the status of Purple Toadflax in Calderdale, anyone know?
It is non native I believe, yet a foodplant for the Toadflax Brocade and Toadflax Pug Lepidoptera.

Purple Toadflax Flowers

Purple Toadflax Leaves

A couple of the Purple Toadflax plants

The Purple Toadflax plants again with a bit more leaf view

All plants and where they are growing

Don't know this one

All of the Don't Know plants

A self-seeded wildflower bit in Heathfield School car park

Bush Vetch in the car park

Red & White Clover in the car park

Spear Thistle

Spear Thistle

Hedge Woundwort

Hedge Woundwort as above just less zoom

Hedge Woundwort growing through the Rosebay Willowherb

What is This?



Tuesday 7 July 2020

Indoor Meetings

It's unlikely that we will be able to have meetings again this year.
So all indoor meetings are cancelled for the foreseeable future.
If something changes which means we are able to go ahead with meetings we will contact members to let them know.

Monday 29 June 2020

Pellucid Fly

The hoverfly that I had in a recent post up for ID (the picture captioned 'ID Hoverfly on Foxglove) I have identified it as Pellucid Fly, looking at the NBN atlas they do not seem to common.

Saturday 27 June 2020

Aquatic larvae in my water-butt



I've only seen these twice. Spotting them in my water-butt I told my partner Annie without giving the common name, as I think it's a bit pejorative. (Rat-tailed Maggots.)

She got this video, risking dropping her phone in the water. You can see their intestine through their skin. We can't work out if they're feeding on floating vegetable matter or drowned insects.

She was delighted with them as I thought she would be, and found out they are the larvae of a kind of hoverfly - news to me.

Her suggested new name for them is Chevron-larvae.

Wednesday 24 June 2020

Rishworth Yesterday.

I went back out yesterday.
It was a warm warm day and there was lots to see.
Wild Rose
Peachy Steve tells me Common Valerian can be quite common
but I didn't think as common as this!
Hedge Woundwort Now in flower

Monday 22 June 2020

Today in Rishworth - A Plant Walk

I went out on a walk through the meadows and on the lanes, here is some plant life seen.
See lepidopterous things Here.
I also saw many other plants real examples include...
Birds Foot Trefoil, Bush Vetch, Red Clover, White Clover, Wild Columbine, garlic mustard

Helophilus Pendulus on Common Valerian
Bistort
Hedge Woundwort
Marsh Thistle
ID Hoverfly on Foxglove
Common Valerian on its own
White Dead Nettle