Trip reports
Bishop Middleham
Saturday, 26 July 2008
The coach left us by the church in Bishop Middleham, from where we could set off on shorter walks to the lakeside or a longer one around the lake. As soon as we entered the farmyard at the start of the walk we were rewarded with a brief sighting of a Yellow Wagtail sitting on the ridge of the barn. There was some discussion as to whether it was a Yellow or a Grey Wagtail, but after due consultation with the book it was firmly designated as a Yellow, but we would have liked it to come back and perch for us again to dispel any doubts.
At the lake there was plenty to see, with large numbers of Lapwing which periodically took to the air, Mute Swans, Canada Geese, Greylag Geese and Coot in plenty. Amongst these were smaller numbers of Cormorant, Grey Heron and Shelduck, but it was the small waders which gave the greater challenge. We identified a Little Ringed Plover, a couple of Greenshank and two or three Green Sandpipers, and some people had seen a Snipe from the other side of the lake. There were Swallows, Swifts, House Martins and Sand Martins swooping over the lake as they fed, completing the idyllic summer scene, so it was little wonder that people were reluctant to move on. However, the reward for straggling behind was not just spotting Little Grebe and Great Crested Grebe, but hearing the song we had been told to listen out for, like the jangling of a bunch of keys. And there it was, singing its heart out on the top of a thistle, a Corn Bunting! This was a first for me, and in my telescope it looked nearly as good as that wonderful photograph by Gastone Pivatelli of a Corn Bunting singing on a teasel early in the morning, with song-rings condensing on the cool morning air. It was much too warm for song-rings this time, but it was good enough for me.
Walking on we came to another lake and watched a large Emperor Dragonfly skimming the reeds, its green head and large blue body clear to see in the sun. The wild flowers were brilliant too, with striking clumps of Great Burnet and Greater Knapweed, and a few Common Spotted Orchids dotted about. I learnt to recognise a Musk Thistle, the only thistle to bow its head - now if I hadn't been told that I might have thought it was wilting in the sun!
After a picnic by a small lake, where we saw a Reed Bunting and two Green Sandpipers flying over, we returned to the village and a very welcome cold drink in the pub. (Graham organises these trips so well!)
The afternoon was spent just a small distance away at Bishop Middleham Quarry, which some members of the group had visited a few years ago when famously it had a pair of breeding Bee-eaters in residence. No Bee-eaters this day, but a great wealth of wild flowers, butterflies, and moths. This quarry is considered to be one of the finest disused quarry habitats for wildlife in the country, and home to some rare plant and animal species characteristic of Magnesian limestone. Durham Wildlife Trust manages the reserve by 'halting the succession from herb-rich grassland to scrub then woodland. The main task is to remove gorse and thorn scrub to avoid them shading out the herb-rich flora and in doing so this creates bare patches for the germination of plants, and invertebrates.' We spent a wonderful, if hot, afternoon identifying the characteristic and sometimes rare limestone plant species such as Dark Red Helleborine, Carline Thistle, Autumn Gentian and several varieties of Orchid. There were butterflies everywhere, Common Blue, Small Heath, Small Skipper and, if you looked hard enough, the tiny Northern Brown Argus, which is a very local speciality. It was while I was looking hard for these that I missed the Green Woodpeckers that everyone else saw! Never mind, I think I'll be going back.
Denise Morphet
Bird List:
Little Grebe
Great Crested Grebe
Cormorant
Grey Heron
Mute Swan
Canada Geese
Greylag Geese
Shelduck
Mallard
Teal
Tufted Duck
Shoveller
Moorhen
Coot
Little Ringed Plover
Lapwing
Golden Plover
Green Sandpiper
Greenshank
Snipe
Black headed Gull
Heron Gull
Feral Pigeon
Wood Pigeon
Collared Dove
Swift
Kingfisher
Green Woodpecker
Swallow
House Martin
Sand Martin
Pied Wagtail
Grey Wagtail
Yellow Wagtail
Wren
Dipper
Robin
Blackbird
Blackcap (H)
Willow Warbler (H)
Great Tit
Magpie
Jackdaw
Carrion Crow
Rook
Starling
House Sparrow
Chaffinch
Linnet
Greenfinch
Goldfinch
Bullfinch
Reed Bunting
Yellowhammer
Corn Bunting
Total 55 species
Butterfly List
Large White
Small White
Small Tortoiseshell
Red Admiral
Painted Lady
Common Blue
Meadow Brown
Small Heath
Ringlet
Northern Brown Argus
Small Skipper
Other of significance
Common Blue Damselfly
Blue Tailed Damselfly
Emperor Dragonfly
Hawker Dragonfly species
Darter Dragonfly species
Burnet Moth
Wildflower List (the wildflower list is not a comprehensive list)
Meadow Buttercup Rananculus acris
Common Poppy Papaver rhoeas
Common Nettle Urtica dioica
White Campion Silene latifolia
Common Rock Rose Helianthemum nummularium
Perforate St Johns Wort Hypericum perforatum
Weld Reseda luteola
Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria
Creeping Cinquefoil Potentilla reptans
Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca
Agrimony Agrimonia eupatoria
Herb Bennet Geum urbanum
Great Burnet Sanguisorba officinalis
Kidney Vetch Anthyllis vulnereria
Birdsfoot Trefoil Lotus cornicuatus
Lucerne Medicago sativa
Meadow Vetchling Lathyrus pratensis
Hop Trefoil Trifolium campestre
Large Trefoil Trifolium aureum
Red Clover Trifolium pratense
White Clover Trifolium repens
Tufted Vetch Vicia cracca
Rest Harrow Ononis repens
Great Willowherb Epilobium hirsutin
Short-fruited Willowherb Epilobium lanceolatum
Rosebay Chamerion angustifolium
Sun Spurge Euphorbia helioscopia
Fairy Flax Linum perenne
Meadow Cranesbill Geranium patense
Herb Robert Geranium Robertianum
Dovesfoot Cranesbill Geranium molle
Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium
Autumn Gentian Gentianella amarelle
Common Centaury Centaurium erythraea
Hedge Bindweed Calystegia sepium
Tufted Forgetmenot Myosotis laxa
Red Dead-nettle Lamium purpureum
Common Toadflax Linaria vulgaris
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea
Eyebright species (prob Euphrasia nemorosa)
Common Field Speedwell Veronica persica
Greater Plantain Plantago lanceolata
Harebell Campanula rotunifolia
Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum
Field Scabious Knautia arvensis
Daisy Bellis perennis
Ox-eye Daisy Leucathemum vulgare
Feverfew Tancetum parthenium
Yarrow Achillea millefolium
Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea
Pineappleweed Matricaria discoidea
Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris
Carline Thistle Carlina vulgaris
Common Knapweed Centaurea nigra
Greater Knapweed Centaurea scabiosa
Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense
Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare
Marsh Thistle Cirsium palustre
Musk Thistle Carduus nutans
Mouse-ear Hawkweed Pilosella officinarum
Corn Sow-thistle Sanchus arvensis
Common Spotted Orchid Dactylorhiza fuchsii
Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis
Fragrant Orchid (see below)
Common Twayblade Listera cordata
Dark Red Helleborine Epipactis atrorubens
Timothy Phleum pratense
Field Horsetail Equisetum arvense
In the case of the Pyramidal Orchid I know we were unsure on the day, but I have checked some photographs I sure that is what it was. If I find to the contrary I shall remove it from the list.
In the case of Fragrant Orchid, there are now three species of Fragrant Orchid recognised as occurring in the UK. They are Common, Heath and Marsh. Marsh Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia desiflora grows in the quarry. I assume Common Fragrant Orchid Gymnadenia canopsea does too, so we are likely to have seen both. They are not easy to tell apart (they have only in recent years been given separate species status) although I am sure at least one of my photographs is Marsh.
Brian Moorhead
28 July 2008