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Diary / Contents
FEBRUARY 2022
Bristol Naturalist News
Discover Your Natural World
Bristol Naturalists’ Society
BULLETIN NO. 607 FEBRUARY. 2022
BULLETIN NO. 607 FEBRUARY 2022
Bristol Naturalists’ Society
Discover Your Natural World
Registered Charity No: 235494
www.bristolnats.org.uk
HON. PRESIDENT: Ray Barnett
ray.barnett@bristol.gov.uk CONTENTS
HON. CHAIRMAN: Giles Morris 3 DIARY
danesmorris@btinternet.com Subscriptions; Nature in Avon
HON. PROCEEDINGS EDITOR: 4 SOCIETY Talk; AGM + Talk
Dee Holladay, dee.holladay@tiscali.co.uk
5 Bristol Weather
HON. SEC.: Lesley Cox
7 BOTANY SECTION
Field Meeting Reports
HON. MEMBERSHIP SEC: Margaret Fay 12 Botanical notes
membership@bristolnats.org.uk
13 GEOLOGY SECTION
HON. TREASURER: Mary Jane Steer AGM; SWGA events; Meeting Report;
treasurerbns@winpenny.org.uk 15 INVERTEBRATE SECTION
Wildlife Photographer of 2021;
HON. PUBLICITY SECRETARY: Alex Morss Springtails
17 LIBRARY Open times; Ecology books
BULLETIN COPY DEADLINE: 7th of month before
publication to the editor: David B Davies, 19 ORNITHOLOGY SECTION
51a Dial Hill Rd., Clevedon, BS21 7EW. Meeting reports;
01275 873167 daviddavies512@gmail.com 21 Breeding Bird Survey
22 Bird Notes
Health & Safety on walks: Members 23 MISCELLANY Botanic Garden;
participate at their own risk. They are Organic Group
responsible for being properly clothed and shod. 24 Springtail (inverts) photos
Dogs may only be brought on a walk with prior
agreement of the leader.
Cover picture: John Etough 1926-2021
We thank BNS member Lyndon Roberts for this fine photo of John Etough. Lyndon writes:
"JE was a long-time member of BNS (I'm guessing well in excess of 50 years). The photograph
was taken in 1970 on Gighay, an uninhabited island off the northeast coast of Barra. John was a
keen bird ringer and he can be seen in the photograph with a Golden Eagle he has just ringed at
the nest. He was taking part in one of the Operation Seafarer expeditions at the time.
John was very knowledgeable about birds but knew a lot about plants and fungi too.
He died on 10.12.21 aged 95“.
2
Diary of events Contents
Council usually meets on the first Wednesday of each month. Please contact the Hon.
Sec. (secretary@bristolnats.org.uk) at least a week in advance if you have any matters you
wish to be discussed by Council.
Visitors & guests are welcome, free, at our lectures and field meetings. If contact details
are given, please contact the leader beforehand, and make yourself known on arrival. We
hope you will enjoy the meeting, and consider joining the Society. To join, visit
https://bristolnats.org.uk and click on membership. Members are members of ALL
sections.
BNS LIBRARY opening times are given on page 17
FEBRUARY 2022
Sun 6 Exe Estuary Coach trip (Book now!) BNS/BOC 08.00 page 19
Tue 8 Butterfly Monitoring Invertebrates 19.30 page 15
Wed 9 Talk: Farmland Bird Research Ornithology 19.30 page 19
Sun 13 RSPB Newport Wetlands Ornithology 10.00 page 19
Wed 16 Society Talk – Snakes in the Heather Project Society 19.30 page 4
Sun 27 Portishead Marina Botany 14.30 page 7
MARCH 2022
Thu 10 Saltford – A Geological Ramble Geology 13.00 page 13
Wed 16 Society AGM/Geology AGM/Talk: Sharks Society 19.30 pp 4, 13
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
27 Nov. Wildlife Photographer of 2021 - till 5 June M Shed page 15
Tue 9 Feb Geology Zoom Lecture SWGA 11.00 page 13
Thu 17 Feb “The View from Federal Twist” Botanic Garden 19:00 page 23
Tue 20 Feb Geology Zoom Lecture SWGA 11.00 page 13
Thu 24 Feb Crop Planning and Management Avon Organic Gp. 19:00 page 23
Tue 20 Mar Geology Zoom Lecture SWGA 11.00 page 13
SUBSCRIPTIONS for 2022…
...were due on 1 January. Rates: Single: £25 ‘Household’: £35 Student: £10
Payment options:
Bank Transfer/Standing Order to:
Lloyds TSB: A/c no: 00697372: Sort code: 30-92-13. Please quote your name as
reference otherwise there is no way to link the payment with your membership.
Cheques: to: ‘Bristol Naturalists’ Society’ (posted to Membership Secretary)
N.B.: If you don’t wish to renew your membership, it’s helpful if you let me know
Many thanks to all members for your continuing support.
Margaret Fay, Membership Secretary, 81 Cumberland Road, Bristol BS1 6UG
Email: mmfay@btinternet.com
Nature in Avon 2021 Diary / Contents
Articles and short notes are invited for this year’s journal - deadline March 31
2022. Members will be glad to read about meetings, individual surveys or
sightings. Please send all contributions from now onwards (don’t wait for the
deadline!) to: dee.holladay@tiscali.co.uk
3
SOCIETY ITEMS
SOCIETY TALK IN FEBRUARY Diary / Contents
Wednesday 16th February at 7.30pm
SNAKES IN THE HEATHER PROJECT
conserving Britain’s rarest reptile
Some of you may know that there are areas of heathland in the south of England?
These heathlands are of enormous importance to wildlife - as a habitat they are
rarer than rainforest and are home to all 6 of the UK’s reptile species including the
elusive smooth snake. Owain Masters, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, is
going to explain the work of the charity, highlighting examples of habitat
management, wildlife surveys, education and volunteering from the National
Lottery Heritage Fund supported Snakes in the Heather project.
Together, the presentation and Q&A afterwards take 45 minutes to an hour.
To join this talk on Zoom, please email bnszoommeetings@gmail.com
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Bristol Naturalists’ Society
on Zoom, 7.30pm, Wednesday, 16th March, 2022
Preceded by Annual General Meeting of the Geology Section and
followed by a talk by a representative of
THE SHARK TRUST
Election of Officers
Officers of the Society and Members are required to stand for re-election annually.
Section Representatives are elected at individual Section AGM’s.
Ray Barnett: President. [3rd year of 3-year term.] Members
Giles Morris: Chairman Tim Corner
Lesley Cox: Hon. Sec. Robert Muston
Mary-Jane Steer: Hon. Treasurer Steve Nicholls
Margaret Fay: Hon. Membership Secretary
David Davies: Hon Bulletin Editor Section Representatives
Jim Webster: Hon. Librarian Botany: David Hawkins
Dee Holladay: Hon. Proceedings Editor Geology: Richard Ashley
Clive Lovatt: Hon Archivist Invertebrates: Maico Weites
Alex Morss: Hon Publicity Secretary Ornithology: Giles Morris
Any member of the Society who would like to stand or wishing to nominate a fellow
member for election should inform the Chairman, Giles Morris [01275 373917
danesmorris@btinternet.com] as soon as possible.
To register for the AGM, please email bnszoommeetings@gmail.com
4
Bristol Weather Diary / Contents
November, December, autumn and annual 2021
In 131 complete years of Bristol's average temperatures 2021 was the joint 10th warmest
since records began in 1891. The table below shows the warmest 12 years in the complete
data set. This emphasises the warmer years all being in the recent period.
Year Temperature C° Rank (Hottest first)
2014 12.5 1
2020 12.4 2
2011 12.2 3
2018 12.1 4
2017 12.1 4
1997 12.1 4
1990 12.1 4
1989 12.1 4
2006 12.0 9
2021 11.9 10
2015 11.9 10
1999 11.9 10
Looking at the last 21 years of data, since 2000, the graph below shows a rising temperature
highlighted by the linear regression line overlaid on the data taking into account 2021’s
annual average temperature of 11.9°C.
Latest 21 years of annual temperature Bristol 2000 - 2021
13.0
12.5 12.5
12.4
12.2 12.1 12.1
12.0 12.0
11.9 11.9 11.9 11.9 11.9
11.8 11.8 11.7
11.6
11.5 11.5
Temperature °C
11.3 11.3 11.3 11.3 11.2
11.0
10.5
Temperature
10.3
Linear
10.0 regression line
9.5
9.0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Year
From the above graph it can be seen that broadly the annual average temperature has risen
from 11.5°C at the turn of the millennium to 12.0°C now. A 0.5°C increase every 20 years,
5
if continued, is not inconsiderable and should be seen as having consequences for all living
forms. Diary / Contents
The annual rainfall of 891.1 mm for 2021 was 97.5% of the 30 year average (1991-2020) for
the city at 913.8 mm. The wettest month was October with 145.6 mm (145.6%) of rainfall,
whilst the driest was November with only 14.1 mm (14.0%) of rain. In 2021 the predominate
wind direction was from the SW or WSW accounting for 42.7% of all the wind directions.
The annual average pressure of 1017 mb was the equal 3rd highest in 27 years of data at
this site. It was the least windy year since data began in 2005 with regard to the average
wind speed and there were no wind gusts over 50 mph for the 1st time in 4 years. Thunder
was heard on only 2 occasions.
In 2021 there were only 4 occasions when snowfall was observed and only 1 day had any
snow lying at 09:00 hours.
With respect to the autumn season, September – November, the mean temperature was
13.2°C. This makes 2021 the 4th warmest autumn in 131 years of data for Bristol. The 30
year average for the season in Bristol is 12.0°C. The warmest was in 2011 with an average
temperature of 13.7°C
With rainfall high in October and very low in November the autumn rainfall of 223.2 mm was
35 mm below the 30 year average largely evening out the extremes.
November 2021 was a very dry month for what is usually a much wetter month. The total
rainfall for the month was 14.1 mm which represents only 14% of the 30 year monthly
average. This is the 3rd driest November since continuous records began in 1880. The
driest November was in 1901 when only 11.9 mm was recorded. In fact November 2021
was the driest of all months since May 2020. Temperatures for the month were close to the
30 year average, with an average of 8.6°C which represents only 0.2°C above the 30 year
average.
In 17 years of detailed wind data at this site November 2021 has seen the lowest average
wind speed at 3.2 mph and the lowest average wind gust of 18 mph of any November month.
December 2021 was a notably warm month with an average temperature of 8.3°C. This
was 2.2°C warmer than the 30 year average for the month and was the largest positive
monthly anomaly of any month in 2021. The average minimum temperature for December
was, at 6.2°C, higher than the November minimum temperature of 5.7°C.
The total monthly rainfall of 78.4 mm was 77% of the 30 year average. It was the driest
December since 2016 when only 30.3 mm was recorded. It was the dullest December with
17.4% of the maximum possible solar radiation since 2015. It should be noted that the
average is only a meager 18% partly due to a low sun hitting obstacles at the weather station
and thereby reducing the possible figures.
Towards the end on the month it was very mild with one or two notable temperatures. The
highest daily minimum temperature of 13.1°C on the 31st was the highest since this data
started for Bristol in 1960. The highest daily mean temperature of 13.9°C on the 31st was
the joint highest, with 2015, since this data started in 1993. The lowest minimum temperature
of -0.7°C for the month on the 27th was the highest since 4.9°C was recorded on 25th
December 2015.
Barry Horton
6
BOTANY SECTION
PRESIDENT:- Clive Lovatt Diary / Contents
HON. SEC:- David Hawkins
FIELD MEETINGS
All field meetings require pre-booking. Numbers may be limited by the availability of
parking, and any social distancing guidance.
PORTISHEAD MARINA Sunday 27 February
Clive Lovatt 2.30pm
Meet at the southernmost point of the Portishead Marina in the paved area beside Harbour
Road immediately opposite the Lidl Supermarket. For Satnav users, the postcode BS20
7DE will bring you to the right area. The grid reference ST47097667 (look it up on
https://www.bnhs.co.uk/2019/technology/grabagridref/gagr.php ). For roadside parking try
in the industrial estate beside Martingale Way and Newfoundland Way immediately east of
the meeting point. The parking spaces by the supermarkets are time limited and reserved
for shoppers.
This is a particularly good place for urban botany and a social meeting in a breezy
place, so it should be a further opportunity to those who enjoyed our January New Year
Plant Hunt meeting to look again for plants in flower and get some fresh air. We will walk
anti-clockwise around the harbour and look briefly at the Severn-side plants. Hopefully the
harbourside café and coffee dispensary near the pier will be open for mid-way
refreshments. We should be back about 5pm.
Booking requests and enquiries to the leader please.
FIELD MEETING REPORTS Diary / Contents
Charismatic Bryophytes of the Gully, Avon Gorge, VC34,
28 November 2021. Report by the leader, David Hawkins.
Moss and liverworts in winter are one of the hidden joys of the landscape: they can be
found in full ‘bloom’ throughout the colder months, afforded space and light by the dying
back of vascular plants, and making use of their wetter climate for which they are so well
evolved. Setting aside the naturally arising questions that such reflections prompt as to the
effects of climate change on our sensitive bryoflora, there is much to discover. So, I was
delighted to be joined by nine other bryological explorers to examine the wonders of the
Gully, just off the Downs (ST5674). Famed for its goats and the special assemblage of
rare flowering plants, this Mediterranean limestone microcosm is no less compelling for the
‘lower’ plants.
We started on the small grassy plateau at the top where the delightful thallose
(creeping in a sheet, as opposed to being ‘leafy’) liverwort Common Crystalwort Riccia
sorocarpa can be seen on bare ground and nudged between pebbles, growing in places
with Hornschurch’s Beard-moss Pseudocrossidium hornschurchianum, Red Beard-moss
Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostrum and the ubiquitous Redshank Ceratodon purpureus.
Next, we made our way into the woods, stopping first to look at some of the commoner
epiphytes such as Forked Veilwort Metzgeria furcata and Dilated Scalewort Frullania
dilatata – both of which ought to be possible to be located on tree bark in any urban park.
On a steep bank was a thick carpet of the quintessential moss of the woodland floor: Fox-
7
tail Feather-moss Thamnobryum alopecurum, with its long shaggy stems. Around a nearby
rocky outcrop was a dense cover of Common Pocket-moss Fissidens taxifolius. Another
key species came in the form of Mouse-tail Moss Isothecium myosuroides, which forms a
characteristically grey-green close sward around tree bases. Diary / Contents
One of the great advantages of the Gully is presence of different soil types and habitats
in close proximity. Hence, on acidic bare ground on the southern slopes we were able to
locate two minute but exquisite liverworts, both early successional colonists of such
places: Notched Pouchwort Calypogeia arguta with its bright clusters of silver-green
gemmae (asexual reproductive ‘seeds’) and Two-horned Pincerwort Cephalozia
bicuspidata with its deeply bilobed sharp leaves.
Progressing down the hill we spotted a classic
limestone species, a perennial favourite for its neat,
brushed-gold appearance: Comb-moss Ctendium
molluscum. Where Comb-moss is seen, often it may be
joined by the likes of Rambling Tail-moss Anomodon
viticulosus, Crisped Neckera Neckera crispa and Yellow
Feather-moss Homalothecium lutescens. So varied in
colour and texture, these charismatic bryophytes make a
charming assemblage of large mosses in calcareous
locales.
Making our way back up the Gully as the early dusk
crept down from the darkness of the pine trees, there was
just time to glance at two of the rarer and more specialised
denizens of steep limestone banks. Pretty Cord-moss
Plate 1. Hemispheric Liverwort
Reboulia hemisphaerica below the
Entosthodon pulchellus counts the Avon Gorge as one of
cliff at the top of the Gully, ST5674, its most important UK sites, while here in the Gully,
28 November 2021 © David Hawkins Hemispheric Liverwort Reboulia hemisphaerica (Plate 1) is
at one of only two known locations in Gloucestershire.
Two New Year Plant Hunts from Observatory Hill, Clifton, VC34, 3 January 2022.
Leaders Clive Lovatt and David Hawkins, report by Clive Lovatt
The New Year Plant Hunts (NYPH) championed by the Botanical Society of Britain and
Ireland (BSBI) have now been running for over a decade. Over four days around the new
year members and their associates are invited to submit lists of plants they have found in
flower in the wild during a three-hour excursion. BNS is an institutional member of BSBI,
but this was the first open meeting for our own members. Our results have been posted at
https://nyph.bsbi.org/results.php and using the interactive ‘Daisy Map’ of Great Britain and
Ireland, you can see the overall coverage and view the list of plants found at or near each
geographical point. I will write up something about the coverage and results in the Bristol
Region in the next Bulletin.
One of the advantages of pre-booking on BNS
meetings is that the organiser becomes aware how many
people will be coming and gets a general impression of
their interests and level of expertise. By Christmas, there
were about a dozen signed up, and with the subsequent
BNS email alert, numbers more or less doubled within 10
days. Of course we all know about exponential growth
nowadays. Without David Hawkins signing up to lead one
subgroup (or ‘bubble’) and Will Eden volunteering to co- Plate 2. 23 of the 26 New Year Plant
Hunt participants outside the
lead my larger bubble it would have been impossible to Observatory, Clifton Down, 3
January 2022. © CM Lovatt.
8
accommodate everyone who wanted to come (Plate 2). We were fortunate that it remained
a dry and far from cold day throughout.
We split into two groups. David Hawkins took the smaller group northwards along the
Promenade, along the edge of the Downs, down the Gully, back along the Portway for a
while, back up to the Downs and returning to Observatory Hill. On this route, they found 17
plants flowering in ST5673, and 20 in ST5674. Five were in both squares, making a total
count of 32. Many were common weeds which might have been found anywhere, but the
following are of greater interest and were mostly not found by the larger group: Stone Basil
Clinopodium acinos which is regularly seen in unseasonal flower on the rocks at the top of
the Gully; Small Scabious Scabiosa columbaria, that favourite of limestone rocks and
grassland; Mexican Fleabane Erigeron karvinskianus, which has become plentiful on the
riverside walls below the Portway; Winter Heliotrope Petasites fragrans, originally
introduced with the railway that used to run through the Gorge; Spurge laurel Daphne
laureola, wild in the woods along the way; and Laurustinus Viburnum tinus from Victorian
shrubbery and noted in passing in White’s Flora of Bristol (1912) near Bridge Valley Road
and not commented upon by local botanists as thoroughly naturalised thereabouts until
1951. Diary / Contents
Clive first took his group to see
the Silk-tassel Bush, Garrya elliptica
behind the safety fence above the
cliffs near the Observatory. It has
been known to botanists there since
1955. It was cut down a few years
ago but has recovered (Plate 3) and
a close look at a zoomed-in image
showed anthers visible in one of the
male catkins. I expect that we were
the only group to have it on our list.
St Vincent’s Rocks is one of two
places mentioned for it in the 1995
catalogue of The Alien Plants of the
British Isles. Libby Houston (not in
Plate 3. Silk-tassel Bush, Garrya elliptica flowering on St the group photo) in the meantime
Vincent’s Rocks close to the Observatory, Clifton Down, popped off to see if the rare native
3 January 2022. © CM Lovatt.
Rock Hutchinsia Hornungia petraea
was flowering on the cliffs yet. It was not.
We then moved down from Observatory Hill past where the ‘Clifton Poet’ Peter
Gabbitass used to sell his printed poems in late Victorian days. We expected to find some
plants in flower on the south facing rocks and walls beside the approach road to the
bridge, and beside the pier of the bridge, opposite Sion Hill, and so we did, including
Navelwort, Umbilicus rupestris, which seems to have become more plentiful in the last few
decades, and what close examination later proved not to be Chicory, but a mown Greater
Lettuce Lactuca virosa, with anthers just exposed. Little more turned up in flower until we
reached the Portway, and Libby reported Greater Periwinkle Vinca major and Butcher’s
Broom Ruscus aculeatus from beside the Gallery below the Suspension Bridge, where
they had been planted in the early 1980s. The inevitable Water Bent Polypogon viridis,
reckoned in the first decade of this century to be the fastest spreading non-native plant in
the British Flora, was under the riverside wall opposite the terraced houses.
In the harbourside area at the entrance to the Cumberland Basin Buck’s-horn Plantain,
Plantago coronopus and the Flattened meadow-grass Poa compressa were in flower, as
9
was a single plant of Beggarticks Bidens frondosa but Musk Stork’s-bill Erodium
moschatum was only found in fruit, or in leaf, and persistent as the Perennial Amaranth,
Amaranthus deflexus, might be by the spiral staircase descending from the flyover, it
wasn’t flowering either. It has been there since at least 1995. Diary / Contents
To get a lot of plants in flower in winter, you really need waste ground, untidied urban
pavements and verges or houses with small front gardens and low walls, so we picked up
quite a few around the harbour, and then at the little roundabout on the A4. By the harbour
there was a lot of Trailing Bellflower Campanula poscharskyana (scarcely seen wild 40
years ago) and some ‘Spurred Cape-Jewels’, Nemesia denticulata, where found new to
Gloucestershire in January 2019. On the Hotwells roundabout we surprised ourselves with
two flowers on Hedge Woundwort, Stachys sylvatica.
We then made a diversion into Ambra Vale in case the Sea Stork’s-bill found there last
year at its only country site was in flower, but it wasn’t. As I had hoped, the residents are
protecting it from digging out and spraying. We added Sweet Alison, Lobularia maritima
incongruously growing in the stone wall. With time running out, we ascended Clifton Vale,
pausing outside no 12, not because of the potential trip hazard, as the cable from the
house to an electric car was well covered, but to pay homage to Miss Martha Maria
Atwood, the discoverer of the Bristol Whitebeam, Sorbus bristoliensis who lived there in
the 1840s and 1850s, and where her parents and a sister all died in 1856.
Time was running out as we identified flowering Mediterranean Spurge Euphorbia
characias in some quantity at the base of a supporting wall in Goldney Avenue and from
there, shedding numbers as we went, the last of us returned, observing. and chatting, to
Observatory Hill via Birdcage Walk, Victoria Square, and the Green opposite Christ
Church. ‘We should find over 50 plants in flower’, I had written in the Bulletin. We did (55).
‘We should be back by 1.00pm’, I added. We weren’t.
63 is the minimum count for a place in the BSBI top 20 and our Somerset friends made
five counts higher than that, the best being 92 (third place). We may have been well
outdone by them, but it isn't a competition, is it? Who else, I wonder, started off with 25
participants and came back enriched with three plants new to the county, as described
below?
Four additional discoveries during our New
Year Plant Hunts, 3 January 2022. Leaders
Clive Lovatt and David Hawkins, report by
Clive Lovatt.
Jean Oliver sent me this photo (Plate 4) of the
Dog stinkhorn, Mutinus caninus, which she
found and identified whilst on David Hawkins’
plant hunt, growing in the Orchid meadow on
Clifton Down, near the Circular Road. It is said
to normally inhabit woodland, and the NBN
Atlas has several records for Leigh Woods,
but none for the Downs.
Plate 4. The fruiting body of the fungus, Dog stinkhorn,
Mutinus caninus, in the Orchid Meadow, Clifton Down,
ST566744. © Jean Oliver 3 January 2022.
10Walking down the cliffside path between the
Clifton Suspension Bridge and the top of the
Zigzag, Dylan Peters and moments later, Mark
Kitchen, spotted a dramatic and unusual looking
plant several feet high with large toothy pinnate
leaves in the vegetation below the path (Plate 5,
ST56617306). Clare and Mark Kitchen investigated
and found a clump of peaty soil around its base but
there was a creeping rhizome, and it was rooted,
making it an obvious established throw-out. One of
the party recognised it from her garden and another
obtained a name from an image recognition app.
CML confirmed the name from a leaflet sample and
various books including the European Garden
Flora. It is Giant Honey-flower, Melianthus major.
All 55 records currently on the BSBI database were
made in the 2010s in the London area by Mick
Crawley, co-author of the recent (2015) New
Naturalist book , Alien Plants. It is an evergreen Plate 5. Giant Honey-flower, Melianthus
herbaceous perennial from South Africa which major, from near the top of the Zigzag, Sion
doesn’t like winter dampness or a drying wind but Hill, Clifton, ST56617306, 3 January 2022. It
is new to Gloucestershire and the west of
may survive in the mild climate. England as a plant in the wild. Dylan Peters,
who spotted it first, is admiring it,
© CM Lovatt.
A seedling of Silverbush Everlastingflower
Helichrysum petiolare, was spotted outside below
a brick wall outside the Pump House on the Bristol
Harbour close to Merchants Road by Dylan Peters
(Plate 6). The source was a large plant in a pot
nearby. Attempts to identify it using an online app
were inconclusive, suggesting an aromatic
Mediterranean shrub related to Mints, but it was
obviously one of the composite (Daisy) family and
I was quickly able to identify it from books at
home. It comes from South Africa and is new as
an escape to Gloucestershire. Most records on the
BSBI database are from the Scilly Isles and the
London area. It was recorded once at Taunton in
Somerset in 1998.
The Periwinkles (Vinca species) are well-
known perennial evergreen and slightly woody
Plate 6. A seedling of Silverbush ground cover plants, often seen in woods, shady
Everlastingflower Helichrysum petiolare, near
to the parent plant on the harbourside by The
hedgebanks and abandoned shrubberies. They
Pump House, ST571723, 3 January 2022. It is rarely set seed in Britain. The Greater and Lesser
new to Gloucestershire as a plant in the wild. Periwinkles (V. major, with hairy leaf-margins and
© CM Lovatt. V. minor, with smooth leaf-margins) are the
commonest and their flowers may be seen in different shades of blue, and some cultivars
of V. major have variegated leaves. V. major var. oxyloba with attractive narrow purple
petals has been naturalised around the boundary fence of Leigh Woods on North Road for
well over 40 years. There is a third species, V. difformis, Intermediate Periwinkle, like V.
11minor but with larger flowers. After a long walk, beside Birdcage Walk in the cemetery of St
Andrews churchyard in Clifton, ST573730, the rest of us passed it by without comment but
Dylan Peters recognised a periwinkle with pale blue flowers as different and later identified
it as V. difformis, a regular winter-flowerer, which is apparently new to Gloucestershire. His
photos can be seen on his excellent website at https://wildbristol.uk/groups/trees-
shrubs/shrubs-non-native/intermediate-periwinkle/. It was obviously originally planted but
can be regarded as naturalised in the wild in this lightly-managed graveyard.
BOTANICAL NOTES Diary / Contents
A small Bristol herbarium collection made in 1884 (Clive Lovatt)
I have been watching out for local pressed plant
collections for many years and I recently found one for
sale on eBay. Such material generally costs over £10
per sheet on the presumption that it might be of
particular historic interest or could ‘look good framed on
your sitting room wall’. This particular collection was
clearly poorly preserved and not always correctly
named but it included the only specimen from the Avon
Gorge I have ever seen of the acid-loving Common
Cow-wheat Melampyrum pratense, collected on or near
‘Durham Down’ in July 1884. For this reason, and
because any collection of common plants might have a
first record or two for the Avon Gorge, I was obliged to
accept the asking price of about £3 a sheet.
There are about 20 sheets originally with about 40
specimens, on small thin paper sheets in an unlabelled
contemporary folder. The gatherings are variously from
Avon banks, Coombe [Dingle], Durdham Down,
Plate 7. The only known specimen of
Penpole Point, Shirehampton, Stoke Bishop, and Common Cow-wheat, Melampyrum
Westbury-on-Trym, although some are unlocalised. It is pratense, gathered below the Downs
unlikely that a name of the collector will ever be known, by an unknown collector in July 1884.
Now in CM Lovatt’s herbarium.
as the initials written against each specimen, possibly © CM Lovatt.
NH, are uncertain, and the errors in naming the plants
suggest that the collector was not a known botanist, or in close contact with such a person,
and it is doubtful if they were a BNS member. The seller told me he acquired the sheets
some years ago at an auction on the Isle of Wight, and that there was no other related
material associated with it.
It is clear that most of the specimens from Durdham Down (or Downs) could have been
gathered in or near the Gully, for example Horseshoe-vetch, Hippocrepis comosa and
Bloody Crane’s-bill, Geranium sanguineum (both mis-named in this collection). The bottom
of the Gully forms the boundary of Durdham Down (to the north) and Clifton Down (to the
south) but our collector like many, was unconcerned by the distinction, at least for the
Cow-wheat. In the part of the Flora of the Bristol Coal-field published in our Proceedings in
1883, JW White (notionally as Editor) described the distribution of Cow-wheat in the Avon
Gorge as ‘Clifton Down, sparingly above the road [Bridge Valley Road] from the fountain
[Proctor’s Fountain] to the riverside, and abundantly on the wooded slopes near the Gully’.
The last record was made by George Garlick in 1951, close to 100 years after it had first
been found, by Miss Atwood at ‘Clifton Turnpike’, pushed by the encroaching secondary
woodland to the edge of the north end of the Great Quarry.
Clive Lovatt, Stroud, 7 January 2022
12GEOLOGY SECTION
PRESIDENT: Richard Arthur Diary / Contents
HON. SEC: Richard Ashley
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the Geology Section Wed. 16 March
Due to the on-going Covid situation it will not be possible to hold a formal AGM. A short
Zoom meeting will be held on Wed. 16 March prior to the main AGM of the Society. The
main business will be to receive the annual report and appoint a President, Secretary &
Field Secretary for the coming year. Nominations for these posts should be sent to the
current Secretary by the end of February. The current Secretary will not be in the least
offended if another member wishes to take on that role.
FIELD MEETING
SALTFORD – A GEOLOGICAL RAMBLE Thursday, 10th February
Leader: Simon Carpenter (07901 090676) 1pm
Meet for a 1pm start outside the Crown Public House (on the A4 at Saltford).
A ramble following quiet lanes and footpaths around Saltford to explore its
fascinating geology based on a new walking trail guide produced by Simon and other BNS
members. This is not a long walk and should take between 2 – 3 hours. Some of the
footpaths can be very muddy, so please wear appropriate footwear and dress warmly as
there will be a few stops during the walk. Attendees will receive a copy of the new guide as
well as having the opportunity to handle a number of interesting ‘Saltford’ fossils found by
Simon. Getting there: Saltford is on a main bus route between Bristol and Bath, with the
X39 bus providing a regular service.
South Wales Geologists’ Association – Zoom Lectures
An invitation has been received from the South Wales Geologists’ Association for BNS
members to join the Zoom Lectures listed below;
Saturday 23 January Mary Anning: monsters, myths and misfortune Tom Sharpe
Recent advances in the understanding of the
Graham Leslie
Tuesday 9 February geology of Anglesey: a Caledonian cruise
(BGS Edinburgh)
across Iapetus.
Coming out from the shadow of the dinosaurs;
Saturday 20 February Pam Gill (Bristol)
a new look at the first mammals.
Critical importance of a conceptual ground
model – the challenges of Geology (Solid, Peter
Saturday 20 March
Quaternary, Anthropogenic) in the C21st Brabham (Cardiff)
redevelopment of Barry Docks.
If anybody is interested all they have to do is contact programme@swga.org.uk and say
that they would like to hear the talk and our Meetings Coordinator will send them the
link. All the talks follow our usual timetable, with an 11.00am start on a Saturday morning,
except for the extra mid-week one on 9th
13Field Meeting Report Diary / Contents
Suspension Bridge Dec 12th
A few members of BNS joined up
with others from Bath Geological
Society and West of England
Geological Association to make
up a dozen enthusiastic
volunteers who ventured out on a
dry winter’s day to take part in the
Geology Section president’s
Christmas Geology Quiz. With us
was also a keen local geologist
who has unfortunately been
wheelchair bound for some 25
years and was invited to test the Photo © R Arthur
feasibility of this trail along 200m
of fairly level footpaths.
Ample feedback proved the geology alongside these footpaths can keep a group
actively engaged in searching productively for a couple of hours. It also proved that these
footpaths make a suitable location for anyone with mobility issues to engage in meaningful
geology, and your president will again push GeolSoc to compile a database of sites with
similar easy access, and also fund improved access at many other classic localities.
The contemporary clamour for compulsory field work in geology courses to be
removed, although understandable, is a deep concern. It is hoped that such sites could
fulfil the vital role field work has in earth science, whilst addressing important issues of
inclusivity.
All of the rock clues were found and even some new geology came to light, which will
appear in Nature in Avon. The trip proved to be a very sociable event and well received,
and the mulled wine and mince pies provided by Richard Arthur were eagerly consumed.
Richard Arthur
14INVERTEBRATE SECTION
PRESIDENT: Maico Weites
Hon. SECRETARY: Vacant Diary / Contents
FIELD MEETINGS
BUTTERFLY MONITORING Tuesday 8th February - 7.30pm
The BNS and the Butterfly Conservation Bristol and Avon branch are organising a
joint online meeting on Tuesday the 8th of February 19:30-21:00 that is dedicated
to butterfly monitoring in and around Bristol.
The meeting will include talks by:
Stephen Judd on 'Lamplighter's Marsh', Carole Burnett on 'Leigh Woods'
Mike Manson and Harry McPhilimy on 'Narroways and Ashley Hill Allotments'
Andy Danford on being part of the 'Wider Countryside Butterfly Monitoring
Scheme.'
Please sign up by contacting Peter Bright on events@somersetbutterflies.org.uk.
Advance Notice:
STOKE PARK Saturday 28 May
Leader: Maico Weites 10:30
Stoke Park is an area of great ecological value located along the M32.
The 18th century park comprises ancient woodland, wood pasture, meadows, and
ponds. This will be a great site to look for deadwood specialists as well as for dragonflies.
We will be meeting at the entrance to the park at Romney Ave, just north of the Cameron
Centre at ST 61163 77096 / BS7 9TD
Please contact Maico Weites (maicoweites@gmail.com) if you want to attend
Wildlife Photographer of 2021
opened at M Shed on 27 November 2021 and
closes on 5 June 2022.
15Springtails - Winter is the time for jumpers Diary / Contents
Maico Weites has all the details
The winter season is not usually regarded as great for finding invertebrates but some
species do not mind the cold and have their phenological peak in winter. Included in this
group are the springtails (Collembola), many of which are most active in winter. The UK is
home to over 250 species of these tiny insect-like invertebrates. They have three pairs of
legs and are members of the subphylum Hexapoda, together with insects and some
smaller taxa. Springtails are very ubiquitous animals and can be found in all sorts of
habitats. Overturning rocks and deadwood is often the best way of finding them but some
species are best found by sweeping vegetation.
They feed on fungi, algae, micro-organisms and decaying organic matter and due to
their abundance they are the main food source for many other invertebrates, such as
Stenus rove beetles, Notiophilus ground beetles and many more. Perhaps surprisingly,
springtails are also an important food-source for some fungi! The Bicoloured Deceiver
(Laccaria bicolor) for instance produces toxins that paralyse the critters after which the
fungus will slowly consume it. The nutrients absorbed by the fungus can be in turn be
absorbed by the tree the fungus has a mutualistic symbiotic relationship with. A 2001 study
by the University of Guelph showed that up to 25 percent of the nitrogen in tissues of
Weymouth Pines originated from springtails via symbiotic fungi. 1
Springtails get their name from the bifurcated tail-
like appendage at the end of their abdomen. This
‘springtail’ is usually folded tightly underneath the
abdomen but when released it lets the tiny beasties
jump dozens of times their own body length. This
together with the fact that most springtails are rather
small (many species being under 2mm) can make them
difficult to observe so a bit of patience may be required!
A macro lens or a hand lens are also
massively helpful. Dicyrtomina minuta, one of the globular springtails note the
Luckily not all species of springtails furcula folded tightly against the bottom of its abdomen.
This species measures just under 2mm.
are great jumpers. In fact, some Troopers Hill 2021.01.16
species do not possess a springtail at
all. Examples of this are the yellow Monobella grassei and blueish Neanura muscorum on
the picture below.
Despite being so abundant, springtails are
very under-recorded and distribution maps
mainly show the distribution of the handful of
recorders rather than that of the actual species.
So when it’s cold and there are no butterflies or
bees around, overturn some rocks and see if you
can find any yourself.
Maico Weites
Monobella grassei (yellow) and Neanura
muscorum (grey-blue) grazing on deadwood at
Ashton Court on 2020.12.20
1: Klironomos JN, Hart MM. Food-web dynamics. Animal nitrogen swap for plant carbon. Nature. 2001
Apr 5; 410(6829): 651-2. doi: 10.1038/35070643. PMID: 11287942.
16LIBRARY
BNS Library at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery, BS8 1RL. Diary / Contents
LIBRARY COMMITTEE CHAIR: - Clive Lovatt
HON. LIBRARIAN:- Jim Webster
The Library is open: Wednesdays 1.15pm-2.15pm, Saturdays 10.15am-12.15pm.
Tel. (opening hours only): 0117 922 3651. CLOSED on Saturdays connected with Bank Holiday
Mondays, and New Year, Christmas and Easter. (And see below).
News from the Library –
Library restricted opening
The Library is currently open to BNS members on a bookings-only basis. Normal opening
times are given above, but until demand picks up, the Library will only be open for
bookings once a week, alternating between Saturdays and Wednesdays. The available
dates for February are Saturday 5th February, Wednesday 9th February, Saturday 19th
February and Wednesday 23rd February. Alternative dates and times may be possible on
request with a week’s notice.
The library will only be staffed by a Duty Librarian from the Library Committee on dates
when a member has booked in, so visitors without appointments may find that nobody is
on hand. Bona fide researchers may also book visits through the Hon Librarian and Chair.
There are standing arrangements for staff of the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery to access
our Library.
If you wish to visit the Library to borrow books, please contact the Hon Librarian and
Chair by e-mail at least a week in advance. Because our Library is housed in the Museum,
you should also book an entry slot through their website in order to guarantee access
(https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/bristol-museum-and-art-gallery/plan-your-visit/ ). As
the Museum is doing, “we’re still asking all our visitors to continue social distancing
and wearing face coverings to keep everyone safe”. The Duty Librarian will be wearing
a face covering in your presence.
We look forward to seeing some of you again.
FROM THE BOOKSHELVES*
Two books on ecology by Dr Rose Bracher (1894-1941), Lecturer in
Botany in the University of Bristol Plate 1. From
the book-
Field Studies in Ecology (1934) and Ecology in shelves. Rose
Town and Classroom (1937) are a matching pair Bracher’s two
of small books written by Rose Bracher, a BNS ecology books
member who was a pioneering ecologist at the sit next to
British Violets
University of Bristol and the first woman to by Mrs Gregory
become a member of Senate without earlier (1840-1932), a
having been elected a Professor. I originally came long-time
resident of
across her name as the author of a paper in the Weston-super-
Journal of Ecology for 1929, The Ecology of the Mare, and two
Avon Banks at Bristol, because it includes several books by Leo H
salt marsh transects within the Avon Gorge, which Grindon (1818-
1904), originally
I was able to repeat 50 years later. Her first book of Clifton, but
which I subsequently discovered includes some who moved to
detail about how the transects were made, quite Manchester
when he was
simply, ‘a tape is run out [down the slope] and the about 20.
name of the plant at each foot mark is noted’. I © C M Lovatt.
17had gone to some lengths to stretch the tape out horizontally and to record the principal
plant in the square foot below, but thankfully the different methodology was not material to
the overall comparison. Diary / Contents
Despite a short life Rose Bracher had a long association with Bristol University, gaining
First Class Honours in 1917, an MSc under Professor Otto Vernon Darbishire, who was
BNS President 1924-27, and a PhD in 1927 on the diurnal migration of photosynthetic
Euglena in the Avonside muds. Between 1926 and until her death on 15 July 1941 after a
short illness she lectured at the University, rising to Senior Lecturer in 1940. Indeed, she
can even now be said to have an association: the School of Biological Sciences in the
University of Bristol awards the Rose Bracher Memorial Prize annually to the best final
year student in Botany, Zoology, and Biology.
The first book dealt with “natural”
communities, maritime, peat, aquatic,
grassland, and woodland whilst the second
extended it to “artificial” communities, the
street, waste ground, coal tips, freshwater
(urban rivers, ponds, and ditches), and tidal
river banks and docklands. Both books have
chapters on plant succession, morphology and
life form, methods and equipment, and
reference books, and they are full of diagrams.
She was described as an ‘admirable teacher’,
both in the University and in Extra-Mural
classes. Both books were developed from her
own practical experience and were primarily
intended for urban secondary school biology
Plate 2. The cover of Rose Bracher’s two ecology teachers who were keen to follow her simple
books, published by Arrowsmith’s of Bristol, both and well described ecological methods and to
have the same motif of a windblown hedgerow tree
and several terrestrial habitats, perhaps riverbank, go beyond “nature study”. A neat experiment
downland and arable. © C M Lovatt. is described where the reader is invited to
compare seedling establishment on sterilised
soil at ground level and at 100 feet above the ground.
A particular interest is that her examples are mainly local, and as well as for the
saltmarshes, they include a list of plants in birch woodland in Leigh Woods, several lists
from Bristol roadsides and one made on 7 February 1937 in a Bristol ‘Cinder-track alley’.
There are even lists from a building site in the middle of Bristol, ‘left untouched for ten
years’, and unattended soil in a garden.
In the late 1970s I found in the University Library stores a copy of her first book,
annotated by the Bristol botanist H Stuart Thompson, and himself the author of several
ecological studies, and I got my own copy in 1985. The second book I only encountered
recently, when I came across Thompson’s review of it in our Proceedings for 1936. When I
obtained a copy of it from a bookseller on the internet recently, I discovered that a previous
owner had helpfully slipped in a photocopy of her obituary from the Proceedings of the
Linnean Society of London. The reference was written in a familiar hand, that of PJM
Nethercott the long-time BNS Treasurer who died in 2011: in a sense the book has gone
full circle.
*I don’t think we have either book in the BNS Library.
Clive Lovatt, 7 January 2022
18ORNITHOLOGY SECTION
PRESIDENT:- Giles Morris
HON SEC.:- Lesley Cox Diary / Contents
FIELD MEETINGS
RSPB NEWPORT WETLANDS Sunday, 13th February
Leader: Mike Johnson Tel: 07530 981106 10:00am
Meet at the RSPB car park Postcode NP18 2BZ at 10a.m. There is a £3 charge for the car
park but free for RSPB members. Marsh Harrier, Bearded Tit, Cetti’s Warbler and Bittern
are possibilities as well as winter migrant raptors and passerines.
Directions: Take the M4 over the Prince of Wales Bridge towards Newport to Junction
23A and take the A4810. After three roundabouts this long straight road continues past
industrial estates and new housing developments. Go straight through the next small
roundabout and at the second larger roundabout follow the RSPB sign onto West Nash
Road. Keep on this road for about one and a half miles. Watch for a brown reserve sign on
the left and turn almost immediately right into Nash Village. Go through the village and the
RSPB car park is on the left.
It is essential to contact the Leader if you wish to attend.
EXE ESTUARY (Coach Trip) 08:00am, Sunday 6 February
Joint trip with the BOC
This trip is going ahead. There are still places. £18 per person. Contact Judy
Copeland (judycopeland19@gmail.com) 01275 373554 asap to book yours.
Participants need to take a lateral flow test before joining. Bring warm and
waterproof clothes and food and drink for the day.
The coach leaves from the Water Tower on the Downs at 08.00, returning
about 18.00. We usually walk beside canal and river from Exminster to
Powderham and then park at Dawlish Warren.
The Exe estuary should be full of waders and wildfowl at this time of year,
including big flocks of Avocets and Brent geese. At Dawlish there is a chance of
seeing wintering divers and grebes on the sea.
ORNITHOLOGY TALK Diary / Contents
FARMLAND BIRD RESEARCH Wednesday, 9th February
Speaker: Dr Gavin Siriwardena of the BTO 7.30pm
Farmland birds have suffered a catastrophic decline in this country during the past 100
years. Dr Siriwardena has led the research into this for the BTO. He is therefore
uniquely qualified to give us an insight into the reasons behind this dramatic change in
our countryside.
To join this talk on Zoom, please email bnszoommeetings@gmail.com
19FIELD MEETING REPORTS Diary / Contents
Chew Valley Lake 21 November 2021
Thirteen members met in the car park at Woodford Lodge on a bright morning. We looked
over the Lake in the direction of the dam. A large raft of diving ducks loafed on the water,
mostly Tufted Ducks with a few Pochard. A large number of Cormorants, in the region of
eighty, were on the shore close to Denny Island. Herring, Great Black-backed, Lesser
Black-backed, Common and Black-headed represented the Gull family. We then had a
stroll at the side of Herons Bay towards Nunnery Point. A nice selection of passerines was
noted in the trees and adjoining fields including Jay, Long-tailed Tit and Great Spotted
Woodpecker and a Kingfisher perched on an overhanging branch waiting to dive for prey.
At Moreton the highlight was undoubtedly prolonged views of a male Marsh Harrier gliding
over the fringes of reed. We ended up at Herriot’s Pool where there were three elegant
Pintail. Forty-six species were recorded during the morning.
Mike Johnson
Oldbury Power Station: 11th December 2021 Leader Alastair Fraser
Oldbury Power Station (OPS) offers a range of habitat: a lake, reed bed, scrub, woodland,
the Severn estuary and an old orchard. The wind was very light and the day kept dry in
stark contrast the last time the Nats were here. We started our list as we gathered in the
car park with Fieldfare, Green Woodpecker and a group of Bullfinch.
The small lake initially looked empty but numerous Moorhen soon emerged from the reed
fringes. Gadwall, Teal and Mallard were on the far side and a Reed Bunting sat up nicely
on the bushes behind us. Noisy Crows chased off a Buzzard as we walked up towards the
settling pond and Great Spotted Woodpecker flew over. A large group of Curlew were
feeding in an adjacent field.
The rising tide pushed the waders up to the shore and we had good views of Dunlin,
Redshank, and Lapwing with a solitary Black-tailed Godwit. A Stonechat posed on a metal
pole. We carefully scrutinised the groups of finches but were unable to find any Brambling
(two were reported that day). Neither could we find the Black Redstart although Roger saw
it on a fence when he went into the wrong car park at the start of the day. However, we
managed 40 species; a Sparrowhawk being the final sighting (over the car park as we
finished up).
Alastair Fraser
Full list: 2 Gadwall, 4 Wigeon, 6 Mallard, 10 Teal, 50+ Woodpigeon, 8 Moorhen, 10+ Oystercatcher, 50+ Lapwing,
21+ Curlew, 1 Black-tailed Godwit, 200+ Dunlin, 100+ Redshank, 30+ Black-headed Gull, 6 Cormorant, 2 Grey
Heron, 1 Sparrowhawk, 1 Buzzard, 2 Great Spotted Woodpecker, 1 Green Woodpecker, 1 Jay, 5 Magpie, 6
Jackdaw, 1 Rook, 10 Carrion Crow, 4 Blue Tit, 1 Great Tit, 4 Long-tailed Tit, 6 Wren, 1 Mistle Thrush, 4 Redwing, 6
Blackbird, 7 Fieldfare, 2 Robin, 1 Black Redstart, 1 Stonechat, 12 Chaffinch, 3 Bullfinch, 1 Greenfinch, 8 Goldfinch, 2
Reed Bunting
RSPB Greylake 2nd January 2022, Leader Giles Morris
As the group assembled in the car park there were a few glimpses of large flocks of birds
wheeling over the reserve, which suggested that we might be in for a good morning.
Thirteen members had made the trip to RSPB Greylake on the Somerset levels and as we
gathered, we were able to start with a variety of garden birds on the feeder, a Great
Spotted Woodpecker in the trees, a flock of Redwing overhead and a very pale Buzzard
crossing the neighbouring field.
As soon as we started to move down the path towards the hides the sky filled with
many hundreds of Lapwing with their distinctive floppy flight and rounded wings and then,
20above them, in tighter faster flocks that often resolved into classic V-formation, were
almost as many Golden Plover. These flocks settled as we reached the hides, but we were
treated to similar eruptions throughout the morning. From the hides it was easy to see
what was causing the regular mass lift-offs. A Marsh Harrier hovered and wheeled over
the reeds, a peregrine made several low-level dashes through the throng and a rather
more cumbersome Buzzard occasionally ventured off its post to join the mêlée.
This reserve is usually filled with a big number and variety of duck at this time of year.
There was quantity, but not variety, this year, maybe the result of the mild weather? Teal in
big numbers, but only a smattering of Wigeon, Shoveler and Mallard. After some searching
everyone had good views of some well hidden Snipe and a Cetti’s Warbler scolded us
loudly and showed briefly. A damp walk back to the car park also added a squealing Water
Rail very close in the reed bed.
By now the rain had set in, but a smaller group decided to move north to the SWT
Westhay Moor reserve, where there were several hides to provide shelter from the now
heavy showers. The highlights here were a rather distant view of Cattle Egrets, a flock of
Siskins feeding in the Alders and a good display by the resident Marsh Harriers.
Our species list on a soggy day reached a good total of 48, including three species of
egret. How quickly that has become an unremarkable feature of a day on the Levels!
My thanks to all who came for their good company on an excellent day’s birding.
Giles Morris
Breeding Bird Survey Diary / Contents
The Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the main scheme for monitoring population changes of
our common breeding birds both nationally and within Avon. Anyone can participate who
can identify our common birds by sight and sound - and the emphasis really is on our
common birds.
It is organised by the BTO and involves just two early morning visits in the breeding
season (April to June) to an allocated 1km square. Visits typically take about two hours
each plus an extra visit in the first year to set up/check the route. We also have a local
'Avon BBS' scheme which is very similar but a little simpler and which adds considerably
to our local knowledge. Observers can select their own squares in the Avon scheme which
can be in any habitat including urban/suburban areas, subject to the square not already
being allocated.
The Survey has always had strong support in the 'Avon Region' and this will be the
29th season. In 2021 despite problems with the Covid Tier System we surveyed 224 1km
squares and recorded 72,603 birds, only a little behind our pre-Covid performance. If you
would like to take on a square or would like any further information about BBS, please
contact Dave Stoddard - dave.stoddard@tiscali.co.uk (0117 9246968) - you will be very
welcome.
21Bird Notes Diary / Contents
November / December 2021
For an all-too brief period in November, the news agenda was dominated by
environmental issues as the COP 26 talks got underway. As naturalists we are all aware of
the impact that climate change is having on our wildlife, from predictable effects such as
species shifting northwards to less obvious issues such as the impacts of flooding.
Reviewing some of my own old note books the other day, I was struck by how less
“wintery” winter has become. I now see Chiffchaff more frequently than Brambling during
this season and it is some years since I saw Smew locally. The recent absence of the
latter in our area is probably because a warming climate allows birds to winter further north
than they did, meaning that they become increasingly uncommon in the southern part of
their previous range. This is likely to be at least in part responsible for recent declines in
numbers of Goosander at Chew Valley Lake and of Turnstone and Dunlin along the
Severn Estuary, for example. However, the welcome return of a small party of Purple
Sandpiper to Battery Point, Portishead, after an absence of several years, shows that it is
possible to be too hasty in concluding that we have lost a species for good.
One northern bird that has been holding up reasonably well in our area is Goldeneye,
which has only ever been numerous on the two main reservoirs. There is some evidence
of a slight decline in the numbers we see in but the last few months these have been good
for the species, with December counts of 85 at Chew and 40 at Blagdon. Goldeneye is one
of the few of our duck species whose numbers really do peak in winter and they generally
rise sharply in February – reaching 160 at Chew in March 2021, for example. Thirty years
ago April was one of the best months, but the main departure is now a month earlier than it
was then: arrival dates are slightly later, but the autumn trend is less marked than it is in
the spring.
The current counts are higher than those of twelve months ago, suggesting that the
2020 total might be bettered. Goldeneyes dive in deep water where they prey on molluscs
and other invertebrates, which currently seem to be in good supply at the lakes. To provide
some context, the maximum count in Somerset in 2021 was two and this species is now
generally rare throughout much of southern Britain. National data show that south of the
English Midlands only Abberton Reservoir in Essex is more important for this species than
is Chew and that Chew stands out as by far and away the most important site for
Goldeneye in the whole of western Britain, south of the Lake District. We should be
grateful that we have held onto this species, since the crisp black and white plumage and
characterful display of drake Goldeneyes truly brighten many a winter’s day.
Rupert Higgins
Your sightings are welcome at: avonbirdrecorder@outlook.com
22MISCELLANY
UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL BOTANIC GARDEN
The Holmes, Stoke Park Rd, Stoke Bishop, BS9 1JG.
Tel. 0117 428 2041 https://botanic-garden.bristol.ac.uk.
Email: botanic-gardens@bristol.ac.uk
Diary / Contents
Thu. 17 February 7-8.30pm (On Zoom). February Friends’ Lecture.
James Golden: THE VIEW FROM FEDERAL TWIST. James Golden is a garden-maker
of international repute whose garden, Federal Twist, has featured in The New York Times,
Gardens Illustrated, Elle Décor and several books. Monty Don described it as ‘one of the
great modern gardens’. James has been a garden blogger for 14 years (federaltwist.com)
and lectures widely including the New York Botanical Garden and Garden Masterclass.
His book, The View from Federal Twist, was published in October 2021.
Federal Twist is a naturalistic garden set on a ridge above the Delaware River in
western New Jersey that has loose boundaries and integrates closely with the natural
world that surrounds it. It has no utilitarian or leisure uses (no play areas, swimming pools
or outdoor dining) and the site is not an obvious choice for a garden (heavy clay soil,
poorly drained: quick death for any plants not ecologically suited to it). The physical
garden is of course a pleasant place to be but Federal Twist’s real charm and significance
lie in its intangible aspects: its changing qualities and views, the moods and emotions it
evokes, and its distinctive character and sense of place.
The link to the Zoom lecture is available on the Garden website and the Friends’
Enews
AVON ORGANIC GROUP
www.groworganicbristol.org www.facebook.com/avonorganic
Thursday, 24th February 7 - 8.30pm (Doors open from 6.40pm)
Chris Collins, Head of Horticulture at Garden Organic and award-winning presenter
of The Organic Garden Podcast, shares his experience on
CROP PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT
Meeting at The Station, Silver Street Bristol. BS1 2AG - in the Engine Room, the large and
airy room on the Ground floor. All are welcome.
The talk will be live streamed with tickets available on Eventbrite -
links will be on the website as soon as tickets are on sale
Chris is a well respected broadcaster with a huge experience of growing and helping
people grow vegetables, fruit and other plants in diverse locations. You may already know
the podcast https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/podcast
Running on the night also is our annual Seed Swap so
bring your saved & any other surplus seeds to swap
23You can also read
