Galls and Giant Bugs

August Bank Holiday and the last day of summer as I set out for a brief visit to one of my favourite locations, Rixton Claypits. This SSSI on the outskirts of Glazebrook is a rich mosaic of habitats including marshy grassland, deciduous woodland, wildflower meadow and some large ponds. It is renowned for hosting healthy populations of great crested and smooth newt although with such a cold nip in the air this morning I wasn't optimistic of finding any tadpoles today - and my low hopes proved well founded. It was though a fantastic hour or so exploring the site.

Beyond the chilly temperatures there were plenty of other signs of autumn with the dew-specked cobwebs making an ethereal picture in the sunlight and a young oak sapling in rich autumn colours. Fruits of the season were in abundance across the reserve - blackberries, hawthorn, elder, rose hips and crab apple alongside the more ominous fruits of bittersweet / deadly nightshade. 

 

Misty Cobwebs                                Oak                                            Rose Hips

Other emerging growths most definitely weren't fruits though, with a wide variety of galls emerging. These weird and wonderful mutations are created by an array of parasites including fungi, mites and wasps. On a willow sapling bulging growths created by the gall midge Rabdophaga salicis were in evidence whilst the oaks are always popular with a variety of wasp species. One unfortunate young tree showed three different galls across a couple of branches - spangle and silk button galls on the undersides of the leaves and the grotesque and sticky fresh knoppa gall mutating the acorns.

  

Gall Midge                                        Knoppa, Spangle and Silk-button Galls

Besides its newts Rixton is renowned at this time of year for its dragons and damsels and as the sun slowly but surely began to warm things up they began to emerge. Sadly I didn't have the time to linger for the big hawkers to make an appearance but a delicate emerald damselfly was still drowsy enough to allow a close encounter and a pair of common blues were spotted later. One of the best dragonfly spots on the reserve is in a tree-bordered hollow rich in wild flowers and although this was late in the season there were still clumps of fleabane, hemp agrimony, knapweed and rosebay willowherb adding colour whilst the pale purple horse mint provided an aromatic carpet of colour and scent. A few butterflies had braved the cold, speckled wood and large white, and the common darters were now prowling with the wooden railings proving a popular and keenly-contested basking spot. 

           

Common Darters

The darters weren't the only predators around and I spotted a giant female four-spotted orb weaver busily wrapping up a hapless fly. She had evidently chosen a prime spot as a number of other greenbottles and hoverflies were trapped in the web whilst she dealt with her first captive. 

Emerald Damselfly                Four-spotted Orb Weaver

I checked the ponds for any sign of newts but beyond the ubiquitous great pond snails, whirligigs and pond skaters and a cruising water boatman there were none to be seen. A small common froglet hopped off the bank as I passed by to provide some amphibian action. Mallard, moorhen and Canada geese were on the main water body whilst a buzzard glided over the meadow and tucked itself away out of sight in an oak tree. Bird song has long-since ebbed away of course and in the relative silence that tireless singer the robin could be heard. Today they were joined by a singing chiffchaff and after having heard its relentless two-note call way back in spring with the buds just emerging it was nice to hear it now from a hawthorn weighed down with autumn fruits. Long-tailed tit, nuthatch and great spotted woodpecker were also heard as I walked down through the meadows and round the woodland, with the resident Herdwick rams already retreated under the shade of the trees for a mid-morning nap. 

Crab Apple                                                               Drowsy Herdwicks

The day's star sighting though came as I prepared to leave as a brighter green growth at the top of a willow sapling was on closer inspection a magnificent poplar hawkmoth caterpillar. After a weather-affected National Moth Night series it was great to catch a first-ever glimpse of the trainee stage of one of the commoner hawkmoths I get in the moth trap. 

  

Poplar Hawkmoth Caterpillar        Common Darter