News from Middle Marsh - Ponds, signs of Spring, a new hedge and the dreaded Giant Hogweed

My new year's resolution of writing at least one blog post a week for the whole year, has gone the way of most such resolutions, and it has now been three weeks since my last post.

In that time we've had several days of heavy rain and the new ponds have filled up quite a bit (although there are still a couple that are pretty much dry).

Pond 4 on the 18th of Jan (above) and on the 21st of February (below)

Pond 8 on the 18th of Jan (above) and on the 21st of February (below)

I haven't seen a Kingfisher at Middle Marsh since the one on the 31st of January, so I am wondering if maybe they have gone back to the streams they breed on already and we won't see them again until the autumn. Common Kingfishers (our species) nest in tunnels dug into riverbanks and as there are no river banks at Middle Marsh that aren't covered in water regularly, they will never be able to breed here.

I've started to see signs of spring in the form of Hawthorn leaves appearing and a lot of woodland plants starting to put up their shoots along the beck-sides, although not much is flowering yet. I have been pleased to see a few plants  of Cuckoo-pint (aka Lords-and-Ladies, Arum maculatum) - I saw the first of these here last year but I didn't refind it and as it was just where the woodland path is, I thought it might have been a victim of the work we did to restore the path. The new plants are in different places, and all right next to the beck channel.

Young Hawthorn leaves, Middle Marsh, 25th Feb 2022

Brooklime (Veronica beccabunga) Middle Marsh, 25th Feb 2022

Seedlings of Ivy-leaved Speedwell (Veronica hederifolia)
Middle Marsh, 25th Feb 2022

Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) and Stinging Nettle
(Urtica dioica), Middle Marsh, 25th Feb 2022

Pignut (Conopodium majus) leaves, Middle Marsh,
25th Feb 2022.

Water Figwort (Scrophularia auriculata), Middle Marsh, 25th Feb 2022. 
Although I've seen this in several previous years, it has always been just
one plant. This year it is appearing in several different places

Water-Cress (Nasturtium officinale agg.), Middle Marsh, 25th Feb 2022.
NOTE - THIS IS NOT SAFE TO EAT HERE AS THE WATER IS NOT CLEAN AND
THERE ARE RATS IN THE AREA!!!

A young shoot of Wild Angelica (Angelica sylvestris),
Middle Marsh, 25th Feb 2022.

As well as the more desirable plant species,  large numbers of Giant Hogweed seedlings are also appearing in some parts of the beck channel. This is one of the three invasive alien plant species (the other two being Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed) that are a particular problem along Ormesby Beck in Middle Marsh. As well as growing to an immense height (flower stalks can be more than 3 metres tall) and shading out many native species, Giant Hogweed sap can cause a nasty burn when it gets on human skin (which can happen even if you just brush against it) which is then exposed to sunlight. The species is usually biennial, meaning that in the first year after germinating, the plant doesn't flower but instead puts lots of stored energy into a large underground root. The above-ground parts die back in winter and then in the second year it grows very tall very quickly and produces very large flower heads which can produce thousands of seeds.

Last year, we used herbicide on several patches of this plant but in the areas which we didn't reach, large numbers of seedlings and many second year plants are now growing. I have been experimenting with digging up the roots of the second-year plants but it is hard work. I thought the seedlings might be easier, and indeed they are, but there are a lot more of them and even very small ones with leaves smaller than a 10p piece already have tap-roots several centimetres long. I fear we might have to continue with the chemical approach sadly.

A young seedling of Giant Hogweed (Heracleum
mantegazzianum), next to a 10p piece

Middle Marsh has started to get some attention in the local area - largely thanks to several Facebook posts about the site by the Mayor of Middlesbrough, Andy Preston, who was influential in getting the site removed from the threat of development, and declared as a Local Wildlife Site, and then finding funding to do work such as digging the ponds and making the paths. Andy visited the reserve on a very wet day a week or so ago and a group of us were able to spend an hour or so showing him round and telling him about the work we had done and about what still needed doing.

Yesterday we had our first 'big' public event for the nature reserve - a hedge-planting day, organised by the brilliant Annemarie and Ian from Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and attended by several volunteers from the local community and further afield. We were able to plant most of the 210 metres of hedge that we had planned. Although the majority of the trees (which were planted as very small, bare-root 'whips') were Hawthorn, we also planted a mix of other species, including Field Maple, Spindle, Dog-rose, Dogwood, Hazel and Holly. We will plant the rest of the trees at our next session on Saturday the 19th of Marsh, along with some larger trees (including Rowans) which will be 'standards', planted every 10 metres or so and allowed to grow to full height. In time the hedge will hopefully become an important habitat for birds, small mammals and many insects, as well as being a buffer shielding the rest of the site from some of the noise and disturbance created by the busy A66 road.

Staff and volunteers planting the first few trees in the new hedgerow 
at Middle Marsh, Saturday 26th of Feb 2022. The cardboard tree guards
will eventually disintegrate and rot down into the soil

Nature Diary 31st Jan - 6th Feb 2022

Red-breasted Mergansers on Middlesbrough Dock, Middlehaven.
An original painting by Emma Price, February 2022 (© Emma Price 2022)

I'm going to carry on doing these in the 'Nature Diary' format for a while because I like it. If you have any comments about this (e.g. that you don't like it) please let me know in the comments.

Mon 31st Jan The Kingfisher was perched just down from the Yellow Bridge when I arrived at Middle Marsh this afternoon. When I say 'the' Kingfisher, I have no way of knowing that it is the same one, although it seems likely, especially given the fact that all the ones I have photographed in this spot so far this year, have been females (with the orange on the lower mandible of the beak). The dock basin had much fewer birds on it than usual, with one male Red-breasted Merganser, and 1 each of Herring Gull and Black-headed Gull (still in its winter plumage i.e. with no black head and only a little smudge of dark feathers on each cheek).

I think this is my best photo yet of a Kingfisher - Middle Marsh, 31st Jan 2022.
A good way of marking what would have been my Dad's 92nd birthday.
He always loved Kingfishers. (Photo © Colin Conroy 2022)

Tues 1st Feb Work party in the afternoon (as part of my 'day job' with Green Shoots) on Middle Beck in Pallister Park - clearing some of the brambles from one side of the beck to create more suitable feeding habitat for Water Voles. This now rare mammal is still present on a few of Middlesbrough's Becks and Middle Beck seems to have a reasonable population despite the fact that it has been sadly neglected and is used as a dumping ground by many people. Several clumps of Lesser Celandines flowering were a welcome sign of spring despite the continuing cold weather. Stupidly I didn't think of getting a picture.

Weds 2nd Feb A lovely afternoon with some young adults with learning disabilities, from Prior Pursglove College in Guisborough, who came to volunteer at Middle Marsh - carrying on with weaving the willow screen in front of the bird feeders, as well as litter picking and bird-watching. The willow they were using was cut from the willow coppices at Middlesbrough Environment City's headquarters at Nature's World, by the same group, the week before.

Screen-weaving in action. Ian Wilson ((right) from Tees Valley Wildlife Trust
with two students. Photo by college staff, used with permission and consent). 

At the same time, Glen Merryweather took some drone photos of the new ponds and the surrounding reedbed which gives you an idea of where they are and how much reedbed is still left (quite a lot). They also show how much water is already in the deepest ponds. The three patches of water on the left hand side will hopefully become one big pond for at least some of the year (once we get some heavy rain to fill them up).

The new ponds at Middle Marsh, viewed from above.
Drone photos © Glen Merryweather 2022

Sat 5th Feb Refilled the bird-feeders at Middle Marsh (after someone on Facebook told me they were empty - thanks Ronny) and then used some of the leftover lengths of willow (from Wednesday's session) to make a couple of little fences in other parts of the site. I used a slightly different technique involving sticking the pieces of willow into the ground diagonally at about 45 degrees, going alternately in two directions, and weaving them together. Willow will often put down roots when you do this and I am hoping that this will happen here, and we will have a couple of living fences. I will tell you in a few months time if it worked or not.

Middle Marsh was a bit quiet bird-wise although a group of three Teal and a single Redshank on the mud in the lower reaches of Ormesby Beck were nice to see. Middlesbrough Dock was more interesting than usual with about 94 Herring Gulls (a very good count for the dock) scattered between the outer and inner sections. There were also 2 Red-breasted Mergansers, a single Shag, and now 4 immature Mute Swans. The fourth cygnet seems to be spending more time on his own than the other three although I did see them altogether on one occasion.

Sun 6th Feb This morning I visited a bit of lawn in North Ormesby where there were a good number of Bee Orchids flowering last year. It is owned by the Church of England and in a public spot and last year the vicar agreed to leave it uncut, until late summer, except for a strip (about a foot wide) around the edge. This allowed the orchids to flower but made it obvious to passers-by that it had been left deliberately. This year there are at least 20 rosettes (a few more than last year) although dog or dogs unknown have been leaving little 'parcels' there (now removed). Having talked again to Bridget the vicar, we have now agreed to do the same thing again for a second year. As well as the orchids there are several other wildflower species there and the longer we keep this management regime going, the more species will have a chance to colonise and flower over the years.

Middle Marsh and Boro Dock again in the afternoon. Similar birds as yesterday but with now 4 Red-breasted Mergansers on the dock, and the three teal have moved upstream into the main part of Middle Marsh (just below the Yellow Bridge). Also a brief view of a Kingfisher in flight is the first one I've seen since Monday - good to know it's still around.

Many thanks to Emma Price for allowing me to use her beautiful sketches of the Mergansers in Middlesbrough Dock - I think they really bring the birds to life - and to Glen Merryweather for the drone photos.

Three female Common Teal, Ormesby Beck, Middle Marsh,
6th Feb 2022 (Photo © Colin Conroy 2022) 

Moths of an Urban Garden #3 - Angle Shades

 

This week's moth - the Angle Shades - is one that you can see in any month of the year in most of the UK, so you might even see one today, resting on a wall or fence. However, it is most common between April and November.

When I saw my first one, shortly after I had started moth-trapping, in Southall (west London), I got really excited because I thought I had caught a Hawk-moth and it took me a while to work out what it actually was. The caterpillars feed on a variety of common plants including Stinging Nettle, Red Valerian, Broad-leaved Dock, Brambles and Oak trees, which probably explains why it is so widespread. Interestingly, and a bit mysteriously considering that grasses don't produce nectar, the adult moths often come to feed at the flowers of Common Reed and other grasses. The most likely explanation for this is that they eat the pollen. Many insects do this and in fact, while researching for this blog I learned a new word - Palynivore -  a herbivorous animal which selectively eats the nutrient-rich pollen of plants. So it is a pollen-eater and therefore the opposite of a 'pollinator' (although it might accidentally pollinate some flowers while it is eating the pollen of others).

The colouration and the unusual shape of the folded wings mean that it is very well camouflaged when it is hiding in dead vegetation during the day-time (although, as I said above, it does sometimes rest out in the open which surely must make it a tempting target for insectivorous birds).

The scientific name is Phlogophora meticulosa,  which, if my attempt at etymology is anything to go by, means "Fearful Flame-bearer". I love the name Angle Shades but I think Fearful Flame-bearer is better.

The individual in the photo above is one that I caught in my garden moth-trap on the 22nd of April 2020  and I let it go after photographing it. 

[P.S. I wrote about the Angle Shades once before in this blog - you can read that post here Two Moths]