þÿ <! DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> <head> <title>FRIENDS OF BEDFORD CEMETERY NATURE WALK PAGE</title> <style type = "text/css" > #s1 { font - size:18pt; color: black;} #s2 {font - size:18pt; } #s3 { color: white;} #s4 {font - size:12pt; color: red;} #div1 {background-color:black; color: white; position:absolute; top:0px; left:0px; width:1000px; height:320px; text-align:center; padding:0px; font-size: 12pt; } #div2 {background-color:black; color: white; position:absolute; top:70px; left:0px; width:500px; height:240px; text-align:center; font-size: 24pt; } #div3 {background-color:black; color: white; position:absolute; top:246px; left:130px; width:235px; height:40px; text-align:center; padding:5px; font-size: 12pt; } #div4 { background-color: black; color: white; position:absolute; top:280px; left: 405px; width:570px; height:20px; text-align:center; font-size: 12pt; } #div5 { background-color: #CCCCCC; color : black; position:absolute; top:320px; left: 0px; width:1000px; height:6500px; text-align:center; padding-top: 30px; font-size: 16pt; } #div6 { background-color: #CCCCCC; color : black; position:absolute; top:445px; left: 50px; width:900px; height:6000px;text-align:justify; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14pt; } #div7 {color: black; position:absolute; top:235px; left: 475px; width:400px; height:20px; text-align:center; font-size: 11pt; } body { background-color:green; color : black } </style> </head> <body> <div id ="div1"> <p></p> </div> <div id ="div2"> <p><b>FRIENDS <span id = "s2">OF</span> BEDFORD CEMETERY<br><br> Foster Hill Road</b></p> </div> <div id ="div3" > <p> <a href="index.htm"><span id = "s4"><b>RETURN TO HOME PAGE</b></span></a> </div> <div id ="div4"> <p> <a href="naturewalk2012.htm"><span id = "s3"><b>MONTHLY NATURE REPORT 2012 </b></span></a> </p> </div> <div id ="div5" ><p> <b>THE MONTHLY NATURE REPORT</b><br> by <br>Brian Anderson.</p> </div> <div id ="div6"> <p><b><span id = "s1">A FAREWELL MESSAGE</b></span><br><br> I have the sad duty to say goodbye. We moved to Dersingham in Norfolk in late October and so my monthly reports on the natural history of the Cemetery have come to an end. It's been great pleasure doing them - it has forced me to look at groups of flora and fauna that I wouldn't have spent much time on otherwise. I hope you have enjoyed reading them. Next spring I'm going to look at the churchyard of St Nicholas parish church to see what there is and will send a summary of what I find. Until then, I wish you all a Happy New Year in a few week's time!<br><br> <p><b><span id = "s1">The Cemetery in September 2011</b></span><br><br> September opened cool, windy, wet and generally miserable. A little way into the month there was a very windy period. There was surprisingly little tree damage. I saw a large limb that had broken from the large Weeping Willow in the north of the Cemetery. There must have been other damage as the tree gang was working somewhere (sound of chainsaws on chippers!). At the end of the month the weather turned unseasonably warm then positively hot!.<br><br> A mixed flock of birds visited our feeders. I justify including this as they arrived from the direction of Cemetery - just over our back fence. We started with Tits: Great, Blue, Coal and Long-tailed. A few minutes observation showed that the flock also included Chaffinch, Chiff-chaff and Goldcrest. The formation of mixed flocks in autumn and winter seems to be prompted by a number of factors. Firstly, grouping may reflect the availability of food - that is, a few birds feeding attract others. Secondly, there are more eyes available to detect predators. Thirdly, a large flock in motion confuses predators - this case probably Sparrowhawks. Equally interesting: why don't they show this behaviour in spring and summer? I surmise that the drive establish and defend breeding territories and raise young overrides the communal feeding urge.<br><br> I've noticed that Red Deadnettle is in flower - although this species can be seen flowering from March to October, I have rarely found it flowering beyond the Spring. Birch, Beech and Ash leaves are starting to colour.<br><br> The Huntingdon Elm referred to last month has generated another fungus, this time in soil near the base of the tree. This is (I think) Fairies' Bonnets.<br><br> Lepidoptera have given some interesting sightings this month. I saw the only Painted Lady of the year (anywhere!) and the first in the Cemetery for two years - you may recall that 2009 was a year when huge numbers of immigrant Painted Ladies arrived. I also saw a Hummingbird Hawkmoth near the Gatehouse. Red Admirals have been prolific on Ivy and the oozing Turkey Oak.<br><br> On the 12th I took two groups around for National Heritage Day. The weather was quite good and I was able to show a variety of late summer and autumn flowers, some Common Darters plenty of Red Admirals and Speckled Woods.<br><br> <p><b><span id = "s1">The Cemetery in August 2011</b></span><br><br> The temperatures in August were rather below average and there was quite a lot of cloud. Elderberries, Rose hips, Snowberries and Black Bryony berries are all ripening as autumn approaches. Horse Chestnuts are near full size and some are getting ripe. Holly berries are now starting to ripen. The first leaves on Hawthorns, Poplars, Ashes, Hornbeams and Limes are turning colour. The Wild Clematis is in flower - probably has been for some time but it was on a route I do infrequently. <br><br> Holly Blues are visiting the Ivy flower buds which are gradually getting bigger but it will some time before the flowers are open. The females are seeking egg-laying sites as the autumn brood feeds on Ivy rather than Holly. [I wrote this in my preparatory notes on August 8th. On The 11th I found an Ivy bush in the north-west of the Cemetery with most of the flowers open. This is really early! The flowers presented a great attraction to a variety of insects -at least four species of Hoverfly (to be counted in their hundreds), other true flies, Common Wasps, Hornet, Honey Bees, and Speckled Wood and Holly Blue butterflies. I spent some time observing one Holly Blue to see if would lay eggs on the Holly flowers but it seemed interested only in the nectar. On the other hand, the wings were closed and it might have been a male. At the time of writing this remains the only bush in flower that I've seen but there are several square metres of surface which are bearing flowers].<br><br> Some time ago I was asked by a member of the Friends, who lives locally, why I hadn't reported Midwife Toads in the Cemetery - I replied that although I had heard them nearby I hadn't got any evidence of them being in the Cemetery. But now I have - distinct metallic "pinging" near the western wall. Midwife Toads have been in Bedford for over a hundred years now, having been introduced (probably accidentally) to the Ashburnham and Bromham Road area. They have subsequently spread over much of the town since.<br><br> I can report an interesting moth - the Old Lady. This is a largish moth which looks like a black triangle when at rest. Closer up the wing pattern of bands of various shades of dark brown become evident. This is superb camouflage for resting on tree trunks - unfortunately this one was on one of the white plaques on the western wall. The Old Lady is partial to resinous exudate from injured trees and was seen only about 20 metres from the tree mentioned last month which attracted the Red Admirals. The Old Lady is listed as local in recent field guides and local and uncommon in "The Butterflies and Moths of Bedfordshire" (Arnold et al 1996 pub. Bedfordshire Natural History Society).<br><br> We saw a Tern fly over the Cemetery around the middle of the month - alas too high and fast to be sure of the species; and on the same day a group of Goldfinches feeding in the areas of long grass.<br><br> Brown Hawker dragonflies have been quite numerous and the first of the Common Darters were on the wing quite early in the month.<br><br> The Huntingdon Elm near the chapel that was largely removed due to Elm Disease has been colonised by Pleurotus cornucopiae, a fungus almost specific to diseased Elm.<br><br> <p><b><span id = "s1">The Cemetery in July 2011</b></span><br><br> The temperatures in July were at or below average for most of the month but shot up at the very end. As I write this in early August the hot weather has gone at it's raining - what do they say about British summers - "Three hot days and a thunderstorm"?<br><br> There are few new flowers now (Dwarf Thistle being the exception) and some trees and shrubs are bearing ripening fruit - blackberry, haws and sloes being obvious. Some of the Hollies have good crops of berries but these are still green. The berry spikes of Lords and Ladies turned from green to red quite quickly.<br><br> The Horse Chestnuts have been "re-infected" by the micromoths again but I don't think it's quite as widespread as last year.<br><br> Beech mast is abundant this year. One morning I was walking under one of the larger Beeches and was aware of a constant pattering of falling mast. My first assumption was that the tree was shedding a surfeit of fruit but this was only partly true: a group of Grey Squirrels was feeding in the tree and dislodging more than they were eating. Still, there's nothing to stop them ground feeding later! And they are providing food for mice and voles.<br><br> Another mammal I haven't seen much of this year is the Muntjac Deer. But one morning (very early) I was lucky enough to see one walking down the slope ahead of me. I followed quietly but its ears soon pricked up and it was off.<br><br> My confident prediction last year of seeing Red Admirals taking resinous sap from a Turkey Oak proved unfounded, but this year they have arrived, spending long periods on the tree before flying rather drunkenly off (I presume the sap must be slightly fermented). Their senses were not so dulled, however, that fell prey to a stalking Grey Squirrel, which looked like it fancied a snack. Grey Squirrels are not entirely herbivorous and will take insects, birds' eggs and nestlings if they can. The resin was also being sampled by Common Wasps (who share with the Red Admiral a liking for fermenting plums and pears) and numerous flies.<br><br> Three new butterflies - Brown Argus and Gatekeeper, and (saving the best for last) a Silver-washed Fritillary. This is a woodland species, gradually spreading through Bedfordshire but very rarely seen in places like the Cemetery. I saw one on 4th July near the Cemetery Hill top gate, returned home in some excitement to tell Yvonne only for her tell me it was taking nectar from our Buddleia! (It is only 200 metres of so between the two locations). It made frequent revisits to the Buddleia, being last seen on July 19th, when it flew into our garage and had to be shooed out.<br><br> <p><b><span id = "s1">The Cemetery in June 2011</b></span><br><br> The temperatures in June returned to (and even a little below) normal. And at last we had some rain! Many events continued to arrive early. The Pyramidal Orchids started flowering as early as the 2nd. By the 5th there were 8 in flower, rising to 13 on the 9th, 31 on the 14th, 51 on the19th and 74 on the 21st. The first Common-spotted and Bee Orchids are flowering. Lesser Knapweed is also flowering early.<br><br> Other plants that have come into flower (not necessarily early) are Bladder Campion, Marsh Thistle. Nettle-leaved Bellflower, Feverfew and Restharrow. Some Hawthorn berries are getting ripe, which is certainly early.<br><br> I've spent some time over previous entries concentrating on the plants in the conserved area (previously designated a County Wildlife Site) but in fact the botanical diversity of some of the lawned areas is quite high too. I did a very informal survey of a few square metres of such an area in the north-eastern corner and found Common Cat's-ear, Lesser Trefoil, Self Heal, Red Clover, Ox-eye Daisy, Lady's Bedstraw, Daisy, Ribwort Plantain and Mouse-ear Hawkweed. What made the diversity higher was the fact that each of these species were growing in some number, not just single occurrences.<br><br> Three other plants are worth noting: Columbine, which has been planted in a few burial plots but is now gradually naturalising out into the wider Cemetery. The next is Rosebay Willowherb which is certainly early by about a month. This also known as Fireweed and became prolific in many urban areas (especially London) following the bombing of the Second World War. Finally, I'm excited to report the presence of Sulphur Clover in the conserved area. This plant isn't in the list compiled by Dr David George and myself a few years ago and is regarded as quite rare. There is a sizable clump growing near one of the path-side Beech Trees. At a distance its quite like a rather leggy White Clover but step a little closer and you see the trefoil leaves are carried rather differently and the flowers have a distinct yellow tinge that deepens as the flowers dry.<br><br> I saw my first Meadow Brown butterfly on June 2nd (again early - the field guides give the start of emergence around the end of the first week of June for sheltered southern areas of the UK). And a big surprise on 14th -a Marbled White flew across my path - I don't think this species has ever been recorded in the Cemetery before. Common Heath moths were prolific in the long grass in the first part of the month, reducing in numbers later. I have also recorded the odd Cinnabar moth here too - it's a spectacular moth with black and crimson wings. The caterpillar is equally striking, found feeding on Ragwort and marked with orange and black rings. These prominent colours advertise the fact that this moth is quite seriously toxic.<br><br> A Blackcap female (a warbler) was hunting the conifers for insects on one visit and on another a group of Goldcrests (heard rather than seen) was doing the same thing.<br><br> <p><b><span id = "s1">The Cemetery in May 2011</b></span><br><br> Apart from a short period of squally showers late on and some drizzly rain at the very end of the month, May has been exceptionally dry. And it s showing the Cemetery with developing areas of parched grass. The drought and elevated temperatures produced some changes in the plant life too. The Cowslips ceased flowering and set seed quite early in the month, probably about two weeks early. The first blackberries have formed on the Bramble and I ve even seen the first faint tints of red on the Hawthorn berries.<br><br> The Bugle has flowered; Dog Rose, Ox-eye Daisies and many Trefoil species are abundant. Bittersweet (Woody Nightshade) has come into flower  also early as it s normally out in June. The one Gorse (Furze) bush in the Cemetery has been flowering prolifically. Gorse nearly always has some flowers at any time of the year. There is an old saying: When the Gorse is in flower, kissing s in season  Which means, of course, always!<br><br> A plant new to me in the Cemetery is Salad Burnet, growing on the conserved area. There are several clumps of this plant with its cucumber scented leaves and small reddish flowers in globular clusters carried at the end of long stalks.<br><br> Last month I said I d looked at some Holly (Holm) Oak catkins, something I hadn t paid any attention to previously and found them rather short. Well, I should have waited as they grew into typical rather flimsy Oak catkins a few weeks later.<br><br> It goes without saying that all the trees are in full leaf. The last non-exotic species to leaf was the Ash, which reportedly responds more to day length than temperature  the spring has arrived, each 0.25 degree C above the median makes the Oak one day earlier then the Ash.<br><br> Orange Tip butterflies have been more than usually abundant, as have Holly Blues. I saw my first Common Blue on May 5th.<br><br> The Tits and Blackbirds are now feeding (at least) their second broods.<br><br> One final point  in my guide to the wildlife of the Cemetery I referred to the former rose bed near the gatehouse, which had been cleared, levelled with non-local topsoil and seeded. Over the following year or two, the wildflower seeds that came with the soil germinated and we had plants like Spring Beauty, Hare s-foot Clover and Common Stork s-bill, showing the new soil to be acid. I predicted that the underlying chalky clay would neutralise the acid soil. This has happened  look at the area today and all these acid-loving plants have gone.<br><br> <p><b><span id = "s1">The Cemetery in April 2011</b></span><br><br> I had thought I'd be writing a fairly short report as we were away for a couple of weeks. But I don't think it's going to be too bad.<br><br> At the start of the month the cowslips came into flower and I found (unusually) a group of Wood Anemones growing right in the open on the conserved grassland - they are normally a woodland flower of the spring. This area was also good for watching bees. An individual bee will stay with one species of flower if it proves productive in terms of nectar and pollen. I saw a pair of Orange-tailed bees (Bombus lapidarius), one assiduously going from Cowslip to Cowslip while the other stuck to Violets.<br><br> There were Mallards in the Cemetery on one visit - three males chaperoning a female in the hope that they would be chosen as the mate.<br><br> Things I missed while away:<br> The Horse Chestnuts coming into flower - the flowering of Bluebell, Cow Parsley, Lilac and Garlic Mustard; the end of Blackthorn flowering.<br><br> But after we were back I did catch the first flowering of Hawthorn. Butterflies became plentiful towards the end of the month with Red Admiral, Green- veined White, Orange Tip, Holly Blue and Speckled Woods on the wing. The very warm period in April has produced larger than usual of numbers of Orange Tips and Holly Blues especially - or at least has made them more visible! This year (perhaps due the hot weather) the Elms did a synchronised seed drop so some paths seemed covered with pale green snow.<br><br> Lady's Smock came into flower, as did Elder. The leaves of Twayblade Orchid are visible near the northern edge. This isn't a conserved area so I expect they will disappear under the mower blades before the flower spikes develop.<br><br> This is the first year I've paid any attention to the flowers of the Holm (or Holly or Evergreen) Oak. They are much more compact than other Oak flowers which tend to be a bit "catkiny" .<br><br> Tawny Owls have been calling by day - not that unusual but a surprise when you hear it. And we had a pair of Bullfinches in the garden. Really beautiful birds. I know that's not in the Cemetery but it's only over our back fence and that's the direction they came from!<br><br> The weather was very warm for a lot of the month - some days 10 degrees Celsius over the seasonal norm. And very little rain.<br><br> <p><b><span id = "s1">The Cemetery in March 2011</b></span><br><br> I'd like to start by looking back at the February weather. There was an informative report in The Guardian written by Steven Cookson of MeteoGroup which showed that the sunshine amount in East Anglia was only 65 per cent of average, that the rainfall amount was 132 per cent of average and the Central England temperature was 2.4 degrees Celsius above average. So those of you who thought that February was gloomy, damp and mild were right!<br><br> At long last the Ivy berries are predominately black. I cannot recall a year when the ripening was so late. I imagine it may be due to the very cold winter. The berries are now being eaten by Wood Pigeons, which they were disinclined to do when they were unripe. Hawthorn is now breaking leaf and Lesser Celandines, Dog's Mercury, Wood Anemones and Daffodils are flowering. The Elm flowers reported last month opened and were ready for business and dropping quite large amounts of pollen - by the end of the month seed had started to develop. Bluebell leaves are now about 100mm long. Blackthorn is now in full flower. Horse Chestnuts have broken their sticky buds and the first leaves are starting to unfold from their pleats. Silver Birches are also into budburst.<br><br> Bird activity has increased markedly. Green and Greater Spotted Woodpeckers are busy, the former "yaffling" and the latter drumming. Blackbirds and Magpies are collecting nesting material. Around the middle of the month I saw a Heron flying slowly over, turning its head to look down then clearly rejecting the Cemetery as it has no open water. A little later I observed a Collared Dove. These birds are common in the surrounding area but not often seen in the Cemetery. The same can be said of House Sparrows and Starlings, although both these species have suffered serious declines in the last few decades. Towards the end of the month Chiff-chaffs started calling.<br><br> I had one of my sporadic attempts at fungi identification during one walk. A large fallen Elm had a bracket fungus with (fairly unusually) gills. I hoped that this, combined with the fruiting body being visible in the spring and being on an easily identifiable host would make identification easy...and so it proved and I'm sure the fungus is Pleurotus cornucopiae!<br><br> I can report the first butterfly species of the year - two Commas flying around and feeding on the flowers of evergreen Viburnam (probably Viburnam tinus). A few quick flaps and a long effortless glide. Many Nymphalids fly like this - the White Admiral (sadly unrecorded in the Cemetery) is probably the most graceful. A Red Admiral and Green-veined White have also been recorded. <br><br> <b><span id = "s1">The Cemetery in February 2011</b></span><br><br> Signs of spring continue to accumulate. Yew flowers are dropping copious amounts of pollen (some of it blowing in large clouds in any breeze), the leaves of Lords-and-ladies are now quite sizable, Coltsfoot (is the plural Coltsfoots or Coltsfeet?), Snowdrops, Violets, Red Dead-nettles and Primroses are in flower  the Primroses started flowering in the conserved meadow area but by the end of the month were quite widespread. Elder is in leaf, Horse Chestnuts have sticky buds, Lilac is breaking leaf and the Elm flowers look ready to open. Yarrow leaves are coming up in quite a few places.<br><br> I had one unusual bird sighting  a piebald Blackbird. It was blotched 50:50 black and white. There s quite a discussion about Blackbirds like this on the web (and even an article about it in the New Scientist dating from 1962). There s dispute about whether this is an example of leucism or partial albinism. I saw a pair of Wrens at the end of the month. I m glad they too survived the harsh winter and look ready to produce more Wrens in the spring.<br><br> The first few bees emerged in the warmer weather at the end the month and 7-spot Ladybirds are starting to come out of their winter sleep  as yet I haven t seen any Harlequin Ladybirds.<br><br> <b><span id = "s1">The Cemetery in January 2011</b></span><br><br> A belated Happy New Year to my readers! The year started as the old one ended  cold. But soon the temperatures lifted and were above the seasonal average. The first spring marker event was the opening of Hazel catkins (not, as some might surmise, the flowering of Snowdrops). Other precursors of spring (but not phenology markers for the national scheme) are the growth of Cow Parsley and garlic Mustard leaves.<br><br> The bird life picked up quite quickly. Greater-spotted Woodpeckers were soon drumming, Song Thrushes singing and Robins (normally solitary, territorial and aggressive birds) pairing up preparatory to mating. Tawny Owls have been calling and I m pleased to say at least some Goldcrests have survived the Arctic frosts. The most exciting bird seen was the Treecreeper. This is the only member of its family (the Cethiidae) present in Northern Europe and is an inconspicuous little bird which, with its speckled brown dorsal plumage is almost invisible on a tree trunk except when moving. It traces a helical path round the trunk  not, as some bird guides say, a spiral path. A spiral is flat; a helix extends in three dimensions (sorry for the pedantry!). </p> </div> <img id = "ba partyc" src = "ba partyc.jpg" width = "400" height = "224" alt ="Natural History walk" style = "position: absolute; top:35px; left: 470px; border-color:white; border-style:solid;border-width:5px;"/> <div id ="div7"> <p><b>Brian leading a Nature Walk </b></p> </div> </body>