Berries, Birds, Bugs and Us

 

Last week, we were chugging down the Lancaster Canal and this week we're taking to the railways. To be more precise, the old Lowca Light Railway line which closed in 1973 and is now a lovely footpath. As you come out of the village you are greeted by a beautiful stand of White Poplars. These trees, with their distinctive two-tone leaves were sacred to Hercules in Roman mythology. Apparently he bound his arrows with a branch of White Poplar after he defeated Cacus, the fire breathing giant, son of Vulcan. Who knew?

The Good, The Bad and The Edible

Further along the track, there are trees and bushes bearing a profusion of red berries, all of which look very similar. The trick in telling them apart is to look at the surrounding leaves. The slightly elongated ones, top left, are Rose Hips. Top right are Hawthorn and bottom left are Rowan. Bottom right has me slightly foxed. It's part of the rose family of plants, quite possibly a Whitebeam, but I'm still checking it out. So, are they good, bad or edible? Medicinally, the Rose Hip is under investigation for its effects in reducing the pain of arthritis, whilst the Hawthorn has proved to be effective in reducing cardiovascular disease. The folk in the white coats are just working out the dosages. This also puts Hawthorn in the 'bad' category as an overdose can cause cardiac arrhythmia and seriously low blood pressure. All three are edible, mainly in the form of condiments – syrups and jams and so forth, as well as being used in wine making. The young leaves and buds of hawthorn (known as 'bread and cheese' in some parts), can be added to salads but are probably best avoided if you have a heart condition.

The berries are not only edible for us, but also for many birds, like this Starling. These beautiful, but often overlooked, birds generally prefer a diet of insects and other invertebrates, but as the insect life declines with the turning of the seasons, they are not averse to switching to these high energy berries. In return, the trees rely on the birds for expanding their range. The seeds within the berries, pass through the birds unharmed, to be dropped with a little package of fertilizer, far from the parent plant.

The seeds have to be fertile in the first place of course, which is where the insects come in. Before the tree can produce a fertile seed, its flowers need to be pollinated. I'm not sure if this Ruby Tiger Moth caterpillar will do any pollinating when it grows up, as many moths do not feed in the adult stage and hence, have no need to visit flowers. You'll often see these caterpillars, moving quite quickly across the path at this time of year, as well as the similarly hairy, black and red, Fox Moth caterpillars (see Fell Walking For Wimps 3).

Without the birds, the seeds don't get distributed; without the bugs, the flowers don't get pollinated. Berries, and other foodstuffs like fruit, veg and cereals don't grow and we starve. Which is why people like me are always honking on about protecting biodiversity. Self interest, when you think about it!

News From The Old Corn Mill

I haven't mentioned the river lately: it has been very low over the summer (quite easily fordable in places), but now that the autumn rains have started it is filling quite quickly. We still have our usual multitude of Mallards and Harry and Sally, the Grey Herons have produced a youngster whom we've named Connick (as in Harry Jnr.). There was a new member to the cast this morning; as I was eating my breakfast a Red Squirrel scampered past the iron railings in the foreground. By the time I got out there with my camera (less than a minute) he'd disappeared. Also, my bacon and eggs had gone cold by the time I came back.

Just a quick reminder, with Christmas looming, there is a selection of books below that make great presents. My latest, Chubby's Crematorium & Burger Bar, would be perfect for a Secret Santa gift. 23 laugh-your-socks-off ditties covering all stages of life from childhood to old age.

Until next week,

All the best

Steve

Steve's Books

Chubby's Crematorium & Burger Bar A book of humorous poems to cheer, amuse and entertain your friends with.	£4.99 Paperback
The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.	£14.99 Paperback
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete).	£7.50 Paperback £1.99 Kindle
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.	£4.99 Paperback £1.99 Kindle

See sample pages of all my books and latest blogs, and keep abreast of latest publications here: http://author.to/SteveDaniels

Cockermouth Circle Line

I've always liked the London Underground, from the woosh of the trains to the unique aroma of the platforms, and especially the schematic map. When I worked in a microbiology lab in London in the 1970s, I always got a seat on the tube by the simple expedient of donning a lab coat and carrying a sandwich box covered in biohazard stickers. We don't have an underground here in Cockermouth (nor an overground any longer thanks to Dr Beeching), but I've adopted the schematic map to plan my local walks. Welcome to the Circle Line, starting at my local station: The Old Cornmill. 

I haven't mentioned the height of the River Derwent recently, mainly because it has been behaving itself and not causing me to deploy the flood defences. After a weekend of steady rain (which, for the first time in five months, prevented me getting out and about) it rose to its typical high level which is not enough to worry the mallards. So, let us proceed eastbound, stopping first at Back Lane.

Here we find a wall covered in dying ivy, which gives us a chance to have a good look at how it manages to grow up a wall without falling off. Firstly, it sends out small roots from the stem to get an initial purchase. These then send out even smaller rootlets that get into the tiniest of crevices and produce an adhesive (with separate hardener, would you believe). Finally, they change shape, screwing themselves into position, then lignify (turn to wood). So, if you want to affix something permanently to a wall, copy ivy – glue it, then screw it.

The scientific name, Hedera helix, means grasping and spiralling. They didn't know about the glueing back then.

Turning our back on the ivy and peering over the opposite wall we have an uninteresting factory (from a naturalist's point of view) fronted by a pair of interesting reservoirs. There's usually something to see here, and today is no exception. Over there on the far bank (where else?) we have an Oystercatcher. I usually see these running along the sea shore, at the water's edge (see A Fjord By Any Other name - Solway Firth) and most Oystercatchers around the world are, indeed, coastal birds. The European Oystercatcher however, along with a couple of other species, also breed inland.

Our next stop along the line is North Fields (change here for the Northern Line to Woodhall farm) with a view of Cockermouth Castle in the distance and the landmark King's Church spire. We also have a flock of Herdwicks, and where we have sheep we have dung. Time for a prod! I see that the Yellow Dung Flies have hatched and are busy making the next generation. And if we turn it over... that looks to be a little dung beetle burrowing its way into the warm goo. Quite possibly an Aphodius species such as we saw at Watendlath Tarn. We're going to continue our journey to the bottom left corner of the field. Next stop, Gote Mills race.

I explained all about Gote Mills Race last year in Down By The Derwent, so I won't go over it again. The sluice gate is closed so let's delve beneath the logs lying amid the Snowdrops and see who's home. There are a couple of small snails, very delicate and shiny, so I expect that they are Glass Snails of the Gastrodontinae family; a Shiny Woodlouse, Oniscus asellus, and a pretty little Arion slug. I must admit, I was hoping for the odd reptile or amphibian down here but no matter, every living thing has an interesting tale to tell. No room to tell them here, but if you subscribe to Steve's Nature Plus I often go into more detail about the lifestyles of our native creatures.

Last stop, Memorial Gardens. We're back in civilisation now with plenty of garden feeders in the area so we have a good number of birds, such as this Blue Tit, singing in the trees. I do believe that was a Red Admiral butterfly we just disturbed, and over there – our first Bumblebee of the year. The insects are starting to appear, birds are singing for mates and it's the Equinox at 9.37am on Saturday. Spring begins this week-end. Yippee!

With all these insects and other invertebrates beginning to appear, why not treat yourself to a copy of The Quick Guide To Creepy-Crawlies and find out more about the amazing world of the minibeasts.

Happy Springtime

Steve

LINKS:

Steve's Nature Plus Join me at The Old Cornmill and follow me throughout the week for all the news that doesn't fit into the blog.

Share your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

Wonderful Whinlatter

 

Bassenthwaite Lake from Whinlatter Forest

At the end of the First World War England had a timber shortage. To combat this, the government embarked (no pun intended) on a program of tree planting. Now, a little over one hundred years later, we have the wonderful Whinlatter Forest, England’s only true mountain forest. There are miles of well marked walking tracks, magnificent views, adventure areas for children and wicked mountain biking routes. This is where we’re off to today.

Robin, Erithacus rubecula  and Treecreeper, Certhia familiaris 

Somewhat inevitably, we have a Robin accompanying us on our walk (I think that our intrepid local guide secretly brings one with her). We also have some Treecreepers, making their way, stealthily up the trunks of the trees in search of insects. If you see a bird going up a tree, like this, then it’s probably a Treecreeper. If you see one coming down head first then it’s probably a Nuthatch.

Whinlatter is all about trees and, at this time of year, they do a roaring trade in Christmas trees. In fact, there are so many people wandering about with a section of forest under their arms, that it’s a wonder that there is any left to walk in. There’s a choice of Fir, Pine or Spruce and a handy guide as to the advantages and disadvantages of each type. For instance; Spruce is the traditional one that smells of the Christmases of childhood. It is also the one that has you picking needles out of the carpet at Easter. Pine and Fir keep their needles better and Fir has well spaced branches, ideal for decorating. Pine is a much bushier tree and has an invigorating aroma. So you pays your penny and you takes your pick. Slightly more pennies for Pine and Fir, than for Spruce.

Some of the trees have fungi growing on them. These, with their delicate, conical caps and slender stems are Bonnets, of the Mycena genus. There are over 500 of these worldwide, and telling one from another usually requires a microscope. Some are edible, some are poisonous and most aren’t worth bothering about from a culinary viewpoint. Some of them even glow in the dark. I see that Jack the navigator hound has photobombed the picture again. I wonder if we can retrain him as a truffle hound? 

News from the Corn Mill

River Derwent at Cockermouth

One of the many beauties of living here is that it’s only a ten minute walk to the middle of town, and most of that is alongside the River Derwent through the Memorial Gardens. As you can see, the river has been behaving itself very well for the past week. Hopefully it will keep doing so for the next month as the flood barrier for the front door won’t be here until next month. Must go now as the dining table and chairs have just arrived. So, until next time,

Stay happy and stay safe,

Steve

Steve's Books

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete). Too new for reviews yet!
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.

See sample pages of all my books and latest blogs, and keep abreast of latest publications here: http://author.to/SteveDaniels

Crete Nature Catch-up
Series 1 - Welcome to Lasithi	Series 2 - The Rhythm Of Life	Series 3 - A Journey Begins
Series 4 - The Milonas Valley	Series 5 - This Is Ferma	Series 6 - Upland Villages
Series 7 - The Forty saints	Series 8 - Sunday Strolls	Series 9 -Stormy Weather

*********************************************************************

LINKS:

Share your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

Explore the region with the #CreteNature interactive Hiking and Nature Map

Cretan Flora Flowers of Crete BIRDS OF CRETE Crete Birding

Greek Butterflies and Moths Aquaworld Aquarium

Visit Greece (National Government Tourist Office)

Series 13 Welcome To The Old Corn Mill

 

To recap: having lived in Crete for the past 16 years, I have now decided to get the best of both worlds by dividing my time between Crete and the UK. This has meant buying a property over here, to whit, a portion of a 200 year old corn mill, in Cockermouth, Cumbria. This gives me the novelty of living close to my mother and one of my sisters. I’m not sure what Cockermouth has done to warrant us all descending upon it as, for the past forty years, we’ve lived as far apart from each other as possible. As a naturalist, I am as interested in what lies outside my front door as what lies inside. In this case it is the River Derwent. It usually lies outside, but in 2015 it came in through the front door, and in the ‘Great Flood’ of 2009, which put most of Cockermouth under water, it crept over the windowsills. For that reason we’ll be keeping a close eye on the river level. At the moment it is running at 1.479 metres, which is just about within its normal level.

Enough waffling, let’s go and explore our new playground. There is a stretch of woodland on our way up to the village of Papcastle with a helpful roadside sign instructing the red squirrels to slow down. This is good news for me as I’m not as quick with the camera as I used to be. No squirrels this morning but plenty of Christmasy Snowberries. This is a north American plant which was imported into the UK in the late 19C as an ornamental and has now become widely naturalized. The native Americans used it as both soap and soup, oddly enough seeing as it is mildly poisonous, but crushing the berries between your palms gives you an instant hand lotion.

Once into the village, which in Roman times rivalled Carlisle in size, there is a farm track down to the riverside pastures which is full of interesting stuff. Plenty of Ivy coming into flower, providing a good winter harvest for birds and insects alike. Particularly these tiny white flies this morning. I’m pretty sure that these are biting midges of the Ceratopogonidae family, as opposed to the non-biting midges of the Chironomidae family. You don’t have to stand around getting bitten (or not) to tell them apart; male non-biting midges have feathery antennae, male biting midges don’t.

Aha! A log pile. Let’s see who’s about. The big fellow (1) is a Roundback Slug of the Arionidae family. Very common slugs that are difficult to tell apart as their colouration is influenced by their diet. The smaller chap, sitting on his head, (2) is also a Roundback but part of a subgroup, known as the Fasciatus, which have a false keel running down the back. Sandwiched between the two (3) looks to be a larva of some kind, while up in the top right (4) is an Elongate-bodied Springtail of the Tomoceridae family. Although they have six legs, they are not insects but hexapods. To qualify as an insect you must have had two pairs of wings at some point in your ancestry. (There is a section on hexapods – springtails, coneheads and diplurans in The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies).

Here we are, down by the riverside and I spot a handy seat where we can sit and watch the river for a bit. Not much in flower at the moment, the odd bit of Yarrow but, thankfully, no Himalayan Balsam (see Urban Oasis). What we do have though, is a couple of Waxcap fungi which tell us something about the grass at our feet. This is a habitat known as Waxcap Grassland, which is declining throughout Europe due to modern agricultural practices. It is nutrient poor grazing land – sheep in the case of this one – which supports fungi biodiversity in general and waxcaps in particular. This Pink Waxcap, Porpolomopsis calyptriformis, which appears to have been well nibbled, is vulnerable to extinction on the IUCN red list, so that has to be our find of the day.

Unfortunately, the public footpath ends at somebody’s garden gate just along here which means that we can’t get into the woodlands beyond. I’ll have to get to know the neighbours! We have, on the opposite bank (where all birds live), a herd of Mallards, a herd being just one of many collective nouns for a group of ducks. Flock, team, paddling and raft being some of the others. But there is a stranger in the camp, the duck on the extreme right is not a Mallard but a Goosander, Mergus merganser, a sea duck that breeds in Scandinavia but comes down here for some Cumbrian warmth in the winter. They are piscivorous (fish eating) ducks and they will often work as a team, forming a semicircle around the fish and shepherding them into the shallows, where they are easier to catch.

So, that’s our first foray into our new hunting grounds and I’m sure we’ll find many more interesting things in these diverse habitats as the seasons turn.

Steve's Books

The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies All you need to know to identify any type of insect, spider, worm or snail very simply and find out more about it. Yvonne: This was a gift for a family so that the children can understand what they see on days out. The second was for me. Logical and easy to use. If you know anyone who likes nature you can be confident that gifting this book will give years of pleasure.
The Eggs of Saramova A science fiction novella for those who don't like science fiction. A fast-paced thriller that is, literally, out of this world (and it starts right here in Crete). Too new for reviews yet!
Not Just For Twisted Women by Steve Daniels  A light-hearted look at life through the eyes of the fairer sex. Janet: If you are short on time but enjoy reading and are maybe not into long extended novels then Not Just For... Twisted Women provides readers with concise stories that stand alone and most certainly entertain with their ultimate twists. Loved it. Helen: A very good read! Well written and entertaining! Margaret: Each quick tale gives a glimpse into a character's life and has an often humorous twist at the end. I would love to read more. Yvonne: These days many people find it hard to find the time to read a novel, so this book of short stories is ideal to dip into. It is also makes a good gift.

See sample pages of all my books and latest blogs, and keep abreast of latest publications here: http://author.to/SteveDaniels

Crete Nature Catch-up
Series 1 - Welcome to Lasithi	Series 2 - The Rhythm Of Life	Series 3 - A Journey Begins
Series 4 - The Milonas Valley	Series 5 - This Is Ferma	Series 6 - Upland Villages
Series 7 - The Forty saints	Series 8 - Sunday Strolls	Series 9 -Stormy Weather

*********************************************************************

LINKS:

Share your nature thoughts, photos and comments on Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

Explore the region with the #CreteNature interactive Hiking and Nature Map

Cretan Flora Flowers of Crete BIRDS OF CRETE Crete Birding

Greek Butterflies and Moths Aquaworld Aquarium

Visit Greece (National Government Tourist Office)