Here Be Volcanoes! - Eycott Hill

Eycott Hill Nature Reserve, Cumbria, UK

 

Here be volcanoes! OK, Cumbria may not be the first place that comes to mind when considering the volcanic hotspots of the world, but some 460 million years ago this place was on fire. This was the bed of The Iapetus Sea, which was being squished as continents drifted into one another, setting off volcanoes and lava flows all over the place. Between then and now, this has been land, sea and ice at one time or another and pretty well tilted as you can see from the information board provided by the Cumbria Wildlife Trust. These rocky hummocks are the bits of volcanic lava, still visible after all these years. And how do they know all this? Those neat holes in the rocks are not made by incredibly strong boring beetles, as you may imagine, but by the lesser spotted geologists, who have been taking, and studying, samples of the ancient lava.

The flora up here is pretty special too. There are twenty species of sedge and eighteen species of Sphagnum moss up here (I think I've identified these correctly, but please feel free to put me right). There are marsh violets and mountain pansies and the beautifully lace-like Parsley Fern.

As I said in this month's European Nature Almanack, May is a good month to look out for reptiles and amphibians becoming more active after months of hibernation. This little fellow is a newt. We have three species here in the UK: the Smooth, or Common Newt, the Palmate Newt and the Great Crested Newt. This one has a shallow crest running from neck to tail, and there is no webbing on the back feet, so I think that it's a Smooth Newt. To be absolutely certain I'd have to check that he has black spots on his throat, but I don't want to disturb him.

We have owls and small mammals too. We haven't actually seen any (these are two owls I made earlier, so to speak), but we do have evidence in the form of a regurgitated owl pellet. After half an hours prodding about, I've managed to extract 22 small mammal bones including leg, shoulder, vertebrae and occasional pieces of skull.

Now, it wouldn't be me if I didn't find a couple of insects to play with, and what a pair they are. The first beauty is an Emperor Moth, a grand name for a grand insect. This is one of about 2,300 species of large Saturnid moths, but the only one you'll find in the UK. They only live for about a fortnight as adults, because their only purpose is to mate. They cannot even eat, and have to rely on the food resources they built up as a caterpillar. The other fellow is a Dor Beetle. These are earth boring dung beetles who dig tunnels (up to 2 metres long in some species) beneath a pile of dung. This particular species is coprophagous, that is, it eats dung and provisions its nest with the same, but many Dor Beetles live on a diet of mouldy leaf litter. Can't say that either appeal to me particularly.

And now, a Special Offer for all you budding bug spotters out there. I have 25 signed, limited edition copies of The Quick Guide To Creepy-Crawlies to send out on a first come – first served basis. The standard version is £14.99 on Amazon + p&p but I'm offering you these signed, limited edition copies for only £12.00 + p&p.

	Amazon price £14.99 plus p&p
Signed, Limited Edition Offer:
£12 + £1.50 p&p = £13.50	$14.75 + $4.25 p&p = $19.00	€14 + €4.00 p&p = €18.00

Remember, there are only 25 and it's first come, first served!

All the best,

Steve

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The Owls of Muncaster Castle

I’ve often thought, that if I inherited a castle, I would know exactly what I would do with it. I would devote the grounds to wildlife conservation and invite the public in, to inform, enlighten, educate and enjoy. It seems as though I’ve been beaten to it. The Pennington family have done exactly that with Muncaster Castle, here in Cumbria. So, join me if you will, for a little walk around their garden.

One of the first things you notice is a slight dearth of manicured lawns, formal gardens and the like. Pheasants and Herons pop up like Jack-in-the-boxes from swathes of wild grasslands instead. There’s a reason for this, and the reason is owls. The more astute ornithologists among you will have noticed that the Great Grey Owl in the picture is not a native British species, they live in the more northerly latitudes of America, Europe and Asia. Muncaster Castle is the home of The World Owl Centre, dedicated to the conservation of owls and their habitat, worldwide. So, out went the formal gardens to be replaced with aviaries, flying areas and hay meadows. Owls like to eat small, furry mammals and small, furry mammals like to live in hay meadows and we haven’t got so many of those these days. There’s an awful lot of us in the UK now, all demanding our daily bread, so agriculture has had to intensify to feed us all. Hence, fewer hay meadows, fewer small, furry mammals and less owls.

Hay meadows are also a haven for insects, a valuable food source for the small, furry mammals. Insects, and their relationships with plants and predators, is my area of special interest and I’d love to get in there, catalogue them all and document what’s going on. Today though, I’ll have to content myself with watching from the sidelines. I’m pleased to see an old friend, the Marmalade Hover Fly, as I’ve been helping to monitor the migration patterns of these amazing little insects for a number of years; firstly in Crete and now here in Cumbria [see To The Village of Orino]. We also have a little Flea Beetle, a tribe of beetles within the Leaf Beetle family, Chrysomelidae, which I’ve often come across in bushes and woody shrubs in my peregrinations around the Cretan countryside. And finally, a Dark-winged Fungus Gnat which is totally new to me.

There are loads of little hidden paths with sudden, amazing views and an absolute plethora of plant life. One plant that I certainly wasn’t expecting to see was this one down at our feet, Oregano. I’ve always thought of it as a Mediterranean herb but, apparently, it has become widely naturalised across the UK, particularly in recent decades. Definitely one to add to the foraging list for Steve's Wild Kitchen. Not today though, after all this is someone’s private garden, even if it is open to the public.

It’s nearly 4 o’clock; Heron feeding time. They’ve been feeding wild herons here for decades, from suitable kitchen scraps, but before we get there, I just want to bring your attention to this Sweet Chestnut tree. In silhouette it looks like a mediaeval court jester looking down and laughing at us. Could it be that Thomas Skelton, the 16^th century court jester at Mulcaster, is still playing his tricks? After all, this sinister [and allegedly murderous] clown is said to still haunt the place and this tree was his favourite place for sitting under. He also used to direct people, that he didn’t like the look of, into nearby quicksand, according to legend. Ah, but they were different times and humour was different then.

On a personal note, I am close to purchasing my flat in Cockermouth. I’ll try to keep up a weekly post but events may overtake me. So, until next time, stay safe and be happy. 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)