The Dunescape of Drigg

 

How do you fancy a trip to the seaside? Or, more specifically, hunting for adders and tiger beetles in the sand dunes? We’re off to Drigg this morning, where I’ve heard that adders have been spotted recently and also to look for one of the UK’s rarest beetles, the northern dune tiger beetle, Cicindela hybrida, which has only been recorded here and at the sand dunes of Sefton, North Merseyside.

If we park up in the village here, then it’s just over a mile’s walk to the dunes, but it will give us a chance to look at the hinterland behind the dunes which seems to be mainly pasture and salt marsh. There’s a pair of raptors quartering the marshes, too distant to identify, but quite a few Stonechats using the fences as vantage points. These birds, relatives of wheatears, redstarts, flycatchers and robins, like to perch on bushes, such as gorse, and utter their call, which has been likened to two pebbles being clicked together. We’ve met this ‘Devil Bird’ before, you may recall, and the Scottish folklore that surrounds it, in Skordilio, Where God and The Devil Meet over in Crete.

Here we are on the dunes with their own, specialised, flora and fauna. There’s Sea Rocket down here, where the dunes meet the beach, and this has adapted to the habitat by producing cork-like seeds which float down the coast by longshore drift (one of the two things, along with ox-bow lakes, which we all seem to remember from school geography lessons), where it will establish new colonies. Another dune specialist is this Sea Spurge, which is a type of Euphorbia. Euphorbias are named after Euphorbus, the Greek physician to the King of Nubia (Juba II who married Antony and Cleopatra’s daughter). It was Euphorbus who noted the plants’ great laxative powers (history does not record how – possibly too much information), from which we get the common English name, Spurge, which simply means to purge.

There’s also Hedge Parsley, Wild Thyme and Bloody Cranesbill up here and an inordinate number of snails crawling about amongst this Lady’s Bedstraw (so called because the dried plants act as a flea repellent and, in mediaeval times, lady’s mattresses used to be stuffed with it). These two, I’m fairly sure, are in the Cepaea genus, because of their striped shells. If you look at the lip of the first shell you can see that it is brown, making it a Brown-lipped Snail, Cepaea nemoralis, whilst the lip of the second one is white, making it a White-lipped Snail, Cepaea hortensis. I am not, however, a snail expert, so please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.

Snails are one of the menu items of choice for the European Common Frog, along with slugs, worms and insects – particularly flies, according to Sergius L. Kuzmin of The Russian Academy of Sciences. So this little fellow, sunbathing in the grass down here, has a choice of breakfasts as, not only are there a number of snails here, but also plenty of Crane Flies. Frogs themselves are favourite prey items of snakes, which is one of the animals we’ve come looking for today, but unfortunately they are conspicuous by their absence. I’ve a feeling that, despite the warm October sunshine, it is still a mite too chilly, and even more so for the Northern Dune Tiger Beetles which are probably tucked up snug in their burrows. Not a waste of time though, with our rapidly diminishing biodiversity, sometimes what you don’t see can be as important as what you do see.

It’s been a lovely morning for wandering about the dunes and these days we have to make the most of the ones that are left, as we’ve lost about 80% of this type of habitat in the last 80 years. All part of the Great Habitat Loss that is driving the current Mass Extinction Event, unfortunately. All is not totally lost however as the Dynamic Dunescape Project is making heroic efforts in dune conservation. Click on the link for an excellent article by Natalie Hunt about the project in general and the Northern Dune Tiger Beetle in particular.

That’s all for now, see you next week when we’ll be off to look at another one of those big puddles – Loweswater.

Steve

Steve's Books

Books make great Christmas Presents!

For the budding naturalist in the family, The Quick Guide to Creepy-Crawlies is a great introduction to invertebrates, suitable for all ages.

If you only want to spend a fiver on a friend, then Not Just For Twisted Women is available in paperback now, and The Eggs of Saramova and other stories will be available next month.

If you just want a little something for yourself to read, now that the nights are drawing in, then both story collections are available on kindle for the price of a decent cup of coffee.

Much as I hate self-promotion, people do tell me that they’re all cracking good 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

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

LINKS:

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

Explore east Crete with the #CreteNature interactive Hiking and Nature Map

Crete	Cumbria
Cretan Flora Crete Birding Greek Butterflies and Moths	Cumbria Wildlife Trust Cumbria Bodiversity Data Centre Carlisle Natural History Society

Voila – Turkish Delight

What a beautiful late Autumn day. Just the sort of day for strolling around an uninhabited historic village and looking for wildlife. This one, called Voila (pronounced Vo-i-la as opposed to the French voilà) is Venetian in origin under the fiefdom of the Salomon family but when Crete was taken over by the Ottoman Empire^[1] in the mid seventeenth century it became the headquarters of one Jen Ali, a famous commander in his day. Nowadays the tower, on which Turkish motifs can be readily discerned, are guarded by a small Cretan frog where armed janissaries once stood. I wonder if there are any bat roosts hidden within?

Unfortunately not, nor anything more remarkable than an old pigeon's nest. It was also rather chilly in there and as the sun is shining down magnificently on the south east side of the village I suggest we make our way over there, nosing through the ruins as we go, and see if we can find some more wildlife. That's better, the ground is covered in lichen covered stones and a host of tiny flowers. These lovely little crocuses, Crocus laevigatus, are particularly attractive I think before they are fully open. Those deep lilac streaks on the underside contrasting strikingly with the snow white petals and then, gradually, the divided orange stigma are revealed. Like a firework in slow motion.

And where we have flowers then of course we have insects and it really is a thriving metropolis down here. Let us repose upon the carpet of Wood Sorrel leaves and observe the action at eye level. There's a small black wasp doing a complicated waggle dance amid an audience of harvester ants here and on one of the crocuses a red and black Soldier Bug nymph is exploring his new world. A few minute black fly-like insects on that Colchicum over there, no bigger than its stamens, require closer inspection and a Marmalade Hoverfly has been attracted to the bright yellow composites that are also dotting the scene like Belisha Beacons along the highways. Sunbathing on the stones a Short-horned grasshopper is looking forward to a light salad lunch whilst nearby an Ameles mantis waits in motionless ambush for a somewhat meatier meal. I could lie here all morning fascinated by this miniature world but there is something I have yet to see this autumn and I wonder if we'll find any examples up by that church up yonder?

This is the church of Agios Giorgos and the last resting place of the Salomon family (they're in the extension apparently if you'd like to go in and say hello). Personally I'm going to do a bit of bird watching. There's a great view of the village, the valley and the windmill dominated hills behind and the first thing I see is a pair of large birds of prey rapidly approaching the spinning blades. A bit distant but I think that the lead bird, at least, may be a Griffon Vulture. There's also a Buzzard on the corner of that building down there. He's spotted something... and he's off. And scanning around to that stand of Weaver's Broom down to our right a Stonechat has just landed. I saw a Black Redstart as we passed through the village of Chandras as well. They started arriving in the second week of November and my own personal lodger has occasionally roosted above my bedroom window when the weather has been less than conducive to spending the night in the open.

Meanwhile I do believe that the items for which I've been looking are lurking alonside the roots of this tree. Our first fungi of the autumn and edible ones at that. These are Mica Caps and if you look closely at the cap you can see the tiny glistening specks that give it the name. A couple of words of warning before you squirrel them away into your bag. Firstly, they must be cooked within the hour or they dissolve into a horrible squidgy inedible mess. Secondly, some related species react with any alcohol in your stomach so it is inadvisable to drink about three hours either side of eating them. Thirdly, they're rather good at picking up heavy metals from the soil so avoid collecting them from roadsides or polluted sites. And finally... I think I see the local priest arriving and he may have something to say about you pinching his breakfast. In all honesty, once you've covered points one to four and checked that there are no fly larvae lurking within, their flavour is so very delicate that you wonder if they were worth the trouble.

The Extra Bit

^[1] If you would like a good read about this period of Cretan history in the east of the island then Yvonne Payne's dramatic account of the Kritsa heroine, Rodanthe is well worth adding to your library. Details here.

Now, cast your mind back two years ago to the day we explored the grounds of the Porto Belissario Hotel. There we found a Western Conifer Seed Bug and I opined that it was the first time that it had been recorded on Crete. It turns out that I was correct and I am most grateful to Torsten van der Heyden for crediting me with its discovery on the island in his paper published on November 20^th in the entomological journal Arquivos Entomoloxicos Galegos

Photographic Bit

Many of you have asked me what photographic equipment I use so here's a quick rundown on the cameras used for each picture. For details of aperture settings, shutter speeds etc. my pictures will be on Flickr within a few days and that has all the geeky stuff.

Picture 1 Nikon COOLPIX S33

Insets 1 Canon EOS 1300D 2,3 Nikon COOLPIX S33

Picture 2 Canon EOS 1300D

Insets Canon EOS 1300D

Picture 3 Nikon COOLPIX S33

Insets Canon EOS 1300D

Picture 4 Nikon COOLPIX S33

Insets 1 Canon EOS 1300D 2,3 Nikon COOLPIX S33

Picture 5 Nikon COOLPIX S33

Insets Canon EOS 1300D

Extra Bit Konica Minolta

Pictures were edited with FastStone Image Viewer and combined with Microsoft Paint.

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

LINKS:

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

See detailed pictures on Flickr

Read more about the flora and flora of the island in The Nature of Crete (Flipboard Magazine)

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)

Steve's Nature Quiz #22

Mantis, to most of us, conjures up a picture of the familiar Praying Mantis (Mantis religiosa). In this week's #CreteNature blog I introduced you to another, the Mediterranean Mantis (Iris oratoria) but how many types of Mantis are there in the world?

a) 24

b) 240

c) 2,400

Mediterranean Mantis, Iris oratoria

Somewhat surprisingly there are over 2,400 species of Mantis in the world (and probably many more that we've yet to discover). They are a distinct order of insects (Mantodea) on a par with Flies (Diptera) or Beetles (Coleoptera) and there are fifteen different families of Mantises within the order Mantodea. Here in Greece the ancients believed that Mantises had supernatural powers and could show you the way home. I wouldn't rely upon it; this one is pointing away from my front gate!

More on mantises, as well as frogs, flowers, stone chats and grasshoppers plus a bit of folklore in this week's #CreteNature blog: Skordilo, Where God and the Devil Meet

North By North West

The thing about walking on these mountain roads is finding a place to get off them and strike out across country. As they are cut into the hillside you usually find yourself hemmed in by a high and unclimbable bank. The trick here is to look for the place where water crosses the road which can often be spotted by lines of Oleander straggling up and down. Where water comes down we can often go up such as at this spot here. Let’s give it a try. A couple of weeks ago (see The Dew Ponds of Katharo) I suggested that murdering someone by drowning them in a pond where diatoms were present was not a good idea if you want to get away with it; the same applies to poisoning them with Oleander. The mix of toxins in all parts of the plant are far too easily detectable. Just thought you’d like to know. In case you were thinking of murdering anybody.

Autumn birds of the Cretan uplands

Listen to the birds up here this morning. When you’re trying to identify a bird at a distance, as we are here, you can often narrow the field down a bit by watching what they’re doing. The Stonechat likes to perch on the top of bushes whereas the Spotted Flycatcher will use not only bushes but wires, fences or any similar vantage point. Blue Rock Thrushes, as their name suggests, prefer to survey the landscape from the rocks whilst Crag Martins, like Swallows and Swifts, swoop through the air hawking for insects. If you look high in the sky above us there’s a Griffon Vulture who, with his incredible eyesight, takes a wide angle view of the entire valley.

Thorny Broom, Calicotome villosa

We’ll make our way up to the rocks and, although those shorts of yours look very snazzy, I think you’re going to regret them soon. The flip-flops might not have been a wise choice either. This is a very exposed hillside up here and consequently the plants that we’re walking through have to be tough to survive. They’re narrow leaved to conserve water in the blistering summer sun, and low growing and mat forming to protect themselves from the vicious winds that can occur at any time of the year and, as you’ve noticed, incredibly thorny to deter browsers. Many of them bear very similar small yellow flowers and a tip to identification is to try and find the seed. Pods that split open down the side like a pea are all members of the Fabaceae family (also known as the Leguminosae) and this particular hairy pod is characteristic of Thorny Broom, Calicotome villosa, used for beating tyrants by the torturers in Hades according to the ancient Greeks (The thorny bits, not the pods that is).

Autumn Flowers of the Cretan uplands.

The other way of protecting yourself if you’re a plant of course is to be very small and hide yourself in the rocks so let’s scramble up to the top and see what we can find. This is a nice one; Narcissus serotinus. At about four inches tall this is one of the smallest daffodils that you will ever see. The fragile looking little brown job is Euphorbia dimorphocaulon, a diminutive member of the spurge family and the tiniest of them all which you’re almost sitting on is the Autumn Squill, Prospero autumnale. Spotting these little beauties is a matter of  practice and luck. After a while you develop a knack.

Wild Pear and Capnodis Beetle

Here we are at the top and so far not a creepy crawly to brighten our day but if you look over there to our left there’s a story going on which involves fruit, worms and beetles and this is how it goes. Those small, shrubby trees are Wild Pear, Pyrus spinosa, and as you can see someone has been assiduously cutting them back, protecting the cut surface with plastic and leaving just one live twig. The reason that they’ve done this I suspect can be found in the sawn logs on the floor. They have some rather obvious holes in them which, if I excavate them with my pen knife, reveal some tunnels of considerable width. Now it just so happens that when I was up here a week or two back I met up with this rather robust and sinister looking beetle. He’s one of the Capnodis who’s larvae are well known for excavating fruit trees from the roots up and is, therefore, our prime suspect. The holes, I presume, would have been made when the adults emerged. A bit more work would need to be done to prove the case for the prosecution but the punishment could be severe. The modern biological control method is to introduce tiny nematode worms into the tree which feed on the larvae.

I am always a bit sceptical of biological control methods especially when introducing new species into an ecosystem (the Harlequin Ladybird for example) as they can do more harm than good but the general consensus on nematodes is that there are good guys and bad guys. Nematodes that target a specific pest like Capnodis larvae apparently fit into the good guys category and no side effects have been reported from their use.

There’s another little mountain road up here signposted to the Church of the Holy Cross. Looks like an interesting one to follow next week.

News Update

If you’re enjoying our weekly wanders around east Crete and are thinking that maybe it’s a good place to come for a holiday (you’d be right) then you may be interested in a new web site that I’ve been asked to co-author. It’s very much under construction at the moment but you can find it here and add it to your favourites for later:  https://exploringeastcrete.net/

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

LINKS:

Naturalists (the facebook page that accompanies this blog)

See detailed pictures at http://www.inaturalist.org/login  (search - people-stevedaniels-observations)

Cretan Flora

Flowers of Crete;

BIRDS OF CRETE

Crete Birding

Greek Butterflies and Moths

Aquaworld Aquarium

Visit Greece (National Government Tourist Office)