Archive

2010

Friday 23rd July. Batty about Newts. 17 participants, including a good number of the next generation of naturalists, took part in this evening event at Wharncliffe Heath LNR. While waiting for the sun to set we took a stroll onto the heath and enjoyed the view over Stocksbridge to the Pennines beyond, and briefly discussed some aspects of site management including the use of livestock to stem the growth of scrubby birch and oak, and to create a mosaic of different heathland habitats. Unfortunately the Nightjar(s) didn't show although they had been present earlier in the year, so we returned to the pond with torches, nets, trays and bat detectors at the ready. Many Palmate Newts, both adult and larval, were temporarily captured and allowed good views in the trays and torchlight. The number of dragonfly larvae caught was disappointingly low. Hopefully this is not linked to the hungry Goldfish that were spotted in the pond! A total of 4 species of bat were detected; Common and Soprano Pipistrelles and Daubentons over the pond and in the woodland, and a single Noctule hunting over the heath. Altogether a wonderful evening enhanced by the exuberant enthusiasm of the younger attendees.

Saturday 5th June. Invertebrates of Wharncliffe Heath and Woods. Jim Flanagan led a group of six through the woods surrounding Wharncliffe Heath and across the Heath itself on a very warm day. It is remarkable what diversity is revealed by a simple sweep of a net through the grass or a quick beat of a few oak boughs. However neither of these techniques was required to reveal Green Tiger Beetles which were very active on the paths along the crags and across the Heath. The open sandy areas along the paths were punctured with the symmetrical burrows made by species of solitary wasps and bees which require such warm sunny open areas to breed and develop. A large furry caterpillar on the heath turned out to be the distinctive larva of the heather-feeding Oak Eggar Moth, as distinctive as a larva as it is as an adult.  A welcome sight was the Brown Silver-line - a moth that feeds on Bracken!  Along the crags was found the very striking Wasp Longhorn Beetle, which was a new addition to the reserve species list.  Other species were also found new to the reserve so many thanks to Jim for leading this very pleasant and educational
walk.

Thurs 27th May. Nightjar briefly churring and wing-clapping near the crags on Wharncliffe Heath LNR just before 22.00. A probable second bird (female?) also present. A few Woodcock roding too.

Sunday 23rd May. Dawn Chorus Walk. 10 early risers convened at 4.30am for this Sheffield Environment Week event expertly led by Andrew Hill. We were very lucky (again!) with the weather. It was an absolutely glorious sunny and warm spring morning and the birds were in full song in the woodland around Wharncliffe Heath. Perhaps the highlights were 3 Spotted Flycatchers which gave very clear renditions of their song which is usually so easily missed. Two others that can be missed, Treecreeper and Goldcrest, were also vociferous and allowed us to pick out the differences between their songs. On the heath we were treated to the song and displays of a number of Tree Pipits. Interactions between the individuals suggested that they had not yet fully defined their territories. Many thanks to all those attending, and particularly to Andrew for leading the event.

Sunday 7th March. Beat the Rhodo! 19 participants turned out for this, the last of our "conservation days" of the winter. We were blessed with a glorious day of wall-to-wall.sunshine and no wind, and a number of invasive Rhododendron ponticum bushes were cut and burnt. The job was done in time to allow a look at the new glades being created around some old coppiced oaks below the crags. Joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust.

Sunday 7th February. Conservation Day at Agden Bog. It was a real pleasure (and a challenge) to work on this lovely hillside mire. 18 participants cut, dragged and burned trees and saplings on the reserve. The trampling as well as the removal of shade and nutrient-promoting vegetation should have helped to break up the tussocks and allow more space for Sphagnum, Sundews and all the other tiny bog specialists to grow. Hopefully later this year this Yorkshire Wildlife Trust reserve will be fenced and extensively grazed to keep the sward more open. A big Thank You to all those who turned up and worked so hard.

Sunday 24th January. Beat the Birch! 11 volunteers worked all day in the Northern Enclosure of Wharncliffe Heath and did a magnificent job. The weather was thankfully quiet, as was the wildlife apart from 5 flushed Woodcock and a possible sighting of a Weasel. A big thank you to all those involved. Joint event with Steel Valley Project http://www.thesteelvalleyproject.info/

2009

Sunday 15th November. Work Party. 8 participants including 3 "juniors" helped with further clearance of birch scrub and regrowth in the Northern Enclosure (see Wharncliffe Heath LNR), often under the watchful eye of a flock of Shetland and Hebridean sheep!. Once again we were blessed with a fine sunny day.  Thanks to all those who took part. Joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust.

Sunday 18th October. Work Party. 20 participants including 13 University of Sheffield Conservation Volunteers cut birch saplings in the Northern enclosure, including one of the areas used for monitoring the impact of grazing on vegetation. In the afternoon we undertook a "walk-through" the Western enclosure in order to confirm that there were no grazing animals left in there. I think all would agree that the terrain made this much easier to say than to do! Three areas surrounding some old coppiced oaks in the woodland below the crags were also marked up for birch clearance to allow the oaks more space and light. All-in-all a very productive day, and once again we were lucky with the weather! Thanks go to all those involved. Joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust..

Saturday 10th October. Small Mammal Survey. 21 participants including 13 University Conservation Volunteers watched as 10 traps were opened in the wood and rides with no success. However 3 of 8 traps set on the heath revealed 2 Wood Mice and a Bank Vole. Derek Whiteley then demonstrated the art of holding, weighing, ageing and sexing the animals before others also had a go. The animals were then quickly released. The immature male Wood Mouse weighed in at 16g, and the immature female at 20g. The male Bank Vole turned out to be a mature adult weighing 24g. All appeared to be in good condition (see Images). The beautiful weather and regular fly-pasts by at least 2 Ravens added to a very enjoyable way to start the weekend. All thanks go to Derek Whiteley from Sorby NH Society for expert guidance.

Sunday 20th September. Work Party.  12 volunteers turned up to cut birch in the Northern enclosure on a lovely warm day. The Heath looked beautiful in the sunshine with the bracken and the birch just starting to turn golden. Most of the birch was fairly small and was tackled with loppers. A buzzard was seen flying overhead and a number of interesting fungi were spotted. Thank you to those involved. Joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust.

Friday 24th July.  Batty about Newts. 32 torch-bearers took part in this introduction to some of the wildlife that lives in and over the dam pond and on the heath. Woodcock and Nightjar finally showed well and provided entertainment until the glorious sunset had faded and light was sufficiently low to allow the use of torches, dipping nets and bat detectors at the pond. Palmate newts were seen by everyone and caught (and returned) by some of the young enthusiasts, though the number of dragonfly larvae was disappointingly low (good news for the newts!). Common Pipistrelles were heard and seen in the tree canopy over the pond, but we had to wait until our return to the R. Don to hear Daubenton's. A single Soprano Pipistrelle was heard in the woodland near the pond. Joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust.

Sunday 12th July. Bat Box Monitoring. Licensed bat expert Sarah Proctor and 3 volunteers investigated the bat boxes in the woodland at Wharncliffe Heath nature reserve. Many boxes were found with evidence of previous bat occupation, as well as bird's nests and the odd wasp's nest. 2 bats were found, which turned out to be a Common Pipistrelle and a Soprano Pipistrelle (see Images), both males. Differences in appearance of these closely related species were noted before the bats were carefully returned to their respective boxes.

Friday 29th May. Male and female Nightjar showing very well on Wharncliffe Heath. Frog calls, wing clapping and churring by the male. Both seen in flight together between 21.57 and 22.15

Sunday 24th May. Dawn Chorus Walk led by Jim Clarke and Andrew Hill. Joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust. The 13 that were present were treated to the start of a beautiful early summer's day. We really could not have been luckier! Jim and Andrew proceeded to point out the different instruments in the dawn orchestra. The thrushes (4 of them) and Robins were easy, the pigeons familiar to everyone and the Wrens incessant. We were treated to less obvious players, identified for us. No fewer than 5 Spotted Flycatcher were heard, and the increasingly scarce Wood Warbler. The call of the Garden Warbler sounded like a Grey Squirrel and was the best way to distinguish it from Blackcap. Local heathland favourites Linnet, Tree Pipit host and Cuckoo parasite were seen and heard. Altogether a glorious morning and well worth the early start.

Sunday 10th May.  The Geology of Wharncliffe. 21 people gathered at Station Rd, Deepcar for a walk onto the Crags to discover more about the geology of the area from Ken Dorning.  The geology was literally laid bare by huge excavations at a development site close to Station Road.  The beds of sandstones, shales and, best of all, a coal seam were clearly visible. On top of the Crags, we were able to look with new eyes at the familiar ripples and ruckles of the rocks, as the evidence of events that took place on a sand-bank on a river delta one day about three hundred million years ago. We also discovered that the oldest feature in the landscape is not the crags, nor even the valley below.  Astonishingly, it is possible that the River Don has been flowing down a valley in the same position as the present one, but a full mile higher, since the Cretaceous period. It has been gradually wearing its way through all those layers of sandstone, shale and coal. Thanks to Ken we were amazed again at the story in the rocks around us. Organised as part of Sheffield Environment Weeks.

Sunday 22nd March. Work Party. Six volunteers cleared almost a hectare of developing birch scrub and some small Rhododenron ponticum bushes on this, the last work party this Spring and a joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust. Thank you to all involved in the monitoring and management events this Winter.

Sunday 15th March. Work Party. Four volunteers cut rhododendron and cleared about 0.5ha of maturing birch scrub on a wonderful spring day. Ravens, kestrels and crossbills overhead and a Woodcock flushed, all of which added to the entertainment.  Joint event with Steel Valley Project.

Sunday 22nd February. Work Party. Only two participants enjoyed the early spring weather while tackling Rhododendron ponticum and birch scrub. Spring was definitely in the air and the birch sap was starting to rise.

2008

Sunday 16th November. Bat box monitoring. Led by 2 bat licence holders, 5 participants monitored the 50 or so bat boxes scattered through the wood on the eastern fringe of Wharncliffe Heath. Many of the wooden boxes were found to be deteriorating and will need replacement. Just 2 bats were found, a Long-eared (see Images) and a (probably Common) Pipistrelle.

Sunday 2nd November. Work party. On a cold, misty and rainy morning, 4 hardy souls met on site to cut birch for the final work day of the year. Work continued until 3.00pm when the weather became worse. A photographic record was taken to show the 'before' and 'after'   - an incentive to keep turning up for work days even with such small numbers of participants! A large flock of redpoll was seen and this has been added to the Sheffield Biological Records Centre for the site. Joint event with Stocksbridge Valley Project

Saturday 18th October. Work party. 8 participants continued birch scrub clearance in the Northern enclosure and also undertook the annual vegetation monitoring programme. Joint event with Steel Valley Project. Great weather again.

Sunday 5th October. Work party. 25 participants, many from the University of Sheffield Conservation Volunteers, helped clear a large area of scrub in the Northern enclosure. Once again we were very lucky with the weather. Joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust.

Sunday 21st September. Work party.  A group of 7 participants continued the clearance of the northern boulder slope. The day was very warm and sunny and the work quite hard but satisfying as the landscape gradually changed. Later in the day we attempted to round up the 2 remaining sheep in the western enclosure but without success. Why pay for gym subs when all this fresh air and exercise is free?

Sunday 7th September. Work party. A group of 7 volunteers meet up on Wharncliffe heath to clear birch from the northern boulder slope on the heath. This is an extremely difficult area to work due to the large boulders and crevasses many of which are hidden by heather or bracken, so everyone had to take great care. Some quite substantial trees were cleared particularly along the path near the electricity pylon. In addition a temporary repair was made to the fencing which had been damaged. The weather was warm and sunny for most of the day and work was only brought to an end at 3.30pm by a massive thunder storm. Thanks to all those who participated and to Sheffield Wildlife Trust for providing tea and biscuits throughout the day!

Wednesday 23rd July. Batty about newts. 27 participants heard Nightjar and Woodcock on the heath, Palmate Newt adults and tadpoles and hawker dragonfly larvae in the pond, and saw Common Pipistrelles and the occasional Daubenton's bats. We were very lucky with the weather!

Sunday 25th May. Dawn chorus walk around the reserve with Jim Clarke. 8 early risers were present for what proved to be a very enjoyable amble. All the common woodland birds were seen or heard other than Garden Warbler and Nuthatch. Among the listed species found to be probably breeding on the reserve were Wood Warbler, Spotted Flycatcher, Bullfinch and Linnet. Finding 3 Wood Warbler territories (one on the reserve and the other two just the wrong side of the Plank Gate) was a particular pleasure.
 

Sunday 30th March. Work party. 4 hardy souls spent the day making some glades in the new enclosure below the crags. Joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust.

Sunday 2nd March. Birch bash with Sheffield Wildlife Trust.  11 volunteers finished birch clearance in the southern enclosure. It is now ready for the sheep, cattle and birds to arrive!

2007

Sunday 2nd December. Birch bash with Sheffield Wildlife Trust. 15 volunteers continued the clearance of birch regrowth in the southern enclosure and helped the stockman round up some of the sheep for transportation to winter pastures.

Sunday 4th November.  Birch bash with Steel Valley Project. 6 volunteers carried on the job of clearing the birch regrowth in the southern enclosure and cleared brash from the newly cut firebreak.

Sunday 28th October. Find fungi at Wharncliffe. Joint event with Sheffield Wildlife Trust, led by Michael Senkans. The event attracted 20 participants who between them found and identified 46 species of fungi.

Sunday 7th October. Birch bash with Steel Valley Project. 7 volunteers continued the work in the Southern Enclosure and did fixed-point photography.

Sunday 2nd September. Birch bash with Sheffield Wildlife Trust. 7 hardy souls tackled the birch scrub in the Southern Enclosure.

Wednesday 25th July. An evening visit to Wharncliffe Heath LNR. 27 attendees discussed the management of the site and heard Nightjar churring before listening to 55kHz Pipistrelle and Daubenton's Bats hunting over the dam pond, and watching the numerous Palmate Newts and dragonfly larvae within its waters.

Monday 4th June. Very probably 2 male Nightjar active from 21.55 until 22.15 at least. Churring, frog calls, and wing-clapping suggested presence of female(s).

Saturday March 24th 2007. "Rhodo bash" at Wharncliffe Heath, with Sheffield Wildlife Trust. 10 volunteers helped to contain this alien invader (Rhododendron ponticum) which is poisonous to livestock and chokes surrounding vegetation.