Twelve of us set off round Knighton Park on a grey day in December. Knighton Spinney is closed at the moment because of Ash Dieback, so we couldn’t go in there and started by walking along the edge of the spinney. Two of our number gloomily suggested that we would be lucky to see any Blackbirds (Turdus merula), as they are being affected by Usutu Virus, a disease carried by mosquitos that is affecting Blackbird populations particularly in the south-east (see the short article on NatureSpot).

Along the edge of the spinney we started finding plant galls, although some were in a poor state due to the time of year.  This included Oak Marble Galls (Andricus kollari) and Ramshorn Galls (Andricus aries f. agamic).

Ramshorn Gall (Andricus aries f. agamic) (Photo: Dave Nicholls)

We also found leaf mines of the moth Stigmella aurella on Bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.) and Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon). 

Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon) (Photo: Simon Bennett)

Trees and tree stumps in the grassy area to the south of the spinney provided us with a variety of lichens and fungi, including what we thought was Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor) and Physcia adscendens, Physcia aipolia and Physcia tenella. The photo below) shows Physcia adscendens; note the pale hood shapes at the ends of the lobes, which distinguish it from Physcia tenella. This lichen is an indicator of high Nitrogen levels.

Turkeytail (Trametes versicolor) (Photo: Alan Bevington)

Physcia adscendens (Photo: Dave Nicholls)

Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris) and  Creeping Comfrey (Symphytum grandiflorum)were in flower in the border along the hedge that divides the open grassy area from the woodland planted about thrity years ago.

We walked across through the area of trees (mostly non-native) to the Washbrook, where wooden posts and material in the dead hedge provided us with Coral Spot (Nectria cinnabarina) and Yellow Brain (Tremella mesenterica) among other fungi.

Yellow Brain (Tremella mesenterica) (Photo: Dave Nicholls)

The most interesting find of the day only emerged later, after Hazel Graves took a sample what appeared to be aphids and the galls they had caused home to look at in more detail and discovered that they are Adelgids, Adelges cooleyi (or Gilletteella cooleyi), some times known as the Gall Adelgid. This is only the second record of this species on NatureSpot.

Adelges cooleyi cause a gall on the shoots of Spruce (Picea), and the form that were found in Knighton Park are overwintering sistentes of Adelges cooleyi.  Sistentes are wingless, parthenogenetic female adelgids that have a period of diapause in the first instar. You can read more about the lifecycle of Adelges cooleyi on the Influential Points website, the best source of information on aphids and their allies. Adelgids have a complicated lifecycle!

Adelges cooleyi (Photo: Hazel Graves)

And did we see any Blackbirds? Yes, we did, and also heard them making their distinctive calls. Another call that had several of us looking upwards was a short, deep croak, and we saw a Raven (Corvus corax) flying overhead.

A full report will be published in the next newsletter, which is available to members.

(Photo at top: Simon Bennett)