Species

On Saturday the Yoredale Natural History Society ( https://www.yoredalenaturalhistory.com/ ) came for a visit. Chris took them for a walk around the reserve.  They spotted  Alder Tongue (Taphrina alni) on the cones of an alder tree. This fungus causes chemically induced galls on female alder catkins and cones. The green ‘tongues’ soon turn red with time and can persist for several weeks.

A Cream Spot Ladybird was also recorded.  These ladybirds frequent hedges and deciduous trees feeding on greenfly.  They overwinter in leaf litter.  The walk ended on a high, with the appearance of Brimstone butterfly and two Silver-washed Fritillaries in the orchard and Common Lizards. 

Thank you Chris for leading this walk and for recording all your sightings.  The Common Lizards are just showing off now!  

Tim, another visitor to the reserve recently, recorded the Green Leafhopper, Cicadella viridis. As their name suggests they do hop, quickly!  They feed on the sap of various reeds and rushes.  They prefer dampish areas, so this one was quite happy in the Scrapes.

Thank you for sharing your photos.