1972 - The Vasculum

nature trail at present under construction. It should be mentioned that the dene is a
reserve owned by the Durham County Conservation Trust. We thank the trust for
their kind permission to visit the reserve on this occasion.
The woodland flowers were at their best with huge white drifts of
Ramsons, Allium ursinum L. Elsewhere we saw Wood Anemone, Wood Sanicle,
Wood Sorrel, Dog's Mercury, Wood Sedge, Early Purple Orchid, Bugle, Grounud
Ivy, Yellow Pimpernel etc. At one point along the trail a fully active badger's sett was
examined. The entomologists beat the trees and bushes for larvae without much of a
return. However, caterpillars of the Winter Moth, Common White Wave and Green
Brindled Crescent were seen.
Bird song was at its peak. The Summer visitors were well represented, the
songs of the Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Whitethroat and Blackcap were recorded by
Dr. Crosby and Mr. Gent. Resident species heard included blackbird, song thrush,
robin, wren, great tit and chaffinch. Other birds noted were carrion crow, starling,
greenfinch and redpoll.
The 132nd Field Meeting was held at Holystone in Coquetdale on
Saturday, 15th July, 1972. Owing to the remoteness of the venue only six carloads of
members and friends gathered at the car park in the Holystone Reserve, which is
managed by the Northumberland Wildlife Trust. Again we have to thank the Trust for
their kind permission. Dr. Clark led the party across relict woodland to examine the
many interesting flushes that appeared along one contour of the hillside. We found a
large number of sedges, some of them quite rare. There were also a good variety of
rushes, large numbers of the Moorland Spotted Orchid, Dactylorchis maculata (L.)
Vermeul. ssp. ericetorum (E. F. Linton) Vermeul., Butterwort, Pinguicula vulgaris L.
and Round-leaved Sundew, Drosera rotundifolia L.
Insects were plentiful. Flying in the heather were the Small Heath
Butterfly, Coenonympha pamphilus L. and Small Copper, Lycaena phlaeas L. A few
moths were also seen, the most notable being the Smoky Wave, Scopula temata
Schrank. and the Scarce Silver Y, Plusia interrogationis L. The Wood Ant, Formica
rufa L. was in huge quantity with large mound nests in the forest areas and slightly
smaller ones in the heathy parts. The Click Beetles were flying freely in the unusual
high temperatures as was also the Tiger Beetle.
Of the birds, Mr. Gent noted the Curlew, Blue Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Wren,
Grasshopper Warbler, Whitethroat, Willow Warbler, Dunnock, Meadow Pipit,
Redpoll and Chaffinch.
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