sss^fc The Reading Naturalist THE NATURAL No. 64 HISTORY MUSEUM APR 1 2012 PRESENTED GENERAL LIBRARY Nat(/ o^ r */ Published by the Reading and District Natural History Society Report for 2011 (Published 2012) Price to Non-Members £3.50 THE READING NATURALIST No 64 for the year 2011 THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM APR 1 2012 PRESENTED The Journal of the GENERAL LIBRARY Reading and District Natural History Society President Prof. Chris Bucke Honorary General Secretary Mrs Ricki Bull, 528 Wokingham Road, Earley, Reading, RG6 7JB Honorary Editor Dr Malcolm Storey, 43 Berry's Road, Upper Bucklebury, Reading, RG7 6QL Honorary Recorders Botany: Dr. Michael Keith-Lucas, 51 NorthcourtAvenue, Reading, RG2 7HE Fungi: Dr Malcolm Storey, 43 Berry's Road, Upper Bucklebury, Reading, RG7 6QL Lichens: DrJames Wearn, Herbarium, Library, Art andArchives, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 3AE Lepidoptera: Mr Norman Hall, 44 Harcourt Drive, Earley, Reading, RG6 5TJ Entomology & other Invertebrates: MrChris Raper, 46 Skilton Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 6SG Vertebrates: MrTony Rayner, The Red Cow, 46 Wallingford Road, Cholsey, Wallingford, 0X1 9LB CONTENTS Presidential Ramblings Chris Bucke 1 Membership Norman Hall 1 Members' Observations Ricki Bull 1 Excursions 2011 Jan Haseler 3 Mid-week Walks members 12 Indoor Meetings 2011 Ricki Bull 15 Photographic Competition Ricki Bull 25 Strolling with the President Chris Bucke 26 Mustelids Tony Rayner 28 British Wildlife Event at the Living Rainforest Ricki Bull 28 Ivy Bees Rob Stallard 29 A New Lichen Species Record for Berkshire (VC 22) James Wearn 30 BioBlitz at Basildon - 2 July 2011 Chris Bucke 33 Freshwater Sponges in the RiverThames Viktoras Didziulis 34 Recorder's Reportfor Botany 2011 Michael Keith-Lucas 41 Recorder's Report for Mycology 2011 Malcolm Storey 46 Recorder's Report for Lepidoptera 2011 Norman Hall 50 Recorder's Report for Entomology and other Invertebrates 2011 Chris Raper 59 Recorder's Report forVertebrates 2011 Tony Rayner 70 The Weather in Reading during 2011 Roger Brugge 75 This year's issue contains the usual eclectic mix of articles reporting the events organised by the Society and the diverse interests ofour members and friends. We have the first Berkshire reports ofa lichen and a bee, and Viktoras Didziulis' article on Freshwater Sponges (p. 34) must be ourfirst article on that subject. As always, if you feel there should be more articles on your own favourite groups of organisms, you havejust under a yearto get writing... Malcolm Storey (Hon. Editor) Copyright© 2012 Reading & District Natural History Society. Copyright of photographs is indicated in the captions. PRESIDENTIAL RAMBLINGS It is usual in Britain for some aspect ofthe seasons in any yearto be unusual but 2011 was even more unusual than usual. It began unusually cold and unusually dry so that, by the beginning of March, everything was much laterthen usual, blossom on shrubs such as Cherry Plum being particularly late. When the blossom came therewas plenty ofit. By the end ofApril, though, a period ofunusual warmth allowed everything to catch up. The early season butterflies had a particularly good spring. May and June were not unusual but the summer months were cooler than usual. The end of September was brilliantlyfine, but dry. Rain atthe end ofOctober prompted the appearance ofsplendid shows offungi thatpersistedwell into December. Eventhoughtherewere noconspicuous periodsofvery hotweather, 2011 ended up as the second warmest year on record. Thesociety retained itsfamiliar, busy, programmethroughtheyearand introduced some novelties. The winter evening talks were well-attended and very varied. All the winter weekend and Wednesday morning walks happened as planned, withoutdisruption bytheweather. The manyspring, summerand autumn Wednesday walks and weekend excursions were well-attended. New ventures were "Biobiitzes" at Caversham Court at the end ofApril and in Basildon Park overthe firstweekend ofJuly and interaction with the Living Rain Forest in August. Several members guided natural history walks around Basildon Park on Fridays just about throughout the year. The numbers of National Trust membersjoining these walks varied greatly, from 2 to 38: it is nowthe norm for morethan one member to lead the walks. High spots ofthe yearwere the visit to the organically nurtured grassland and woodland at Cholderton Park and the annual summer coach trip, to the New Forest. Both trips provided opportunities for members to see rare species of plant and few will forget seeing a newly emerged Purple Emperor at Cholderton Park. Ahigh spotofthe Biobiitzeswasviewing the many moths collected during an all-night session. Less-specific high-spots were the very fine displays of wild fruits that followed on from the masses of spring bloom, the abundance of orchids at various locations and the wonderful displays of fungi well aftertheir normal fruiting time. So far 2012 has been less unusual: no doubt things will change! MEMBERSHIP Norman Hall 11 new membersjoined the society in 2011: Ailsa Claybourn from Tilehurst Janice &Andrew Proud from Tidmarsh Sarah Facey from Emmer Green Renton Righelato from Reading Mary Fookes from Tilehurst Phil Seagerfrom Cheadle, Cheshire. Sally Joyce from Reading Liz Wild from Earley Philip & Jacky Noel from Goring (whose daughter Katie hadjoined in 2010) MEMBERS' OBSERVATIONS Ricki Bull 18th Jan Martin Sell reported 7 Waxwings, and male & female Blackcaps in his garden. Chris Bucke had seen 30 Waxwings at Thatcham Station on the 12th . Renee Grayer noticed 2 Bramblings and a Blackcap in her garden. Jan Haseler saw a Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming on the 17th and noted that the , Hazel catkins were out. Colin Dibb hadwatched GreatSpotted Woodpeckers regularlyvisiting an appletree in Purley. Nora Dunn recalled a mixed flock ofseveral dozen Redwing and Fieldfare in her garden. Graham Saunders counted 60 Lapwings in Tadley. 1 1st Feb Jan Haseler had been to see the Snowdrops in flower in Welford Park and Hungerford Churchyard. Martin Sell had had Goldcrest on his feeder and four Bullfinches were still coming to it. Catherine Side had also seen a Goldcrest on herfeederfor the first time. Fred Taylor reported a Barn Owl, south ofthe Kennet, % mile West from the station. 15" Feb Graham Saunders had about 500 ladybirds around hiswindows. He brought samples along with guides for members to use for identification purposes. Martin Sell had seen 1 male and 2 female Smews, and a Goosander. Chris Bucke had spotted a Brimstone Butterflyonthe 8thaswell as 2 Cornelian cherry bushes in bloom on Peppard Road. Tony Rayner had noticed Honeybees in his garden feeding on crocuses. AliceAyers reported white SweetViolets blooming in her garden. Renee Grayer had seen a Brambling in her garden on the 11th while Graham Saunders had had 4 on his feeders. Roger Frankum had seen a Green Sandpiper on the 5th a Little Egret on the 14th and had , , regularly seen Bramblings in Bucklebury until the 13th. Colin Dibb had watched 2 male and 1 female Mandarin Duck in Purley. 15th March Chris Bucke had visited the Green Hellebore population at Nuffield and also noticed Wood Anemones and a few Lesser Celandines. Martin Sell reported afemale SmewatWoolhampton Gravel Pitsand a pairofOystercatchers on the islands, and 3 Brimstone butterflies at Bottom Lane Gravel Pits. Roger Frankum was still seeing Bramblings in his garden in Bucklebury. Fred Taylor had seen a pair of Hawfinches at Basildon on the woodland walk to the house, and also a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. Jan Haseler had spotted a Chiffchaff at Moor Copse. Renee Grayer had seen a Comma in her garden in Earley. Graham Saunders had noticed a Buff-tailed Bumblebee,Bombus terrestris, basking on atree. Malcolm Storey brought in a Hornet's nest from Roger Frankum's garden in Bucklebury. Graham Saunders demonstrated a bone found on lichen walk in Newbury cemetery. The suggestion was that it may be from a terrapin ortortoise. 4th October Martin Sell said there was currently a Ferruginous Duck at Dinton Pastures, and in mid- Septemberthere had been 2Wheatearsand a Merlin onthe Downs. He had also seen Green Sandpiper at Moor Green Lakes and Clouded Yellows at Farmoor. Graham Saunders saw a Wheatearand a Lapwing nearTadley on the 4th . Renee Grayer had watched House Sparrows on her bird feeder, also on the 4th . Chris Bucke had seen a Little Egret at Chilton Ferrers. Sally Rankin spotted 2 Grass Snakes in a pond in Henley. Ricki Bull reported that many plants of Solarium vernei have been seen along and near Paddick Drive in Earley; she also saw a Grass Snake swimming on the River Pang at Bradfield College on the 29th September; and found evidence ofDormice at Basildon Parkon 2nd October. 18th October Graham Saunders had seen Grey Wagtails at Silchester. Renee Grayer had spotted a Brimstone butterfly and a Tawny Owl. Fred Taylor had seen young Muntjac in the cemetery at Cemetery Junction. Jan Haseler had counted 5 RedAdmirals and 5 Speckled Woods at Shinfield Park. 1st November Norman Hall brought in a Common quaker from his moth trap on Saturday evening; these normally fly inApril/May Renee Grayersaid her Skimmia was flowering. Fred Taylor had seen lots of bats in the woods, pipistrelles and Noctules, and heard a Frog croaking in the pond. The Fallow deer rut is underway. Martin Sell said there had been Ferruginous Duck at Dinton until a few days previously. Dolin Dibb said his Mahoniajaponica began to flower in early October, and was visited by the Buff-tailed Bumblebee Bombus terrestris, and several Primroses are in flower (others confirmed this from various areas). Exhibits: David Owens brought in a Stinkhorn from the Lambridge Wood walk the previous Sunday. Ian Duddle showed us Verroa mites underthe microscope. Mary Fookes brought three moths from Whitchurch Hill. 15th November Jan Haseler had seen 2 Commas at Moor Copse. Susan Twitchett spotted a Peacock in her garden in Upper Basildon. Martin Sell had seen Red Admirals today and Sunday, plus a Ferruginous Duck at Sandford Lake and a Bearded Tit at Lavell's Lake. Michael Keith-Lucas said that both Primrose and Common Gorse were in flower. Exhibits: Chris Bucke showed a diverse collection offungi from Paices Wood and Wasing Woods. Jan Haseler also brought in some fungi. EXCURSIONS 2011 Jan Haseler Thefirstfieldtripof2011 wasonSaturday22ndJanuary,whenMartinSell ledajointfieldtripwiththeBerkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) to Farlington Marshes near Portsmouth. The exposed mud wasslowly being covered by a rising tide asthe 9-strong group set out. Itwas a cold morning with a light north-easterlywind.Aflock ofAvocetsRecurvirostraavosettawasseen inthe distanceand many Brent Geese Branta bernicla were feeding on the mudflats, together with Pintail Anas acuta, Shelduck Tadorna tadorna, Wigeon Anaspenelope and Teal Anas crecca. On the first lagoon, a larger pale wader amongstthe Redshanks Tringatetanuswas identified asa Greenshank Tringa nebularia.Atthe edge ofthe reed bed were a Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus and several Snipe Gallinago gallinago. A Kingfisher Alcedoatthiswas hunting round the edge ofthe reeds and itgave splendid viewswhen it perched on top of a post. On the harbour, the rising tide was pushing the waders closerto the sea wall. Abig flock of Dunlin Calidris alpinasuddenlytooktotheairasa large raptorwith long bulkywingsand a longtailflewoverhead.As itflew inlandandbegan huntingoverthereed bed, itspalecapandlackofawhiterumpindicatedthatitwasa Marsh Harrier Circus aeruginosus. Out on the mud, Grey Plovers Pluvialis squatarola and Turnstones Arenaria interpresjoinedthe Dunlins. In the deeperchannelswerea Red-breasted MerganserMergussenatorand 4 GoldeneyeBucephela clangula. Amongst the many Brent Geese on the fields ofthe nature reserve were 2 families of White-fronted Geese Anser albifrons. Few juvenile Brent Geese were seen, indicating that the previous breeding season must have been poor. Martin pointed outthatthefirstwinter BrentGeese lackthe white neck patch ofthe adult birds.Aftera late lunch in the shelterofthevisitorcentre, the group returned to thecars, passing Little EgretsEgrettagarzetta and aflockofBlack-tailed GodwitsLimosalimosaontheway. On Saturday 19th February, Lesley Dunlop led 18 members on a walkto lookatthe geology ofthe Shiplake district. Before starting out, the botanists had a quick diversion to look at the Maidenhair Ferns Adiantum capillus-veneris which grow under the over-hanging platform at Shiplake Station. The station lies on the Kempton Park Gravel Terrace, laid down about 40 thousand years ago. Fossils recovered from this layer include reindeer, brown bearand saiga antelope.Aslight rise in the road indicated atransition back another 200 thousand years to the Taplow Gravel Terrace. As the track climbed steeply uphill, it crossed onto the chalk, laiddown inshallowtropicalseasabout80millionyearsago. Dog's MercuryMercurialisperenniswas an indicatorofbase-rich soil. Most ofthe pebbles atthe side ofthe track showed the angularfaces offlint, but a round quartz pebble had a very different origin. It had been brought by the Thames from the Bunter Beds in the Midlands and these in turn had originated from the Permian deposits in Cornwall ofabout 290 million years ago. In places,thetopsurfaceofthechalkhad beenweathered byicetoproduceadepositknownas 'head'.This contributed to the particularly wet and sticky consistency of the mud on the footpath across the top field. Conditions underfoot improved when the path entered Hailey Wood.Adry valley running through the wood had beencarvedoutbymelt-waterattheend oftheiceage,whenthenormallyporouschalkwasfrozenand impervioustowater.Achalk pitattheedgeofthewoodwould have provided material forthe brick-workson the nearby Reading Beds deposits. At Shiplake Church, Wall Rue Asplenium ruta-muraria and Common Polypody FernPolypodium vulgarewere growing on thechurchyardwall. The path then descended steeply tothe RiverThames.Atthe bottom ofthe hill was a boatyard, with theexposed chalkface ofa quarry at its back. The lower part ofthe chalk face was in stratified layers, while the upper part was more uniform. The return route followed the Thames Path along the river bank. A big clump ofGreaterTussock Sedge Carex paniculatawas growing in a sheltered inletand the leavesofLoddon LilyLeucojum aestivum were showing well in the wetwoodland beside the path. In places, erosion at the edge ofthe river bank had exposed the gravel layer below the topsoil. A flint with the remains of a fossil sponge inside was discovered. The first cottagesofShiplakewerebuiltwheretheground roseslightlyontothe Kempton ParkGravelTerrace. Lesley pointed outthe local brickworkon one ofthe cottages, with the bulkofthe building madewith red bricksand the more expensive grey glazed bricks used sparinglyfordecoration. The mortarwas dotted with the holes ofmason bees. James Weam, the Society's Recorder for Lichens, led a joint field trip with the Friends of Newtown Road Cemetery in Newbury on Saturday 12th March. The older of the two large cemeteries in the town, the Newtown Road sitewas closed in 2000forhealth and safety reasons. Duringthe lastyear, close interaction between the Friends, the Town Council and specialist wildlife recorders has allowed significant progress towardsthe re-opening ofthe sitetothe publicand aWildlife Management Plan has been written. Elizabeth Capewell(fromtheFriends)gaveanintroductorytalkaboutthehistoricalimportanceofthesiteanddescribed some ofthe historically importantfigureswhowere buried there. Jamesfascinated the23-strong groupwith the intricacies and peculiarities of lichen ecology. He explained that lichens are formed from a partnership between two organisms: a fungal partner provides shelterforthe algae that live within it (allowing the latter to livein harsh, dryenvironments)while, in return, thefungus receives nutritionfromthe photosyntheticalgal cells.Thegroupwasshown examplesofthe rangeoflichenformsthatcan resultfromthis interaction-from tinycrustson wallsto metre-long 'bushy'formsfound hangingfromtrees indampforests. The importanceof lichens, forexample as natural indicators ofpollution levels and asfood forinsects (especially moth larvae), was highlighted, as well as the critical role ofcareful site management in maintaining the diversity ofthese intriguing little organisms. To date, 38 species have been recorded in the cemetery. Of particular note, Caloplaca crenularia, characterised byitsbrightorangefruiting discs(technicallyapothecia, or, ifoneprefers, 'jamtarts'!)ispresent in only one location in the cemetery: on the top and base of a single, large chest tomb, and only on the sheltered region nearesttothe boundarywall, although in some abundance on the tomb. Thetops ofchest tombsarefrequentlythemostinteresting habitatsbecausetheirhorizontalsurfacesareoften slowtodryout. This distinctive species is listed as 'occasional' in Berkshire and has a distinctly western distribution in England. In 1986, it was recorded by Francis Rose at Woolton Hill, approximately four miles southwest of Newbury(justovertheborderin Hampshire).Anotherhighlightwasthegreenish-yellowLecanorasulphurea, a species found on nutrient-enriched acid rocks and walls. Interestingly, L. sulphurea often parasitizes Lecanora or Tephromela species and was observed frequently, growing over these lichens. Bilimbia sabuletorum, beyond having a wonderful name, is restricted in the cemetery to growing on mosses on a single window ledge of the chapel. It has a scurfy greyish body with convex brown fruits. If this ledge is scraped clean then this lichen will disappearfromthe site-whichjust shows how insensitive management leadsto biodiversity loss! PrimrosesPrimula vulgaris and SweetViolets Viola odoratawereflowering in the cemeteryand sharp-eyed botanistsspottedthe leavesofMeadowSaxifrageSaxifragagranulata.Thewarm early-spring sunshine had tempted a few butterflies out of hibernation and single specimens of Brimstone Gonepteryxrhamni, PeacockInachis io and Small TortoiseshellAglaisurticaewere recorded. On Saturday2ndApril, Renee Grayerled 20 members on a gentle stroll through the Wilderness and around Whiteknights Lake and mostofthe party continued into the Harris Garden. Theweatherwas fine and warm and birds were singing, including Chiffchaffs Phylloscopus collybita and Blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla. A mother Mallard Anas platyrhynchos anxiously protected her 15 tiny ducklings on the lake and a pair of Egyptian GeeseAlopochen aegyptiacusguarded theirfourratheroldergoslings. MandarinAixgalericulata drakes posed, Great Crested Grebes Podiceps cristatus dived and male Mallards were on the lookout for willing females. Unusually, therewere no Mute Swans Cygnusoloron the lake. Both Whiteknights Parkand the Harris Garden areexamplesofareasgreatlyinfluenced by human activity butretaining manyofthe plant species that would have been there well before the landscape gardeners moved in. Woodland species - Lesser Celandines Ranunculusficaria, Wood Anemones Anemone nemorosa, Primroses and a colony of Goldilocks Ranunculus auricomus, were noted under native and exotic tree species and garden escapes such as Hemerocallis (Day Lily). Snake's Head Fritillaries Fritillaria meleagris, almost certainly planted, thrived and Colt's-foot Tussilagofarfara was abundant on the banks ofthe lake. There is always disturbed land ina universitycampus: heretherewereSlenderSpeedwell VeronicafiliformisandSpringbeautyMontia perfoliata. Members were able to compare the two somewhat similar exotic tree species Swamp Cypress TaxodiumdistichumandDawnRedwoodMetasequoiaglyptostroboides.Therewasevidenceofmajoractivity in the Harris Garden as a result of a change in management but the grassland areas retained their rich diversity of species. The Wollemi Pine Wollemia nobilis planted recently clearly is able to thrive in cold winters. Unexpectedly, very few butterflies were seen but there were several Bee-flies Bombylius major feeding on flowers in theWilderness. The weather was ideal on Sunday 17th April, when Michael Keith-Lucas led 32 members on a field trip at BBOWT'sWarburg ReserveatBix.Asthepartyleftthecarpark, Michael pointedoutCommon Nettles Urtica dioica amongst the Dog's Mercury at the side of the track, marking phosphate-enriched soil from horse droppings, from atimewhenthetrackhad been used byhorse-drawntransport. Dog's Mercurycarpetedthe thinchalksoilsinthewoods, butinthevalleybottomabarepatchmarkedanareaofacid,well-drainedgravel, washed down at the end ofthe last ice age. The path climbed steeply up through the woods, with flowers including Yellow Archangel Lamiastrum galeobdolon, Woodruff Galium odoratum and Wood-spurge Euphorbiaamygdaloides. Both Common Dog-violets Violariviniana,withtheirpalenotchedspurs, and Early Dog-violets V reichenbachiana, with smaller petals and dark spurs, were identified during the walk. Seeds weredevelopingontheSpurge-laurelDaphnelaureola plantsandaWhite-pinion Spotted mothLomographa bimaculataposedobliginglyonaleaf.Thepathclimbedpastenormous,ancientBeechFagussylvaticastools -an unusual coppice tree. The group then walked down through an area of Hazel Corylus avellana and Hornbeam Carpinus betulus coppice to an open grassy ride. Clumps of broad-bladed Tor Grass Brachypodiumpinnatum indicated that the ride is not being grazed heavily enough by sheep. Michael explained that ancient chalk grassland is dominated by the plants which sheep avoid, such as poisonous gentians, aromatic Thyme Thymus polytrichusand MarjoramOriganumvulgareandfine-leavedSheep'sFescuegrassFestucaovina. Browsing cattleare much lessselectiveaboutwhattheyeat. CowslipsPrimulaveriswerecoming intofloweralongthe ride and a Wayfaring-tree Viburnum lantana was laden with somewhat unpleasant-smelling white flower- heads.Theroutethen ledthroughasteepmeadowarea.AHornet Vespacrabrowasspottedflying intoahole atthe base ofan ant heap. Closerinvestigation revealed a Hornet's nest insidethe hole. Continuing steeply down through the woods, the thick carpet of Dog's-mercury beside the path ceased abruptly and was replaced with an area of Wood-sorrel Oxalis acetosella and Enchanter's-nightshade Circaea lutetiana, indicatingabrieftransitiontomoreacidsoil.Abigpatchoforangeslime,withdrippingstalactitesofslime,was found on a SycamoreAcerpseudoplatanas. Adebate ensued as to its identity - possibly a slime mould or someform offungus. (Malcolm Storeysubsequentlyidentified itasFusarium, agenusoffungi oftenfound in fermenting sap.)Ancientwoodland indicator species growing at the side ofthe track back along the valley bottom included Early Dog-violet, Dewberry Rubus caesius, Wood Speedwell Veronica montana, Three- nerved Sandwort Moehringia trinervia, Goldilocks Buttercup and, the botanical highlight of the afternoon, an abundant display ofGreen Hellebore Helleborus viridis. On a cloudyevening aweek beforethefieldtrip, three NightingalesLusciniamegarhynchosand a Cetti's WarblerCettiacettiwere in full song atSearle's Farm, Burghfield. Thesun shone brightlyon the evening of Tuesday 10th May when Jan Haseler led the real field trip and the warblers were not so obliging. Perhaps 5 Nightingales called, buttheyonlygave brieftantalising burstsofsong andthenfell silent. Only the last bird, as darkness was falling, gave a reasonable performance. The Cetti's Warbler, too, in thick vegetation by the bank ofthe River Kennet, gave a single brief burst ofsong and was then silent. With patience, the 12 members were able to distinguish between the songs ofGarden Warblers Sylvia borin and Blackcaps S. atricapilla and several Reed WarblersAcrocephalusscirpaceuswere seen as well as heard. Newly arrived SwiftsApusopuswere flying above the gravel pits and a Cuckoo Cuculus canorus called in the distance. Three largeeggswerevisible in a GreatCrested Grebe's nestand a Coot'sFulica atra nest held a fluffy youngster. Two webs on Spindle Euonymus europaeus held the caterpillars ofthe Spindle Ermine moth Yponomeuta cagnagella. As the light faded, large numbers of Green Carpet Colostygiapectinataria moths were in flight above the vegetation next to the Kennet and small bats, probably pipistrelles, flew above the river. On 14th May, Malcolm Storey led 12 members ofthe Society to visit Headley Gravel Pits, a Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust reserve. The target species for the day was Green-winged Orchid Anacamptis mono. These were seen in profusion, but, following the hotweather ofthe previous weeks, it has to be admitted they were well past their best. A range of other plants of neutral to acid grassland including Changing Forget-me-not Myosotis discolor and cultivated Asparagus (presumably a garden throw-out)wereseen and identified with much useoffield-guides.Acouple ofpatches ofdry, bare sandy ground yielded Sand Spurrey Spergularia rubra and a few tiny cudweeds which probably would not surviveto maturity. Theweatherwas quite cold and onlyfleetinglysunny, butafew butterflieswere seen, including Grizzled Skipper Pyrgus malvae, Orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines and Common Blue Polyommatus icarus, and Lesser Treble-bar Aplocera efformata, a day-flying moth. Other insects included Red-and-black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata, the longhorn beetle Stenurella melanura and several craneflies Tipula lunata. The Society would like to thank the Hampshire Trust for permission to visitthe site. Jan Haseler led a walk, attended by 10 members, on Saturday 28th May, at the Devil's Punchbowl, near the Ridgeway between Lambourn and Wantage. Itwas a cold morning with a strong wind, butthe steep valley was fairly sheltered. Resting on clumps of nettles were Green Hairstreak Callophrys rubi and Common Blue butterflies, while black and white striped Wood TigerParasemiaplantaginis moths were sheltering in the grass. Flowers included Horseshoe Vetch Hippocrepis comosa, Common Rock-rose Helianthemumnummularium, Salad BurnetSanguisorbaminorandWeldReseda luteola. Both Common Milkwort Polygala vulgaris and Chalk Milkwort P. calcarea were found and Roger Kemp showed how, with the help ofa hand lens, these two species could be separated by the small veins on the sepals. In Common Milkwort, the small veins rejoin the main veins to form a closed network, while in Chalk Milkwort, the small veins form an open pattern. In a brief burst of sunshine, the butterflies started to fly and Small Heath Coenonymphapamphilus appeared. Aclump of nettles had large caterpillars of Small Tortoiseshell and a mass ofmuch smailer Peacock caterpillars. The steep side valley had abundant rabbit holes with loose bare chalky soil and this is where the Henbane Hyoscyamus niger was found. In total, about 50 plants were counted. Green Hairstreak butterflies were particularly numerous in the side valley, both on nettles and on Elder Sambucus nigra blossom. Arecently emerged Small Elephant Hawkmoth Deilephilaporcellus was found in the grass. A few Burnet moths were found. Given the early date and the conjoined spots on some ofthe specimens (see photograph, p23), these are likely to be Five-spot Burnet Zygaena trifolii palustrella, a chalk specialist, ratherthan the much commoner Narrow-bordered Five-spot BurnetZygaena lonicerae, which doesnotemergeusuallyuntil laterin June. Backatthetopofthevalley, NoddingThistles Carduusnutans were coming intoflower, Corn BuntingsMiliaria calandrawere singing from the fence posts, therewere numerous SkylarksAlauda arvensis and a Cuckoo was spotted.