Where ash dies and dragonflies

20th October 2024. Musing on the pleasures and pains of life in nature…

One of the many things I love about my wildflower and nature journey, is that the more I explore, the more I find to enjoy. It’s a gift that doesn’t stop giving and one I can enjoy indoors as well as outdoors. When I’m not browsing the grasslands and hedgerows, I’m usually being wowed by a wildflower book or nature documentary – and thus battling with eyebrows that persistently rise or a mouth that continually falls open in surprise. It is truly amazing to me, the things you can learn about the environment and how much it enriches your interactions with nature thereafter. The writer Melissa Harrison says that “the things we choose to look at in life loom large, changing the version of reality we live in, whether it’s cars or fashion or the natural world”. My version is assuredly green. Which is just as well, as I know next to nothing about cars or fashion.

Thanks to a chapter on sounds in nature, for instance, I have discovered a new bird identification app, which means I can now put a name to the species I hear calling, singing, chattering or arguing. The app, developed by Cornell University, is called Merlin and free to download in exchange for your email. When you are out an about, you simply point your phone in the direction of the sounds, press record and this wonderful piece of technology instantly names the bird/s. It also provides the aspiring bird watcher with photographic images, which pleases me enormously, as you might imagine.

At Loynton Moss this weekend, the app was put to good use and told me that my ringside seat of the gorgeous fens was being shared with a Long-tailed Tit, Nuthatch, Carrion Crow and Treecreeper, as well as a Robin and Wren. A few weeks ago, I would have just heard bird noises; my appreciation for nature has shifted once more.

In fact, it shifted again later in the morning, when I finally bagged my first dragonfly photo of the year. I’ve been mentally pursuing them all summer and failed to find one still enough or close enough for me to take a decent picture. But this one was obviously a more tolerant being and rested on the seat beside me for a wee while, basking in the unseasonable warmth. I wasn’t the only one delighted to see him either. A fellow walker wandered over to see what I was looking at (which by this point was the LCD screen of my camera and the resulting 52 pictures) - and then shared his relief. ‘Me and me mate’, he said, ‘have been worrying about the dragonflies.’

Loynton Moss is spread out over 13 hectares of wetland and woodland, some of which has unfortunately been affected by ash dieback. This disease is caused by a fungus that blocks the flow of water in the tree and eventually leads to lesions, leaf loss and the dieback of the crown. Thought to have originated in Asia, it was discovered in Poland in 1992, but spread throughout the UK from 2012 onwards. The fungus poses a risk to the public because it causes ashes to suddenly drop their branches, and ultimately proves fatal for the trees too. Whilst selective felling is one way of managing the problem, exploration of the trees that are more resistant to the fungus may help to identify natural alternatives in the future. It's a sad sight to see so many trees being lost in this way, but it is also heartening to know that conservationists are working hard in their defence. It makes nature even more precious and special to me. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing this week, I hope you enjoy a little green reality. See you next time.

Creeping Buttercup: lives up to its name in the way in which it stealthily moves across the ground through its numerous runners and quickly colonises the area it has called home. And home can be pretty much anywhere because it will grow on disturbed or damp grounds, or in woodland rides, ditches, gardens, meadows, grasses and farm entrances. Should you wish to remove it, moreover, you will have a tough job ahead of you. This wily little wildflower spreads its runners even more so, when you try to dig it up by hand or plough the soil. Its saving grace, to me at least, is the brightness of its five petals, which shine brightly on a sunny day or illuminate the ground on a dim one. I also love the leaves and how they can be distinguished from other members of the buttercup clan. As in the photo, you can see that each leaf is divided into three leaflets and that the top one has a longer stalk. The leaflets also have white patches on their surfaces. Not one for the cooking pot – due to the poisonous potential of its sap – it is a firm favourite for short-tongued bees. Apparently.

Red Clover: is a pinky-purple lollipop of colour that can be seen throughout the isles of Britain, in pastures and meadows, grass verges and cultivated ground. Flowering throughout the summer months, it is an important source of food for insects and cattle, and has nitrogen-fixing properties, which help to improve soil fertility. Red Clover is known by a variety of other names too, such as bee bread, cow grass, sugar plum and suckles (my personal favourite) – and can be distinguished from its Zigzag Clover relative by the marks on its trifoliate leaves. Red Clover leaves have a very prominent white mark, that may be V-shaped. This white marking is more spot-like and less visible in the other species. Apart from its lovely names and appearance, Red Clover is much-loved for its medicinal properties, which is immediately apparent, the moment you hit enter on the internet keyboard (I was greeted with a multitude of herb bottle pictures). This is because it is rich in magnesium, calcium and zinc, and has been used to treat menopause and conditions related to menopause – alleviating hot flushes, night sweats, anxiety and depression. I also discovered that Red Clover can be mixed in salads, infused in tea and flavoured in lemonade.

References

Cornell University (2024) Identify the Birds You See or Hear With Merlin Bird Id. https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org

Home Is Where Our Heart Is (2023) [YouTube Video] Red Clover: A little flower with powerful benefits. https://youtu.be/3JjLqIO5hr8?feature=shared

Melissa Harrison (2021) The Stubborn Light of Things. Faber and Faber Limited; London

Neil Fletcher (2010). Pocket Nature. Wild Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Limited; London

Sarah Raven (2011) Wild Flowers. Bloomsbury Publishing; Great Britain

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust (not dated, but I assume 2024) Ash dieback. https://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/ash-dieback

Staffordshire Wildlife Trust (not dated, but I assume 2024) Loynton Moss. https://www.staffs-wildlife.org.uk/nature-reserves/loynton-moss?gad_source=1&gbraid=0AAAAApByRI1HwAoZLbPTO8hUJjaqGxCnB&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI-sWB4dqciQMVdJJQBh1C4geQEAAYASAAEgJ7_vD_BwE

The Royal Horticultural Society (2024) Trifolium Pratense. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/48388/trifolium-pratense/details

The Wildlife Trusts (not dated, but I assume 2024) Creeping Buttercup. https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/creeping-buttercup