Erddig

Are our Ladybirds Under Threat?

According to conservationists our native British varieties of Ladybirds are under threat from a foreign invader.

The harlequin species arrived three years ago from continental Europe. Ladybirds which are particularly under threat are the seven spot and the two spot, which until recently were common, and also the rarer five spot.

Bigger than the British varieties, the harlequin threatens them by taking their food – it has a huge appetite for greenfly, leaving little for native ladybirds who then starve - and when the food runs out they will eat the other ladybirds. It also damages crops by eating fruit.

The insect – originally from South-east Asia – will also prey on other types of insects, eating butterfly eggs, caterpillars and lacewing larvae.

How to spot a harlequin…
Harlequins tend to be rounder in shape than most UK native species. They are about 5-8mm in size – similar to the common seven spot. It has a white plate with a big black M-shaped marking on it, just behind the head. They may be orange with between 15 and 20 spots. Others may be black with two orange or red spots. Some have also been seen which are black with four orange or red spots.

The Hedges at Erddig

The hedges at Erddig are an important component in the structure and form of the parkland at Erddig.

Old hedges contain an interesting variety of plant and animal life and are important in providing shelter and food for all manner of wildlife including birds, mammals, insects and plants. When in flower the hedges are particularly attractive to the many butterflies found at Erddig.

It is very rare for a hedge to contain a tree that is older than itself – a fact that can be a way of estimating a hedge’s minimum age. If you can date the tree you can therefore date the hedge.

Whatever its origin an old hedge will contain a greater variety of woody shrubs because they seed themselves along it in the course of time. This also gives us a way of dating hedges.

If you pace 30 strides along one side of the hedge, count how many different woody species of trees and shrubs that you see. Don’t count ivy, brambles or climbers and count all roses as one. Work out the average number per length and multiply it by 100 to give you the approximate age of the hedge in years.

A Picnic with some of Erddig's Feathered Visitors...

The Outsider had a lovely picnic today in the car park at Erddig. We were joined by a robin, several mallards, and a crow.

Contrary to the Outsider’s previous posting on crows being fearless creatures, this poor soul didn’t stand a chance against the troop of hungry mallards. Perhaps he was outnumbered, but despite his reputation the ducks certainly weren’t afraid of him.

The picnic was followed by a walk through the Big Wood where we met Duke, the shire horse, giving some people a carriage ride through the grounds.

This is a beautiful area, ideal for a leisurely stroll through the woods, or, for the more serious walker who wants to go further, there are plenty of paths to explore. Erddig really has something for everyone.

Ospreys and Crows

On holiday The Outsider went to see the Ospreys nesting at Glaslyn, near Portmadog. These magnificent birds can be viewed from a hide and also on a webcam.

Information given by volunteers at the site is fascinating. It is amazing that the female, when lying on the chicks to protect them, would often be attacked by crows. Despite being much smaller, crows are fearless creatures, and will attack the female osprey so that they can steal the chicks. One wonders if they know the Osprey do not pose such a threat to them as, unlike the crows, ospreys only eat fish.

At Erddig we are more likely to see crows nesting high in the trees, particularly by the car park at Felin Puleston.

For hundreds of years crows have been regarded as vermin. They have been poisoned and shot and now survive where they can.

They eat a variety of food including birds eggs and carrion. However contrary to folklore they rarely (if ever) attack living young lambs.

They have quite a laboured flight and their call is a hoarse kraah repeated three or four times.

While out walking in Erddig today...

Seen while out walking today...

A great spotted woodpecker hammering away high up in a dead tree. Rarely seen on the ground, these beautiful birds hack away loose bark to reach beetle grubs and other insects. However the loud drumming they make in spring is a territorial signal, made by knocking on a dead branch. They bore their nest holes 3 metres or higher up a tree.

This fabulous fungi, which the Outsider thinks is Oyster fungus Pleurotus ostreatus, growing on a dead fallen down tree.

Primroses, Primula Vulgaris usually found in the damper areas of the woods. Used in ancient times to treat paralysis and gout, the primrose was believed to be a flower originating in Paradise. Name comes from the latin prima rosa, meaning first rose of the year.

Wild garlic, or ramsoms, are strong smelling plants which tend to pick out the heavier soils amidst the seas of bluebells.

Bluebells can be damaged just as much by walking on them as picking them. If the leaves are trampled on the bulb starves without them - so always stick to the paths through the bluebell woods.

Bluebell Heaven at Erddig

The delicate blue flowers of the bluebell have for centuries heralded the onset of spring. Take a walk through Coed-y-Glyn wood between Sontley Road and Erddig Road to see these flowers at their beautiful best.

However the British bluebell is under threat and could disappear from our woodlands within ten years as it gets squeezed out by a Spanish invader.

According to conservationists the native flower could be wiped out by the hardier Spanish variety which is rapidly taking over our woodlands.

The Spanish bluebell, which is scentless and paler than the British variety, was introduced to British gardens more than 300 years ago. But recently more and more of the plants have started creeping out of flowerbeds and into woods and forests where they have cross bred with the native variety.

The resulting hardy, quick growing hybrid, along with the Spanish invader, threatens to eradicate the British variety by 2016.

Studies have revealed that one in six woodland areas is now home to a mixture of native, Spanish and hybrid bluebells.

The Wildlife Trusts is urging gardeners to shun the Spanish bluebell Hyacinthoides Hispanica and to choose instead the traditional British variety, Hyacinthoides nonscripta. John Everitt, Head of Conservation at The Wildlife Trusts, says that the horticultural trade has a duty to ensure that bluebell bulbs are accurately labelled, and gardeners should not plant Spanish or hybrid bluebells in the countryside or near native populations.

British bluebells also face an uncertain future due to the long term effects of climate change. Warmer winters mean that they will be in danger of being crowded out by other plants flowering earlier than usual.

The immediate threat though is from habitat loss and the demand for bluebells for gardens, which has led to digging up of wild bluebell bulbs. It is illegal, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, to dig up the bulbs of wild bluebells and dealers face heavy fines for selling them.

The changing climate and hybridisation will change the British bluebell as we know it.

Visit this BBC site for more information.

How to date a tree

This is a simple way of estimating the age of a tree:

Measure the distance around the trunk (the girth) at head height (approx 1.5m from the ground).

If the tree is growing in a wood, close set to other trees, and with a straightish trunk then every 1.25cm (1/2 inch) of the girth = 1 year of age.

If the tree is standing by itself out in the open, with widespread branches then every 2.5cm (1 inch) of the girth =1 year of age.

This is only a rough guide but better than chopping the tree down to count its rings!

Spring at Erddig

Now spring is here there is so much to see while out walking. Not only the spring lambs but the abundance of wildlife in the Erddig woods and parkland.

The leaves are appearing on the hawthorn trees and the buds look ready to burst so it won't be long before the hedgerows are laden with blossom.

Keep a look out for red tailed bumblebees as their queens will be coming out of hibernation. They're big (up to 30mm long) and black with orange-red hairs on the end of the body.

There will also be some peacock butterflies winging their way around the park.

Look to the skies for the first swifts with their dark outlines and scythe shaped wings. These birds never perch or rest anywhere other than on the nest - where do they get their energy from!

The woods at Erddig will also soon be awash with some of the best floral displays in the world as the woods become a sea of bluebells. A good area to see them is in Coed-y-Glyn wood between Sontley Road and Erddig Road. Smell the aroma of wild garlic in the air especially in Coed-y-Glyn wood between Erddig Road and Felin Puleston.

Has anyone spotted any frogspawn yet? Spring seems late this year. The Erddig Park Newsletter from 1987 reports seeing the first frogspawn in Frenchmill Meadow on the 3rd March; and the first primrose in Cistern Wood on 16th March.

The Cuckoo should be around now too, and there are signs of badger activity with nesting material being aired in the sunshine.

The Secret Pond, Erddig.

There is a small pond that not many people know about, and it is a haven for wildlife.

If you park in Felin Puleston car park, go over the bridge as if you are heading for the industrial estate. Turn right through the swing gate. Walk about 70 metres along the path at the side of the river. Turn left and walk along the grassy path (there will be trees on your left and open grassland on your right).

Here you will find this little pond which is just starting to show signs of bursting into life.

In warmer weather you will find fish, tadpoles, dragonflies, numerous insects and plants and more often than not a heron. A wonderful natural history lesson for children (just watch they don't fall in!)

Look out for pond skaters, a bug that preys on insects on the surface of the water. It can dive to escape if necessary and it can also fly.

The Outsider cannot see any sign of frog spawn yet. Frog spawn reacts to some biological trigger in which the length of daylight and temperature apparently play some part.

Feeding the birds in winter

The Outsider woke this morning to find a thick blanket of snow. Please everyone, remember to feed our feathered friends and make sure that they have fresh water to drink.