Malcolm Storey led a well-attended walk at The Holies, Streatley on Sunday 15th August. At the entrance to the woods was a Horse Chestnut whose leaves were brown with the mines of Cameraria ohridella, the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner. Flying in the sunshine along the edge of the woods at the top of the site was a Silver-washed Fritillary. 2010 has been an outstanding year for this species in Berkshire and its range is expanding rapidly. It had been recorded at The Holies for the first time a few weeks previously.
The group then spread out to look at the chalk flora in the valley. Typical flowers included Wild Marjoram, Wild Basil, Vervain, Yellow-wort, Pale Toadflax, Carline Thistle and Autumn Gentian. The commonest butterfly was the Common Blue and a few Small Heaths were also on the wing. A bronze micro-moth with long antennae on a Small Scabious flower was identified as Nemophora metallica and there were several specimens of the distinctive little Lime-speck Pug. A small red and black insect was identified as Corizus hyoscyami, a rhopalid bug.
The steep south-facing slope at the far side of the site was outstanding for butterflies. Fresh second generation Adonis Blues posed obligingly for the photographers and Chalkhill Blues were still numerous. The little Red Data Book moth Mecyna flavalis was abundant and a single specimen of the attractive little red and yellow micro-moth Onocera semirubella was found. In the short turf at the top were Frog Orchid and Bastard-toadflax. The powdery mildew Erisyphe thesii was found on Bastard-toadflax, making The Holies only the third British site where this mildew has been identified. Malcolm also found galls caused by Albugo tragopogonis var. tragopogonis on Small Scabious – an unusual host for this fungus. The white fungus Coprinus niveus was found on a cow-pat and there was a clump of Fairy Ring Champignons.
Pictures by Rob Stallard and Jan Haseler
| RDNHS trip to the Holies, Streatley, 15 Aug. 2010 | |
| Leader: Malcolm Storey; attended by 32 people | |
| Plant Species | English name |
| Aesculus hippocastanum | Horse-chestnut |
| Agrimonia eupatoria | Agrimony |
| Arum maculatum | Lords-and-Ladies |
| Asperula cynanchica | Squinancywort |
| Blackstonia perfoliata | Yellow-wort |
| Briza media | Quaking-grass |
| Bryonia dioica | White Bryony |
| Campanula glomerata | Clustered Bellflower |
| Campanula rotundifolia | Harebell |
| Carlina vulgaris | Carline Thistle |
| Centaurea nigra | Common Knapweed |
| Centaurea scabiosa | Small Scabious |
| Circaea lutetiana | Enchanter’s-nightshade |
| Cirsium acaule | Dwarf Thistle |
| Cirsium vulgare | Spear Thistle |
| Clinopodium vulgare | Wild Basil |
| Coeloglossum viride | Frog Orchid |
| Convolvulus arvensis | Field Bindweed |
| Crataegus monogyna | Hawthorn |
| Daucus carota | Wild Carrot |
| Dipsacus fullonum | Teasel |
| Erigeron acer | Blue Fleabane |
| Euphrasia officinalis | Eyebright |
| Fagus sylvatica | Beech |
| Galium odoratum | Woodruff |
| Galium verum | Lady’s Bedstraw |
| Gentianella amarella | Autumn Gentian |
| Geranium columbinum | Long-stalked Crane’s-bill |
| Geranium robertianum | Herb-Robert |
| Geum urbanum | Wood avens |
| Glechoma hederaceae | Ground-ivy |
| Gnaphalium uliginosum | Marsh Cudweed |
| Hedera helix | Ivy |
| Hypericum perforatum | Perforate St John’s-wort |
| Hypericum tetrapterum | Square-stalked St John’s-wort |
| Ilex aquifolium | Holly |
| Leontodon autumnalis? | Autumn Hawkbit |
| Linaria repens | Pale Toadflax |
| Linum catharticum | Fairy Flax |
| Lonicera periclymenum | Honeysuckle |
| Lotus corniculatus | Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil |
| Mycelis muralis | Wall Lettuce |
| Odontites vernus | Red Bartsia |
| Ononis repens | Common Restharrow |
| Origanum vulgare | Marjoram |
| Pastinaca sativa | Wild Parsnip |
| Phleum pratense ssp. bertolonii | Smaller Cat’s-tail |
| Plantago lanceolata | Ribwort Plantain |
| Polygonum aviculare | Knotgrass |
| Potentilla anserina | Silverweed |
| Primula veris | Cowslip |
| Prunella vulgaris | Selfheal |
| Pteridium aquilinum | Bracken |
| Reseda lutea | Wild Mignonette |
| Rosa canina | Dog-rose |
| Rubus fruticosus | Bramble |
| Rumex sanguineus | Wood Dock |
| Sanguisorba minor | Salad Burnet |
| Scabiosa columbaria | Small Scabious |
| Sherardia arvensis | Field Madder |
| Stachys sylvatica | Hedge Woundwort |
| Thesium humifusum | Bastard-toadflax |
| Tragopogon pratensis | Goat’s-beard |
| Trifolium repens | White Clover |
| Ulex europaeus | Gorse |
| Urtica dioica | Common Nettle |
| Verbascum nigrum | Dark Mullein |
| Verbena officinalis | Vervain |
| Veronica serpyllifolia | Thyme-leaved Speedwell |
| Viola riviniana | Common Dog-violet |
| Fungi | English name |
| Albugo tragopogonis var. tragoponis | |
| Coprinus niveus | Snowy cap |
| Erisyphe thesii | |
| Marasmius oreades | Fairy Ring Champignon |
| Butterflies and other insects | English name |
| Lysandra punctifera | Adonis Blue |
| Lysandra coridon | Chalkhill Blue |
| Polyommatus icarus | Common Blue |
| Pyronia tithonus | Gatekeeper |
| Maniola jurtina | Meadow Brown |
| Aphantopus hyperanthus | Ringlet |
| Argynnis paphia | Silver-washed Fritillary |
| Lycaena phlaeas | Small Copper |
| Coenonympha pamphilus | Small Heath |
| Pararge aegeria | Speckled Wood |
| Cameraria ohridella | Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner |
| Eupithecia centaureata | Lime-speck Pug |
| Mecyna flavalis | |
| Nemophora metallica | |
| Onocera semirubella | |
| Corizus hyoscyami | |
| Coccinella 7-punctata | Seven-spot Ladybird |
List compiled by Renee Grayer