{"id":1024,"date":"2010-08-15T03:09:50","date_gmt":"2010-08-15T08:09:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/?p=1024"},"modified":"2010-09-04T04:30:04","modified_gmt":"2010-09-04T09:30:04","slug":"1024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rdnhs.org.uk\/blog\/1024\/","title":{"rendered":"The Holies, Streatley – 15th August 2010"},"content":{"rendered":"

Malcolm Storey led a well-attended walk at The Holies, Streatley on Sunday 15th<\/sup> August. At the entrance to the woods was a Horse Chestnut whose leaves were brown with the mines of Cameraria ohridella<\/em>, 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/em> and there were several specimens of the distinctive little Lime-speck Pug. A small red and black insect was identified as Corizus hyoscyami<\/em>, <\/em><\/strong>a rhopalid bug.<\/p>\n

\u00a0The 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<\/em> was abundant and a single specimen of the attractive little red and yellow micro-moth Onocera semirubella<\/em> was found. In the short turf at the top were Frog <\/em>Orchid and Bastard-toadflax. The powdery mildew Erisyphe thesii <\/em>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<\/em> on Small Scabious – an unusual host for this fungus. The white fungus Coprinus niveus<\/em> was found on a cow-pat and there was a clump of Fairy Ring Champignons.<\/p>\n