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Please note: RPS House is currently closed. We will be open again from the week of 14th October 2024.

Window Winged Caddis Fly

Nature Group Outing to Chartley Moss NNR

(Image by Alan Hartley)

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This very special day was led by Alan Hartley who has written this report.
Chartley Moss is private land, leased to Natural England. It is a NNR and SSI and is Part of Midlands Meres & Mosses RAMSAR Sites.

The Moss occupies a deep depression overlying Triassic Mercia Mudstone. There are two basins approximately 800m x 350m

A moss "lawn" (principally Sphagnum fallax) covers the one basin. The moss varies between 0 and 3. meters in depth. The water underneath is over 9 meters deep. There are pine and birch wood lands around the edge. The other basin is drier, with heather and a very different flora and fauna.
Eight of us met up by the cars and proceeded to the Moss. The weather was difficult to predict. There had been almost a frost the night before, the clouds built up with a bit of rain.
It's quite a long walk to the area of open water where the dragonflies are, I had hoped for many invertebrates on the way there, however, in the dull conditions we saw very little. At the pool, however, within a few minutes of us being there, the sun came out and White-faced Darters were then everywhere. Annoyingly, unlike other species, they tend to rest on the moss amongst grasses, making it difficult to get a clean shot. The males were clearly chasing each other about and we also saw several mating pairs. As soon as a cloud came, they would vanish, and then up again. It gave the photographers quite a challenge.
There were Round-leaved Sundews and other bog plants to photograph.
They all said how much they enjoyed their day, however, I was disappointed that I couldn't find them more to photograph

Images by Margaret Beardsmore, John Kirkelionis)

For more events to attend go to Nature (rps.org)