Another beautiful day. Apologies if any of the detail of this report is factually inaccurate, but your correspondent is writing this five weeks after the event!
The Friends met at the Slabbering Baby entrance to the woods on Buckstone Road. Some Friends had come to pick up litter; others to carry out further work on the Bog with Steve Joul.
Comma caterpillar
Polygonia c-album
Whilst the litter pickers set off in the direction of Crag Lane, Jen and Beth set to, cutting back some of the branches protruding over the path leading down to the Slabbering Baby. This had an unexpected benefit in that they discovered a “comma caterpillar”. This was very exciting for Steve in that it was the first time he had actually seen the caterpillar! The butterfly looks like a tatty Small Tortoiseshell. It was once widespread over most of England & Wales but suffered a severe decline by the middle of the 1800’s. However, since the 1960’s it has made a spectacular comeback. It’s main food source for its larvae is the common nettle. To find out more see http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=c-album
Once down at the Bog the Friends set to work continuing our work from July: cutting down trees on the periphery of the Bog and pulling up saplings and other unwanted plants from the middle of the Bog.
At the Bog we found a fine example of a fungus whose name your correspondent but which Steve will no doubt remind him of.
The Bog sported several different species of flowers and looked wonderful. How lucky the people of Leeds are to have such a beautiful set of habitats in Alwoodley and Adel!
Much hard work was done by the Friends and your correspondent is very much looking forward to seeing the results – and to continuing the work next year.
Geoff and Sylvia –
hard at work!
Steve and Andrew
Thank you to Steve and to all the Friends.
Friends of Adel Woods 