2015 – April 28
SCARBOROUGH FIELD NATURALISTS.
MINUTES OF MEETING HELD ON: 28th April 2015 at 7-30pm.
VENUE: University of Hull Scarborough Campus. ATTENDANCE: 28 Members & guests.
CHAIRMAN: Robin Hopper.
APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE: Mick Carroll (Past President).
MINUTES OF PREVIOUS MEETING(s): 24th March presented on screen and accepted.
MATTERS ARISING: None.
CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED: Request for barn owl pellets from Derek Capes, Yorkshire mammal Group for harvest mouse survey. More details from the secretary
ANNOUNCEMENTS: None.
RECORDS AND REPORTS:
Field trip to Bempton RSPB Reserve. 17members attended. All the expected birds were seen including, puffins, gannets & razorbills as well as tree sparrows and a barn owl.
Field trip to May Beck and Falling Foss. Due to a misunderstanding over timing members were split in to two groups with 13 people taking part in all on a wet and unpromising day. The group walked from May Beck Car Park to The Hermitage north of Falling Foss and returned to the car park via Old May Beck Farm. The deodar at May Beck was noted and wide range of spring flowers seen including, moschatel, bluebells, ramsons and sanicle. Amongst the birds seen or heard were nuthatch, great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, blackcap, redstart, pied wagtail and goldcrest.
Robin Hopper reported that Scalby Lodge Pond had been refenced to exclude dogs and that there had been a good recovery of both numbers and species of birds using the site.
John Hume had seen green hairstreak butterflies at Brown Rigg Moor and Reasty Bank. He had also seen water vole at Brown Rigg and had heard his first cuckoo on 21st March in the vicinity of Harwood Dale.
David Bowen showed a short video of red squirrels in the Yorkshire Dales.
Melanie Earle reported the bumble bee Bombus hypnorum in the garden at North Moor, using flowering current and perennial cornflower.
Frank Sheader reported water vole in the Gypsy Race at West Lutton.
Janice Morritt reported on a visit to the Driffield Canal and Wansford Lock and had seen sedge and willow warbler. There was no sign of water voles which had been much in evidence the previous year. She had also seen wheatear at Saltersgate.
Len Auckland reported that he had seen a bumble bee visiting daffodils. The bee was selecting only the white petalled flowers while the yellow petalled flowers were bypassed.
SPEAKER FOR THE EVENING: Dr Geoff Oxford, York University.
TITLE/SUBJECT OF TALK: The jewel of York, conservation of the tansy beetle.
MAIN CONTENT OF TALK: Dr Oxford gave an excellent presentation about one of the regions iconic insects and the efforts being undertaken to conserve this extremely localised and internationally endangered species. He and his wife Rona, another accomplished enolomogist had captive bed specimens of the beetle on a tansy plant to show memebers.
The President Mr Hopper gave the vote of thanks.
The meeting closed at 9-30pm.
SIGNED_______________________________________________DATED__________________________