Friday, 17 July 2015

Are there any glow-worms along the disused railway line?

Glow-worms are the female counterpart of a species of bioluminescent beetle.  there are three British species. The female's light, which shines green at night, helps her attract a male and deter predators http://www.bbc.co.uk/naturestop40/ep1/s38.shtml. Their larvae feed on snails and slugs, of which there are plenty on the disused railway line between Endon and Leek; the limestone ballast provides a source of calcium to build mollusc shells. Glow-worms have been seen on the railway line near Park Lane in the past, so I though I would have a look to see if there are any still there. So, on the evening of 15th July we went for an evening walk along the railway line to look for glow-worms lights. We didn't see any, but it was a lovely walk in any case. Here are some photos with captions telling of what we did see, smell, and hear.

Plenty of wild flowers. In this picture Rosebay willowherb, Hogweed, Meadowsweet and dock

Mist rising from pools, the canal and Endon Brook as the evening sky cooled down to dew point. A Grasshopper Warbler was singing near here, as it has been for the last month.

Profusely flowering Honeysuckle emitting a powerful and geourgeous scent. We didn't notice any moths around here at that time, however we did see bats which would undoubtedly be feeding on on moths that would be attracted to the nectar of the honeysuckle flowers. 

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