Here are some details for the visit to Lindholme Old Moor on the 5th May.

We will be joined by several experienced entomologists in our hunt for one of the smallest beetles on the Moors.  At only 2mm long, the Mire Pill Beetle is a speciality of the Humberhead Levels and of Lindholme in particular.  There will also be entomologists who specialise in spiders and lepidoptera and other insect groups.  Please see the attached excursion note for more details.

Our visit will be a short wander around the paths on the Lindholme Old Moor (a distance of under 2km in total).  This will stay on existing
‘walked routes’ but will include uneven terrain with soft ground, tree stumps and tussocky vegetation.  There are deep drains around the
perimeter of the site but the waterbodies near to our route will generally be shallow.

Please wear study boots and be aware that there a biting insects on the Moors. It is advisable that attendees take precautions against tick
bites, including wearing long sleeved clothing and gaiters and checking themselves thoroughly after the visit. 

There may be adders and nightjar on the Moors so please minimise disturbance when on site.

Hopefully it will be a warm and sunny day so please have plenty of drink and sun protection including hats and suncream.

Some of the survey will involve static observation at ground level so a small camp stool and some close-focusing binoculars could be useful –
or alternatively bring a waterproof kneeling mat and a magnifying lens. If the midges and mosquitoes have emerged, then thick fleecy gloves and a midge net are invaluable!

Meet at 10.30am at the Hall where we will sign in on the Site Register.

A packed lunch is required.  Facilities for making hot drinks are available in the Hall courtyard dining area (N.B please removed boots
and shoes – bring some slippers if you like!).  Toilets and hand washing facilities are also available in the Hall courtyard.

Travel:

Please be aware that the journey from Hatfield Woodhouse takes at least 10 minutes due to single track roads and pot holes!

Please park on the grass area to the left of the drive just as you approach the Hall.

Here is a link to Google Maps showing the route to the Hall from Hatfield Woodhouse

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/53.5716441,-0.9721478/53.5494128,-0.9330215/@53.558012,-0.955514,3802m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0?hl=en

DNS visit to Jack’s Piece Friday 5 May 2023 “Bog-hog hunt”.
Excursion note para.

Jack’s Piece on Hatfield Moors has a number of significant invertebrate species recorded over the years.

In terms of coleopteran gems, Jack’s Piece is known to host the Humberhead Peatland specialities notably Bembidion humerale and Curimopsis nigrita. The ambition for the visit is to search for these two beetles to update and to confirm continued present on the site. The first recorded occurrence of C. nigrita in the UK was made by Colin Johnson on Thorne Moors on 15 April 1977. C. nigrita was only described new to since in 1934 (Palm). Ideal habitat for C. nigrita will contain their favoured food plant, the bryophyte Dicranella cerviculata or D. heteromalla. Pohlia nutans has been eaten when Dicranella or Campylopus pyriformis will be eaten if none of the others are available. The last known record for Jack’s Piece was one recorded on 8 May 2008, and the most recent find on Hatfield Moors from a direct search near Packard’s Heath on 3 June 2017.

In 1999 the first ever Yorkshire record of the wetland spider Evarca arcuata, a female, was taken and identified by Helen R Kirk, but given the status and distribution of the species at the time the identification was confirmed by expert arachnologist Peter Merritt. See https://srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p/Summary/s/Evarcha+arcuata

More recently a Thorne & Hatfield Moors Conservation Forum commissioned spider survey in 2022 with Richard Wilson has provided an update on the arachnid fauna of Hatfield Moors, which interestingly has recorded Sibianor larae (sorry folks no vernacular name). This find, along with that on Thorne Moors in 2021 is of national significance. See
https://srs.britishspiders.org.uk/portal.php/p/Summary/s/Sibianor+larae

Obviously there are many other goodies recorded and will no doubt more will continue to be found on this important refugia, a remnant of uncut mire in private ownership. Jack’s Piece and indeed Ethel Moor were named after a previous owner of Lindholme Hall and tribute must be made to the Lyons family who, unlike their neighbours sought to conserve not destroy the enigmatic nature of the piece of Hatfield Moors in their ownership. Gomde are the current guardians and hosts of this field meeting and appreciation of this access is extended to them.
See: Eversham, Brian C. (1996)

The ecology, distribution and conservation of Bembidion humerale and Curimopsis nigrita in Britain The microhabitats and methods of survey of two beetles confined to the Humberhead pealands (A report commissioned by English Nature).
Another excellent source of data, see: Skidmore, Peter (2006) An Inventory of the Invertebrates of Thorne and Hatfield Moors. For information about the bryophytes see the excellent British Bryological Society website (where species accounts are available as downloadable pdfs. See:
https://www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk/ and
https://www.britishbryologicalsociety.org.uk/resources/bryophyte-identification/

H R Kirk 30 March 2023