My Blog - Jeff Clarke

A Day at the Priory

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All images unless otherwise stated © Jeff Clarke 2012

I spent a thoroughly enjoyable, on Sunday 3rd March, running a Ladybird Workshop for Norton Priory Museum and Gardens in Runcorn. Despite the poor weather at the start of the day, basically cold, wet and blustery, most of the folks booked on to the event turned up and following a morning dedicated to honing their ID skills, we set off into the grounds and surrounding area to find and identify as many ladybirds as possible.

By far the most abundant species was the Harlequin, followed by the 7-spot. The third most abundant ladybird of the day was something of a surprise, the tiny and definitely inconspicuous Rhyzobius chrysomeloides. Until the week previously there had only been one other county record, so the 20 plus we beat from the Black Pines just outside the museum grounds represented a positive avalanche of the little blighters.

Another surprise was found by one of our youngest participants. A young 9 year old boy called Bobby spotted our only Eyed Ladybird when he beat it from a non-native Pine. despite the soggy start and the capricious breeze we did manage a very pleasing 11 species total. Several of which proved to be new site records.

Thanks to Paul Quigley and the other staff at Norton Priory Museum for helping to make the day such a success and for the kind permission to reproduce some of their photos from the day.