In memory of Bryan John Yorke (3rd January 1948 - 28th May 2022).

 A hugely knowledgeable but utterly humble man. He loved this area, and enjoyed sharing its natural riches through his informative and delightful blogs. 

They will continue to be available, for reference and discovery.

Thank you, Bryan, for your warmth, wisdom, and wit.

Frogspawn at Calf Hey....

Thanks Clifford (Hargreaves) for sending in this great photo of frogspawn on Calf Hey (taken on 23rd March 2010). Please click over photo to enlarge...

The outer channel of the Reservoir seems to be a regular place for this obvious main Social Gathering of Frogs, because I also had large amounts of spawn in the same place a couple of years ago (see earlier blog)...

New Mosses & Crustacean to the Grane List.

Thanks to Peter Jepson (Ecologist), I have now been able to add a further 9 species of Spagnum to the Mosses of Grane List. These were identified on Haslingden and Oswaldtwistle Moors.

Sphagnum capillifolium subsp. rubellum Red Bog-moss
Sphagnum cuspidatum Feathery Bog-moss
Sphagnum fallax Flat-topped Bog-moss
Sphagnum fimbriatum Fringed Bog-moss
Sphagnum palustre Blunt-leaved Bog-moss
Sphagnum papillosum Papillose Bog-moss
Sphagnum subnitens Lustrous Bog-moss
Sphagnum denticulatum Cow-horn Bog-moss
Sphagnum squarrosum Spiky Bog-moss

Also thanks to Charlie Payne for sending in photos of evidence of Freshwater Mussels that have been found on Holden Wood Reservoir (Bay Area). I also received reports from as early as the middle of last year that it was noted that freshwater Mussels where seen to be uncovered and left dying, probably owing to the more recent changes in water levels which the reservoir has been subjected too, this I believe has been necessary for the carrying out of certain essential repairs. It is now thought that these samples of old shells found on the walls, where the result of possibly corvid predation and then bringing the Mussels over to the perimeter walls to try and smash the mussels on the wall to open them.

More Grane Fungi Photos from Mike Valentine.

                                                    Click over photos to enlarge....

Thanks to Mike Valentine for sending in these Fungi photos which where taken last Friday (December 11th) from the wooded areas to the rear of Calf Hey Reservoir: 1) Common Jellyspot (Decrymyces stilletus)  2) Leafy Brain (Tremella foliacea) 3) Mealy Funnel (Clitocybe vibecina), 4) Snakeskin Brownie (Hypholoma marginaturn), 5) Winter Polypore (Polyporus brumalis)

Holden Vale Flash (Bleach Works) & Its Little Ringed Plovers.

" When all them years ago, we stood in front of the bulldozers to stop the destruction of the Little Ringed Plover site, and after negotiation with the LCC Engineer, we actually thought we had won a do for them little birds!!"

These are four photos which I took of when the Lancashire County Council were making the Holden Vale Flash (Clearing the old toxic waste dumping area of the long gone nicknamed "bleach works", or the Holden Vale Manufacturing Co. Ltd a subsidary partner of the corporate giant USA Hercules group. (Please click over photos to enlarge)....

The whole idea had been to try and preserve some resemblance of the original habitat for the continuation of the breeding of the rare Little Ringed Plover, which had successfully bred on this site for each year over a decade, prior to this excavation and rebuild of the area.

Sadly, all went wrong!! the outcome to what was originally proposed, never materialized as it was supposed to do, and consequently it was tragic and devastating to lots of us, to find out that the LRP never used this site again.

Some excellent news is that thankfully in more recent times the LRP has actually bred at another habitat some two miles away.

MORE VINTAGE GRANE PHOTOS

Here is another four vintage Grane photos (from l to r) Click over photos to enlarge)

1) The Bishop of Blackburn opening of Grane Church after move from Crowtrees

2) Ruins of Holden Hall.

3) St Stephens walking day nr to Cemetary gates c1910.

4) Haymaking at Kettlewell Hall, c1910.

RECENT GRANE FUNGI PHOTOS

(Please click over photos to enlarge)

Mike Valentine has kindly sent in the above photos of fungi found at Haslingden Grane this week. 1) Purple Jellydisc (Ascocoryne sarcoides) 2) Ochre Brittlegill (Russula ochroleuca) 3) A Mollisia species - Very tiny, each fruitbody only about 2-3mm across. (Probably Common Grey Disco - Mollisia cinerea, but cann't be 100% positive without microscopy) 4) Wrinkled Crust (Phlebia radiata) 5) Grey Coral -(Clavullina cinerea) Note, this particular patch is being parasitised by n ascomycete fungus called Helminthosphaeria claviorum, which has stunted and deformed the grey coral fungus). 6) Grisette (Amanita vaginata).

Wed Sept 16th - Walk around Calf Hey..

Charlie Payne and I had a walk around Calf Hey and we had Specked Wood and a single Wall Brown Butterfly. Also on the reservoir margins there were 3 Teal (1 male and 2f), Mallard 29, Grey Heron 1, Common Gull 1 mixed in with 25 Black Headed Gulls...

Here is photo of the Wall Butterfly..

Grane Butterfly Photos....18th August 2009

Charlie has been up at the top end of Holden Wood today and had the following Butterflies: Gatekeeper, Peacock, Red Admiral, Small Skipper, and Whites, plus a Small Copper photo which he got again at Holden Wood a few days ago.

Also yesterday was good for the Swallow migration which was going on with large parties making their way out through Grane and going out North West, which can be usual with some of the migration. We dont know for sure but possibilities are that they are following a line of the River Ribble and eventually South. Today there did not appear much Swallow migration but there where lots feeding up across from the Duke of Wellington (probably Steve's from Leys End Farm). He also had Reed Buntings going through...

Click over poster to enlarge..... The above workshops are being held on Sundays - THE NEXT & FINAL WORKSHOP IS ON 20th SEPTEMBER AND THE SUBJECT IS "AUTUMN SETTING IN"......

Emptying of Holden Wood Reservoir..

Found these old photos whilst clearing out, and they show Holden Wood Reservoir being emptied and also them clearing the waters of the fish. It must have been at least 20 years ago when they emptied the Holden Wood Reservoir, it could well have been even longer. It was emptied so they could do repairs to the valves and also the outlet storm drains and the embankment walls. The fishing rights at that time where owned by the A.E.I. Factory Fishing Club in Manchester and their local bailiff was Mr. Barnes who lived in the last house on Park Lane View (opp Camms). The North West Water Bailiffs came along to net the water and get all the fish out before the necessary work begun, the netted the area which then brought the fish more accessible to be transferred to large bins. At the outlet corner though sadly, by accident a lot of quite sizeable fish went through the pumps and came out all minced up!! it was a tragedy as we remember at the time. There was a good assortment of fish as I remember eg: Pike, Carp, Trout, Chub, Roach, Rudd & Perch. This is the only time I can remember this reservoir ever being empty in more recent times...

On Wednesday last, Jack, Charlie and I had a little walk around Troy Quarry and had the following species: Butterflies: Meadow Brown (2) Small Skipper (2
Flora: Eyebright, Self Heal, Ragwort, Thyme Leaved Speedwell, Heath Bedstraw, Flowering Water Lillies etc...
Birds: Willow Warbler, Blackbird, Green Woodpecker (2)....
Other Insects: Lots of Cinnabar Caterpillers on Ragwort.. (Please click over photos to enlarge)

Additions of Moth, Flora & Fungi Species to the Grane List.

I have only just come across some very old records for Haslingden Grane which I was probably given in the 1970s but sadly the Flora & Fungi contributor remains anonymous because I just cannot remember who submitted them, and the Alden Moth list was recorded by Bernard Dunn in the 1970s (thank you Bernard)...I will shortly integrate them to within the Grane List....

Fungi species (Contributor anonymous):
Clavulinopsis heludola, Paxillus involutus Brown Moll-reiss), Hygrocybe conica (Conical Waxcap), Hygrocybe coccinea (Scarlet-Hood), Hygrocybe psittacine (Parrot Waxcap), Collybia maculata (Spotted Tough-shank), , Laccaria laccata (Deceiver), Boletus grevillei (Larch Bolete), Auricularia mesenterica (Tripe Fungus), Panellus mitis, Panellus semiovatus, Calocera palli dospathulata, Ascoconyne sareoides, Ganoderma adspessum, Oudemansiella radicata (Rooting Shank), Amanita unginata (Grissette), Russula ochroleuca (Common Yellow Russula), Russula mairei (Beechwood sickener).

Flora species (Contributor anonymous):
Angelica (Angelica sylvestris), Hogweed (Heroicleum sphoridylium), Stitchwort (Stellaria), Marsh Stitchwort (Stellaria Palustris), Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), Hawkweed (Hieracium), Marsh Violet (Viola palustris) Lady's Mantle (Alchemilia vulgaris), Common Valerian (Valeriana officissatris), Herb Robert (Geranium robertiancum), Golden Saxifrage (Chrysoplessiein), Water Pepper (Polygorium hydropiper) Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca), Honeysuckle (Loricera periclymenium), Golden Rod (Solidago virgaurea), Wood-Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), Sheep's Sorrel (Russex autosella), Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), Bilberry Vaccinium (myrtillis) Tormentil (Potesstilla erecta), Heath Bedstraw (Galium Saxatile), Autumn Hawkbit (Leontodon autumnalis), Rosebay Willowberb (Epilobium assgust.folium) Wall Lettuce (Mycelis muralis) Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) Upland Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus) Wild Cherry (Prussus avium) Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyssa), Hawthorn (Crataegus Laevigata), Rowan (Sorbus ancuparia)

Reeds, Grasses or Ferns (Contributor anonymous)
Woodrush (Luzula sp), Soft Rush (Juncus effusus), Toad Rush (Juncus bufossius), Remote Sedge (Carese remota), Oval Sedge (Carese ovalis), Hard Fern (Blechnum spirant)

Moths recorded in Alden by Bernard Dunn during the 1970's
Short Cloaked Moth, Swallowtail, Suphur, Beautiful Golden Y., Silver Y, Hebrew Character, Dark Arches, Swallow Prominent, Yellow Underwing, Northern Spinach, Wood Tiger, Garden Tiger, Poplar Hawkmoth, Deaths Head Hawkmoth, Ghost Swift, Carpet, Pale Brindled Beauty, Angle Shades, Mottled Umber, Snout, Nutmeg, Burnished Brass, Mapwing Swift, Grey Chey, Clouded Drab, Elephant Hawkmoth (1971).

Calf Hey - Mike Valentine's photos

Today Mike was at Calf Hey and sent in these great photos: Nettle Cluster Cup Fungi (top left) and Common Nettle (far right),

Compact Rush (immediately above), Heath Bedstraw (above right) and finally to Large Red Damselfly (right)

CLICK HERE to see all Mike's photos.......

Troy and Calf Hey

Birds on Calf Hey: Goldcrest, Pied Wagtail, Grey Wagtail (Drains side), Canada Geese (6), Mallard with chicks, Greenfinch, (Hartley House Planting), Chaffinch...

Butterflies & Moths on Calf Hey: Painted Lady (1), Small Heath (1), Several Green Veined Whites.. also there was a very large hatch with moths everywhere of the very small day flying moth (see photo below) which is a Nettle-Tap Moth (Anthophila fabriciana) (Thanks to Ina for identification).

Insects on Calf Hey: Lots of Turquoise coloured Weevils (Phyllobius pomaceus) feeding on Nettle (see photo below left). Lots of Red and Black Frog hoppers (Cercopis vulnerata) (see photo top left).

Fungi: (see photo above right) is called the "Nettle Cluster Cup Rust Fungus" (Puccinia urticata) looks like a caterpiller from a distance which grows to the stems of Nettles and has a sort of yellow powdery residue. (Thanks to Mike Valentine for identification)


(Click over photos to enlarge)

also see more photos added within Charlie Payne's Grane collection....