trees Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Friends Of Hull General Cemetery

Cemetery Wildlife – September 2022

September 29, 2022October 3, 2022 by Helen Bovillin Wildlife1 Comment

The first week of September started well, with a few heavy though not prolonged showers providing some much-needed moisture to sustain the cemetery wildlife.

September contains the first day of Autumn, regardless of what day Autumn begins, be it the 1^st (meteorological) or the 23^rd (astronomical). There were already plenty of fallen leaves carpeting the ground at the start of the month – these had already started to fall in August due to the hot dry weather of that month. This is known as a “False Autumn”, where the trees relinquish their leaves early in order to save water.

Flowers and Plants

That rain arrived not a moment too soon, and the grass verge alongside the cemetery on Spring Bank West is green again. Dandelions have reappeared together with some similar looking but smaller yellow flowers – Autumn Hawkbit and Cats-ear.

Autumn Hawkbit on the grass verge alongside the cemetery — ***Autumn Hawkbit (above)***

Cat's-ear - flower and leaf — **Cat’s-ear (above)**

The two plants look very similar, but the Hawkbit has red markings under the petals and smooth leaves. Cat’s-ear has hairy leaves. The Ragwort is also flowering again, and I found some Hedge Mustard and Wood Avens – both have tiny yellow flowers.

I didn’t find many plants in flower this month. Most of the ones I found have yellow flowers but I did find some Common Hogweed and Daisies (white flowers) and some Cyclamen.

Cyclamen growing inside the cemetery — ***Cyclamen***

I also found some Oxalis on one of the footpaths in the cemetery, but just a few leaves and no flowers.

Oxalis leaves in the cemetery — ***Oxalis***

Lots of the trees and shrubs in the cemetery now have berries on them – a great source of food for the cemetery wildlife. In the Quaker Burial Ground the Yew trees have produced lots of berries.

Walking past there towards Western Cemetery, the Broad-leaved Whitebeam at the end of the path has lots of orange berries on it.

The orange berries of the Whitebeam — **Broad-leaved Whitebeam**

The naturalised Rose bushes inside the Cemetery have some fruits or hips on them.

Rose hips - perfect for the cemetery wildlife — **Rose Hips**

The Blackthorn has some berries too, although I only found them as either singles or growing in groups of two or three.

Blackthorn or Sloe Berries in the cemetery — **Blackthorn or Sloe Berries**

Many of the Bramble plants fruited quite early but there are still some fruits at all stages of ripening on the plants, including some uneaten fruits. The seeds inside those fruits are still very useful to birds such as Bullfinches. The Dogwood bushes have plenty of black berries on them – a particular favourite of Wood Pigeons and Blackbirds it seems.

Birds

This month I’m going to feature those members of the Corvid family that can be found in the Cemetery, namely Carrion Crows and Magpies. There are several of each to be seen. Both make a particularly loud cawing noise, sometimes an indication of a predator lurking nearby.

A Carrion Crow on a branch high up in the cemetery — ***Carrion Crow (above)***

A Magpie in the cemetery — **Magpie (above)**

The Corvid family also includes Rooks, Ravens and Jays. I’ve never seen any of these in the Cemetery but a couple of Jays have been seen in the adjoining Western Cemetery by a visitor a few months ago.

The usual smaller birds are around in good numbers – Blackbirds, Chaffinches, Goldfinches, Blue Tits, Great Tits, Robins and Wrens. I also saw a Coal tit – usually I see a couple of them most days but I haven’t seen any for a few weeks, so it was nice to finally see one again. I also caught brief glimpses of a Blackcap and a Treecreeper.

Insects

And now a first for the Cemetery – a Southern Oak Bush-cricket. These are relatively new arrivals to the UK, the first records being in the south of the country in 2001. They’re expanding northwards, and this could be one of the most northerly sightings so far. They’re usually found high up in the tree canopy but also appear in lower shrubs. This one is a female.

Southern Oak Bush-cricket on a headstone in the cemetery — **Southern Oak Bush-cricket**

There are still a few Butterflies around – I saw a Red Admiral near the Cholera Monument, and a Small White along the grass verge. The species I’ve seen most often though is the Speckled Wood, often flying high up in the trees and then coming to rest on the ground.

Speckled Wood inside the cemetery — **Speckled Wood**

There are still plenty of Ladybirds around, both native and Harlequin. I found quite a lot on the sunny sides of headstones as well as on the vegetation. This 7-Spot is one of our native species.

7-Spot Ladybird on an Oak leaf in tjee cemetery — **7-Spot Ladybird on Turkey Oak Leaf**

I’m also still seeing hoverflies, including this Common Banded one.

**Common Banded Hoverfly on Autumn Hawkbit**

Mushrooms

I found this interesting mushroom growing on a grave – it’s a type of Bolete. It started off larger and paler than in the photo and now it’s shrivelled to a much smaller size. Parts have been eaten by the cemetery wildlife too.

A mushroom growing out of a grave in the cemetery — **Bolete Mushroom – side and top views**

There are quite a number of mushrooms in the cemetery at the moment. They can be quite difficult to identify accurately as their appearance can change quite quickly. This one started off smooth on top, and now it has its own fungus on it!

Mushroom with its own fungus in the cemetery — **Mushroom with fungus**

There are some tiny Inkcaps growing along some of the paths, and jelly-like fungus on some fallen trees.

Inkcap mushroom in the cemetery

Jelly-type fungus on a fallen tree in the cemetery

Conclusion

The only significant rainfall was early in the month. Since then, it has been cool and the footpaths are dry again, making an early Autumn stroll around the cemetery easy. Do pop in there and look at the cemetery wildlife – you might spot something I haven’t noticed yet!

Robin on a headstone in the cemetery

Link to further information about fungi –

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/fungi-and-lichens/

Helen Bovill

Helen is a keen photographer and nature lover. She spent a large part of her working life at the Land Registry. She is a member of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and various other similar organisations. Living close to the Cemetery for over 30 years she has seen the fortunes of the site fluctuate and has joined the FOHGC to make a positive difference.

Cemetery Wildlife – August 2022

August 28, 2022August 29, 2022 by Helen Bovillin Wildlife1 Comment

The very warm dry weather of the last month continued throughout the first half of August and this included another heatwave. The temperatures didn’t quite reach the record ones set in July but it was still very hot and dry. As a result, the grass verge alongside Spring Bank West is looking parched and dry and not ideal for the cemetery wildlife. I found very few wildflowers growing there as most of the plants have died and no fresh ones have sprouted up to replace them.

Mushrooms

I’m starting this month’s report with fungi for a change, because on the very first day of the month I saw a small group of Hare’s foot Inkcaps (pictured above). These delicate little beauties last for less than 48 hours, so I was very lucky to catch them when I did. The ones in the photo have just started to decay, hence their curling up at the edges and starting to turn inky black. At the bottom of the photo are some new mushrooms just starting to emerge. This is how they get their name, because these new “buds” are said to resemble a hare’s foot.

I also spotted a much more robust species – the Dryad’s Saddle – earlier in the month. Its condition has now deteriorated, having been partially eaten by the cemetery wildlife. But in its prime I watched it releasing some tiny spores, like very faint smoke drifting in the air. This is the underside of one of those deteriorating mushrooms.

Butterflies and Insects

I noticed quite a few dragonflies in the air over various parts of the cemetery and also over the planted areas behind Thoresby Street school. However they were quite high up and none of them landed so I’m unable to say which species they were.

I saw several white butterflies in flight, and managed to identify at least some of them as Green-veined Whites. But the commonest and easiest to identify at this time of the year is the Speckled Wood. I saw several of these throughout the month.

I also caught brief glimpses of lots of newly-emerged Holly Blue butterflies this month. These will most probably be the second brood of the year. They fly quite high in the air, looking for a mate. Once mated they will then lay their eggs on Ivy flower buds. I also saw some Bees, Hoverflies and Ladybirds in and around the Cemetery.

Birds

I caught a couple of brief glimpses of some Bullfinches – a male and a female – but unfortunately I didn’t manage to get any photos. But a Goldfinch pair I’ve been watching throughout the month have successfully raised two young.

A Sparrowhawk was seen by one of the volunteers, and I’ve also heard at least one Tawny Owl calling on a number of occasions.

I’ve seen good numbers of Blue Tits and Great Tits, both adults and fledglings. The most common finch in the Cemetery is the Chaffinch and there are several pairs and youngsters around. There are always several Robins around, and I’ve seen young of theirs as well. There are several pairs of Blackbirds in the cemetery, also with fledglings. It’s been a good year for all these species.

Trees and Flowers

Back in March last year the volunteers planted three Silver Birch trees at the eastern end of the cemetery. I’m pleased to report two of the trees are thriving and have catkins on them. This is a monoecious species, meaning the tree contains both male and female catkins and can therefore produce its own seeds without the need for cross-pollination with another tree.

The hot dry weather has meant some of the trees have started to lose their leaves earlier than usual. Some of the medium sized trees are already bearing ripe fruit, such as the Elderberry and Dogwood. Both these types of berry are an important source of food for the cemetery wildlife, especially the birds.

As already mentioned, there are hardly any flowers growing on the grass verge other than a few Dandelions. A few plants inside the cemetery are still flowering, with the Great Willowherb adding a splash of welcome colour in the centre of the cemetery.

I also managed to find a few plants with clusters of small white flowers on them. They can be difficult to identify, all looking very similar at first glance. However, one should never assume they are just Cow Parsley, by far the most prolific of the white-flowering plants in and around the Cemetery! In any case their flowering season ended in July. This month I found Upright Hedge-parsley, Wild Carrot and Common Hogweed growing in various places.

Conclusion

August started off hot, dry and sunny with a heatwave in the middle of the month. Then it got cooler and there were a few days with intermittent rain showers. The heaviest of the rain fell in the last week but at best it simply left the footpaths rather damp. The Cemetery was not affected by the flooding that other parts of the country suffered. It’s too early to say whether or not the rainfall was sufficient to enable fresh growth, especially along the grass verge. The rain was certainly good for the cemetery wildlife though!

Snail and headstone on a rare rainy day!

An interesting article about trees:-

https://friendsofhullgeneralcemetery.com/tree-hugging/

And a useful site for wildflower identification:-

https://wildflowerfinder.org.uk/

Helen Bovill

Cemetery Wildlife December

December 27, 2021 by Helen Bovillin General, Volunteers, Wildlife4 Comments

Cemetery Wildlife December

A few days after going to press last month, storm Arwen hit us. I’m happy to report that none of the cemetery’s trees suffered any major damage during that storm. A few branches broke loose but none of them were large enough to cause any damage. But at the beginning of December storm Barra arrived and this caused some more significant damage to one of the trees near the main gates. A large branch the size of a small tree broke off a Sycamore, blocking one of the footpaths. Luckily it didn’t damage any of the headstones although it did fall quite close to them. The volunteers quickly got it cleared it away.

December got off to a very cold, wet and windy start and there was even a slight dusting of snow in the first week. It remained wet for most of the month and the footpaths are still very soft and muddy. The fallen branches were put to good use by the volunteers, turning them into chippings which were used to repair the worst affected parts of the footpaths. Before the chippings were laid, some of the deepest mud was removed and put to one side, revealing many worms in the process. The Robins were quick to notice this – it is always nice to see the cemetery wildlife benefiting from human activity!

Trees and Plants

Most of the trees are now bare, but a few pockets of leaves are still clinging on to some of them – for example, on this Norway Maple.

I was surprised to see some flowers on one of the Pyracantha bushes growing along the grass verge on Spring Bank West, especially considering that it still had a few berries on it last month. It is in a sunny location though.

There are still some berries on the Rowan – a good source of food for the birds. Over the course of the next few years, it is hoped we can plant some new native trees and shrubs of the kind that have plenty of berries on them. This will provide food for the current cemetery wildlife and hopefully attract new species, increasing the site’s biodiversity.

Very few plants are in flower at the moment. I noticed a Dandelion and some Smooth Sow-thistle along the grass verge, and also some Hogweed, although it was a much smaller plant than usual, being less than a foot tall.

Birds

The highlight of this month was seeing three Bullfinches in a wild area towards the eastern side of the cemetery – please see lead photo at the start of this report. This is the first time I’ve seen Bullfinches in the cemetery this year – they seem to be only occasional visitors at the moment. But they do appear to like feeding on the seeds found in old Brambles and there are plenty of these in the cemetery. Several areas, where there are no headstones, are deliberately left untouched for the benefit of the cemetery wildlife.

There are lots of Wood Pigeons around, and I’ve also seen a pair of Stock Doves in amongst them. The Wood Pigeons are the larger of the two species. I mentioned them in my first report back in March – these more detailed photos illustrate the different plumage and eye colours much better.

The volunteers put up some more bird boxes a few weeks ago. I noticed a Blue Tit checking one out only last week. It seems quite early to be starting the nesting process, but it might just have been looking for somewhere to shelter from the cold.

Fungi

Last month I mentioned the intriguingly named King Alfred’s Cakes that one of the volunteers had found, and I managed to find quite a few of them too. I wouldn’t normally do this, but I removed one from the tree and sliced through it to see what it looked like inside. One of my reference books describes it as “Inedible. A folk remedy to relieve night cramp and it is called Cramp Balls for this reason”.

I also found a few very small mushrooms on the ground, some of which were growing out of the wood chippings laid earlier on in the year. Fallen branches can be good places for mushrooms to grow, and some of the larger branches have been deliberately left where they fell to encourage this. Fungi, plus the tiny insects that can sometimes be seen on them, are another good food source for the cemetery wildlife.

Conclusion

It has been a very cold, wet and dull month but there is still plenty of wildlife around. As I write this it is nearly Christmas; by the time you read this Christmas will be over. I hope yours was a happy Christmas and that the coming year will be a good one for you!

Helen Bovill

Ms Crackles

November 27, 2021November 29, 2021 by Pete Lowdenin History, Volunteers, Wildlife

Ms Eva Crackles was born in Hull in 1918 and worked as a teacher for many years at Malet Lambert School. She received an honorary degree from the University of Hull in the 1990s. This was followed swiftly by an MBE for recognition of her work in conservation. She died in 2007. Her works include ‘The Flowering Plants of Spurn’ and her major work, ‘Flora of the East Riding’.

This much can be gained by looking at her Wikipedia site.

However a little known piece of her work took place 45 years ago this month. She drafted a three page letter to the Leiusre Services Committee of Hull City council. In it she detailed her concerns for the ‘development of the Hull General Cemetery. She also gave a detailed analysis of the environment and ecology of the Cemetery at that time.

From a noted biologist this information should have been grasped thankfully by the Council. This report was perhaps something that they would and should have had to pay for. She gave them it as a gift.

Their reaction? Thanks but no thanks.

Here it is for your pleasure. I hope you enjoy it.

Forty five years later

Sadly, the biodiversity that Ms Crackles spoke of has decreased. Due almost entirely to the proliferation of the Sycamore, which is a poor tree with regard to habitat or food source for insects. Without the proliferation of aphids in summer it would be poor for birds too.

The Friends of Hull General Cemetery have raised this issue with the Council. The Council are in sympathy with the idea that many of the sycamores should be replaced with less invasive species such as Birch and Rowan but we were told that funding for such a scheme was problematic.

As such we just have to accept that what was once described by Ms Crackles as a ‘mixed deciduous woodland’ is, over time, becoming nothing more than a Sycamore plantation.

Pete Lowden

Pete Lowden is a member of the Friends of Hull General Cemetery committee which is committed to reclaiming the cemetery and returning it back to a community resource.

petelowden.co.uk