Wildlife viewed through beer goggles: 6. Is this the world's first moss-themed beer?

Still in pursuit of wildlife-themed beers (click here for earlier examples), here's a complete novelty. I suspect that this must be the world's first moss-themed beer.

Old Sphagnum has been brewed by the Allendale Brewery to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Peatland Restoration Scheme by the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership.



This is Sphagnum, the wonderful moss that grows from the top, dies from below and produced deep peat deposits that - amongst other attributes - lock away atmospheric carbon.



And here, high in the North Pennines in Weardale, is a peaty pool, partially full of Sphagnum, that is a superb habitat for all sorts of wildlife.



Sphagnum absorbs water like a sponge, thanks to these highly specialised leaves that are formed by a network of living cells separated by dead, empty cells that hold water.



Here they are under the microscope, showing that network of living cells (green) and the hollow dead cells in between that hold water.

The Peatlands Restoration project aims to reverse past damage from moorland drainage, that has killed the Sphagnum and led to rapid peat erosion. 

This is the only moss-themed beer that I've ever encountered and has instantly become an indispensable addition to any bryological field trip.

Wildlife Viewed Through Beer Goggles: 5. A Tale of Two Raptors

A while ago I began a series of posts on wildlife-themed beers that has lapsed somewhat. I haven't given up alcohol - I just hadn't got around to search out any more relevant beers. 

Recently I've sampled two excellent examples that each has a different story attached. 

First, Red Kite ruby ale, brewed to celebrate the reintroduction of red kites into the lower Derwent Valley near Gateshead. 

There is much to celebrate in this example of what is now fashionably called 'rewilding'. The success of the project, with what is now a well established red kite population, is the source of immense local pride. The birds have been adopted by schools and used to promote local businesses.

The local buses are decorated with red kites images ....

.... there are red kite walks all over the Derwent Country Park, where you are almost guaranteed to see at least one of these fabulous birds whenever you visit..

.... there are Red Kite Country road signs .....

... red kite themed events like this fitness walk

... red kite public art, like this magnificent wood carving by local chain-saw maestro Tommy Craggs..

..... without doubt, the reintroduction of these birds has done wonders for the region

* * * * * 

The second beer is this delightful Sky Dancer golden ale by the Bowland Brewery, the perfect pint for a sunny summer afternoon. 

It celebrates the wonderful hen harrier that does, from time to time, attempt to breed on moorland in the Forest of Bowland in Cumbria.

As the bottle label says:

The Forest of Bowland is an important breeding ground for the rare and beautiful hen harrier - known locally as the Sky Dancer because of its elaborate flying displays.


There's some YouTube footage of their aerial antics here

The problem is that your chances of witnessing these displays are very slim because the Forest of Bowland, which should be perfect habitat for them, has been a disaster area for this persecuted bird.

You can read all about it in this Guardian article by Patrick Barkham 


Or visit YouTube to see at BBC Programme about 10 years of illegal persecution of these birds

The beer is wonderful though. Highly recommended!

*  *  *  *  *

So there you have it. In one case, an enlightened community that has welcomed the return of a raptor that has brought pride, pleasure and economic benefit to the North East.

And on the other side of the Pennines ..... well, read that excellent newspaper article and watch the YouTube report and judge for yourself.

A good beer guide for wasps .........?

In autumn, when wasps finish breeding, they turn their attention to anything sweet and often become a nuisance. One solution is to trap them in narrow-necked bottles container a mixture of jam and water - but there are other baits that can be used too.

Back in 2007 a researcher in the Czech Republic called Libor Dvorak tested out traps containing beer as a bait (he didn't mention which brand) and after trapping 3583 wasps of 8 different species at 131 sites across Europe, including several in Britain, found that three species including the common wasp Vespula vulgaris (above) were most prone to drowning in the traps. I suppose there are worse ways to go. If you want to read the original scientific paper you can download it by clicking here.

As far as I can tell, no one has ever followed up this research by testing whether wasps have a particularly preference for any type or brand of beer. Do they have a favourite tipple? Guinness? Fosters? Budweiser? Carling? 

Clearly there's scope for some important and original research here. Maybe drink 95 per cent of the beer in ten different bottles, then line the bottles up and see how many wasps end up in each bottle?v At 131 sites across Europe?

My kind of experiment.

Wildlife Viewed Through Beer Goggles: Stinging Nettles

My exploration of wildlife-themed beers has stalled a bit recently but here's an interesting example, brewed with additional stinging nettle flavouring, which adds a frisson of excitement to a quiet pint. Here's what the brewer, based at Matfen in Northumberland, says about it:

Nettle Ale 4.5% ABV

This ale can only be produced in the Spring, when the nettles on the farm are at the perfect stage to be picked. Based on a 14th century recipe, this ale is supposed to help the common cold and gout!

I haven't had a cold since I drank this and I haven't got gout (yet), so it clearly does exactly what it says on the bottle.

Stinging nettles are famous for the wealth of wildlife that they support, including numerous insects, of which thetiny  nettle tap moth Anthophila fabriciana (above) is one, currently breeding on the nettles in my garden. 


More wildlife-themed beers here.

Wildlife Viewed Through Beer Goggles: 4 North Pennine Upland Ornithology in Spring

I'm still dutifully pursuing my research on wildlife-themed beers so, with today being the day of the vernal equinox, here are three that celebrate spring arriving in the Pennine uplands, starting with the admirable golden plover golden ale. Notice that the bird on the label is legless - is this a subliminal marketing message?

Golden plover have been back on their nesting grounds on Chapel Fell in Weardale for a couple of weeks, where you more often hear their mournful cries rather than see them. A walk on the fell in low cloud at this time of year is a spooky experience, with the birds' calls (listen here) coming at you from all directions out of the mist.  


These are part of a flock feeding in fields near Corbridge about a month ago, at a time when they were just beginning to develop their breeding plumage. They're very cautious birds and I've never had much luck photographing them, so .....

.... most of my pictures tend to be of this sort.

I don't think there is a more evocative sound on moorland than that of curlews during their courtship flights - long, slow glides trailing their bubbling calls (listen to recordings here). They've been back in Weardale for at least a couple of weeks too.

That wonderful sound is made in the bird's throat and in this picture you can see just how large a curlew's throat is when it opens its beak fully - it's really a feathered musical instrument.

And finally, black grouse porter. Strange gurgling calls, aggression, ridiculously plumaged - a description that could refer equally to Friday night beer-fuelled revellers in the Bigg Market in Newcastle and to this magnificent game bird, that I still haven't managed to record in a  decent photo ...... something that I hope to rectify when the lekking season begins again at Langdon Beck in Teesdale. 


Listen to a selection of sound recordings here.

Wildlife Viewed Through Beer Goggles: 3. Urban Birding

After sampling tipple number 4 in this investigation of wildlife-themed beers - Allendale Brewery's Wagtail Ale - I've been keeping a lookout for the bird in question, to justify this tenuous excuse for indulging in alcoholic refreshment. Before I got any further though - and to ensure that I don't get hauled before the Leveson Inquiry for corrupt practices in journalism - I should emphasise that although most of the beers here have come from the same brewery - and there are a few more from the same source still to come - I have no affiliations with the Allendale Brewery whatsoever - its products just happen to be conspicuously available in some of my favourite local outlets. I have some wildlife-themed products from other brewers lined up in the fridge and their turn will come in due course..... and if you are a brewery company that would like your products featured here, just stick a label on it featuring a plant, animal or fungus and I'll add it to my workload. Deathcap bitter? Wild Pansy lager? Great Crested Newt ale? Bring it on......

Anyway, my quest for wagtails led me to this unlikely spot - the Ouseburn in Newcastle, which runs through Jesmond Dene, then under the city to appear again near Byker bridge, where it flows down to the Tyne about a mile downstream of the Tyne Bridge. The lower Ouseburn, once the recipient of some of the worst effluents that the industrial Revolution could invent, is rapidly being redeveloped, and this much-abused waterway is now relatively clean and becoming the focus of all sorts of artistic and high-tech enterprises. It's also a good spot for urban birding, especially along this stretch that the developers haven't had much impact on yet. These are moorings for small pleasure boats, many of which are converted ships' lifeboats. Ironically, the wreck you can see bottom right in this picture is called the Toontanic (yes, really) and - predictably - sank a few years ago (no one hurt) but has been raised and dragged back to the quay.

The stony riverbed looks a bit unsavoury but I often see kingfishers fishing in the pools here at low tide, and redshanks, along with the resident mallards that have already produced their first brood this year. It's also a favourite haunt of grey wagtails ..... 

... like this one catching flies on the wall of the quay .....

..... and this one exploring the stream bed. That vivid orange colouring on the rocks looks a bit alarming but it's probably not as toxic as it looks - it's most likely due to iron metabolising bacteria that thrive in iron-rich water.

You can pretty much guarantee to find grey wagtails here at almost any time of the year .... and the pub called the The Cluny next to the Ouseburn City Farm sometimes has wagtail bitter on tap. Some things are just meant to be..... 

Wildlife Viewed Through Beer Goggles: 2 Adders

If you like your lager with added 'bite', then the Allendale Brewery's Adder lager may be for you. I enjoyed it - perfect for today's unseasonably warm and sunny weather - but strictly, of course, as part of my ongoing academic investigation into wildlife-themed beers.

I don't see real adders in my part of County Durham very often, which is probably more to do with me not visiting the right places at the right time than a reflection of their rarity. Whenever I do encounter them it's usually in Hamsterley Forest or in moorland edge habitats, but I met this one a few years ago basking in the middle of a road near Wolsingham in Weardale.

She was imminent danger of becoming road kill so - with great care - I gave her a gentle prod with a long stick and she moved to the side of the road where she quickly slide down a rabbit burrow, which was a piece of good luck for her but maybe not for any resident rabbits. 

Lovely reptile, though.

Wildlife Viewed Through Beer Goggles: Badgers and Hares

We're in the 'Phoney War' period at the moment while we wait for spring to really hit its stride, so I've been casting around for a worthy project while we wait for the first summer migrants to reach our shores - and I think I've found the perfect one: wildlife-themed beers. This is this evening's sunset viewed through a glass of Badger Breweries Hopping Hare ale. 

I've noticed a remarkable proliferation of wildlife-themed beers in recent years so this is a project that could keep a dedicated naturalist busy well into summer and beyond. 


And this is a good place to start - a brew celebrating not one but two much-loved British mammals and containing a host of botanical ingredients, including no less than three hop varieties; 'Thrice Hopped', as the brewers charmingly put it. When did you last hear the word 'thrice' used? The English language is alive and well and inscribed on a beer bottle.


Oh, and since you asked, they're Goldings and Cascade, combined with First Gold. They add a warm golden glow to sundown.