Bug Hunting by the River ~ Crafty Cabbage

Last Saturday (6th September 2025), Mary & I volunteered to help out at a local event organised by the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust. We've been members of the Trust since we moved to Hereford twenty-three years ago. It was a very pleasant autumn day if a little on the windy side. Unfortunately, the wind put paid to our Citizen Science display on water quality testing in the River Wye Catchment. Fortunately, we were able to help out with the Riverfly Survey.

Figure 1: Event Poster

There were plenty of activities for children with the more adventurous able to try their hand at steering a coracle.

Photo 1: Coracling?

There was plenty of interest in the Riverfly Survey - a citizen scientist project to monitor the biological quality of lakes, streams, ponds and rivers by recording the riverfly species (i.e. stoneflies, caddis flies and mayflies). Other aquatic organisms are also recorded but the main focus is on riverflies which have an all-year-round presence and are good indicators of water quality.

Suitably-attired (waders and safety jacket) citizen scientists obtain a 'kick sample' by, as the name suggests, kicking/agitating the river bed to collect aquatic material (living or otherwise) in a net (Video 1).

Video 1: Kick Sampling for a Riverfly Survey

The kick sampling is performed for a specific time which is why you can hear Mary counting down in the video. The contents of the net are then carefully tipped into a plastic tray and the net carefully rinsed to transfer any and all creatures into the tray. The difficult part, especially for me (chemist) but not for Mary (biologist), is identifying the catch.

Photo 2: Riverfly Survey - Identifying the Invertebrates

Three fish species were found: stone loach, minnow and bullhead

Photo 3: Stone Loach, River Wye (September 6th 2025)

Photo 4: Minnow, River Wye (September 6th 2025)

Photo 5: Bullhead, River Wye (September 6th 2025)

All diminutive fish that are part of the food chain for the bigger fish such as this barbel caught by local anglers who were fishing 10-20 metres downstream ...