Notes and Photos from Sallie

Brian and I have had an email from group member Sallie Corfield to say that, having been furloughed from work this week, she is spending more time in her garden. 

I'll let Sallie explain the following photos in her own words by 'cut & pasting' them from her email.

"The photo of the blackbird nest is from my back garden, apologies for the poor quality, I was trying to be really quick when the bird was off the nest so I didn’t disturb her. The nest is tucked into some ivy growing on the fence."

Blackbird (Turdus merula) eggs in nest - Sallie's Blackfordby garden

"The other two photos are my front garden which I decided last year to stop mowing. Last year we had just grasses which I cut just once in September and have left to its own devices. This year so far we’ve had a lot of lesser celandine, lots of dandelions, green alkanet, honesty and now loads of cuckoo flower has appeared! I’m really looking forward to seeing what else appears."

the benefits of  'wilding' a lawn - Sallie's Blackfordby garden

"I’ve also got a patch of the back garden which I intend to leave unmown from this year onwards. Just shows how quickly wildflowers can colonise and that you don’t really need to do much or spend any money to create better habitat at home really easily. It would be great to encourage group members to leave bits of the garden to go wild and see what appears. "

I think that this is a brilliant idea, Sallie, and will be of great benefit to invertebrates, with the knock-on effect of assisting the birds with a food supply too.  Thank you for sharing this.

Last year, I made plans to convert my lawn to a flower meadow for the very same reasons. However, events overtook me and have done so again this year! 

I have been keen to let the Dandelions grow in the lawn (and the rest of the garden) this year, but I have also mown from time to time. I have noticed that, when the grass is relatively short, the birds (mainly Starlings, House Sparrows, and Dunnocks, but other birds too) like to peck at the lawn looking for leatherjackets, worms and insects. This got me wondering if I should shelve my plans to lose the lawn and just concentrate on insect-friendly plants in the garden. Sallie's intiative has caused me to rethink my ideas and I suspect that our lawn will now be a 'half and half' - half mown and half left to grow (with possibly a few wildflower seeds scattered on it to help with the process).

Thank you, Sallie, for your inspiration. Stay safe and healthy, and keep your ideas and photos coming, please.

Brian - your wildflowers will be in the next blog post!

Take good care everyone - - - Richard

Mating Red Mason Bees

Brian has forwarded to me an image kindly sent in by group member Melinda Bell. It shows a pair of Red Mason Bees (I hope I've got the ID correct!) mating. At first I wondered if this was an act of aggression, rather than love as I (a total novice as far as bees are concerned) was quite surprised by the relative positions. However, it seems that these bees might justifiably be called Missionary Bees. The female can be recognised as the one underneath as the 'horns' (the reason for the scientific name) on her all-black head are clearly visible, and the male has white tufts on his head.

Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) (pair mating) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Thank you Min for sending this in - I've learned something new (but, at my age, will probably forget it again in no time flat!)

I suspect that the next blog post will feature more of Brian's wildflower images.

Stay safe and well - - - Richard

 

Garden Moths

While we are in lockdown, one aspect of wildlife-watching in the garden which can be informative and interesting is looking at garden moths with the aid of a moth trap. Many moths, but not all, are attracted to light. Moth traps consist of a chamber with a light above, usually with clear baffles round the light so that a moth which is attracted to the light bumps into the baffles and drops, via a funnel, into the chamber below. It is customary for the chamber to have egg-tray sheets inside so that the moths have somewhere to rest until observed and released in the morning. To get best results, the light used needs to be a special one for the purpose. Mercury vapour lamps used to be the order of the day (or night!), but these can now be difficult to source because of safety and ecological concerns and regulations. Actinic bulbs or  fluorescent black-light bulbs are now the safest options.

At least three of the group members have moth traps, including myself and our Chairman, Brian.  The main season for moths is from spring to autumn, although a few species are around in the winter. I'm relatively new to moth-ing, but it seems to me that the best nights are warm still nights with a relatively humid atmosphere - but not wet! This year, the moth season seems to have got off to a slow start, although moths are now being found. However here are a few that Brian and I have found recently. They might not be the most colourful - hopefully there will be some of those later in the year!

Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Clouded Drab (Orthosia incerta) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

March Moth (Alsophyla aescularia) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Beautiful Plume (Amblyptilia acanthadactyla) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Early Grey (Xylocampa areola) - Ashby de la Zoucg garden

This next one might look as if it was dead in this photo, but I assure you it was not and flew away later in the day. Quite a large moth - they usually hold their wings closed.

Early Thorn (Selenia dentaria) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Light Brown Apple Moth (Epiphyas postvittana) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Diurnea fagella - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Shoulder Stripe (Earophila badiata) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Small Quaker (Orthosia cruda) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Twenty Plume Moth (Alucita hexadactyla) - Ashby de la Zouch garden

Brian had his trap out for the first time last week. He manages to give his photographic subjects a much more natural-looking background by placing than on a leaf - I use a green cardboard folder!

Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) - Blackfordby garden

Powdered Quaker (Orthosia gracilis) - Blackfordby garden

Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula) - Blackfordby garden

Silver Y (Autographa gamma) - Blackfordby garden

That last moth is an immigrant from continental Europe but is still relatively common and can be seen flying in the daytime.

I have been trying to source moth traps at a competetive price for the group, should anyone want one. However, the source is having supply problems at the moment due to some key components coming from China. If the situation changes I'll get Brian to put a message out to the group.

If you would like any help with information about moth trapping, or identification of moths, please feel free to contact either Brian Hammond or myself (Richard Pegler). I will say that Brian is very much more an expert than I am (I'm just a novice with a couple of years experience!). 

If you want a good book to help with the identification of moths, I thoroughly recommend the 'Field Guide to the Moths of Great Britain and Ireland' by Waring, Townsend, and Lewington. It can currently be obtained for less than £30.

On-line assistance with moth ID can be found on Twitter from @MothIDUK .

Please consider sending records of any moths seen to the County Recorder - see the 'Wildlife Recording' tab under the banner header.

Happy mothing - take good care - - - Richard

Another Set Of Wildflowers From Brian

Brian has sent in more photos of wildflowers for our perusal. As botany is an area that I've not delved into, I can't offer any descriptions, but I can look up the scientific names - I hope that I've got them right!

Common Dog-violet (Viola riviniana) - Blackfordby

White Dead-nettle (Lamium album) - Blackfordby

Green Alkanet (Pentaglottis sempervirens) - Blackfordby

Wood Forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) - Blackfordby

Thank you, Brian. 

Until the next time - take good care - - - Richard

Lockdown Spring Butterflies

Many/most of us are currently reliant on our gardens for our enjoyment of wildlife and, with the spell of warm sunny weather we have experienced recently, butterflies may well have added an element of delight. Here are a few from my Ashby de la Zouch garden that you might well have seen in your own garden, or whilst out on your 'exercise walk'.

The first is the Small Tortoiseshell - a very common butterfly. These early ones will be from last year's autumn brood and will have hibernated over winter, often in sheds, garages, etc.

Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) - Ashby de la Zouch garden on 23rd March, 2020

The next one is the Comma with its distinctively shaped wings. This is also a butterfly which has two broods, with the late brood hibernating and emerging in spring.

Comma (Polygonum c-album)  - Ashby de la Zouch garden on 25th March, 2020

Yet another hibernating butterfly is the Peacock. Unlike the previous two species, which have two broods a year, the Peacock has a single brood.

Peacock (Aglais io)  - Ashby de la Zouch garden on 25th March, 2020

The next butterfly is the Small White. This will be a freshly emerged butterfly at this time of year. They tend to emerge shortly before the similar Large Whites. Both species have second broods later in the year. The easiest way to tell Small from Large (apart from the size, which is not always obvious) is by the marking on the forewings. The Small White has a greyish 'powdery' tip to the forewing, and pale inboard spots, whereas the Large White has bold black ends to the forewing, and very black spots.

Small White (Pieris rapae)  - Ashby de la Zouch garden on 10th April, 2020

The Holly Blue is a delightful little butterfly and is on the wing now with a first brood. This species will lay eggs on Holly or Ivy. We have much Ivy in the garden, but I understand that Holly is preferred. It is difficult to tell the sex of the illustrated individual as the wings are, as is usual when at rest, tightly closed. However, if the upper side of the fore wings was visible, a dark edge to the tip of the fore wing would identify it as a female. I suspect that this is a male as I can see no such hint of a dark edge.

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) - Ashby de la Zouch Garden on 11th April, 2020

Orange-tips are now appearing in the garden and, although I've had a few sightings, I've only managed 'record shots' of one, so I am endebted to Brian Hammond for providing a beautiful shot of one in his garden. This, with the orange tips to the fore wing, is a male - the female is white where the male is orange.  Orange-tip caterpillars feed on Garlic Mustard - no you can't go and buy pots of it made by Colman's and put it in the garden to attract the butterflies! It's a plant, and Brian has provided a photo of the plant too - thank you Brian.

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) - on Bluebell in Blackfordby garden

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata)

The other butterfly that I should mention here, which I have seen several times already, but not been able to photograph recently, is the Brimstone. They tend to flit through the garden without stopping. The males are easily recognised as they are bright yellow, but the females are very pale and nearly white, and are most easily recognised by the distinctive wing shape when at rest. Here's one from my garden last year:- 

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) - Ashby de la Zouch garden on 3rd September, 2019

I'll end by urging you to keep records of butterflies seen and send them in to the appropriate body - please see the 'Wildlife Recording' tab below the header to this blog.

Take great care, stay safe, and please let us know of your local wildlife sightings or any items that you'd like identified.

Best wishes - - - Richard Pegler

More Wildflowers From Brian

Brian has sent in more photos of wildflowers with the following note:-

"Sloe (Blackthorn) is fully out so maybe there will be some Sloe gin later in the year to either celebrate or drown our sorrows!!."

Red Deadnettle (Lamium purpureum) - Blackfordby

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) - Blackfordby

 Thank you, Brian. The thought of that sloe gin is incentive enough to boost our determination.

Spring Wild Flowers

More from Brian, who kindly provided the following:-

"The Spring flowers are starting to bloom in the countryside with the sunny weather recently. Celandines are in full bloom & a couple of Field Pansys (Viola arvensis) are out on the edge of the field opposite my house."

Lesser Celandine (Ficaria verna) - Blackfordby

Field Pansy (Viola arvensis) - Blackfordby

Please keep the photos coming, folks! I'd like to be able to do a blog post each day.

Stay safe, and don't hesitate to get in touch if you have anything we can help with - - - Richard

Nesting Wren(s?)

Our Chairman, Brian, has sent in a photo of a nest box in his garden which is not just attractive to the human eye, but also it seems to this Wren, which is busy filling it with nesting material which seems to consist mainly of moss. Fingers are crossed that this bird has a mate, and will raise a family in the box.

Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) - Blackfordby Garden

If you are busy raking the moss out of your lawn, as I have been this past week, please leave it in a pile somewhere accessible to the birds as I'm sure they will be grateful for it!

I hope that you are all managing to stay safe and well, and look forward to seeing you when we get to the other side - - - Richard