22nd June - It Was All I Hoped It Would be

Spent the weekend split between two great sites, Saturday at Martin Down, and then Sunday afternoon walking again around Magdalen Hill Down.  Similar habitats but with greatly different results.  As a result the patch didn't get a look in, but with us in the middle of June I felt it was the right time to search further afield. 

The weather had not been too bad over the weekend but Monday morning arrived with  dark dull skies and a lot of rain.  Over the weekend we have been hearing the calls of a Fledgling Blackbird begging for food from its parents.  This morning its look and demeanour  pretty much summed up the feeling of most of us as we set off in the rain to work, fed up and desperate to find some shelter from the rain.

The area under the hydrangea bushes did provide some shelter, and it sat there for awhile.

But hiding there didn't seem the best way to get the attention of its parents so it came out into the open once the rain had eased off.

Because of the forecast for rain overnight Sunday I didn't put the moth trap out, but it was out over the weekend and it managed to find me a new moth for the garden,  Scorched Wing,

The name of this species is derived from the moth's resemblance to burnt paper. It is widely distributed in England and Wales, sometimes fairly commonly, but this is the first one I have seen.  The main flight period is May and June. The adults are attracted to sugar, but only usually the males to light.  When settled the abdomen of the male is pointed upwards.

There was a single Pale Tussock a moth caught earlier in the year, they vary in colour with the females generally larger and plainer in appearance. The males have more contrasting markings and are usually smaller. This one I think is a male.

Both exhibit the distinctive forward-facing 'furry' legs at rest.  

Another moth to vary in size is the Elephant Hawk-moth, I always think they should be larger than they are, and hope for the Small Elephant.  But the Small species has a full pink mark on the back whereas this one has the thin dashed line down the abdomen.

There were two Poplar Hawk-moths, it is now at the peak of their flying time.  I have obviously photographed them before, but as I handled this one it opened its wings and showed the chestnut colour on the hind wings, something you don't see when they are at rest.

Another first for the year was this Iron Prominent.  Common and widespread in southern counties where it may have two broods, but it is apparently scarce and more sporadic further north of the UK.  the caterpillars are found predominantly on birch trees

Then finally this moth for which the best identification I can decide on is a Feathered Bridle. My doubt comes about because the literature indicates that it occurs sporadically along the southern coastline of England from Suffolk to Cornwall, and also South Wales, and that the species inhabits a range of coastal habitats such as sandhills and shingle beaches.  In addition it is usually found flying from August to October.  None of which fit the time and place that this one was found in

On a final note as Helen and I were out on Sunday I remarked on the fact that so far this year I hadn't heard the Green Woodpecker calling, and maybe they haven't nested close by this year.  As we sat in the garden on Sunday afternoon not only did we hear a Green Woodpecker call several times but one also flew through the garden.  I will have to keep an eye out for the young on the lawns soon.

19th June - None Would Know What Bells They Can Be

Another strange weather week, from last Sunday it has been in different and nowhere near  the temperatures that would be expected for June.  It has though been relatively dry, and in the  garden where the flowers are sheltered and get sun they are beginning to grow.  The moth trap continues to be a frustration, nowhere near the numbers that I saw this time last year, but one or two of interest are beginning to turn up.  The first Peppered Moth of the year, beautifully camouflaged when sitting on the mortar in the brick wall.

A large Yellow Under-wing, once again the first of many likely this year.

And a moth that turns up in the trap. but has always managed to evade any attempt to photograph it as it flys off almost immediately, the Common Plume.

They are probably the most distinctive of the 'Plume' moths, and one of the largest. Not visible here as it is at rest but the wings are deeply divided into several 'fingers', each of which is finely feathered, or plumed.  This is the usual resting posture with the wings extended laterally and narrowly rolled up. Often they resemble a piece of dried grass, and may pass unnoticed by potential predators even when resting in exposed situations in daylight. 

Back from Germany on Thursday, on Friday I took the chance to pop into Old Down Wood.  I had heard that the Foxgloves were out in bloom and that they were putting on quite a spectacular show as I had predicted.   It was a nice sunny morning so I drove up to the pond, and after a quick look around the water headed off into the wood.

Walking along the main path towards the cross roads there were several butterflies about.  The first one I saw was a first for the year, a Meadow Brown.

The Meadow Brown is one of our commonest and most widespread butterflies, and will be a familiar sight throughout the summer months. 

Next was the Speckled Wood as usual around the shaded Bramble bushes.

And then finally a female Brimstone.  These must be coming to thee end of their first flying period and I think this one was looking for places to ovate.

As I walked down the main path there were pink foxglove spikes on either side. The bells were now in bloom and you could both see and hear the bees as they flew from bell to bell.

They looked quite spectacular in both the open sunshine and the dappled shade.

Common Foxglove is a native woodland plant, found throughout the UK.  The scientific name is Digitalis purpurea. Digitalis comes from the Latin for finger (digitus), which refers to the shape of the flowers and purpurea refers to the colour of the flowers, which are purple or deep pink.

Common Foxglove has many other names, including Fairy Bells, Fairy’s Petticoat, Dragon’s Mouth, Fox Finger, Dead Man’s Thimbles and Lady’s Gloves.

Some liken them to towering spires full of bells as they wave in the wind.

One of the alternative names - Dead Man’s Thimbles - gives a clue to the fact that the flowers, leaves, roots and seeds of the foxglove are all highly poisonous due to their effect on the heart. However, they have long been used in folk medicine, and in the 18th century a doctor called William Withering investigated their effects.  Withering’s work led to the eventual isolation and purification of digitoxin and digoxin, used in modern medicine as a treatment for heart conditions.

Although Foxgloves can be deadly for humans and other animals, they are a great nectar source for bees and also food for some moth caterpillars. Common Foxglove is the only foodplant for the Foxglove Pug moth, which flies in May and June. The caterpillars feed inside the flower, especially on the stamens, from late June to mid-August. They seal up the mouth of the flower, so are harder to spot.

The problem sometimes with photography is that the image you capture never really justifies the actual experience of being there and today was one of those days.  If you get the chance to witness this display then please do so, it is well worth it.

I walked around to the edge of the wood and looked across to the Kestrels.  Three chicks are now visible in the box.

Further on the field where last week the Roe Deer had been hiding has now been cut for hay, there was no sign whatsoever of the Roe Deer, hopefully they were able to safely make it over the fence into the wood.

I walked back to the car at the pond.  A single dragonfly was circling the lily pads but evaded any chance of identification.  There were also several Azure Damselflies around the Iris.

June is a quiet time, but there is always something around that can bring a smile to the face

12th June - I Will Wallk...With My Shadow Flag

The garden is now looking wonderful, the rockery has burst into flower and the bees have taken to the Salvia purple spikes and the Lavender.  A wander around the garden in the evening can de-stress you quite quickly.  I call this the "dragon stump".

The waterfall is once again fully operational and always adds a sense of wilderness to the surrounding.

Once again this year we have left the bottom of the garden as a "no mow" area, and have planted more wild flowers.  For the moment the buttercups are taking over but it won't be long before the others begin to fight back.

Thursday was a lot warmer than the rest of the week, but still with a fresh breeze, but after the sun set the sky turned a wonderful deep purple blue with streaks of red and orange and the wind eased.  Perfect conditions for moths and the trap was duly put out.

There had been the chance of overnight thunderstorms but these did not materialise, but as I emptied the trap early in the morning it had become overcast and there was the odd spot of rain about.  Later on thunderstorms were forecast.

For once the trap was interesting, not bulging with moths but there was definitely some quality, and as usual something that I struggle to identify.

There were four Privet Hawk Moths in total, always lovely to see and handle as they grip your skin so tight.

Beautiful moths are largest in the UK with a wingspan of up to 12 centimetres.

Next out was one of my favourites the Elephant Hawk Moth.  Getting its name from the larvae or caterpillar that in colour and relative shape looks like a small elephant.

From the pictures you would expect them to be large but in fact they are only a medium sized moth, typically having a wing span of 50–70 mm.  

The adult feeds at night, and often takes nectar from garden plants like Honeysuckles and petunias, so it is quite often seen in urban settings in the evening.  It can be seen on the wing between May and July.

Moving down in size the Pebble Prominent.  A common species, occurring throughout the British Isles, appearing as an adult between May and August in either one or two broods depending on latitude.

It frequents a range of habitats, but has a preference for damper localities, where the caterpillars feed on sallow and poplar, non of which are found around here!.

Like other prominents, rest with their wing held tightly over their body.

The first Buff Tip of the year.  When at rest, the adults of this species bear a remarkable resemblance to a broken twig of silver birch.

The species is widely distributed throughout Britain, and quite common, especially in the southern half.

Now this one has had me completely confused.  It is likely that it is a Brocade or even maybe a minor, such is the immense variation in some of the markings and colour of those moths.  However the thin black curved lines on the forewings should aid identification but in all the books and photographs I can't find anything that looks similar.  Over to anyone out there with any thoughts.

This one is known as the Flame. The adults rest with the wings wrapped around the body and closely resemble a broken piece of twig.  A common species over most of Britain, it inhabits woodland fringes, hedgerows and suburban habitats, and flies mainly in June and July

Finally my moth of the night, a Puss Moth.  The Puss moth is covered with soft cat-like fur, hence the name Puss moth. The striking nature of the beautiful black and grey marbled markings, make it quite an easy moth to identify.

The hind wings are light grey and in the females they are almost transparent. The body is whitish-grey and bears black bands on top of the abdomen.  The wings here were transparent making this one a probable female.

Fairly widespread throughout the UK, Puss moths can usually be seen flying at night between the months of May and July. As herbivores, they mainly eat leaves from trees such as poplar, sallow and willow (again not in this garden!).

Their furry appearance makes them very endearing.

So at last the moths are beginning to appear, but once again the forecast for next week is for cold nights, lets hope the moths put on their pullovers and remain about.

10th June - I Like a Guy With Quick Moves and Speed.

After last night's doe sighting I decided to have another look late morning hoping that maybe I could see the family this time.  I had also heard that the chicks in the Kestrel nest were showing.  Once again short of time I drove up to the pond to park.  It was another blustery day with the wind still in the north east making it quite cool.  However today there was a little more sunshine about which at least made it a little more acceptable.

As I walked into the wood the woodpecker was still calling, it must drive the adults mad.  I took the perimeter path and looked across towards the Kestrel nest but couldn't see anything of the chicks but I could just make out the female in the box.  Looking across the field I could see the doe again close into the fence.

I moved from the path to a better spot and I could also get a better view of the Kestrel.  As I watched the box I could see a white downy wing flapping about, and then a head appeared alongside the female, a white shape that was clearly one of the chicks.

Going back to the deer I found that she was now making her way slowly across the filed, stopping every so often to feed, and to look in front of her, her ears pricked forward listening.  She did this several times, then when she was standing still I noticed movement in the grass ahead of her, then saw two small bodies moving or springing through the grass.  when they stopped moving you could not see anything.  The only reason I know they were there was because I could see her licking something in the grass.  The kids must have been lying down in the middle of the field completely covered by the long grass

She then decided to lead them off across the field.  I could see the doe as she walked, but the kids were struggling to keep up, having to spring and jump through the grass which allowed me to see a little more than just two pairs of ears.

She led them to the far side, and then proceeded to walk along the line of the fence, stopping to feed on the leaves, the youngster doing like wise, but also skipping and jumping about.

Together the three of them made their way towards the far corner.  

You can see that the kids have the spots on their backs which gives them such excellent camouflage in the grass.

As they walked along the line of the fence I took several short videos and then combined them into one to show the family together.  They are distant but it is a nice record of them at this young age.

Then the doe decided that the grass was greener in the wood and jumped the fence leaving the kids in the field looking through the fence to see where mum had gone

Elated that I had finally managed to see them I decided to head back.  At the pond there were at least six swallows flying around and dipping into the water for a wash.  This is the first time I have (a) seen that many here and (b) seen them bathing here.  I stopped for awhile and attempted some shots, but the agility and closeness of the birds made it very difficult.

These two shots were not that bad though.

After a short time I realised I had to give it up and I headed home.  In the space of three days I had notched off three of my missing items for this year I mentioned last week, the Holly Blue and the Roe Deer kids, now it just remains to get the Willow Warbler.