Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
General Subjects => General Forum => Topic started by: Diane Whitehead on August 03, 2013, 11:21:04 PM
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I regularly have deer in the garden, but haven't had a fawn in the yard before
It is surprising how she is able to get into places that adults never have, like
my supposedly deer-proof vegetable garden. And because she has wriggled in
in an unexpected place, she can't remember where to get out.
Today I had the greenhouse door open just wide enough for the cat, so was
surprised when the fawn came in. She tried to get out the far door, which
was closed, then threw herself at a window which didn't let her out either.
I was able to get around behind her so she moved towards the open door and
left before doing any damage to herself or the plants.
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I thought that before the month ends, I'd post a few wildlife pictures from a couple of weeks ago - trying out the new bridge camera bought for bird photography. No birds this time though!
Firstly a couple of photos of a Grey Seal Halichoerus grypus in Mallaig harbour - it would seem that this specimen has seen a few fights in his time, judging by the scars.
Then a male Common Blue Damselfly Enallagma cyanthigerum busy eating 'something' (hence the odd appearance around its mouth), and a Four-Spotted Chaser Libellua quadrimaculata both taken in the Trossachs on the next day.
Seals are nice to look at but I am not particularly fond of them, especially Phoca vitulina which takes all the fish at our summerhouse! The population has exploded the last years.
This one had to warm up a bit before it could take off! Aeschna caerula female.
edit by maggi to show relevance to comment on a July post
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More than the usual number of helicopters flying over here this Tuesday morning...... not I see where they are coming from....... ;) ;D
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Hi,
I have posted this in another thread but thought some of the northern forumists might like to see a true Aussie animal.
He is a visitor who is not welcome inside the block but nice to see outside. He got stuck in my next door neighbour's chook pen and did a lot of bouncing around trying to work out how to get out! Its a Bennett's Wallaby or Red Necked Wallaby, one of only 3 large macropods that live in Tasmania.
Cheers, Marcus
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PS I thought I'd share this little gem. I sell hellebores here in Tasmania and beyond. I had a call yesterday from a customer re-ordering some of the plants that she had already purchased only a few weeks before. When I asked her if everything was OK she replied, "Oh fine, except they were stolen by a Tasmanian Devil". To which I replied, the two-legged or the four legged kind? "The latter", she said, "a female has dug a den under our house and she nicked the hellebores, which were soaking in a bucket, for nesting material."
I don't know any more novel use for hellebores!
BTW for those who don't know, the Tasmanian Devil is the largest of the marsupial carnivores still extant and is endemic to Tasmania. It is now critically endangered due to a transmissible parasitic facial cancer decimating its ranks - another weird and rare disease almost as rare as the Devil itself.
Cheers, M
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Ha, love the beady eyes on that criitter! Thank you for sharing pix of the wildlife.
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Isn't it August?
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It can't be August in the UK, the sun's still shining here. ;)
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I spotted this handsome caterpillar in the garden this evening. Does anyone recognise it.
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Looks like a buff tip (Phalera bucephala) caterpillar. Moth at rest looks like a birch twig - or a cigarette end.
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Thanks, Anthony. The only pictures I can find show the caterpillar from the top so the orange 'eyes' on the sides aren't visible. It is still munching away on the little birch tree.
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I think yours shows the best view of the caterpillar Roma. The "eyes" show the black breathing spiracles, which connect to a network of fine tracheae throughout the caterpillar.
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Aye right! ::) :P
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Didn't you study biology at school, David?
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Yes Roma, did a great deal of research round the back of the bike sheds, but none in the classroom ;D
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You wouldn't be studying furry caterpillars there David. :P
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;D ;D ;D 'twas an interesting subject!
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I got some new friends that I hope will keep you busy for a while. I have no idea what they are or even in which family one should start searching the answers. Anyway, I hope you will enjoy them. All shot in August, in Veleta, Sierra Nevada, at around 3 000- 3 400 m
[attachimg=1]
the poop
[attachimg=2]
the coachcreep
[attachimg=3]
the tribal walnut
[attachimg=4]
the true bluewing. The blue color of the wings when flying is absolutely breathtaking.
[attachimg=5]
And finally the jumpmontains
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Susann,
the true blueing is a carpenter bee Xylocopa violacea. Large and beautiful.
The jumpmontains could be Eumigus rubioi.
The coachcreep maybe Baetica ustulata, endemic in Spain.
The tribal walnut looks like a Pimelia monticola.
The poop is maybe Meloe proscarabaeus.
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Lovely photos. Oil beetles are fascinating.
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You are totally incredible!
But the bluewing being a carpenter bee,? I was sure it was a butterfly pretending to be Batman. I am happy to have met an endemic insect, thank you for telling me. I think he looked nice. And yes, the beetle was very beautiful, but I only saw it once.
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The blue carpenter bee is a warmth loving species and still heads for northwards since last 50 years.
It is impressive to see them already in March.
One of my favourite images is when feeding on an tiny crocus ancyrensis :)
The image was shot already in 2006 but the blue carpender bees are regular visitors in my garden.
And there is no need to be afraid of them - they have a gentle nature. :)
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Armin,
Interesting facts - unfortunately this colorful bee doesn`t reach our region until now.
Gerd
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I don't think that Xylocopa violacea is in the UK either (except for some occasional reports from England)
- what a startlingly attractive creature it is. It would be exciting to see them live.
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I couldn't resist these little guys even if they were eating all the leaves on a couple of small birch trees. I even moved 2 or 3 to the birch trees after finding them in odd places like galloping over the (concrete) garage floor. I think they have all gone now, hopefully to pupate then I'll be overrun with them next year ;D
Phalera bucephala
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Carder bees have been very common this summer. There are usually plenty around in spring especially on Pulmonarias but the do not seem as common as other bumble bees later on.
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Been out and about butterflying last couple of days. First a Chalkhill blue and then my first Brown Hairstreak (third year of looking!)
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It would be exciting to see them live.
Maggi,
it is like a black hornet whooshing over ;D
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Armin,
Interesting facts - unfortunately this colorful bee doesn`t reach our region until now.
Gerd
Gerd,
read this portrait and scroll down to the images: You will be surprised ;D
http://www.wildbienen.de/eb-xviol.htm (http://www.wildbienen.de/eb-xviol.htm)
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Maggi,
it is like a black hornet whooshing over ;D
Ooooohhhh! :-\ Then it is just as well you tell me they are harmless, friendly creatures!
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I wrote 'it is like' - so don't worry ;D
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We visited a friend in Macedon just as her resident King Parrots came for a feed!
cheers
fermi
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Very smart parrots - and I also like the cascade style pine in that lovely glazed pot that we see in the background
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VERY nice colour combination.