Garden Wildlife 2014

[Anthony Darby]

I like the alder borer. Presumably it's the larva that is found in dead wood. Here's a link to the dead wood stage. https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5269/5627626894_f8a9838e5a_z.jpg

[Maggi Young]

I like the alder borer. Presumably it's the larva that is found in dead wood. Here's a link to the dead wood stage. https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5269/5627626894_f8a9838e5a_z.jpg

 You got me there!!  Now, of course, you're responsible for an onslaught of Doris Day songs - it's you own fault!

 

 

[Anthony Darby]

 

[Maggi Young]

Ian will be after your blood - once I get started on my Doris Day repertoire I can go on for days - drives him absolutely crazy.  ( Guess that makes me  a DD borer......    )

Seems the alder borer's habit of  favouring dead wood means it is not regarded as much of a pest  but the adults eat flowers, I read.

[Anthony Darby]

Ian will be after your blood - once I get started on my Doris Day repertoire I can go on for days - drives him absolutely crazy.  ( Guess that makes me  a DD borer......    )

Seems the alder borer's habit of  favouring dead wood means it is not regarded as much of a pest  but the adults eat flowers, I read.

Whip crack away!

[Roma]

Roma, speckled woods are very territorial and will fight off all comers.

I think the butterfly I saw in the garden was just passing through but I did see a territorial dispute in the wood behind the house yesterday.  I wandered off to the far end off the usual paths.  The deer tracks do not take into account low branches and fallen trees so I was struggling to get back to the well used path.  I saw a Speckled Wood sitting on a fern in a patch of sunlight.  Another came into the area and was seen off.   At one point the intruder was on the ground, wings folded tight in a submissive or 'playing dead' position while the other butterfly was beating his wings strongly and darting at him as if attacking.  I do not think there was any physical contact but I would have been intimidated if he was my size.

[Anthony Darby]

They are fascinating butterflies Roma. In the 19th century they were found in central Scotland. The race from the borders south is different from the north of Scotland form, which has much paler markings. This was the form found further north 150 years ago.

[Anthony Darby]

Not my garden, but at the top of the road bordering the public pavement. Had to scrape the car this morning, but spotted these introduced Australian rainbow skinks at lunch time today. There was an even smaller one, but it vanished as I approached.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Large green caterpillar - should I be worried?

[Matt T]

It's the caterpillar of the elephant hawk moth: http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1991

Either you have a 'wild' garden, or there is a patch of rosebay willow herb nearby, which it will have been feeding on. So no need to worry about it devouring precious garden plants. It is likely that it wandered into your garden in search of a site in which to pupate - I presume it was found under the bark you've photographed it on, which would be an ideal pupation site.

[johnralphcarpenter]

Thanks Matt; well, there are wild bits....

[Anthony Darby]

Large elephant hawk moth caterpillars are also found on fuchsia.

[arillady]

A lovely video Maggi. How come one had to face the other way? He seemed to have a longer tail too.
Just noticed the video was on page 1 of this thread

[Maggi Young]

A lovely video Maggi. How come one had to face the other way? He seemed to have a longer tail too.
Just noticed the video was on page 1 of this thread

Well, you know, Pat, there's always one.....     
 I did wonder if he felt he got more heat for his head from the bodies of his pals than from their heads. His tail looked longer because the tails of the others (pointed in the direction of the camera) seemed short because of the fore-shortening effect of the camera.

[johnralphcarpenter]

They are also found on fuchsia.

I have those. Do they feed on any genus in the Onagraceae? I have evening primrose (Oenothera sp.) in the garden too.