my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[ian mcdonald]

Among the plants seen during the wildlife survey of a local site on Saturday were Pennyroyal, Mentha pulegium img. 1010813. Vipers bugloss, Echium vulgare img.1010819. Also several tall Mullein which looked like V. pyramidatum img.1010814.

[ian mcdonald]

A bug on yellow figwort, any idea of name? img 1010469. A flying roe deer, practising for Christmas? img 1010838. Pyrausta aurata in the garden today, img 1010862.

[Anthony Darby]

The bug on the figwort is the figwort weevil Cionus scophulariae.

[ian mcdonald]

Thanks Anthony, I thought you might know it.

[ian mcdonald]

Garden visitors include Holly Blue, Celastrina argiolus img 1010887 and Speckled Wood, Parage aegeria img 1010885. Seen on the local patch are Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni img 1010877 on Fleabane, Pulicaria dysenterica and female common blue, Polyommatus icarus img 1010896.

[ian mcdonald]

Also on the local patch yesterday (hot and sunny) were Black Darter, Sympetrum danae img 1010893. Common Darter, Sympetrum striolata img 1010894. and Emerald Damselfly? Lestes sponsa img 1010897. Apologies if I have mis-identified any, inverts are not my favourite things. There were quite a few other dragons and damsels there. Birds seen included Kestrel, Hobby, Marsh Harrier, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Buzzard and Jay.

[Tristan_He]

Looks right to me Ian. We had a teneral female common hawker on the wall of the house yesterday. Hopefully we'll see her back again in the garden once she has coloured up.

[ian mcdonald]

Seen on the local patch today included a wheatear (through the car windscreen) img 1010961. Purple loosestrife img 1010963. Hemp agrimony img 1010966. Greylag geese img 1010967. Also seen were snipe, greenshank, common sandpiper, ruff, marsh harrier, hobby and peregrine.

[ian mcdonald]

Autumn has arrived at the local patch. Four fungi at a woodland edge on peat. img 1010976. img 1010987. img 1010988. and img 1010990.

[ian mcdonald]

Hover-flies dining on a dandelion img. 1010977. More guests img. 1010980. A roe deer with young img. 1010984. Clearing birch scrub on a part of the bog img. 1010978.

[ian mcdonald]

Some more autumnal pics. from the local patch. img. 102012 shows bog rosemary still in flower. img.102014 shows cross leaved heath still in flower. img. 1102016 is cranberry, nice and sweet.

[ian mcdonald]

I,m not sure which category these pictures of the local patch should be in. img 3457. Green belt scrape. img. 060 cotton-grass. img 3254 Northern canals. img. 3459 North of blackwater dyke. img. 003a Southern canals. Apologies if I have posted them before.

[ian mcdonald]

Fairly quiet on the local patch today, apart from the wind and the chainsaws. Few birds seen but include kestrel, snipe, marsh harrier, pink footed geese, teal and a peregrine sitting on a log about 200 yards away. img. 1020023 shows part of the site with hares tail cotton-grass in the wetter parts and bracken on the dryer baulks, looking East. img. 1020024 is the same area looking West. img. 1020025 is the taller royal fern. I also found 18 tiny juveniles regenerating not far away. img. 1020026 is a Yellow swamp russula, Russula claroflava.

[ian mcdonald]

Small rhodos. are in flower img. 1020027. View looking East img. 1020032. Big skies due to flat ground img. 1020033. Peregrine sat on a log about 200 yards away, left of centre img. 1020034.

[Maggi Young]

I've made a new thread for Ian McDonald's photos of the flora and fauna around his local "patch"