my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[ian mcdonald]

Whooper swans on one of the pools.



A well known fungus, Fly Agaric.



Mouse-ear hawkweed, Pilosella officinarum. The red stripe on the underside of the petals is distinctive. Like Springtime, many of the Autumn flowers are yellow. Perhaps this is to attract pollinators in dull weather?



Water chickweed, Myosoton aquaticum.



A pair of Hoverflies.

[ian mcdonald]

Common ragwort, Senecio jacobaea. A useful source of food for insects at this time of year.



Fleabane, Pulicaria dysenterica.



Seed-head of wild carrot, Daucus carota.



The seeds are covered with tiny hooked bristles, this enables the seed to cling to animal fur to aid distribution.



Even common flowers can look attractive close up. This is red clover, Trifolium pratense.

[ian mcdonald]

Another Autumn scene.

[ian mcdonald]

Todays weather was as predicted. Very warm and sunny. More like a summers day. I met the two local naturalists again. Two of us went to look at a small alder woodland. The wood is usually fairly inaccessible but the long dry spell meant we could enter without getting stuck in the mud. A good variety of mosses and lichens were seen but not knowing much about the subject we could only take photos. and wonder at the identifications. Fungi were also there, growing on mature alders and fallen trunks. A siskin was heard calling among the alders.Small coppers, a speckled wood and a peacock butterfly were seen on one of the tracks. In the afternoon the three of us spent some time bird watching then looking for invertebrates along the main track. Pink footed geese were again arriving in good numbers. Marsh harriers and buzzards were also seen. Several snipe rose from the edge of one of the pools. By late afternoon an influx of ladybirds were seen, perching on any object which took their fancy, including us. As we were leaving the site we noticed a red deer stag grazing at the edge of a dried out pool. One of us received a message from a local farmer and keen naturalist, to say that he had caught a Merveille du Jour moth in his moth trap the night before. He left it for us to see before releasing it. A rather spectacular and not so common species, see photo. Birds seen today were, black headed gull, teal, snipe, reed bunting, stonechat, crow, wood pigeon, buzzard, siskin, robin, pink foot geese, crane, kestrel, marsh harrier, skylark, wren, blue tit and pied wagtail.

[ian mcdonald]

[

[ian mcdonald]

A wolf spider.



Crab spider.



Fruit of bittersweet, Solanum dulcamara.



Various lichens on alder.



Common frog.

[ian mcdonald]

A variety of fungi on alders.









A hairy caterpillar on nettle.



One of the many ladybirds, possibly a harlequin?

[ian mcdonald]

A species of shield bug known as a Bishops Mitre.



A growth on an alder.



Merveille du Jour, a very colourful moth.

[Harald-Alex.]

Harald-Alex, it is the very first time, that I see such a damage
caused by hornets.

Hallo Ruweiss, this damage of the hornets I also saw first time, the hornets now have gone but the damage in the Fraxinus excelsior is seriosly, that the top of the tree will be die down, we will see next year! End august I myself I have been attaced by a hornet in my feet so hard, that I got a analeptic shoc, was brought in the clinic and got a antiserum. Now I must look more for hornets and wesps!
Greetings Harald

[Robert]

Ian,

Once again some fantastic photographs and interesting specimens! 

The lichens are very interesting, very similar in appearance to two of our very common California species, the foliose Flavopunctelia sp. and the fruticose Evernia prunastri. Undoubtedly, they are something quite different, but they are very interesting to see.

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Robert, Evernia prunastri is a fairly common lichen here but I hardly ever bother to identify lichens. Another photo I took this week is of a Flavopunctelia? Possibly F. flaventior, on Alder.



I think the name has been changed?

[ruweiss]

Hallo Ruweiss, this damage of the hornets I also saw first time, the hornets now have gone but the damage in the Fraxinus excelsior is seriosly, that the top of the tree will be die down, we will see next year! End august I myself I have been attaced by a hornet in my feet so hard, that I got a analeptic shoc, was brought in the clinic and got a antiserum. Now I must look more for hornets and wesps!
Greetings Harald
Harald, I am sorry for the horror attac by the hornets, it must have been very painful for you. Some years ago we had a population
in our garden, the insects were peaceful, but we took care not to disturb them. Remember - you must stay in good health to
organize your big snowdrop event next year.

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, I sent the Foliose Lichen photo. to the British Lichen Society. It was identified as Punctelia jeckeri. Apparently it has come into the area due to less polluted air.

[Robert]

Robert, I sent the Foliose Lichen photo. to the British Lichen Society. It was identified as Punctelia jeckeri. Apparently it has come into the area due to less polluted air.

Ian,

This is a great success story! 

In Sacramento, Candelaria and Xanthomendoza species are extremely common. They thrive on the Nitrogen oxide compounds in the air (air pollution). At the Placerville farm, there are many more lichen species, including Evernia prunastri. It appears this species is wide spread. ? Punctellia jeckeri can be found in California too. It is amazing how the lichen get around!

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, perhaps spores from Lichens and Fungi get into the jet-stream and arrive here from North America?