my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[Tristan_He]

Definitely a common hawker Ian.

The Dragonflies of Great Britain and Ireland by Cyril Hammond is a really good reference for these with some excellent illustrations.

[Tristan_He]

PS loved the bladderwort - you don't often see it flowering so prolifically.

[ian mcdonald]

This weeks weather was changeable. Sun and warm then very windy. There were still a good number of butterflies on the wing during the first half of the week. Sedge warblers are still singing but not as much. Perennial sow-thistle is in flower. A sign that summer is almost over. Dog daisy,s are a welcome sight in some areas. A tiny member of the Campion family, Thyme-leaved-sandwort, was seen on a bare track. Quite a few narrow buckler ferns are growing on wet ground among cotton-grass. There is still plenty of activity with dragonflies and damsels. I noticed a small bird of prey flying close to the ground and thought it may have been a Merlin. Fungi seem to be around fairly early this year, perhaps a result of the wet spring we had. Heather is in flower now. An ominous sign for "game" birds. A local farmer/naturalist remarked that there was not much cotton-grass in seed this year. Perhaps another result of the cold, wet spring? Later in the week I met another naturalist and we decided to look at one of the wet woodlands, out of the wind. A number of different fungi were seen. Most were not identified. Mosses and lichens were looking healthy, some on the ground, others on trees. We saw a number of micro-moths, which my colleague is interested in, among other wildlife. As we were slowly moving about I noticed a tiny fly moving on a bramble leaf. One thing that attracted me to it was that it was moving sideways. I also noticed that the light was reflected off its wings like the colours of mother-of-pearl. I took several photos. Not easy as it was about three millimetres in length. My colleague has a camera with a better macro facility and he took some better images. I have since looked at a site on the internet with photos. of flies and it may be Acletoxenus formosus. If this is correct there are only a few sites for this species in the UK. That is according to the NBN Gateway site. We shall have to wait and see what the experts say. It was good to see that swifts and house martins are still here, also a green sandpiper is still hunting along the edge of one of the pools. It has now turned cold and I have put my vest on again.



Narrow buckler fern.



Perennial sow-thistle, Sonchus arvensis.



Thyme-leaved sandwort, Arenaria serpyllifolia.



Common blue.



Dog daisy,s.

[ian mcdonald]

Great willowherb, Epilobium hirsutum, also known as Codlins-and-cream.



Hedge bindweed, Calystegia sepium.



Emerald damselfly.



Ruby Tiger caterpillar.



Un-identified fungi.

[Maggi Young]

Great willowherb, Epilobium hirsutum, also known as Codlins-and-cream.

 "Codlins-and-cream" - what an interesting name - nver  heard  it  before  -what are  codlins, I wonder?

[ian mcdonald]

Dead mans fingers fungi.



Nettle Tap moth.



Tree Damsel Bug, Himacerus apterus.



Argyresthia goedartella.



A sawfly larvae?

[ian mcdonald]

Maggi, according to foodsofengland, codlins are small sour apples. I don,t know what the connection is though.

[Maggi Young]

Maggi, according to foodsofengland, codlins are small sour apples. I don,t know what the connection is though.

  Fancy that - does  seem  odd...  Thanks, Ian.

[Tristan_He]

Definitely not a sawfly larva Ian, they look like caterpillars but with more suckers. The thing in your picture looks more like a ladybird larva of some sort (not the common one though) or perhaps a lacewing larva.

Tristan

[ian mcdonald]

An un-identified fungus.



Possible Acletoxenus formosus?



Un-identified Sheld Bug.



Smooth Newt.



Heather.

Birds noticed this week were, linnet, stonechat, lapwing, lesser black back gull, greater black back gull, mallard, teal, crane, sedge warbler, whitethroat, tufted duck, little grebe, house martin, pheasant, blue tit, wood pigeon, long tailed tit, robin, heron, crow, marsh harrier, willow warbler, reed bunting, merlin? green sandpiper, pied wagtail and swift. Butterflies were, small tortoishell, painted lady, peacock, gatekeeper, red admiral, common blue, speckled wood, meadow brown, small skipper and green veined white.

[ian mcdonald]

Yesterday was sunny with strong winds. I noticed that the predominant colour of flowers just now is yellow, similar to spring flowers. The insects were making the most of the open flowers and I decided to try to take pictures of the insects but I know little about them. Perhaps someone can identify the unknown ones? While looking for insects I did not notice an adder and only saw it when it scurried under a bramble. Swifts, house martins, sand martins and swallows are still with us. I heard and saw a reed warbler next to a track. Also heard was a Grasshopper Warbler, I don,t know if this is late in the year for the bird, my only record of the species this year. Along a track I came across Marjoram, usually the flowers are purple but this specimen had white flowers. Normally a plant of limestone areas it is a first record for the site as far as I know.



Bulrush, or to give its correct name, greater reed mace.



Water plantain, Alisma plantago-aquatica.



Vervain, Verbena officinalis, is spreading further along the track.



Bee on fleabane.



? on fleabane.

[ian mcdonald]

Heath Groundsel, Senecio sylvaticus.



Hover fly.



Bee?



Ploughmans spikenard, Inula conyza.



Anybody know this one?

[ian mcdonald]

??



Small spider.



??



??



Rose bay willowherb. Found in areas across the site.

[ian mcdonald]

Perhaps I should start a quiz for Entomologists but I don,t know the answers.



Marjoram.



Carnation sedge, Carex panicea.



Common St. Johns-wort, Hypericum perforatum.



Wood small-reed, Calamagrostis epigeios.



Pyrausta aurata.

[ian mcdonald]

??



??



Michelmas daisy,

Introduced from America.



Common knapweed.

Birds this week were, swift, house martin, sand martin, stonechat, pheasant, crow, tufted duck, mallard, teal, lapwing, snipe, reed warbler, sparrow hawk, pigeon, heron, linnet, blue tit, crane, great tit, grasshopper warbler, peregrine?, moorhen, grey lag geese, green sandpiper, marsh harrier, goldfinch and lesser black backed gull. Butterflies were, green veined white, meadow brown, gatekeeper, red admiral, painted lady, peacock, small white, small copper, small tortoishell and speckled wood. As I entered the site I had good views of two juvenile roe deer just a few yards away, the camera was not to hand. It was good to see the adder at this time of year when they are more active in the sun.