Wildlife 2007

[Anthony Darby]

Terrific pic of a sparrow hawk Tom. I read an article in yesterday's Independent by Richard Ingram, and I quote: "used by now to seeing red kites circling menacingly [sic] over my house, I was pleased to see a picture of a dead one in yesterday's Independent". The half wit then goes on to blame the RSPB (and the EU) for the demise of small song birds: "you don't have to be an ornithologist to work out that the decline of the small bird might have something to do with the increase in the numbers of the large ones, especially when one is actually sparrowhawk". He finishes with "the kites, buzzards and sparrowhawks are the ones who are going to get the protection of this poweful and influential charity. Perhaps in the future they should make it the RSPBB - the BB standing for big birds". Clearly the guy is clueless. Without a healthy population of prey items (only one of the above predators eats birds), there would be no big birds.

[Armin]

While drinking a coffee on my terrace something singing loud in my rose bush... I carefully approached to I find the sound source.
A green grashopper (Tettigonia viridissima), female. Our largest grasshopper species and only one eating other insects.

When I tried to catch with my hands to get a good photo it was quickly climbing and jumping in the branches to escape while I got a big thorn in my finger...

[Lesley Cox]

John if that poor little mouse - the one you so humanely revived - comes back to eat the corms of your finest crocuses, I shall be the first to say "it serves you right!"

[Andrew]

Can some one please name Cliff's 'Tropical Lampshade', hopefully clicking the link below will give you a reminder :-

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=155.0;attach=27576;image

[Carlo]

Andrew,

It's a Hoya...I'd have to dig around to  find out just which species...

[mark smyth]

Andrew they make a great house plant trained around an inside window frame. I may be able to get you a plant or cutting

[Lesley Cox]

But the honey in the flowers drips down onto the windowsill or whatever's underneath the plant so can be really messy as well as beautiful. And after a while the dust on the leaves looks dreadful. Not possible to dust and polish every leaf even if my obsession with house-keeping extended further than the occasional quick flick around the accessible surfaces.

[Lesley Cox]

It looks pretty much like Hoya carnosa.

[John Forrest]

Lesley, I'm afraid unintentional neglect has already had a devastating effect on my collection. One doesn't realise the amount of work one does to maintain a collection of plants until no longer able to do it and the decline is rapid.  

I gave away most of my show plants in the hope that they would be kept in good condition. So not much of note left to feed the meeces but I do still maintain the vigil to protect what is left.

[Maggi Young]

I think the Hoya is H. carnosa, I used to grow it, and H. bella. Loved them for their sculpted flowers and delicious scent though, as Lesley says, they are messy, sticky-dripping everywhere.
Funnily enough, last weekend at the local Royal Horticultural Society of Aberdeen flower show, there was a nice Hoya on show in the houseplant section. It wasn't a species I knew  ( and, now, of course, I cannot remember what it was) but the sad thing was, it had no scent. Couldn't believe it, I thought they all had good fragrance. I've noticed that Clivias seem to have stopped being scented, too !! None of mine are fragrant nowadays and they are a fond memory of my childhood, when I looked forward to the scent as much as the blooms. Strange old world, ain't it?
If the Hoya at the butterfly world had no scent, would the butterflies still be interested? Doesn't more scent equal more nectar, as a rule?

[Lesley Cox]

John, I know all about non-intentional neglect and I haven't the excuse of ill health or absence from home. Either it's too much else to do, or just plain laziness. Too large an area to care for and far too many plants in pots wanting to be planted out, so I'm the last person on earth to be "blaming" anyone else for plant losses, from whatever cause.

I have this lovely mental picture of you, small, damp and shivering mouse in one hand, Pat's hairdrier (I doubt if you need one ) in the other, and a warm, tropical breeze gently drying the little creature out so that he may soon be released across the road into the waiting paws of the neighbour's cat.

[Lesley Cox]

My mother had a very large Hoya carnosa trained around three sides of a large patio and the local bellbirds came to drink the nectar. Sometimes there were 20 at a time all slurping and singing at once, the noise deafening.

[Andrew]

Thank you Carlo et al, for identifing the Hoya. The reason for wanting to know, was that I inherited one.

I have been smelling something in the conservatory recently and it suddenly clicked it was that and not the sarracenia which I also have in there.

[Anthony Darby]

Not sure if Hoya nectar is meant for butterflies, as they often get their proboscises trapped and there they remain. John, mice will find their way home if they aren't taken at least two miles.

[ranunculus]

They certainly like heather Anthony....I captured this image this afternoon on the moors near our house...the bees were also captured today under a warming late summer sun on the lavender in our garden.