Wildlife mid 2009

[Paul T]

Lesley,

Thanks for the compliment.  Not nearly good enough for that though. 

Paddy,

Yep, they're all wild birds that come down for the seed when they put it out.  Huge glass picture windows along the house there, so you can stand or sit inside and watch them.  The Galahs and the larger bird group were taken from inside the house, while the one of the Parrots I took outside a few metres away from them.

[Stephenb]

Our Buddleias were already in full bloom but apart from a load of Green-veined whites, the Admirals and Painted Ladies were missing. Reports up and down the country were also pointing to it being a poor year for this migratory species which brighten up the autumn garden. Then suddenly they were there - 4 Admirals and a Painted Lady, presumably newly emerged locally as the weather has not been conducive to longer movements recently.

1. Admiral on Hemp Agrimony (Eupatorium cannabinum) - I collected seed from along the River Itchen in Hampshire many years ago as I had noticed that butterflies are attracted to it. It has proven hardy. It blooms slightly later than Buddleia and it seems that the Admirals etc, actually prefer it.
2. Admiral on Grindelia robusta (Gumweed) - I hope it minds its feet and doesn't get stuck in the gummy flowers....
3. Anyone identify this fly please (I did know but have forgotten)

[Paddy Tobin]

Not the hoverfly, Stephen?

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Dronefly I think

[Anthony Darby]

Yup, Dronefly.

[Stephenb]

That's the one - thanks..

[Ragged Robin]

Went out to find some buddleia for Jersey Tiger Moth, who is still hanging around, and found that this Hummingbird Moth was having a feast - so it must be good 

[Maggi Young]

I especially like the last shot: "air to air refuelling" 

[Ragged Robin]

So do I Maggi, what a proboscis 

[mark smyth]

It's been many years since I saw one of those moths. The potential was here in June but the weather rapidly deteriorated soon after. Do you remember the weather people saying this was to be a glorious summer?

This spider 'attacked' me today. Well, not really but it did scare the be Jesus out of me when I nearly put my hand on it. What is it Anthony or whoever?

[Anthony Darby]

Amaurobius similis, which commonly makes those untidy nets on windows, sheds and walls.

[Kees Green]

I am very envious of you Robin, we only have one species of hawk/sphinx moths here in New Zealand and not even anywhere near where I live.
I do have quite a few though in my collection from all over the place, there really is nothing like seeing them in action.

[Anthony Darby]

Because of problems with logging on to the Forum, I have to use Google Chrome. Alas, I have yet to find a reliable way of accessing the PDF files of the bulb log. In some free time I caught up today. In the bulb log before last Ian shows a grub. It's not a chafer grub but the caterpillar of a Ghost Swift moth (Hepialus humuli). They are underground root feeders. One species even specialises on Braken roots!

[Maggi Young]

Thanks for the bug ID, Anthony..... I told the BD it was a caterpillar.... but he is deaf to my words!

No idea why you should have such difficulty with the pdf accessiblity .....perhaps some of the IT boffins around can advise? Perhap give help on loogin in probs as well as the pdf thing? A query in the Techy area, Eh?

[Stephenb]

Went out to find some buddleia for Jersey Tiger Moth, who is still hanging around, and found that this Hummingbird Moth was having a feast - so it must be good 

Fantastic! The holy grail of the moth world in my world.... I hope every year to see one of the very few "Hummingbirds" to make it up into Norway..... However, there really are only a handful of sightings here every year and none at all this year...

Butterfly numbers are building up now and I counted 5 Admirals, 3 Painted Ladies, 1 Tortoiseshell and 1 Peacock. The latter is expanding its range and my garden is now the most reliable place this far north to see the species with sightings in 2004, 2008 and now for the first time this year today. Here it is on one of my Oplopanax horridus plants (the Beauty and the Beast, perhaps?)