Wildlife mid 2009

[Lesley Cox]

Stephen, quite a lot of birds sip the nectar from NZ's Phormium species, especially the native tuis and bellbirds and we grow a few plants ourselves for that purpose. Later the native wood pidgeon eats the large black, fleshy seeds as well. I've not seen starlings or other northern birds there though. (I don't mean the seeds are fleshy like, say, a daphne, more like a hosta or zephyranthes but with a thick, meaty part inside.)

[Paddy Tobin]

One I forgot from earlier, a caterpillar on ragwort, which is a peculiar combination. A caterpillar so brightly coloured is normally presumed to be indigestible/poisonous to birds while the plant, ragwort, is poisonous to livestock yet the caterpillar seems happy to feast on it.

Anthony, I hope you may take a moment to identify the blue butterflies on the yellow vetch and the butterfly on the purple loosestrife. What of the caterpillar?

Paddy (who lives with the billy goats gruff under the bridge)

[Anthony Darby]

Hey, maybe there's an opening for a retired person under that bridge next to the gruff goats?

OK Anthony Darby, Mr. Smartypants. There already is a retired gentleman in residence under that bridge and is staying there.

Paddy

One I forgot from earlier, a caterpillar on ragwort, which is a peculiar combination. A caterpillar so brightly coloured is normally presumed to be indigestible/poisonous to birds while the plant, ragwort, is poisonous to livestock yet the caterpillar seems happy to feast on it.

Anthony, I hope you may take a moment to identify the blue butterflies on the yellow vetch and the butterfly on the purple loosestrife. What of the caterpillar?

Paddy (who lives with the billy goats gruff under the bridge)

There are many caterpillars that eat poisonous plants, and by so doing, gain double protection. Burnets (Zygaena spp.) cannot be killed by cyanide as they themselves accumulate this from vetches they eat as larvae. The giant birdwings of Australasia feed on aristolochias and also gain the same protection.

Your blues will be Common Blues (Polyommatus icarus). The one on the Purple Loosestrife is a female. The moth looks like a Shaded Broad-bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata). Notice it is being held there by a crab spider! The only brightly coloured caterpillar I know that is associated with ragwort is the Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae). The caterpillar is orange and black hooped, warning off possible predators. Not many British birds would tackle it. Not sure how poisonous these caterpillars are? The adult moth is bright pink and grey and a day-flyer. Perhaps, like the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) they retain poison in there bodies? Monarchs certainly do from eating Asclepias spp. - enough to kill a starling. Any bird foolish enough to try soon spits it out and doesn't repeat its mistake.

[Paul T]

Wonderful pics, Paddy.  I love the closeup of the goats.... those horns are incredible!    I love the bees on the Echinops too.... they look so happy collecting there! 

I was at my friend's place with the bird feeder yesterday..... amongst the things I posted last week, there were this pair of Pacific Black Ducks.

[David Lyttle]

A friend was in Ireland and observed a flock of Starlings feeding on Phormium nectar in a hotel garden. Are there other species that have learnt feeding on nectar of southern hemisphere species?

Despite Lesley's assertion to the contrary I have frequently observed starlings in New Zealand feeding on Phormium nectar. It would seem they have learnt that behaviour independently in both hemispheres. They are basically the rats of the sky here - mostly they feed on insects in pastures but also feed on small berries such as elder and Coprosma repens which they are instrumental in spreading far and wide.

[mark smyth]

Very nice ducks with lovely face colours.

Over here I have seen starlings, Blue and Great tits and house sparrows taking nectar from pokers. I have seen tits feeding on nectar from flowering currant flowers - Ribes sanguineum

[Paddy Tobin]

Anthony,

My thanks and my apologies - thanks for the identifications and apologies for leaving you the impossible, well almost impossible to you, task of identifying a caterpillar without a photograph. I have posted the photograph this morning with the caterpillar orange and black hooped, as you expected, referred to here as a "Kilkenny caterpillar" as the colours are the same as those worn by the hurling teams from County Kilkenny (arch rivals and just across the river). I associated the Cinabbar moth with the seaside and sand dunes and have rarely, if ever, seen one in my own neighbourhood. This photograph was taken in sight of the river so perhaps the moth came along the waterway?

I wondered about the blue butterflies, whether they were the Common Blue or a Holly Blue. Also, I am amazed that I didn't spot the crab spider with the moth. Now, that you mention it, I have gone back and can see it quite clearly.

On another topic, like Mark, I have regularly seen blue and great tits taking nectar from kniphofias.

Many thanks for the identifications, Anthony. It makes the enjoyment of a walk and the greater.

Paddy

[Paddy Tobin]

A few goats for Paul and further information for anyone with a particular interest in goats: http://bilberrygoats.wordpress.com/

There are about 50 goats in the herd at the moment which is an increase of numbers over the past few years. In fact the goat minders are now taking steps to curtail the increase in population - nothing drastic, simply keeping the billies and nannies separate.

Paddy

[mark smyth]

Those are great loooking goats

[ranunculus]

Those are great loooking goats

You need to get out more, Mark ...        Super photos as usual, Paddy!

... And now for something COMPLETELY different ... peacocks!    Captured in Tenerife and Florida a while ago.

[Paddy Tobin]

Ooooh,

I've never had a white peacock oblige by fanning its tail, great shot. Noisy blasted things thoug, aren't they?

Paddy

[Paul T]

Oh Cliff.... I adore peacocks.  I've had a thing for them for years.  Just love them, and the albino versions of them too.  Fantastic pictures!!!!!

Interestingly, they rather like me as well it seems..... I've had them a number of times totally ignore other people and come over and start displaying for me.  I have always tended to attract birds and animals (not that I mind that in the slightest, as I love em!!  ).

Now now smarty comments about needing to bathe more regularly, or anything like that please.  

[johnw]

Those are great loooking goats

You need to get out more, Mark ...    

And not to the Billy Club.

johnw

[Maggi Young]

I suspect I am not the only person enjoying the continued high quality of photographs.... and laughs, provided by this thread.........thanks to you all!

[ranunculus]

Oh Cliff.... I adore peacocks.

Mark likes goats ... Paul adores peacocks ... anyone for fish?  


Shoal captured in a huge cylindrical aquarium tube at a nature park on Tenerife.
Loner was spotted in an equally gigantic aquarium in a shopping mall in Las Vegas.