Occasionally I am still surprised by nature. One instance of this occured on my way home last Monday when I saw a Heron (Ardea cinerea) standing on a rooftop. I had to double take to confirm it was real; thankfully it moved it’s head slightly. The house was near a river but I guess it was looking for an easy dinner from someone’s pond. Infact this wasn’t the only time I saw Herons during the week. On Wednesday I also noticed a couple flying above where I worked. One of them was calling but I think it was warning the other off because they eventually went their separate ways.
Jay’s (Garrulus glandarius) also became more visible last week as they harvested acorns before the squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis). I love the Jay’s colouring and the meaning behind their Latin name. Garrulous is a word that refers to their noisy chattering while glandarius translates as ‘of the acorn’, very appropriate.
Garden spiders (Araneus diadematus) seemed to be very busy creating their orb webs amongst perennials and shrubs; especially as I often managed to get my face tangled amongst them by accident (meaning their well deserved rest was cut short).
There was a chilly start to Thursday and I woke to a beautiful sunrise. Even though the temperature has dropped slightly, my Asters and Penstemon continue to flower well. Hopefully pollinators are still visiting them. I noticed some bees and a Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) flying about in other gardens.
On Friday however, I saw
2 Box tree moths (Cydalima perspectalis). These pretty moths with a purply-brown pattern set against white wings were not such a welcome sight. This is the first year I have noticed these moths. I first saw their caterpillars in another garden during the summer too. It is the caterpillars that cause the damage as they defoliate Box (Buxus) plants. They are considered a pest and are spreading further across the country (for further information see Butterfly Conservation).
Bee in the Moment 