I spent some time today visiting the Butterfly Corner at a local garden centre.
My favourite butterfly was the Blue Clipper (Parthenos sylvia) butterfly pictured below.
Author: BITM
Amphibians and Insects
My week started and ended working next to ponds. The first was a small natural pond with a couple of frogs (Rana temporaria) sitting in it.
The other was a large disused outdoor swimming pool. In its neglected state rainwater collects within the concrete walls and nature is taking over. Given the murkiness of the water I was unable to obtain decent photos of my findings; however I saw another frog, (surrounded by lots and lots of tadpoles) along with a dragonfly nymph and a newt. It should be interesting to discover how many tadpoles survive to adulthood.
For the rest of the week insects were centre stage, especially on Wednesday when flying ants took to the sky. Flying ant season really tests my resolve to work through my dislike of ants (which originated in childhood). Thankfully I now find them more fascinating than loathsome, mostly.
The other insects I saw that day were;
– A (Chrysotoxum cautum) hoverfly on some Pyracantha.
– Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and a Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) visiting a Geranium ‘Rozanne’ plant.
– Lavender (Lavandula) full of bees and butterflies, including more Honey bees as well as Buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), Meadow browns (Maniola jurtina) and a Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) butterfly.
The Meadow brown butterflies also enjoyed visiting the Echinops bannaticus flowers too.
Even as I returned home I noticed a Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria) moth on the hall window.
The adults feed on Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense) and Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) both of these plants are common around this area. The caterpillars feed on various trees, shrubs as well as climbers ranging from Yew (Taxus baccata), Birch (Betula), ivy (Hedera helix), honeysuckle (Lonicera) and the wild Clematis, Traveller’s joy (Clematis vitalba).
The previous day I came across more insects that I was previously unaware of.
The first one was the Common red soldier beetle (Rhagonycha fulva).
It is a beneficial insect as adults eat aphids and are pollinators (feeding on nectar and pollen from open flat flowers such daisies and hogweed) while the larvae feed on slugs and snails along with other ground dwelling invertebrates.
The other insect I saw on Tuesday was a female Volucella pellucens hoverfly feeding on nectar and pollen from Bramble (Rubus fruticosus).
These hoverflies also pollinate umbellifers; However as larvae they inhabit Bumblebee and wasp nests eating any waste produced along with their hosts larvae.
An Enchanting Week
My interest in plants extends to herbal medicine and floral folklore. Often found in gardens, such plants are easily accessible.
I find poisonous plants fascinating too. I would like to visit the Chelsea Physics garden as well as the Alnwick Poison Garden in Northumberland. Over the past week, a few wild flowers that I have noticed blooming would probably be found in these gardens, these are;
– White bryony (Bryonia dioica) scrambling over Dogwood (Cornus). White Bryony has poisonous berries and the plant has a very strong unpleasant purgative affect. A few deaths linked to this plant have been recorded.
– Woody Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara).
Also called Bittersweet the plant would make someone incredibly ill; the berries if eaten would cause vomiting and convulsions. There have been a few deaths linked to this plant. It is from the same family as Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna, See Woodland Trust).
I saw other wildflowers blooming too such as the intriguingly named Enchanter’s nightshade (Circaea lutetiana). Confusingly this flower isn’t from the nightshade family at all but is actually a Willowherb. One folkloric belief was that this plant would give protection against Elvish spells.
I also saw Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) along the verges.
I continued to see many birds and insects throughout the week. After many days since the last time, I was happy to see the juvenile Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) back in the Rowan tree (Sorbus). Also on Monday I had a Juvenile Robin (Erithacus rubecula) follow me around. Clearly the instincts for locating food near gardeners starts early.
The first moth I saw last week was an adult female Bee moth (Aphomia sociella). These moths are so called because they lay eggs in bee and wasp nests and also bee hives. Their larvae eat the comb, causing damage and are therefore a pest for beekeepers.
Other moths I saw were two Rosy tabby (Endotricha flammealis) moths
and a Dark arches (Apamea monoglypha) moth.
On Wednesday I was working near a fantastic old Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) tree. Countless Honey bees (Apis mellifera) and Marmalade hoverflies (Episyrphus balteatus) were busy flying to and fro pollinating the flowers.
As the summer continues more and more butterflies become visible. I have seen lots more Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina), Small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) and Large white butterflies (Pieris brassicae). One of them seen here on some lavender (Lavandula).
Also on Wednesday I observed two butterflies that I have never seen before, a Marbled white (Melanargia galathea) on Verbena bonariensis
and a Small skipper butterfly (Thymelicus sylvestris), also seen on the Verbena bonariensis.
Later on the same day I also saw ten Azure damselflies (Coenagrion puella) around the pond.
On Friday morning, as I was going to work, I had to usher a Common green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea) outside so it could find some aphids to munch on.
Then lastly on Friday I saw a Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) on Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’.
Reflecting on a Blooming Lovely Week
I am watching Wimbledon while eating lovely sweet strawberries. The window is open so I can hear the birds singing outside; thankfully the temperature has dropped and it is feeling fresher now. It is a lovely summers day to reflect upon the things I saw last week. More flowers blooming along the roadside include Hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium) Creeping thistles (Cirsium arvense), Spear thistle (Cirsium vulgare), Field Scabious (Knautia arvensis), Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) and Rosebay willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium). Creeping thistle seeds are a great food source for birds that make their home on farmland, while Spear thistle seeds are good for Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) and the nectar enjoyed by the Small copper (Lycaena phlaeas) butterfly. Ragwort (considered harmful to horses and livestock) is great for bees and the Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) caterpillars. Even the Field Scabious is a useful food source for bees and butterflies.
Now that July has arrived, my butterfly and moth observations have increased. I have seen,
– A couple of Double-striped Pug (Gymnoscelis rufifasciata) moths
– Broad-bordered yellow Underwing (Noctua fimbriata) moth
– Least Carpet (Idaea rusticata) moth
– Plain Wave (Idaea straminata) moth
– Two Large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba) moths
– Along with several that were photo shy including a White Plume (Pterophorus pentadactyla) moth and a couple of Large white (Pieris brassicae) butterflies, three female and one male Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina) butterflies, a Comma (Polygonia c-album) butterfly near a patch of nettles (which are great food for their caterpillars) as well as two Large tortoisehell (Nymphalis polychloros) butterflies. Other butterflies I saw were,
– A Ringlet (Aphantopus hyperantus) butterfly
– Small tortoisehell (Aglais urticae) butterfly on Verbena bonariensis
– Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) butterfly on wall by Climbing Hydrangea (Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris)
These weren’t the only insects I noticed throughout the past week as I also saw,
– Two immature male Large red damselflies (Pyrrhosoma nymphula)
– Two Azure damselflies (Coenagrion puella) on Water lily (Nymphaeaceae)
– One Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) on a Red valerian (Centranthus ruber) leaf.
– Honey bees (Apis mellifera) on an Eryngium bourgatii
-Lots of Honey bees and hoverflies (Syrphidae) on lavender (Lavandula) which is in full bloom.
I am keeping my eye on a large mature Butterfly bush Buddleja davidii ‘Black Knight’ that is starting to flower. A few years ago I took some cuttings from this Buddleja and successfully grew one of my own. My Buddleja is only about a foot tall but it will be flowering soon. I look forward to seeing visitors arrive on both shrubs.
Lastly I couldn’t resist adding a few photos of some Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) someone had planted in their vegetable patch. While I didn’t see any insects visiting it my attention was drawn to the cheery vivid blue flowers, they were so beautiful.
More Wonderful Singing
Last Monday lunchtime I got to hear a wonderful song. A Song thrush (Turdus philomelos) was singing loudly from an Oak (Quercus) tree. It’s repeated phrases made it easy to identify even though I couldn’t locate it visually. Their conservation status in the UK is red (see RSPB) so was nice to hear it. I have also seen one in the past but observations of Song thrushes are rare for me.
I haven’t noticed the young Bluetits (Cyanistes caeruleus) in the Rowan (Sorbus) tree for several days now. However while I ate my breakfast on Wednesday I
briefly saw a young Jay (Garrulus glandarius) instead. It didn’t remain for long, perhaps realising that it hadn’t landed on an Oak tree (a favourite of Jays as they love acorns). It was a great sighting; unfortunately in my sleepy state I wasn’t quick enough to get a photo.
The observations for the rest of the week were of insects. On my way to work I saw a Riband Wave moth (Idaea aversata).
Plants which their caterpillars feed on are Wood Aven (Geum urbanum), Primrose (Primula vulgaris), dandelions (Taraxacum) and dock (Rumex). I also saw another Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) on my travels. Common Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) is the main food source for their caterpillars. I often see these wildflowers around this area. I love to learn about plants that are beneficial for wildlife so I can undertake wildlife-friendly weeding. I allow ‘weeds’ to flower, remove seed heads before they set seed and control them via digging to prevent them from taking over a patch. With the exception of a few (which could remain in wild uncultivated areas of a garden) I find wildflowers can complement a border. I read an interesting article about this subject yesterday (see The Guardian).
I recently discovered that the collective noun for a group of Ladybirds is a loveliness. I saw loveliness of Seven spot ladybirds (Coccinella septempunctata) on a geranium on Tuesday afternoon.
They were a bit pale so it is possible they had only recently emerged; their wings not hardened properly or developed from pink to bright red. At one point I counted 10 and eventually noticed a Green shield bug (Palomena prasina) nymph too.
This wasn’t the only encounter with ladybirds last week. On Thursday a Harlequin ladybird (Harmonia axyridis) larvae attached itself to my colleague’s t-shirt.
I have started noticing more moths lately, especially different species. I tried to discover the collective noun for moths. I couldn’t find an official word but one suggestion online was a whisper of moths which I like.
Another moth that I saw was a Large Yellow Underwing (Noctua pronuba).
Unfortunately it had a slightly damaged wing. It must have been disturbed because it isn’t a day flying moth. It soon sought shelter under the Hebe I photographed it resting on.
Music to my Ears
While my colleagues listen to their music via headphones I prefer to listen to nature as I work; especially birdsong which I find uplifting. Recently I have started to really tune in and distinguish different songs and calls as I attempt to identify particular birds. By teaching myself I now recognise Great tit (Parus major) song, Coal Tit (Parus ater) song and Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) call. However I still find it difficult to pick out certain sounds which is why last Sunday I went to an ‘Introduction to bird calls and songs’ nature talk and walk at a local park. We were introduced to 12 birds that we would most likely hear during our afternoon stroll. Most were already familiar to me however I did learn the songs of Chiffchaff (Phylloscopus collybita) and Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris).
The birds we ended up hearing (above the wind and sirens) were;
-Woodpigeon (Columba Livia)
-Carion crow (Corvus corone)
-Magpie (Pica pica)
-Wren (Troglodytidae)
-Chiffchaff
-Blackbird (Turdus merula)
-Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major)
-Blackcap warbler (Sylvia atricapilla)
– and Song thrush (Turdus philomelos).
We also saw a (quiet) Jay (Garrulus glandarius) along with a Speckled wood butterfly (Pararge aegeria), Red admiral butterfly (Vanessa atalanta) and some White-tailed bumblebees (Bombus lucorum).
Last week I combined what I learned at this event with my previous knowledge; the birds I was confident I identified correctly were;
-Woodpigeons
-Magpies
-Blackbirds
-Robin (Erithacus rubecula)
-Ring necked parakeets (Psittacula krameri)
-Blue Tits (Parus caeruleus).
-Chiffchaffs
-Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)
-Red kite (Milvus milvus)
-and House sparrows (Passer domesticus)
On several mornings I also watched the family of Blue tits on the Rowan tree as I ate breakfast. The parents had nested in the eaves around Easter (see Different sort of Easter Chicks) so it was great to discover they had a successfully reared a brood. I counted 6 fledged youngsters return to the tree and feed on insects together.
Blue Tit acrobatics- One of the youngsters feeding itself.
These weren’t the only sightings last week as I also saw;
-another Red Admiral butterfly
-a Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae)
-some Ivy-leaved toadflax (Cymbalaria muralis)
-Common spotted orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii)
-Pineappleweed (Matricaria discoidea)
-As well as a common frog (Rana temporaria)
Raindrops on Roses and Other Plants
Apparently there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing. Most of the time I agree with this statement, however when you are outdoors all day and the rain is heavy and constant eventually it breaks through waterproof defenses. Although feeling bedraggled many times this week, being supplied with cups of tea made things seem better.
After days of much needed rain I was beginning to think I would have nothing to write about this week. It has been very quiet with a noticeable lack of birds, mammals and insects visible during the wet weather.
As I drank a much appreciated cup of tea, I observed a rose rambling up the wall. Upon closer inspection I saw the raindrops on the roses which made me think of the song sung by Julie Andrews.
I was told once that my paternal Grandmother liked The Sound of Music. I still remember my paternal grandparents garden vividly; the smell of French Marigolds (which they had in the front garden) immediately takes me back to my childhood with them. My maternal Grandmother also had green fingers, filling the garden with with a variety of plants.
So in dedication to my Grandparents, I took photos of raindrops on roses (and other plants).
This is the climbing rose that was the inspiration for this post.
More roses in the rain…
Other flowers I noticed with raindrops on them are Foxglove (Digitalis) and Geranium.
No piece containing raindrops on plants would be complete without a photo of a Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis) leaf.
Rain form beadlike droplets on these leaves because they are covered in hairs which hold the water. Alchemilla mollis is also part of the Rosaceae family, so this is a photo of raindrops on Rosaceae.
Lastly, just because I couldn’t resist adding a close up photo of a Hosta leaf; again, raindrops sit on the surface of the Hosta foliage.
Working with Insects can be Frustrating
More colour is showing up along the road as the purple of the Common mallow (Malva sylvestris) blooms amongst Common Poppies (Papaver rhoeas) and Ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare); a lovely sight as I travel on the bus.
Another plant that is flowering on the verges and lawns now is White Clover (Trifolium repens).
I first saw it on Monday, at the bus stop, as I listened to a Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis).
The Goldfinch can just be heard singing above the drone of the traffic.
A group of Goldfinches is a ‘Charm’ from the old English word c’irm, referring to their singing.
Last monday was the day for noticing Goldfinch as later in the morning I watched a couple of Goldfinch on a nest in a Buddleia (Buddleja davidii).
They weren’t the only birds I noticed that day. In the afternoon a Robin (Erithacus rubecula) kept me company as I weeded. It was quite fearless, frequently getting close to me to collect food as I worked.
I noticed some Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) flowering too. Other common names for it include Poor man’s Barometer or Shepherd’s clock because the flowers open in sunny weather and close when it is dull.
As it was a a warm sunny day lots of bees were out. On the Catmint (Nepeta) there were Early Bumblebees (Bombus pratorum), White-tailed Bumblebees (Bombus lucorum), Tree Bumblebees (Bombus hypnorum) and Honey Bees (Apis mellifera).
A White-tailed bumblebee busy working.
As the week went on I continued to notice a greater variety of bees visiting the garden;
– Tree Bumblebees, Early Bumblebees, White-tailed Bumblebees as well as female Red tailed bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius) on a weigela.
-Early Bumblebees and White-tailed Bumblebees on some Pale Garlic (Allium paniculatum).
This is the best photo I managed to obtain. The saying about not working with children or animals (or in this case insects) came to mind on Tuesday and Wednesday; descent photos were severely lacking midweek.
On Thursday, as I undertook more weeding, I unfortunately disturbed a beautiful White plume moth (Pterophorus pentadactyla) in the border. 
The caterpillars, which are green and yellow, feed on bindweed so this was a welcome sighting.
National Growing for Wellbeing Week (3rd-9th June) 🍅🌻🥦🌼🥕🌱🍓
National Growing for Wellbeing Week is a celebration of how gardening aids good health. Gardening certainly helps me mentally and physically. Plus if you encourage wildlife into your garden you will get health benefits from seeing nature on your doorstep too (as well as help wildlife). Small steps can be incorporated into a garden, whatever its size, maybe;
-Help hedgehogs
-Add plants that benefit pollinators
-Garden organically
-Feed and leave some water out for birds
Summer is Nearly Here (plus a belated Mental Health Awareness Week special)
Mental health awareness week was 13-19th May this year. I didn’t get round to writing a piece for it then; better late than never.
I think it is important to talk about mental health and I am open about my own experiences when the subject is mentioned.
I have dealt with Social anxiety and Seasonal Affective Disorder for a long time, although my mental health has improved over the years. Through medication, Cognitive behavioural therapy, healthy eating, exercise, mindfulness, along with getting outdoors and immersing myself in nature I manage these conditions. I started this blog to help give me focus too.
Thankfully I am at a stage where I can manage these conditions without them causing much disruption to my life. However some days are more difficult to deal with than others, Tuesday started out as one of those days. For some reason my anxiety level was high first thing. After forcing myself to open the curtains I noticed a Great Tit (Parus major) fledgling, with an adult, in the Rowan tree (Sorbus). They were feeding on insects before they flew onto a neighboring Rowan tree. This start to the day reminded me to be in the moment and enabled me to work on my thoughts and face the day ahead.
As the day continued, my anxiety wained. Being outdoors with nature helps.
In the afternoon I noticed a mature male Large Red Damselfly (Pyrrhosoma nymphula). I was able to identify it as male due to the red shoulder strips (they are yellow in immature males) and lack of yellow stripes on the segments of the abdomen, which the females exhibit. Plus the black legs identifies it as the Large Red Damselfly rather than the Small Red Damselfly (Ceriagrion tenellum) which has brown legs. The differences between a Damselfly and Dragonfly is the latter is larger, has thicker bodies and the wings are outstretched when they are resting. The Large Red Damselfly regularly visits garden ponds. However this one seemed happy on the window sill chomping on the insects in the cobweb.
On Wednesday I saw some
Cut-leaved Crane’s-bill (Geranium dissectum) in the lawn.
Then on Thursday I noticed this Early bumblebee (Bombus pratorum) on a Salvia (Salvia X sylvestris) plant.
Friday was quite muggy and rain was threatening to fall in the morning. However a Small Blood-vein moth (Scopula imitaria) was flying around as I worked.
I also saw some Creeping Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans) flowering on the verge on my way home.
Astronomically summer starts on the summer solstice (21st June) however today (1st June) is the first day of summer meteorologically, as the calendar months are grouped into seasons (therefore summer is June, July and August). Whichever date you prefer to go with we are certainly experiencing summery temperatures this weekend and I was helping to water the garden. Unfortunately a few insects weren’t happy with the shower they suddenly experienced. One insect was a photo shy Hoverfly. I did capture a few insects though,
– a Tree bumblebee (Bombus hypnorum) resting.
-a White-tailed Bumblebee (Bombus lucorum) on Purple toadflax (Linaria purpurea).
– and a Yellow-faced Bell moth (Notocelia cynosbatella).
Bee in the Moment 