At least in several gardens last week, things with three leaves appeared as several Trefoils began to flower.
In some lawns the yellow flowering Slender hop clover (Trifolium micranthum) has shown itself along with Red clover (Trifolium pratense).
Slender hop cloverRed clover
Red clover is also called Bee-bread (along with White clover- Trifolium repens) due to its popularity with bees. It’s nectar is especially loved by Common carder bees (Bombus pascuorum), Honeybees (Apis mellifera) and Red-tailed bumblebees (Bombus lapidarius). Red clover, which is less commonly found in nature than White clover, is used for livestock feed and crop rotation (due to its nitrogen fixation abilities). It is also used in herbal medicine to treat respiratory and skin ailments,along with menopausal and PMS symptoms because the flower contains isoflavones. When taken internally, isoflavones become phytoestrogens which has similar affects in the body as estrogen (see Plantlife)
I will have to wait a little longer to see White clover flowering as it blooms from June. However White clover is commonly found in verges and grassland so I’m sure to see some eventually.
Unfortunately I have never spotted a four leaf clover (or five leaved). I am ever hopeful, just for the challenge because they are so hard to spot in the wild.
Several trees are blooming at the moment. Along with Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna- the May tree flowers referred to in the rhyme ‘Cast ne’er a clout ere May is out’) the Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is also in flower; they have white flowers with a pink tinge.
I also see the Red horse chestnut tree (Aesculus x carnea Briotii) on my travels, both trees have very showy flowers.
It was great to see lots of bees about last week and various species too.
The first type of bee I saw was a Hairy-footed flower bee (Anthophora plumipes) around some forget me nots (Myosotis).
I also noticed lots of Buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris), Honey bees and Early bumblebees (Bombus pratorum) throughout the week too.
This Cotoneaster hedge was alive with Honey bees. Make sure the sound is on to listen to their relaxing buzzing.The Early bumblebees were also visiting the Cotoneaster flowers.I noticed five Buff-tailed bumblebees coming and going from a nest under some decking in one garden.
No doubt due to the recent weather, I have noticed more flowers blooming earlier than their traditional start time of June. One example is the Common nipplewort (Lapsana communis).
The Common nipplewort is part of the sunflower family.
Other plants flowering at the moment are Greater celandine (Chelidonium majus),
This isn’t a relative of the Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) despite its name. It is part of the poppy rather than buttercup family.
– Three-cornered garlic (Allium triquetrum),
Ants spread the seeds of this wild flower.
– Red campion (Silene dioica),
A dioecious plant, male flowers bloom on separate plants to the female flowers.
– White campion (Silene latifolia),
White campion is pollinated by moths because it is night scented
– Cleavers (Galium aparine),
The flowers of Cleavers are tiny. This photograph has been enlarged so they can be seen more clearly.
– Common honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum),
I noticed the sweet scent first. This plant is beneficial for a variety of butterflies, like the White admiral (Limenitis camilla), bumblebees and moths. Birds such as Thrushes (Turdidae), Warblers (Sylvidae) and Bullfinches (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) also eat its berries. Plus Dormice (Muscardinus avellanarius) inhabit and feed on this plant.
– A sow thistle (Sonchus),
– A Hawkweed (Hieracium),
– Mouse-ear Hawkweed (Hieracium pilosella)
– and Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).
A plant that was new to me was Common knapweed (Centaurea nigra).
Along with all the wild flowers I noticed last week, the warm weather continued to encourage lots of insects out. There were more Holly blue (Celastrinaargiolus) and Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterflies along with bumblebees.
I also saw a Cinnabar moth (Tyria jacobaeae) at the allotment, amongst the long grass.
This moth flies flies during the day as well as at night time.
The most interesting insect I observed last week was a Pine ladybird (Exochomus qadripustulatus).
I have never seen this species of ladybird before. It dropped onto my sunglasses as I worked. Due to its small size (3mm in length), to begin with I thought it was a bit of dirt. As the name suggests, this beetle inhabits Pine (Pinus) trees. However they can also be found around other trees and shrubs especially Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna).
The proverb ‘March winds and April showers brings forth May flowers’ came to mind several times in the past week. Now that May has arrived, I look forward to seeing what will bloom this month.
Due to the amount of rain within the week, observations were few and far between; although I occasionally noticed bees flying around during dry periods when the sun shone.
I saw several Common carder bees (Bombuspascuorum) visiting an expanse area of White dead-nettle (Lamium album).
Bees also visited Welsh poppies (Papavercambricum) which were blooming early.
They tend to start flowering between June to August. I love the golden shades of yellow and orange produced by this plant. Their chearful appearance, is perhaps why clients often like having these in their gardens.
I learnt some more wildflowers last week. It’s always lovely to expand my knowledge of wildflowers.
I found two in some borders, Hedgerow crane’s-bill (Geraniumpyrenaicum) and
Lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella locusta).
The last one I saw was in a lawn, under the canopy of a tree, it was Meadow Saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata).
On Saturday night I woke up to a beautiful duet. A pair of Tawny owls (Strix aluco) were calling to one another, reinforcing their territory. The male call sounds like ‘hooo, hu, huhuhuhooo’ while the female gives a ‘keewik’ sound (see BTO).
Tawny owls pair for life and remain in their territory (initially established in winter) throughout the year. Deciduous broadleaf woodland is their traditional habitat but sometimes they live in large gardens and parkland. They nest within tree cavities or nest boxes. Occasionally eggs are laid in February but more often between March and April. While the female is slightly larger than the male, these owls are the same size as a wood pigeon. They feed on small mammals, birds, rodents, fish, frogs, insects and worms. Their UK Conservation Status is Amber as their numbers are declining.
Another bird which caught my eye last week was a male House sparrow (PasserDomesticus). I was leaving the allotment when I observed him collecting nest material before flying off. As with the Tawny owl, House sparrows pair for life and their numbers have also been declining for a while; House sparrows are Red in the UK Conservation Status list. I grew up seeing lots of them but since moving down south, I haven’t seen one for years so this was a wonderful sight. I love these little birds, especially hearing their chattering and chirping in their colonies. Hopefully I will see him and more Sparrows soon.
As the week went on I noticed more flowers blooming in the hedgerows. Wild strawberry, also called Alpine strawberry (Fragariavesca), was the first one I saw.
The fruit of this strawberry can be eaten.
Others I saw were; Bugle (Ajuga reptans),
These flowers are visited by White-tailed bumblebees (Bombus lucorum), Common carder bees (Bombuspascuorum), Silver Y moths (Autographa gamma) alongwith Green-veined white butterflies (Pieris napi).
– Herb bennet/Wood avens (Geum urbanum) and
Grizzled skipper butterfly (Pyrgusmalvae) caterpillars feed on this plant.
– Bush vetch (Vicia sepium).
Bees and other pollinators enjoy these flowers.
I got to see a female Orange- tip (Anthocharis cardamines) butterfly, having seen a male one the other week. Males have the orange tips while the tips on the female’s forewings are black (both have the black spots). The female can be identified apart from other white butterflies by the mottled green and white underwings (also exhibited by the males). Caterpillars of this butterfly feed on Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis).
While flowers dominated my thoughts last week, there were moments when I enjoyed observing bees and butterflies too. I saw my first male Orange-tip butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) and female Red-tailed bumblebee (Bombus lapidarius) of the season; both visiting Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale). Other butterflies I noticed were more Speckled woods (Pararge aegeria) and Peacocks (Aglais io). All were too busy making the most of the sun to remain still long enough for me to photograph them.
After threatening to rain last Sunday, with distant thunder in the afternoon and evening, wet weather eventually arrived the following weekend. On Friday it rained late in the day through to Saturday afternoon. The ground loved that sustained soaking and together with all the sunshine we’ve had recently the grass is beginning to flourish. Thankfully lots of wild flowers bloom despite the lack of water, including;
– Ivy-leaved toadflax which is also called Kenilworth ivy (Cymbalaria muralis),
– Lords and ladies, otherwise known as Cuckoo-pint (Arum maculatum),
– Ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata),
The seedheads are great for feeding birds in winter.
– Dog’s mercury (Mercurialis perennis),
The tiny flowers are easy to miss amongst the leaves.
– Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) and
– Cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis).
The name for this comes from the belief that this plant blooms at the same time the first Cuckoo arrives in the UK.
The main spring spectacle of the English countryside however are English Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) woods in full bloom. Photos of these have filled social media over the past week. I am lucky enough to live near to several woods where English bluebells flower, however due to the lockdown this year I have to make do with spotting the ones amongst the headgerow, on my way to the allotment. Thankfully even small scale sightings of these flowers makes my heart soar. Swathes of these beauties are an indicator of ancient woodland (they are slow growers with seeds taking five years to become bulbs, which then flower).
English bluebells continue to be under threat from the Spanish bluebell (Hyacinthoides hispanica) escaping from gardens, brought to these shores by the Victorians, which readily hybridise with English ones to produce the Hybrid bluebell (Hyacinthoides x massartiana). However, this isn’t the only threat to our native Bluebell. Habitat destruction is another reason for their decline. Simply walking on them can prevent them from flourishing for years afterwards as photosynthesis is prevented and the plant is weakened. They are a protected species under the ‘Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981)’. This means that people can be prosecuted for removing the plants and bulbs from their habitat and/ or selling them.
It is possible to tell the English and Spanish Bluebells apart. English Bluebells are a deep violet shade of blue with creamy-white pollen. The leaves are narrow (1-1.5mm wide) as are the flowers. The tips of each petal (six in total) curl up and inwards. The scented flowers grow on one side of the stem causing it to arch over to the one side (referred to as inflorescence).
Spanish bluebell flowers are pale blue (but can be pink or white), have a wider open bell shape with flared petal tips and bloom all around the stem, which therefore remains upright. The leaves are also wider (by 3cms) than its English counterpart and the flowers have no scent.
Unsurprisingly the hybrids possess characteristics of both parents, however their appearance tends to be more like the English Bluebell meaning distinguishing the two can sometimes be difficult.
Last week I saw both English and Spanish Bluebells on my daily exercise.
English Bluebells are great for long-tongued bumblebees. However previously I have seen evidence of short-tongued bumblebees visiting Bluebells. Unable to reach the nectar in the traditional method, I noticed a hole in the base of the flower where a bee had obtained the nectar without pollinating it. This is referred to as ‘nectar robbing’.Spanish bluebells found in a garden.
Bluebells are interwoven into our culture. In the past the sap was used to glue feathers to arrows and in book binding. Plus the Elizabethans used the bulbs to starch collar and sleeve ruffs.
In folklore they are associated with fairies while in the language of flowers (popular in the Victorian era) they represent humility, constancy, gratitude and everlasting love. What better flower to have bloom during this difficult time when we are showing our appreciation for the NHS and other frontline workers. It seems even nature has turned blue in solidarity.
I continue to get my daily exercise outdoors and enjoy seeing rainbows drawn by children in windows or on driveways. Although we had sun last week there was no rain so these cheerful rainbows of unity were the only ones that have appeared.
The lovely weather encouraged many insects out. Last week I managed to count eight Peacock (Aglais io) butterflies. I also saw one Brimstone (Gonepteryxrhamni) butterfly visiting some Dog violets (Violariviniana). I have never noticed insects pollinate these pretty flowers before so it was lovely to observe that. These dainty plants are very useful additions to wildlife gardens for another reason too; several fritillery butterflies lay eggs on them. During that same walk I also saw lots of seven-spot (Coccinella septempunctata) ladybirds as well as a few Dark-edged bee-flies (Bombylius major).
A Dark-edged bee-fly pollinating some Forget-me-not (Myosotissylvatica) flowers.
I have never seen these parasitic flies before whose host is the Tawny mining bee (Andrena fulva). The Tawny mining bee is commonly found in urban areas especially in lawns, although I have yet to see one (to find out more see the Bumblebee Conservation Trust). There is a recording scheme for Bee-flies so I shall pass this information on to the (BRC).
On Friday mornings exercise I saw a Song thrush (Turdusphilomelos). The last time I saw one was a couple of years ago but this probably isn’t surprising because they are on the red UK conservation status list (see RSPB). It was great to see this one, although I wonder if I accidentally disturbed it looking for food; I came across it on a path before it flew into some trees.
As I walked further, I noticed more plants beginning to bloom. These were;
-Bulbous buttercups (Ranunculusbulbosus),
Identified by the reflexed sepals (turned downward), leaf shape, furrowed stems and the fact it is flowering before May.
-Danish scurveygrass (Cochlearia danica),
Once only found in coastal areas this plant now thrives here because of the salted roads during winter.
-Garlic mustard (Alliariapetiolata),
-Yellow corydalis (Pseudofumaria lutea) and
This often grows in the gaps in old walls.
-Dove’s-foot Crane’s-bill (Geranium molle).
Even without natural rainbows nature was still full of colour last week.
The weather during the second week of lockdown was mixed. It began with snow flurries and sleet but ended with the warmest day of the year so far.
I continued my daily exercise walks around my area and saw more wild flowers, trees, bees and birds enjoy Spring.
Plants that began to bloom last week were;
– Shepherd’s Purse (Capsellabursa-pastoris),
– Snake’s head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris),
– Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum),
– Annual honesty (Lunaria annua),
– Common Groundsel (Senecio vulgaris)
– and Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus).
I also noticed my first Dandelion (Taraxacumofficinale) clock of the year
Water droplets can be seen as frost began to melt on this Dandelion clock. A flower head will produce an average of 180 seeds.
along with Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) trees budding at this time too.
One particularly special moment occurred last Wednesday when I visited my local woodland park. I went for my exercise as early as possible so that I would avoid too many people. As I entered the park I heard a sound of my childhood, that of Skylarks (Alaudaarvensis). I grew up surrounded by farmland, similar to where I live now, and Skylarks singing was familiar to me (see RSPB).
I knew there were nesting Skylarks in this area because of a notice I saw last year (see my blog post Relaxing into Autumn). There were three Skylarks, two were clearly a pair. Occasionally the third bird would get too close to the other two; causing a noisy aerial display before they all returned to the open ground apart once again. I watched this happen four times as I carefully moved around them; maintaining a distance so that I wouldn’t disturb them unnecessarily. Seeing and hearing these lovely birds was a beautiful experience to witness.
On Friday, while at home, I heard a group of Magpies (Pica pica). They were making such a raucous noise that I looked outside to see what was occurring. I was fascinated to see one Magpie (which was trying to escape) pinned down and being pecked at by another one. As this occurred, four more Magpies kept flying in, occasionally taking part in the attack. Eventually the bird which was under attack escaped and forced by the group to fly away. I have witnessed birds defend territories before but not like that.
Another sound I became aware of later in the week, were Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris), (See RSPB). Although I heard their call, I was unable to see them. However I have observed a Great tit (Parus major) and Coal tit (Periparus ater) and several Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) visit the Rowan (Sorbus) tree outside my flat.
Keeping isolated doesn’t mean you can’t see wildlife and gardens (as well as donkeys) in real time. Here are a few links to activities and webcams which enable you to get your nature fix while remaining indoors.
This week has been surreal as lock down brings a change to life. Thankfully nature still continues to progress through Spring. Since the Vernal equinox arrived last weekend the weather warmed up and the sun shone daily. Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) and Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria) butterflies are flitting around now, joining Seven-spot ladybirds (Coccinellaseptempunctata) and Buff-tailed bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) that already emerged. I have been viewing nature from my flat as much as possible. Seeing the leaves unfurl on the Rowan (Sorbus) tree outside as well as the Blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), which visit the tree each day, has been lovely. However to get exercise and improve my mental health I have also gone for a few local walks (while observing social distancing measures). It is important for me to be amongst nature and feel the air around me to remain happy. During these lock down walks I have noticed plants both bloom and begin to wake up including;
Berberis darwiniiViburnumPersian speedwell (Veronica persica)Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)Greater stitchwort (Stellaria holostea)Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)Cowslip (Primula veris)Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)Wild cherry (Prunus avium)European larch (Larix decidua). The deep pink female flower, also referred to as a Larch rose, can be seen on the branch.Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
So much has happened in the world over the last fortnight. Changes are moving so quickly, that I have felt overwhelmed and struggled with my mental health, like a lot of people right now. Consequently I nearly didn’t write this latest post. However I remembered why this blog is so important to me. During my darkest hours nature helps me overcome depression and anxiety; so here it is, better late than never.
Lots of plants were starting to bloom last week.
– Forget-me-not (Myosotis),
– Green alkanet (Pentaglottissempervirens),
– White dead-nettle (Lamiumalbum,
– Red dead-nettle (Lamiumpurpureum),
– Brunnera macrophylla,
– Aubrieta deltoidea
– and Vinca minor were all flowering.
Bindweed (Calystegia sepium) is growing too.
When I found it on the allotment, initially my heart sank slightly; it means lots of work to control it organically. Yet I decided to see if it has a good side, after all it is a wild flower. Look up Bindweed on the internet and you find countless references to it being a horrible weed in gardens together with how to exterminate it (both traditionally and organically). I must admit I find it hard to like the plant but I wanted to challenge my views (gained from years of trying to get rid of it from people’s gardens). The Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) or Hedge Brown butterfly, Bees along with Hoverflies pollinate its large white bell shaped flowers. Moths too visit the flowers because they are also open at night-time. Bindweed is also food for the Convolvulus Hawk Moth (Agrius convolvuli) larvae.
Something else I discovered last week was the Bumblebee mite (Parasitus fucorum).
A Buff-tailed bumblebee visiting some Aubretia. Bumblebee mites can be seen clinging onto the bee.
They hitch a ride on the queen so that they’re taken to a new nest; once there it feeds on wax, pollen, nest debris as well as other small insects. They do not feed on the bees themselves. It is the first time I have noticed mites on a bee. I clearly saw four in total (two either side) just behind the head, on the thorax. It looked like the bee, which remained in the same spot for at least an hour, was attempting to groom itself so presumably the mites were irritating it even though they doesn’t harm the bee itself.
Bee in the Moment 