Tag: Acorns

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Garden Gems

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For the last couple of weeks conkers and sweet chestnuts have begun to fall, there isn’t a big harvest, neither are there lots of acorns or beech masts. However 2020 was a mast year (where trees produce bumper crops) so reduced harvests this time isn’t too surprising; Mast years only happen every five to ten years. However the low numbers could also be due to this years cold damp spring impacting bud development and fertilization, especially with wind pollinated trees. This issue is discussed further in an article by the Woodland Trust see Nature’s Calendar.

It has been lovely to notice Boston ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata), along with Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) develop their bright red autumnal colour. They are so vibrant in the low autumn sunshine. I’ve also noticed the small beginnings of autumn leaf colour in many trees too.

Boston ivy growing up a wall of an old building.
Virginia creeper winding its way through some shrubs.

Now that October has arrived, Cyclamen (Cyclamen hederifolium) and Crocuses (Crocus speciosus) have sprung up alongside Fungi in a few lawns. I noticed a waxcap commonly called the Witches hat (Hygrocybe conica) as well as Lilac fibrecaps (Inocybe geophylla var. lilacina); both resembling Gemstones standing out amongst the grass.

Witches hat waxcaps are so called because they look like witches hats when they blacken with age.
A Lilac fibrecap

I also saw another fungi in one lawn, possibly a Blusher (Amanita rubescens), although the identification was difficult so I’m not entirely sure.

A Blusher?

Plantlife run Waxcap watch from the 13th September. The charity want to discover previously unknown waxcap grassland sites, uncover habitat conditions and give better protection for them in the future. More information about this survey can be found here. 

Something else I observed while weeding a gravel path at work was a Lunar underwing moth (Omphaloscelis lunosa).

This night flying noth had been hiding under some dandelion leaves.

Lunar underwing moths fly between August and October and their pupae overwinter in long grass which they will feed on when they become caterpillars. I managed to re-home this one under a nearby shrub.

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Nature’s Bounty

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During this current heatwave cooler early mornings have been my saviour. Last Saturday I was awake early, as usual, so managed to get lots done before the heat became too exhausting. Long gone are the days when I used to be a night owl. I walked to the allotment just after 8am and noticed nature’s bounty was almost ready to harvest. Not only were Blackberries and Hazelnuts nearly ready to eat but other edibles too. Some of the edibles mentioned below require cooking before they can be eaten; a link for further information is given for each one. Also it’s important not to harvest too much when foraging, please leave some for the wildlife, thank you.

The things I saw were,

– Blackberries

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/plants/wild-flowers/bramble/

– Hazelnuts

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hazel/

– Sloes

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/blackthorn/

– Elderberries

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/elder/

– Hawthorn haws

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/hawthorn/

– Acorns

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/09/are-acorns-edible-and-other-acorn-facts/

and Rowan berries

https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/trees-woods-and-wildlife/british-trees/a-z-of-british-trees/rowan/
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A Chill in the Air with Beautiful Sunrises.

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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.

A Honey bee (Apis mellifera) visiting Helenium ‘Lemon Queen’.

A Common Carder Bumblebee (Bombus pascuorum) visiting some Aster flowers.

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).

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🎵…I’m Laughing at Clouds, so Dark up Above… 🎶🎵🎶

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What a much needed wet week. I don’t mind working in the rain too much but on Monday I struggled to keep upbeat. While waiting at a bus stop (without a shelter) during very heavy rain it started finding a way through my waterproofs. Singing helped keep me positive, although rain seeped into my singing too. Eventually the Morecambe and Wise ‘I’m Singing in the Rain’ sketch came to mind and I started giggling to myself. I didn’t go as far as splashing in puddles and dancing on the bench though.

Thankfully there were moments of respite during the day and a few insects braved the weather, mainly;

– a Common carder (Bombus pascuorum) bee on Caryopteris clandonensis ‘Dark Knight,

– a Heath bumblebee (Bombus jonellus) visiting some Asters,

– and two Cinnamon bugs (Corizus hyoscyami) on some dried Purple toadflax (Linaria purpurea) seedhead.

I’m not sure they would have managed to get much sap from the plant. At least the photo is better than the last one I took of a cinnamon bug (see Blooms, Bees and Bugs).

Last week I also noticed more Grey Squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) around. The softened ground has enabled them to cache nuts that are falling from the trees at the moment; hiding acorns keeping them busy.

Lots of Craneflies (Tipula paludosa) were noticeable too. Presumably I kept disturbing them as I worked because they were flying during the day. Their larvae, known as Leatherjackets, eat grass roots at night which causes patches of dead grass (therefore they are regarded pests of pristine lawns). Insect feeding birds gorge themselves on these, often leaving bits of loose grass where they have been. Unlike Leatherjackets, Craneflies don’t feed but try to find mates. It is possible to sex them, if the abdomen is pointed rather than squared it is a female (as the ovipositor can be seen). I still like to call them Daddy long legs as I did in childhood.

On Wednesday, as I worked near a pond, I witnessed a female Southern hawker (Aeshna cyanea) dragonfly laying eggs. She flew and stopped at various points around the pond edge, wherever there were gaps.

Then later in the week I discovered a Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus sulphureus) fungi on a tree trunk,

as well as a Lunar Underwing (Omphaloscelis lunosa) moth. The Larvae of this moth feed on grasses.

The pattern on the forewings reminded me of stain glass windows and was very pretty.

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More Wonderful Singing

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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.