Garden Moths and Nesting News

Friday, 1st April

Min Temp 7.2 degrees Centigrade

15w Actinic Skinner Trap


Common Quakers (Orthosia cerasi) x 5

Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) x 2

Twin-spotted Quaker (Anorthoa munda) x 1 (New for Year)

Oak Beauty (Biston strataria) x 1

If you were visiting my Ragged Robins Nature Notes blog 2 years ago you'll remember that I was given some Emperor Moth eggs and raised the caterpillars to pupae stage. A few males emerged from the cocoons last Spring but, as they can take several years to emerge,in the Summer I put the cage back in the coal house where its cooler to bring back indoors this Spring. Yesterday I noticed from Martin's Moth blog see here that his Emperor Moths had started emerging already. None of mine have appeared so far but I have now brought them indoors and placed the cocoons in a larger cage. I really do hope some females appear this year so I can try "assembling" to see if they attract some males. Alternatively, if I get just one female and male I will let them mate and raise some more caterpillars! Fingers crossed there will be some news soon!


Garden Birds

We had a visit from a Jay yesterday - a new garden species for the year.

Blue Tits appear to be lining the nest so will check the camera later to see if the female is roosting overnight as this is often a sign she will soon be laying eggs. Wren nesting activity continues, House Sparrows are collecting nesting material, the Robins appear to be feeding young and Blackbirds have built a nest in one of the shrubs.

Frogs in the Garden Pond

Common Frogs (Rana temporaria) were very active in the garden pond again this morning with several more clumps of spawn added. I estimated up to around 10 frogs.

A few photos

I've taken better photos in the past using a tripod with the Olympus and 70-300 lens but its a precarious business trying to manoeuvre a tripod and camera from the rockery!


Leaking pipe hopefully is now fixed so Easter baking is back on track :)

B's home-made Hot Cross Buns

Frogspawn, Moths and Flowers

Frogs have been active in the pond - we finally have frogspawn - 3 clumps in the pond this morning :)

Sorry poor picture - low light and it was raining. Hopefully, may be able to get some photos of the frogs in action tomorrow.


I put out the moth trap a couple of times last weekend - 2 Common Quakers and a

Hebrew Character (Orthosia gothica) (New for Year)

We bought this pot of red daisies as a joint Valentine's Day present and the daisies are still flowering well.

Our neighbour's camelia is flowering profusely whereas

we have just one flower on our red one and one flower on the white.

I bought this Euphorbia a few years ago and, although it did well for a year or two, it then "disappeared" so I was pleased to see it re-appear this year. Although from the look of old seedheads on it, it must have flowered last year too. Feeling rather unobservant!

There are lots of daffodils in flower.

The Hellebore I bought last year is still flowering

as are Snowdrops.

Primroses have been flowering since before Christmas and

Primulas have now appeared too.

The bluebells we inherited when we bought the house in 1978 are coming into bloom.

Lungwort is still in flower - I have another plant further up the garden which flowers later in the year.

Grape Hyacinths are appearing.

B's attempts to eradicate couch grass in the wildflower meadow do not appear to be going well :( He planted loads of Yellow Rattle in the autumn so it will be interesting to see what, if any effect, that has. I have a horrible feeling we won't get many wild flowers this year :(

Still no sign of any butterflies in the garden and no droneflies yet. I have seen a few bumble bees whizzing past the kitchen window and a Blue Tit has started taking nesting material into the nestbox with a camera.

I hope everyone has a lovely Easter.

I am off out to buy some bottled water as B is attempting to repair a leaking hot water pipe (which suddenly got a lot worse yesterday) in the bathroom and we currently have no running water :( The water I put in jugs and kettle etc. is rapidly being used up. So much for making a Simnel Cake today!

Garden Moths and Birds Update

I put out the moth trap for the first time this year last weekend as the Garden Moth Scheme was starting again.

I trapped 2 new species for the year -

Common Quaker (Orthosia cerasi) and

Common Plume (Emmelina mondodactyla)

Its a shame the Common Quaker had laid eggs in the pot - it doesn't happen very often but I will keep the eggs in the hope they will hatch. We have Birch, Hawthorn and Hazel which the larvae eat.



I will put the trap out again this weekend.





Common frogs and Smooth Newts are moving about in the pond but no frogspawn yet.....

We saw a Grey Heron (new bird species for the year) on the lawn this morning making its way to the pond and no doubt on the hunt for frogs. No photo I am afraid it didn't stay long.

Nesting activity has commenced with Blue Tits checking out the nest boxes, female blackbirds collecting nest material and taking it into one of the holly bushes and a wren is making a nest in ivy on the patio wall. The male wren makes several nests and the female will finish the one of her choice.


I saw my first bumble bee (one of the white-tailed species) whizzing past the kitchen window on Wednesday but still no butterflies.

Garden Bioblitz 2015

Last weekend I took part in Garden Bioblitz 2015 - the aim is to list all the species you find in your garden over a 24 hour period. You don't need to spend hours and hours if you don't want to but just go out at different times of the day and record what you see. Help with identification is available on i-spot and when you have identified all the species you have found records can be entered on i-Record.

Garden biodiversity has not been that well researched in the past so every record is important.

You can only record species of animals and plants that have arrived in the garden of their own accord so all those lovely native shrubs, trees and flowers we've planted over the years can't be counted! :(

If you want to find out more or take part next year there is a website at www.bioblitz.org.uk.

I couldn't take part on the Saturday (FA Cup Final) so opted to do the recording on Sunday, 31st May. The weather wasn't brilliant as it rained most of the morning. The afternoon luckily was dry with some sunny intervals.

Last year I found just over 70 species and, as expected with the cool weather, this year's findings were lower. There were certainly far fewer insects about and I didn't find even one spider. No mammals were seen this year - not even the Grey Squirrel who is a regular visitor.


Species seen


Birds

Blue Tit
Blackbird
Great Tit
Coal Tit
Wood Pigeon
Magpie
Dunnock
Carrion Crow,
Wren
Feral Pigeon
House Sparrow


Wildflowers
(Many of these weren't in flower this year but luckily many of the species I had also found in 2014 and were, therefore, easy to identify this time round.

Tormentil

Daisy

Ribwort Plantain - was a bit worried about this one as we have planted this species in the wildflower "meadow" area but this was in the lawn in the front garden so I've counted it!

Green Alkanet (I am really pleased this has somehow self-seeded as its such a magnet for pollinating insects)

Upright Yellow Sorrel
Lesser Trefoil
Yellow Corydalis
Herb Robert
Dandelion
Hairy Bittercress

Bramble

Common Nettle

Groundsel
Wall Speedwell
White Clover
Smooth Sow Thistle
Common Mouse-ear
Cut-leaved Dead-Nettle
Common Ragwort
Cleavers
Common Cat's Ear
Broad-leaved Willow Herb

Ferns

This Hart's Tongue Fern has self-seeded in one of the stone walls

Trees

Sycamore

Rowan

Oak - this Oak (Quercus sp.) self-seeded and OH has planted it in a pot

Common Whitebeam - a common street tree round here and this one self-seeded just after we moved in - its now huge and home to the nestbox which houses the Blue Tit family - all six chicks by the way are still doing well.



Grasses

Meadow Grass

Perennial Rye Grass

Common Couch Grass


Bryophytes

Rough-stalked Feather-moss


Amphibians

Common Frog
Common/Smooth Newt


Bees

Buff-tailed Bumble Bee
Honey Bee
Early Bumble Bee

Ants

Black Garden Ant
Red Ant

Mines

Holly Leaf Mine (Phytomyxa ilicis)

Stigmella aurella - found on Bramble

Snails

White-lipped Banded Snail

Garden Snail

Butterflies

Holly Blue


Moths

Bee Moth


Beetles

I found a real hotspot for ladybirds in the front garden where part of the Beech hedge was in full sun. There were loads of Harlequins

Harlequin Ladybird

Several pairs were mating - anxious to guarantee the next generation!

and I was really pleased to find a native 2-spot ladybird in the same area of the hedge. Sorry rubbish photo to be honest when I am bioblitzing I just snap away to get a record for id purposes only as from memory they want you to upload loads of photos to verify your records.

Flies

Green-bottle

Blue-bottle

Black Bean Aphid

Other Insects

Common Pond Skater
Common Rough Woodlouse



I ran out of time again this year so didn't have chance again to do any pond dipping or examine the log pile. There are several moss, lichen and grass species I am having problems identifying.

The total is higher than I expected given the cool weather - just over 60 species although a few may not be accepted by i-Record. For example, I suspect Honey Bee is probably not on their list! Last year I had problems with some of the species names although I think in the end I managed to record them all.

Its certainly a fun thing to do and would be particularly good if you had young children. It also makes you realise just how many species are using the garden and gives you an incentive to actually identify them all.