#30DaysWild - Mini Garden Bioblitz on Day 2 Saturday, 2nd June.

I've finally sorted out the photos and identified as many species as I can from the mini garden bioblitz last Saturday so back to Day 2 of 30 Days Wild.

I spent in total about 2 hours looking for species on the day and many more hours on identification! Luckily some of the wildflowers, moss and a few other of the more difficult species I have identified before which makes the task a little easier.

Apologies for the quality of some of the images - they were mainly taken in a rush as a brief record and some for id purposes and, as always, many species don't hang around waiting for me to take a picture!


Birds

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus)

Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus)

Dunnock (Prunella modularis)

Blue Tit (Cyanistes carruleus)

Great Tit (Parus major)

Blackbird (Turdus merula)

Magpie (Pica pica)


Mammals

Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis)

Amphibians

Common/Smooth Newt (Lissotritus vulgaris)



Wild Flowers

(I have not counted those that we have planted ourselves, for example, all those in the wildflower meadow). All the plants listed have appeared of their own accord.


Wall Speedwell (Veronica arvensis)

Red Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum

Corydalis (Pseudofumaria lutea)

Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum)

Common Mouse-ear Chickweed (Cerastium fontanum)

Bramble (Rubus Fruiticosus Agg)

Dandelion Tarraxacum officinale)

Broad-leaved Willowherb (Enilobium montanum)

White Clover (Trifolium repens)


Green Alkanet (Penta glottis)

Cat's Ear (Hypochaeris radicola)

Upright Yellow Sorrel (Oxalis stricta)

Common Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea)

Lesser Trefoil (Trifolium dubium)


Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) - Perhaps this is one I should not have included - they were already in the garden when we moved in 40 years ago and ever since have self-seeded every year in different positions.

Cleavers (Galium aparine)

Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata) Another species I wasn't sure whether to include as we have planted it in the wild flower meadow but it does occur in the lawn in the front garden hence my decision!

Smooth Sow Thistle (Sonchus oleraceus)

Wood Avens (Geum urbanum)
Please let me know if id of this one is wrong - I have been puzzling over this plant for years - it crops up in all the flower borders!

Nettle (Urtica dioica)

Dock (Rumex sp)

Wood Sorrel Oxalis acetosella - I first discovered this plant in the garden last year and was thrilled to bits. Have no idea at all how it got there!


Trees

(Trees and shrubs are again difficult because since we moved in we have planted many native varieties - the one's listed below though have all appeared of their own accord)

Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatarius) with galls on the leaf (see later)

Oak (Quercus species)

Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia)

Common Whitebeam (Sorbus aria)



Ferns

Hart's Tongue (Phylitis scolopendrium)

Moss

Rough-stalked Feather Moss (Brachythecium cutabulum)


Grasses

Couch Grass (Elymus repens)


Wall Barley (Hordeum murinum
A new species for the garden

Smooth-stalked Meadow Grass (Poa pratensis)

Insects

Butterflies

Large WhitePieris brassica)

Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria)

Time for a break and a gingerbread man!

Bees


Common Carder (Bombus pascurum)

White-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus lucorum)

Buff-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus terrestris)

Red-tailed Bumble Bee (Bombus lapidarius

Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Forest Cuckoo Bee (Bombus sylvestris) - a new species for the garden



Moths

Common Swift (Hepialis lupulinus)

Bee Moth (Aphoma sociella)

Heart and Dart (Agrotis exclamationis)

Mint Moth Pyrausta aurata)

Straw Dot (Rivula sericealis)

Freyer's Pug (Eupithecia intricata)
(New for Garden)

Silver y(Autographa gramma)

Common Marbled Carpet (Dysstrona truncata)

Clouded Bordered Brindle (Apamea crenata)
(New for Garden)

Leaf Mines

Holly Leaf Mine (Phytomyza ilicis)

Common Slender leaf mine on Lilac (Gracillaria syringella)

Galls

Sycamore Gall Mite (Aceria cephalonea)


Spiders

Large House Spider (Tegenaria gigantea)

Green Orb-Weaver Spider (Araniella cucurbitina) - another new species for the garden - note the red spot at end of abdomen.

Garden Spider (Araneus Diadematus)?? I think the 2 photos below show the same species but unfortunately they show the underside. I should really have put these at the end of the post as I am unsure of id. Am trying to find another one to check the upper side to see if it has a cross!

Black Ant (Lasius niger)

Hawthorn Shield Bug ((Acanthosoma haemorrhoidale)

Cuckoo Spit containing nymph of Frog Hopper (Philanenus spumarius)


The Footballer Hover Fly Helophilus pendulus)

Green Bottle Fly (Lucilia sericata)

Caddis Fly (Trichoptera sp) This was in the moth trap and flew off before I could pot it and try and get it down to species level.



Pond Skater (Gerris lacustris)

Common Rough Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)



White-lipped Banded Snail (Capaea hortensis)

I found this rather cute one on the patio.

I am a bit uncertain on this one as I didn't get a decent photo this year but I think it is a Buttercup Pollen Beetle (Meligethes aeneus)

Species to id - any help would be greatly appreciated.


There appears to be some sort of insect attack on beech hedge leaves.

Someone on Twitter kindly suggested this could be a species of Ichneumon Wasp???? It is quite a distinctive insect but I can't find it in any of my books.

I've been advised on Twitter (thanks so much Ian) that the fly below is in the muscid/anthomyiid line and it is not possible to get it to species level without a specimen so have now given up on an id!.

A mine on honeysuckle leaves

This makes around 72 species give or take any mistakes!


If anyone can help with id of the species I can't id or if I have made any mistakes please leave a comment.

Apologies too if there are any spelling mistakes in the scientific names - some I know off by heart but others I have struggled at times to read my own writing!



There were several species I should have seen, for example, robin, common frog and earthworm and sadly no ladybirds not even a Harlequin. I didn't do any pond-dipping or go into the wooded area at the top of the garden to check the trees and shrubs in there and the log pile as I had run out of time!


Many thanks for the help I received on Twitter on id - Mick for grasses, Amanda, Dave and Stewart on moths. Ian and Joan on flies and anyone else who made suggestions.


All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330

#30 days Wild - Looking for Yellow Flowers, A Canal Walk and a Moth

30 Days Wild is an event, set up by the Wildlife Trusts, which runs throughout the month to encourage people to do a random act of wildness every day in June. Anyone can participate and the Trusts also produce a booklet to give you ideas of activities. I've taken part every year so far although I don't always blog about it. I will try and do something every day and hopefully do some posts.


Day 1 - Friday, 1st June

I decided on Friday to make an easy start by spending five minutes looking for yellow flowers in the garden. Here's a few I found.

Corydalis

A recent purchase from Morrisons - waiting to go in the garden but the flowers will be yellow:)

Cat's Ear in the "no mow zone" of the main lawn.

Yellow flags round the pond

Welsh Poppies

Yellow Rattle

Meadow Buttercup

Day 2 - Saturday, 2nd June

On and off throughout Saturday and over a 24 hour period I did a mini garden bioblitz. I will do a separate post on this later in the week as I have about 15 species of insects and grasses to identify.


Day 3 - Sunday, 3rd June

Yesterday we went for a walk along the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal near Bodymoor Heath. The canal, which opened in 1789, begins at Gas Street Basin in Birmingham City Centre and passes through urban areas until reaching the countryside and continuing to Fazeley, near Tamworth.

Elderflower

and poppies near where we parked the car.

Initially we decided to walk in the direction of Kingsbury Water Park and then on to where the canal passes RSPB Middleton Lakes but to be honest it looked fairly busy in that direction and so

we retraced our steps and followed the canal in the opposite direction. Above a photo of what I think are hybrid ducks.

Lovely views over the Warwickshire countryside.

We saw lots and lots of clumps of Yellow Flag

By one of the bridges allium had been planted and there was

a brick structure - you won't be able to make out the wording but it said "Hollies Field" and there were engravings

on the individual bricks. I've tried to find out more but without success.

Although the grass on the tow path itself had been cut short there were plenty of wildflowers on the canal bank.

Blackberries are now starting to flower - already thinking ahead to collecting some in the late summer :)

A sure sign June has arrived - Dog Roses flowering in the hedgerow.

Buttercups were everywhere along with

Cow Parsley (plus Hogweed and what looked like the dreaded Giant Hogweed were seen in places) and Ribwort Plantain.

Does anyone please have any idea of the id of the tiny yellow flower below. I have seen it before and failed to identify but did wonder if it was Crosswort??

Sow Thistle

Germander Speedwell

Only a few poppies to be seen in a field of Oilseed Rape.

Hedge Woundwort

Meadow Vetchling?

Vetch

Campion

Cow Parsley

Daisies

Dandelion Seedhead

Ash

I've puzzled over the next flower - Black Medick?

Please let me know if I have got any of the identifications wrong.

Common Carder Bee on Clover

We saw loads of Damselflies - Common Blue and Azure and, as in the photo below, Banded Demoiselle.

*D


We found this poor dead damselfly on a leaf. D insisted on bringing it home and there was a slight moment of panic later when he gave it to me to hold while he was taking photos of ducks and I continued walking and horrors of horrors noticed it had disappeared off my hand. An anxious 10 minutes and I eventually found it again on the path!

A photo I took at home - even with id guides to hand and a magnifying glass I am struggling with id. I think it is either a female Banded Demoiselle or a Female Beautiful Demoiselle due to the emerald green colouring and the white false pterostigma near the tip of the wing. Due to the fact that we didn't see any Beautiful Demoiselle but dozens of the Banded I am leaning towards the latter.

We didn't see too many birds - Mallard, the hybrid ducks, Black-headed Gulls, Blue Tits, Blackbirds and this Moorhen.

Mallard

The ducks D was taking photos of when I lost the dead damselfly

Mrs Mallard guarding her young who were bathing and trying to catch insects.

*D

*D

Finally, back at the pub - near where we had parked.

House Martin nests - I saw 3 if you click on the photo to enlarge you may just be able to see the head of the adult about to leave.

A swift pint of Speckled Hen - well, it would be rude to say no! (Deborah - I ordered you a virtual half of Perry!).

Actually, it is not a pub I would rush back to - the service was awful - we had to wait for well over 15 minutes to get served and it wasn't that busy!








Day 4, Monday, 4th June


Just after midnight (which counts as today!) I spotted an Elephant Hawkmoth in the garage - it was fluttering by the window and I managed to "trap" it just in time as a Large House Spider started to run towards the moth!

*D Photos taken by my son with Canon bridge SX50

All other photos taken by me with Panasonic Lumix FZ330