Big Butterfly Count and Garden Wildlife and Vegetables

 

Since 2010 Butterfly Conservation has organised a yearly nationwide survey where people can spend 15 minutes counting the number of butterflies they see in their garden or other location.  Butterflies are excellent biodiversity indicators and they react rapidly to environmental changes. Therefore declines in butterfly species can provide an early warning of potential losses in other species too.  Big Butterfly Count helps identify trends in species allowing plans to be made to protect those in decline and also to allow scientists to understand the effects of climate change.

I am sure some of you also take part and it is to be hoped that the results from this year's counts are a marked improvement on the awful year butterflies and other pollinators had last year.

D and I did our first butterfly count on the 21st July at Castle Bromwich Historic Parklands and saw the following butterflies:

Small White x 4

Speckled Wood x 5

Large White x 2

Holly Blue x 4

Gatekeeper x 6

plus an unidentified skipper (it was too far away to be sure)!

On 25th July we did a count in the garden at home and saw the following:

Large White x 4

Peacock x 1

Comma x 1

*D

Holly Blue x 1  (here nectaring on water mint flowers by the pond)

*D

Gatekeeper x 1

*D

*D

Speckled Wood x 3

*D

Meadow Brown x 1

*D

Not seen during the count itself here is a photo of a Red Admiral we saw a bit later.

*D

D did a further garden count earlier this week and managed to spot a Red Admiral during the 15 minutes this time.

Red Admiral x 1

Comma x 1

Speckled Wood x 1

Gatekeeper x 2

Large White x 1

Other Garden Insects

Banded Demoiselle - I was really chuffed this was spotted as I am fairly sure it is a new garden "tick"

*D

Grasshopper

Mint Moth - you guessed it seen on mint! Pretty as these tiny moths are last year the caterpillars decimated all our mint!

*D

Sunflower with a Marmalade Hoverfly

*D

Garden Vegetables and Baking

These days D grows all the garden vegetables.

Here are the first red chilli peppers.

*D

We are picking courgettes galore

*D

Ripening pumpkin

*D

The first crop of beetroot has been harvested.

*D

Apple and Blackberry Crumble made with foraged blackberries from the garden.

*D

D made these Feta, Thyme and Courgette Scones with courgettes and thyme from the garden. Lovely served with onion chutney :)

*D

All photos taken by D with the Canon SX50 HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of my son's or mine I would be grateful for an email first - thanks)

Recent Reading, an Unwanted Moth and an Exciting Caterpillar

 

Recent Reading

I loved this book and it was one of those non fiction books that really resonated with me.  If you like ancient landscapes, stone circles and long barrows etc I think you would enjoy this book.

The latest and probably last Ruth Galloway book finally came down in price.  Knowing it might be the last we read about Ruth I did put off reading it for a while.  I know others are reading the series so if you haven't yet read it I won't say too much.  I do hope Elly Griffiths writes another book with Nelson and Ruth at some stage in the future. Its been a brilliant series with  Ruth being such a lovely character and I suspect I may re-read them all again one day.

I can't stop reading the Faith Martin books. In this one Hillary Greene returns in a different role.  It took me a while to get used to her no longer being a DI but again it was a gripping book full of suspense especially the ending!

Having visited Wigmore Castle in Herefordshire  - home of the Mortimers - I have become fascinated by the family.  I've been reading this at the caravan for quite a while now but I finally finished it on the last visit.

I still can't stop reading these books!  The ending of the previous book was such a cliff hanger I had to read the next! I will have to slow down a bit because I don't think there are that many left in the series.

I am still not sleeping well and with that and the hot weather I've been reading a lot.  The trouble is that means the Kindle needs recharging every day so I re-read a story in a hardback book by Mary Wesley called The Vacillations of Poppy Carew.  I do like her books and they make easy unputdownable reading. The author was a remarkable woman - she had her first novel published at the age of 70!

Moths and Caterpillars

B spotted this rather pretty moth inside the back room a few days ago. In all my years of moth trapping I had never caught this species. A bit of research revealed its a Box Tree Moth which is regarded as an invasive species as its caterpillars can decimate box trees and shrubs.  B has box cuttings in the back room and outside on the patio!!!  Anyway I can't bring myself to kill it so it will be released well away from here.  Interestingly enough I heard of two other people on Twitter who had seen this species on the same day. One came from Yorkshire so the moths which only appeared in Kent, England in 2007 must be spreading north.  The species tends to peak around this time of year.

I was thrilled when B spotted this Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar on the patio a week or so back.  I used to trap Elephant Hawk Moths so I always thought we might have caterpillars on the fuschias or Rosebay Willow Herb but this was the first time one has been seen. I am not sure if it was looking for somewhere to pupate but I put it back on a fuschia. The caterpillar looks a bit like an elephant's trunk and the eyespots are to warn off predators.  I know Bovey Belle found one in her garden too recently.

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.

All photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one I would appreciate an email first - thanks).

More of "This and That"

Just a few photos from the house and garden this week as I haven't been out again. This week has been hot and humid with thunderstorms and rain although the garden and countryside desperately needed rain so I can't complain.



Another shrub I can't name but at this time of year it is covered in pretty yellow flowers.
Edit Thanks to Rustic Pumpkin who has advised this is Rose of Sharon or Hypericum calycinum

Antirrhimum has self seeded in one of the hanging baskets which haven't been replanted this year - no plants and little compost left!

The lovely "Gatekeeper" statue I bought last year from the National Herb Centre.

The first Large Skipper (a female) was spotted in the garden last week.

I think this may be a species of Orb web spider (Cucumber Green?) but my spider id skills aren't good so if anyone can help would love to hear from you.

I haven't put the moth trap out but I did find this moth on the garage window - Common Emerald I think?

Edit Thanks to Edward Evans for confirming id of moth - Common Emerald

Wall Pennywort seeds have been transplanted into bigger pots.

Some of the more "leggy" ones I decided to plant near the top of one of the stone walls. Sadly, it was a bit of a rush job as I disturbed a nest of red ants and beat a hasty retreat. But hopefully one or two will survive.

One of the stone walls where I am hoping to establish Wall Pennywort.

Little swedes are starting to form on these plants.

Cat's Ear - this was the "no mow zone" but we have had to temporarily abandon the idea as bamboo seedlings were spreading all over it (rather than wild flowers) from a nearby bamboo plant.

Clover

It always seems to rain as the poppy buds are about to open :(

Recent Reading

I really enjoyed this book and the ending was a complete surprise to me!!!

Journal

Baking

More baking from Mary Berry's "Fast Cakes"

Lemon Shortbread made by E - most had been eaten when I took this photo!

Mild Ginger loaf which I made yesterday. It has a good ginger flavour but it is a bit dry!

I hope everyone is staying safe and well.




All photos taken by me with the Pansonic Lumix FZ330 camera

First week of June

Another week passes - I really must make the effort this week to try and go out into the countryside for a walk although the weather doesn't look promising.

A few pictures first of garden flowers - apologies again as this post is going to be much the same as the previous ones!

The white peony in the herbaceous border is now flowering.

Canterbury Bells - we have white ones and blue ones.

Pot Marigold or Calendula

I am sure someone in the past has named this plant for me but yet again the name eludes me!
Edit - Thanks to Bovey Belle I now know this is Yellow Loosestrife

Mock Orange

Foxgloves

Red Valerian which always reminds me of holidays in Cornwall. I bought these plants hoping to attract Hummingbird Hawkmoths and in the past they have visited but not so far this year.

Geranium

I seem to have lost my "Ladybird" poppy but this white one has survived and now has buds.

Pale pink fuschia which forms a deciduous shrub rather than the plants of the red, maroon and pink variety.

A new hoverfly for the garden - Dark Wasp Hoverfly - Chrysotoxum festivum

Tree Bumble Bee on Water Avens

A few moths from when I put out the moth trap last week

Common Carpet

Edit Thanks to Edward Evans for correcting my id - this is Spruce Carpet

Straw Dot

Speckled Wood - the only butterfly species I have seen round the garden in the last week.

I've noticed bees on the beech hedge a lot recently and think they are searching for honeydew from aphids. This Tree Bumble Bee on a shrub in the back garden was doing a weird waggle dance and I think too it was eating honeydew.

B and D have been busy gardening - mainly vegetables. Tomato plants are now in pots and the remainder will go in hanging baskets where they did well last year. Runner Beans, courgettes and potatoes are planted and here we have some cabbages and swedes.

I forget to mention in my last post that sadly none of the Blue Tit chicks survived. As far as we could see only the female was visiting the nest so yet again it appears something happened to the male. She just could not seem to find enough food to feed them.




Blackberry Flowers

Broad-leaved Willowherb

Herb Robert

Cats Ear in the lawn - unfortunately no sign of the Fox and Cub seeds germinating.

The small area of woodland at the top of the garden is looking a trifle overgrown! Still it will be good for wildlife.

Recent Reading

This was the best Midsomer Murder Mystery so far.

I enjoyed this book a new author for me as it was "different". If you like reading about bees, badgers, scarecrows, walks in the countryside, witches knickers (you will have to read the book to find out what these are!), cats and eccentric families etc. etc. you may enjoy this book.

Baking

Gingerbread House and biscuits made with the left over dough.

Choc Chip Cookies made by E.

We have put the flowers we pressed from the garden earlier in the Spring in a book.

Journal - have more or less at the moment given up on the drawings!

D and I have gone through some more old family slides. These are Dad's from an Isle of Wight holiday in 1960 so I would have been 7/8.

Carisbrooke Castle

Osborne House

Whippingham Church

Winkle Street

Me in the sea at Shanklin. Can anyone else remember those awful swimming hats and bubble costumes we used to wear as children in the 1960's :(

Me and my brother at Blackgang Chine

Me and Gnomes also at Blackgang Chine

Mottistone Manor

The Arch in Freshwater Bay which has now collapsed into the sea.

St Agnes thatched church Freshwater

Yarmouth

Mom and me Shanklin Beach

My grandfather and me again at Shanklin

My mother, paternal grandparents and me at Shanklin.

Out of all the holidays when I was a child the Isle of Wight ones are the ones I remember most. I am pretty sure we visited in consecutive years staying in Shanklin and Ventnor. I was hoping we might get most of the slides done while D was on holiday but there are still dozens of boxes and to be honest going through one box a day is enough as Dad's are in metal boxes that he used to slot into a slide projector and we are having to remove the metal mount off each slide so that it will fit in the scanner :(




I am hopeful we may be able to go to the static caravan in Herefordshire in early July. The first visit though will need to be arranged as we still haven't got the keys for it and will need to "meet" the site owners to get keys, pass for the site etc. I shall be glad to go there if only to get rid of the boxes and bags full of kitchen and bed items that are still littering the house! In view of this I really have to start making the effort to go out walking more away from the house and garden.


I hope everyone is staying safe and well. Take care.



Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera. Slides of Isle of Wight taken by my father - from memory he had a Koday Retinette 1A? camera.