my local patch and wildlife - Ian McDonald

[ian mcdonald]

Himalayan balsam, Impatiens glandulifera. An aggressive alien which out-competes all other plants.



Another alien, though not as aggressive, canadian fleabane, Conyza canadensis.



Marsh thistle, Cirsium palustre. Sometimes the flowers are white.



Goats-beard or jack-go-to-bed-at-noon, Tragopogon pratensis. So called because the flowers tend to close at mid-day.



Goats beard.

[ian mcdonald]

Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris.



Dwarf mallow, Malva neglecta.



Corn mint, Mentha arvensis.



Wild angelica, A sylvestris.



Sneezewort, Achillea ptarmica.

[ian mcdonald]

Meadow brown.



Gatekeeper.



Skullcap.



Green veined white.



Following the mechanised scrub clearance several years ago there is re-growth of birch where there was no treatment with brush-wood killer.

[ian mcdonald]

Large skipper.



Brimstone on burdock.



Small copper.



10 spot ladybird.



?

[ian mcdonald]

Sympetrum striolatum?



The underside of a painted lady.



Topside.



On reply 577 I mentioned clearance work for a rare plant. The plants are Marsh pea, Lathyrus palustris. The numbers have risen from approximately 11 to 140.

Birds noted were, blackbird, mallard, grey lag geese, lapwing, willow warbler, robin and juvs. wood pigeon, crow, hobby, reed bunting, linnet, sedge warbler, pheasant, yellowhammer, great spotted woodpecker, tufted duck, black headed gull, water rail, whitethroat, snipe, jay, and stonechats. Butterflies were, brimstone, peacock, small skipper, large skipper, small white, meadow brown, speckled wood, gatekeeper, small copper, common blue, painted lady, large white and green veined white. Also seen were a pair of roe deer and a frog.

[Tristan_He]

I'd say the dragonfly is ruddy darter, S. sanguineum. Darker red abdomen, black legs and larger black marking towards the tip of the abdomen. S. striolatum has yellowish legs and an altogether paler browny-red colour.

Are you seeing a lot of painted ladies? We had 15 in the garden today!

[ian mcdonald]

Thanks Tristan. I,ve only seen a few painted ladies so far.

[Maggi Young]

We've  been getting  painted  ladies  in our  Aberdeen garden - such nice  butterflies, it  is a  pleasure to  see  them.

[Leucogenes]

What a beautiful English name... "painted ladies". Here with us it is called "Distelfalter"... I especially like the underside of the wings.

[Tristan_He]

It is a beautiful name isn't it?

Sadly the origins may be less glamorous...

[Leucogenes]

Just now a rather large specimen of Vanessa cardui felt comfortable in the rock garden and enjoyed the last sunbeams of the day.

[ian mcdonald]

This weeks weather has been mixed, with warm sun and rain with winds. Common bladderwort is flowering well in some of the ditches. Butterflies are numerous in species and numbers. Hemp agrimony is flowering and being visited by many insects. I visited a wet wood and saw a number of small frogs. Dragonflies are frequent and are still being hunted by the remaining hobby,s. I was told of black tailed godwits and managed to see three with a group of lapwings and a snipe. While scanning the area from a raised mound I noticed a couple of cranes in the tall vegetation about 300 yards away. Two female pheasants were seen along a track, both with very young chicks. Rhododendron leaf hoppers, introduced from North America, are active on re-grown rhododendrons.



Common bladderwort.



A fungus on a birch tree.



A nymph of ?



A large white willow.



Sympetrum striolatum.

[ian mcdonald]

A black darter.



Field bindweed.



Wild parsnip, usually taller. The sap can cause blisters on the skin.



Hemp agrimony.



Lapwings and three black tailed godwit.

[ian mcdonald]

Female pheasant with chicks. It must be a good year for insects to breed this late.



Green shield bug nymph.



Southern hawker.



Female black darter?



Phyllobrotica 4-maculata.

[ian mcdonald]

Common hawker?



Rhododendron leaf hopper.



A puff ball.



Field forget-me-not, Myosotis arvensis.



A feather but who did it belong to?

Birds recorded were, mallard, tufted duck, crow, pheasant, lapwing, wren, wood pigeon, crane, yellowhammer, linnet, stonechat, swift, black tailed godwit, pied wagtail, coot, blackbird, robin, teal, meadow pipit, little grebe, buzzard, hobby, marsh harrier, sparrow hawk, cettis warbler, blue tit, great tit, willow tit, jay, green sandpiper, great spotted woodpecker, grey lag geese, swallow and gadwall, while butterflies were, peacock, comma, painted lady, brimstone, meadow brown, gatekeeper and red admiral.