A couple of these sexton beetles were in the moth trap the other morning, one of them folding its head down and playing dead rather than trying to run away. These carrion beetles are attracted by the smell of rotting meat. They lay their eggs under the corpse of a small animal and the adults even stay to care for their larvae, which is better parenting than the average insect.
It’s always great to see the first butterflies of Spring. This week we had Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone and Orange Tip all in the garden - about typical timing for them to appear, based on my records for the last few years.
As it was such a warm, still evening and I’d seen several butterflies during the daytime I had to put out the moth trap. As well as several Early Grey, Common Quaker and other moths I caught earlier in the month, I captured these two new species. The Early Thorn has two generations, the first in Feb-May and a second in July-Sept; it is found on blackthorn and hawthorn bushes. The Double-striped Pug also has two generations in Mar-May and Jul-Aug and is a common species with a variety of food-plants,
Activity at the bird feeders has slowed down since the weather improved. The tits have become rare visitors, but some birds are still dropping in for a quick energy boost. The Starlings are very local, they have been roosting noisily under the roof eaves for the last weeks and now seem to be shaping up to nest there. This Great Spotted Woodpecker is a less frequent visitor to the fat balls, but is always around the area too, drumming up in the surrounding trees most mornings.
A proper Spring day brought our more insects, including this Dark-edged Bee Fly that was sunbathing on the fence, just next to the insect hotel. These flies are parasites of solitary bees, laying their eggs in the nests pf solitary mining and mason bees. They appear in the spring at the same time as the first mining bees. Usually bee flies are quite difficult to photograph as they fly really fast, but it was still quite cold at lunchtime when I saw this one, so it did not seem too bothered by me getting up close with my phone to get a photo.
#443 Dark-edged Bee Fly (Bombylius major)
This large and rather fine caddis fly came to the moth trap on Friday night. I believe it is Stenophylax permistus (#730) as although there are similar species, it seems the most likely of the family to be found this early in the season. Stenophylax permistusm is a fairly common species with 2 generations, one in April-May and a second in July-August. This one must have been out and about a bit early. This species lives in temporary water in ditches and the like, where its nymphs make their shell out of dead leaves and vegetation.
Having caught precisely nothing up until now in the moth trap, I was delighted with my haul this morning - I obviously chose the right night for it. Seven different species came to the light; all of them new for my garden list as they are all species that have one generation during the year, flying early in the year.
Goldfinches are one of the most frequent year-round birds in the garden. In the last 3 years there’s only 4 weeks where I did not record them at least once, usually during the May-June when their numbers are at their lowest. During September-October flocks. sometimes up to 100-strong, come to the silver birches around the garden. They are also consistently around in the winter visiting the birches and quite often the feeders for niger or sunflower hearts. Since January there have only been 3-5 around, but usually any day now at the end of March there is also a short-lived peak in numbers as the finches gather in pre-breeding flocks of 30-40 birds before separating to nest.
I have a couple of immaculate cock pheasants visiting the garden at the moment, this one and one with a ring (round the neck). Looking back at my BTO Garden Birdwatch records they are regular attendees in March & early April, only occasionally joined by female birds. I’m not sure if they are looking for food, or spreading out looking for breeding territories. They skipped year last year, I thought perhaps because they were scared off by our cat, so it’s good to have them back this year.
Another unsuccessful attempt at trapping moths last night, as the temperature dropped well below freezing, and few insects around too. There are still a few blackbirds and redwings about, roosting in next door’s holly tree, which are probably what attracted this female Sparrowhawk. It then perched up for a while to preen and enjoy the evening sunshine, before heading of again in search of supper,.
It seems like so long, but the first bees are back in the garden, with sunny days meaning we have some spring bees. A few bumble bees, honey bees on the heather, mini-mining bees on the daffodils and this male Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) sunbathing on the willow tree. It seems quite early for this species, right at the end of Feb, but then it was a lovely warm afternoon and the smaller males do appear a couple of weeks before the females.
Not for want of looking, but this is the first thing worth a mention that I’ve seen all month, except a few un-photographed birds. Even the moth trap has drawn a blank on its two excursions so far this year, but if it stays warm it looks like I’ll be giving it another go soon.
#575 Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis)
Two new fungi found at the weekend. A large twig with Beech Woodwart (Hypoxylon fragiforme) fell from next door’s Beech tree. I tried the moth trap, but caught absolutely nothing; however I did find a couple of tiny Turkeytails (Trametes versicolor) growing out of the (very rotting) wood table it was standing on.
Some beautiful hoar frost on the trees at Bredon Hill, where thanks to fog on the higher areas the snow still persists. Wildlife was a bit on the sparse side, but a small flock of finches in one of the game strips on the top of the hill included at least one brambling - my first this winter. We’re lucky to have some great walks close to home.
Not much wildlife to be seen at the top of a wintery Cleeve Hill today, but plenty of tracks to see in the snow. Lots of rabbits and birds of different types, and also some Roe Deer slots.
Found these dead-wood fungi during a very scenic Christmas walk around Snowshill Manor. King Alfred’s Cakes are found on dead Beech, Ash or Birch branches, and were used a prehistoric firelighters - as they smoulder slowly it’s believed they were used by stone age man to transport fires from one camp to another. The stripey Turkey Tail is another fungus commonly found on rotting hardwood stumps. This fungus also has its uses, in Chinese medicine where it is believed to boost the immune system and even have anti-carcinogenic properties.
Candlesnuff Fungus (Xylaria hypoxylon) is a saprophytic fungus that breaks down rotting wood, and is typically found in the Autumn and Winter. This growth of it was on some dead sticks that have been lying around in the garden for a few years and are now well decomposed.
The lichen, looking swollen after all the wet weather, is Collema auriforme, looking like a glob of green-black chewing gum someone left on the wall.
Here are four, of the 37 species of woodlouse that occur in the wild in UK; probably the four commonest garden species. The Common Pygmy Woodlouse was the first of this species I found in the garden, though I guess i haven’t been looking that hard. Woodlice are crustaceans from the order Isopods, and live mostly on algae, fungi and rotting organic matter, though they will scavenge a meal off dead creatures given the chance. As with most gardens there’s plenty of them in mine, and they are present year-round quietly getting on with their lives.
In the days prior to antacid tablets, people used to dry woodlice and grind them into powder as a treatment for indigestion, seeing as the shells are rich in calcium carbonate. Something to think of if you are locked down and can’t get to the pharmacy!
This Chaffinch, getting to grips with a sunflower seed, is the first I’ve seen actually down at the feeders this winter. Especially on the colder days there’s a lot more birds around the garden; Blue, Great, Long-tailed and a single Coal Tit, which darts in to grab a sunflower heart when it can. The small gang of House Sparrows are back, having as usual, left to forage elsewhere during the Autumn. The mature Holly tree next door has a flock of a dozen or so Redwings stripping its berries, more this year than usually, also several Blackbirds and a Song Thrush. There’s a Mistle Thrush, which jealously guards the clumps of mistletoe in the surrounding area. The lunchtime roost of Woodpigeons is up to about 10 individuals now, and large groups of starlings are flying over morning and evening heading to a local roost. Many more birds than a few weeks back.
Last week there were still some insects around; either. like the Tapered Drone Fly, enjoying some winter sun on the wall, or taking advantage of the few remaining flowers. The Common Green Lacewing, turned from its summer green colour to a more seasonal brown, was found in the house, presumably looking for somewhere to hibernate. In contrast the Winter Gnat is a creature of this season, the males gathering to perform aerial courtship dances for the females, who in turn lay their eggs in the decaying leaf matter.
These Giant Willow Aphids (Tuberolachnus salignus, #389) skipped a year last winter, but this winter they are back in several groups on the undersides of the smaller branches in my willow tree. You’d think, exposed on the bare winter branches, they would be easy prey for the birds, but despite being big enough to make a good meal they seem not to get consumed to any appreciable extent. Neither do they seem susceptible to cold, they just hang in there on the branches right through the winter.
According to other accounts, these aphids should appear in late summer, but mine I’m sure only emerge from October onward; then in the early spring they disappear again, nobody really knows where. This summer dormancy is called aestivation (kind of the opposite of hibernation), which several species do - normally to avoid excess heat and drought in the summer.
Another thing that’s fascinating about the Giant Willow Aphid is that there are no males present in the colony. In fact no males of this species have ever been recorded anywhere. The females give birth to live young which are clones of their mother - this is referred to as parthenogenesis.
It’s interesting that despite looking I didn’t see a single one last winter, so maybe just to make it extra difficult for any predators or parasites to come to rely on them as a food-source, these insects ave a two year life-cycle. It will be interesting to see if I find any next year.
Passionate about nature, based in Gloucestershire UK; this site is about creating a wildlife friendly family garden and exploring the diversity of animal & plant species that share it with us.
As a nature lover and wildlife gardener I started wondering about the biodiversity in my backyard and just how many species from plants to insects to birds to mammals might live in or visit it.
Much of the wildlife in my small, village garden has been present right under my nose for years without my really appreciating it, so on the way I am learning a lot about different species and how to make a wildlife-friendly environment for them; also getting engaged more in conservation activities around Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and the Cotswolds.
My garden species tally started from zero on June 1st 2018, the target was 1000 species, which I eventually hit in June 2024. But there’s still plenty to see and learn about.
I'm very interested in your comments & advice: whether it's about the blog, some help with identification or just how to make my own little Eden better for wildlife. So please leave a comment or drop me a line if you feel like it!
Graham Tompsett
microedenproject@gmail.com
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