ED Nature Watch

[Sue]

leenorris78 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> They are called "Small Blue".

>

> I went into the British wildlife place and they

> have Kidney Vetch planted in there, the

> butterfly's only food source.

xxxxxx

None of that in my garden to the best of my knowledge, so they must be on their way to somewhere else!

[BrandNewGuy]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> leenorris78 Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > They are called "Small Blue".

> >

> > I went into the British wildlife place and they

> > have Kidney Vetch planted in there, the

> > butterfly's only food source.

>

> xxxxxx

>

> None of that in my garden to the best of my

> knowledge, so they must be on their way to

> somewhere else!

It's the caterpillars that feed almost exclusively on kidney vetch foliage - the full-grown butterfly will feed on nectar from lots of plants.

[DawnSE22]

I would be very surprised if it was a Small Blue. The nearest colony to us is on chalk download at Hutchinson's Bank, south of Croydon. Do you think it could be Holly Blue instead, a common butterfly found in urban areas? I've also seen a female Common Blue on one occasion in my old garden on Landells rd, but that is my only local sighting.

[leenorris78]

Now you mention it, and after looking at a photo, you could be right. May be a false alarm. But they do appear to have Kidney vetch growing round the corner?

DawnSE22 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I would be very surprised if it was a Small Blue.

> The nearest colony to us is on chalk download at

> Hutchinson's Bank, south of Croydon. Do you think

> it could be Holly Blue instead, a common butterfly

> found in urban areas? I've also seen a female

> Common Blue on one occasion in my old garden on

> Landells rd, but that is my only local sighting.

[LauraJBeeley]

yesterday morning I saw a fox cub trying to get into the little shelter we have for our kitten outside soooo cute!

[Saffron]

Does anyone know a good website to help identify aquatic larvae and instects? I've seen some larvae in my pond that I can't identify. I couldn't get a good pic, but I'll try again.

[lousmith]

Here

this is a key of most invertebrate types, should definitely narrow down your field of search. Hi res enough to read if you zoom in.

Try to fish one out onto a saucer and get a pic.

[AmericanRobin]

Really sad year this year for beeding birds. Of 11 eggs in a blue tit nest in our garden, all died. We think it was the combination of cold and lack of tiny caterpillars. Really upsetting as one by one, they all died (we've got a webcam). Last year another pair (or the same ones ?) sucessfully hatched six chicks though. Tough weather for birds.

[Sue]

:(

Unfortunately I found a week or so back that my bird food had gone all manky, presumably due to all the heavy rain.

Have changed it all now but there is a distinct lack of birds coming down to it, hope it hasn't killed them - hope word has just got round that the food in my garden was crap :-$

They do seem to be eating aphids and stuff though ....

[Twirly]

We had one of these flapping around our kitchen last night:

And according to this website: http://ukmoths.org.uk/show.php?bf=1922 "it is not often encountered by the non-enthusiast". Am slightly bemused by the concept of a moth enthusiast, but I guess it takes all sorts!

It was quite beautiful, and I thought it was a butterfly at first.

[Sue]

Hey that's odd, I had one of those in my office last night, I had to turn the light off as it started flapping around inside the shade.

I don't know where it's gone now, I sincerely hope it's found its way out of the house.

Never seen one before. It must be in its "short emergence period in July" :)

Has anybody else noticed that the spider/flying ant season seems to be starting? Isn't it a bit early? :(

[Twirly]

There was something in the press yesterday about it being "flying ant day", though I have to admit that I've not seen that many. I thought it was a bit late tbh - it's usually mid-July on a hot, sunny day with reasonable humidity. But of course we had monsoon conditions in mid-July, so they very sensibly didn't bother.

[Pickle]

We had a flying ant colony take flight from our garden yesterday. I noticed a few around when I was out and about, but not nearly as many as usual.

[DulwichFox]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> :(

>

> Unfortunately I found a week or so back that my

> bird food had gone all manky, presumably due to

> all the heavy rain.

>

> Have changed it all now but there is a distinct

> lack of birds coming down to it, hope it hasn't

> killed them - hope word has just got round that

the food in my garden was crap

>

> They do seem to be eating aphids and stuff though

> ....

was that NOT Just got round. ?

Don't worry Sue, the Birds do not post here...

They prefer Twitter where they can Tweet... :)

Foxy

[Sue]

DulwichFox Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Sue Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > :(

> >

> > Unfortunately I found a week or so back that my

> > bird food had gone all manky, presumably due to

> > all the heavy rain.

> >

> > Have changed it all now but there is a distinct

> > lack of birds coming down to it, hope it hasn't

> > killed them - hope word has just got round that

> the food in my garden was crap

> >

> > They do seem to be eating aphids and stuff

> though

> > ....

xxxxxxx

>

> was that NOT Just got round. ?

>

xxxxxxxx

No, the wording intended was exactly as I wrote it.

I hope word got round (so that they didn't come and eat manky food) and that is why they aren't there.

[maxxi]

I think the birds are all busy gorging on flying ants and the insectile mist that the recent warm weather has unleashed - when the mizzle returns then your feeders will be popular again - like the oppposite of an outdoor seating area at a pub.

I had a coal tit coming to drink out of the top of a watering can yesterday and think that at the moment it's of more value to provide the local birds with some water for bathing/drinking and just cooling off.

[Sue]

Yes, I think you're right Maxxi.

I love the description "insectile mist", though probably I wouldn't if I was walking through it :)

I always thought bamboo wasn't terribly wildlife friendly (apart from for pandas) but sparrows seem to perch on it and eat something off it - aphids? Never actually seen any insects on it, but as it's now as tall as the house maybe all the insects congregate up the top ......

[Pickle]

My kids released 5 painted lady butterflies into the garden last week (courtesy of a "Live Butterfly Garden" my daughter got for her birthday, we started with 5 tiny caterpillars, absolutely fascinating to watch the whole process). So if you happen to see one, do say hello. Their names - Medicine, Ryvita, Princess Leia, Rosie and Tom :)

[Sue]

Great names :)

[Sue]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Hey that's odd, I had one of those in my office

> last night, I had to turn the light off as it

> started flapping around inside the shade.

>

> I don't know where it's gone now, I sincerely hope

> it's found its way out of the house.

>

xxxxxxxx

It hadn't.

It suddenly flew into my face when I was reading in bed last night :(

After a brief scream (sorry neighbours) I did the glass and cardboard thing (always ready in case of bees and wasps, lol) and took it out of the house and went back to bed.

Had just settled down again when a much smaller but very pretty greenish-blue moth started fluttering around the light. Did the glass and cardboard thing again, went back to bed.

Blow me if ANOTHER very pretty blah blah moth then did the same thing (deffo not the original one, it couldn't have got back so quickly). After the glass and cardboard yet again, I gave up and went to sleep :)

[EPB]

A Jersey Tiger Moth is in our garden this morning. Very striking (I thought it was a butterfly) - black and white stripes on its back, and a flash of brilliant orangey-red when it flies.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

I have a JT Moth on my back door at the mo, so I have a splendid view of it's undercarriage (glass window).

[EPB]

Apparently they've only moved into London relatively recently. Something to do with climate change, I gather.

[jimmah]

I've also had Jersey Tigers for the last couple of years, this year I had a few Gatekeepers too which are really smart looking.

[uncleglen]

A few more flying ants around today- not many though.