ED Nature Watch

[lousmith]

Hi Sue, Fl0wer and anyone else interested in moth night Penny has posted some wonderful pictures here:

http://www.facebook.com/dj.penny.metal/media_set?set=a.10151830162359257.1073741826.530914256&type=1

[Sue]

Are they the photos near the top?

Can't see many moths?

Am I looking in the wrong place?

[DawnSE22]

It's a bit of a myth that ponds need to be deep unless you want to keep fish. The best organisation for giving advice on ponds is Pond Conservation. They recommend that a pond needs to be no deeper than 30cm. Shallow areas are good for wildlife and this depth shouldn't cause problems with oxygen levels or the whole pond freezing. It should also be filled with rain water and washed gravel or play sand can be used to cover the liner. My own pond is this depth and even though it is only in its second year has been really successful and looks very natural. The highlight so far has been 2 pairs of Large Red Damselfly mating and egg laying in it.

http://www.pondconservation.org.uk/advice/makingpondsforwildlife

[fl0wer]

interesting BBC hour long film re bees - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b037y0zf/Horizon_20122013_Whats_Killing_Our_Bees_A_Horizon_Special/

[lousmith]

http://insectinside.me/

Here is the blog for the moth watch; WARNING! Contains images of non-moths!

[fl0wer]

Many thanks for this intro to your group, and to the photographers, for getting the series up on flikr too.

[fl0wer]

Have the swifts just departed?

Is this the usual date, more or less, that we suddenly notice the absence?

[Sue]

Seems a bit early??

[jimbo1964]

Just found this poor thing in our garden. Any idea what it is? From the beak it looks like a duck or a goose.

[lousmith]

I'd suggest pigeon. Can't really see beak. Its feet don't appear to be webbed, so that would rule out anything aquatic. Pigeons do have surprisingly bulbous beaks though.

http://pigeonwriter.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/0413pigeon0004willy.jpg

[jimbo1964]

Yes the webbed feet would be a givaway. It does look like pigeon, thanks.

[lousmith]

I think the term for a baby pigeon is a squab. They use the same name for the seat pads in an early Land Rover!

[DulwichFox]

A Squab is a baby pigeon specially bred for consumption..

Foxy

[fl0wer]

ED nature watchers might enjoy this photo gallery

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/gallery/2013/aug/09/alys-fowler-urban-pollinators

Part of a project: http://urbanpollinators.blogspot.co.uk/.

[Alex K]

http://www.animalphotos.me/moth/moth-jer.htm

A Jersey Tiger (identification, thanks to the above site) in the hollow of a foxglove leaf this morning, a jewel against the green. The site remarks on "a small population in Southeast London" -- otherwise, the Channel Islands, as the name suggests. At least in 2013, the small population persists.

[fl0wer]

Alex, I saw one very briefly a week or two ago - in the heatwave, at the top of Underhill Rd. It sought shelter in the Old Cemetery trees.

For anyone interested, this species has an orange underwing. http://www.uksafari.com/jerseytigers.htm

please send sightings in to the Butterfly Count project, here http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/

[jimbo1964]

Jersey Tiger Moth on Friern Road.

[lousmith]

There seems to be an epidemic of these this year. I usually see maybe two or three a year. Putting a black light UV tube out in the garden the other night, there was at one time no fewer than eight of these beauts at one time landed on the white reflector.

We will be hosting another Moth night in early September for anyone interested. Details to be posted here.

[Sue]

I had no idea these were so unusual!

I see quite a few in my garden every year!

They're lovely.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Must be more common than thought - I saw one yesterday in a back yard in Lordship Lane.

[edw]

I see them every summer in my yard just off LL. Very pretty they are.

[david_carnell]

I saw one up in Dulwich Woods on Sat. Very beautiful although until now I didn't know that's what it was.

Lepidoptery 101.

[fl0wer]

We're seeing more of them because of the weather & wherever JT caterpillars food plants are allowed to flourish.

Insects in cities are currently doing better than in the countryside, as townspeople aren't spraying pesticides as much as farmers do.

Wildlife areas reward us, although at first glance big clumps of nettles or dandelions mightn't seem like beauties.

[Sue]

Went pond dipping with granddaughters today.

Lots of newts at various stages of development in the pond by the nature trail next to the Horniman.

[lousmith]

Where is the pond there? I remember they used to have a string of interconnected pools back in the day, but they re-landscaped them. I must go and look in.