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Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16004

Posted: Thu Jul 05, 18 6:35 am Post subject:
We have seen a few wasps up the woods over the last couple of weeks, but very few seen generally this year. We are getting to the period when they become more usually seen as they will be eating fruit rather than catching insects to feed young.

sgt.colon

Joined: 27 Jul 2009
Posts: 7380
Location: Just south of north.

Posted: Thu Jul 05, 18 9:19 am Post subject:
I saw my first couple of wasp's of the season down at the allotment last night.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16004

Posted: Sun Jul 08, 18 7:26 am Post subject:

Out yesterday in the wood, and loads of butteflies. Had lots of silver washed fritillaries, probably meadow browns, ringlets, peacock, red admiral, and a couple of yellow butterflies fighting. The yellow ones confused me because the wings didn't have the black edges I would associate with clouded yellows, but it seems now is the one time of the year when you can't expect to see brimstones. Any ideas?

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Sun Jul 08, 18 10:47 am Post subject:
Given the oddness of the weather this year, I'd be perfectly happy to accept your yellow butterfly sightings as Brimstones. The UK Butterflies web site has charts showing sighting during every month of the year. Henry

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16004

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 18 6:31 am Post subject:
Thanks Henry. The 'when to expect the adult' charts I have found show them as absent only at this time, so glad to know they may be found any time.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 18 11:55 am Post subject:
a wasp after a few months i was beginning to worry about them.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jul 09, 18 11:14 pm Post subject:
i just met a smallish moth (25 mm or so ) that had a rather fetching, bookmatched cubist picture of an edwardian gent with a tash in a pale buff and brown palette. stylish ,no idea what spp it was. cute though.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16004

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 18 7:04 am Post subject:
I was able to get closer to the yellow butterflies today, and they are brimstones. Think there was a female there too. We had a rather beautiful hornet drinking at the bucket we have put out in the yard. There is a block of wood floating in it so that insects can easily get at the water and anything that falls in can use it as a life raft.

gz

Joined: 23 Jan 2009
Posts: 8962
Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

Posted: Tue Jul 10, 18 8:46 am Post subject:
Went for a morning stroll in the community woodland. Saw a Roe deer, a robin, blackbirds and moorhens, disturbed a vole-hunting buzzard and heard plenty of small birds..I'm not good at id of bird song!

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16004

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 18 6:28 am Post subject:
I'm not either Gz. It took me ages to identify one, which turned out to be a chaffinch. Saw a white admiral, more brimstones, silver washed fritillary and white butterflies today, and a hornet has been coming for water at the bucket in the yard.

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Wed Jul 11, 18 9:01 pm Post subject:
i just rescued one of the sammison children from a recycling box, it seemed rather pleased it was probably a little taken aback by my sleeve catch method but a dive into a "safe hole " and couple of seconds of warm confusion followed by a quick release is better than a hand catch for small mousy critters

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16004

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 18 6:54 am Post subject:
You may have a mouse family as semi-pets at the moment Dpack, but have you thought about when the children and their children have more children? Saw a muntjac deer crossing a local road the other night. First I have seen. Thought it was a dog at first, but getting closer it was definitely a deer. There are some in our area, but as yet they haven't become too much of a nuisance.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 18 9:46 am Post subject:
But what about when their children, and their children's children grow up? When you walk through your wood and see forty Muntjac an hour, it's a different matter. Henry

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46249
Location: yes

Posted: Thu Jul 12, 18 11:20 am Post subject:
i had no idea they would metamorphose into muntjac . oh well they make great jerky.

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16004

Posted: Tue Jul 17, 18 7:28 am Post subject:

I agree Henry. I am hoping they don't become a problem otherwise we will have to see about more control. At present, with culling in other places around us, the roe deer are on the high side of acceptable levels. If we get obvious signs of muntjac I will have to see about control in our wood, but at present, no signs.

Were in Newcastle over the weekend, and saw loads of kittiwakes. For reasons best known to themselves, the council are at present encouraging them. They may be the least common gull, but to my mind a city centre isn't a good place for them. Walking under some of the bridges is becoming a bit of a hazard, and yesterday, as it rained, it was getting a bit slippery and guano smelling with the droppings. We went up on the Baltic Flour Mill and saw a number of them close up. DIL got some good pictures including of one with food in its mouth. There were some young up there still being fed.

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