Friday 29 August 2014

Tiny stuff

Friday 29 August 2014

Playing with the microscope this morning - amazing miniature life in the pond!

This is a Closterium sp. (an algae about .25mm long)


Saturday 23 August 2014

bad news for prickles

Saturday 23 August 2014

Discovered a wasps nest at Ewelme this morning and, more relevantly, it had been excavated by a badger for the grubs. Unfortunately this means that we will not be able to accept any more rescue hedgehogs for release on the site.

excavated wasp nest   





Garden Carpet
I really like moths - even this common one (Garden Carpet) has attractive patterns and colouring. Found on my front door trying to come in out of the cold.






Friday 22 August 2014

Crests

Friday 22 August 2014

Nice to see a couple of Goldcrests on the watercress beds today but little else of note.

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Sprawk

Tuesday 19 August 2014

Photo of a young Sparrowhawk that had me going for a while.


Monday 18 August 2014

Hummer at last

Monday 18 August 2014

I had almost given up on Humming-bird Hawk-moth this year but one turned up drinking nectar on the Buddleia outside my front door. Beaut!


Wednesday 13 August 2014

Looking up - a bit

Wednesday 13 August 2014

A Lesser Whitethroat yesterday and a Hobby today brings the year total for the Ewelme cress beds up to 58 - still well short of last year's 66 and I can't see me getting there unless some of the summer visitors such as Yellow Wagtail and Turtle Dove decide to drop in.

Garden hedgehogs still doing their thing - either one trying to roll the other, or the female refusing to show its rear to the male or completely ignoring one another.

Saturday 9 August 2014

notalot

Saturday 9 August 2014

One of those Ewelme visits more noteworthy by what I didn't see. No warblers, no blue or great tits (or any other come to that) and no robin.

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Various

Wednesday 6 August 2014

Good day - for a change. Started with an Hobby flying over my head as I opened the car door to go to the cress beds at Ewelme. Then a new year bird for the Ewelme site - a Sedge Warbler. I am almost ashamed to say these were both "year ticks" for me - but I don't get out much! Walking round the top meadow I was rudely awoken from my meander by a bright yellow butterfly - a Clouded yellow and it actually settled briefly for a photo.


I thought that was probably enough excitement for one day but later, at home, a Red Underwing bumped into me outside the back door almost knocking me over - they are BIG moths! And, just to finish the day off instead of the usual craneflies and micro moths this tiny mayfly was in the bathroom.





Yes I know its not May!


Monday 4 August 2014

Bugs

Monday 4 August 2014

Bit quiet on the Bird and Butterfly front so here's some bugs

Green Shieldbug




Hawthorn Shieldbug


And this mystery object is apparently an Ecdysis - could be useful for crosswords or scrabble.

Grass snake shed skin

Back at last

Sunday 3 August 2014

First sighting, on the watercress beds, of a Kingfisher since February.