A few recent finds!

Walking in the local woods the other day, I came across a number of these little webs along one particular sunny ride in the wood. After seeking help from a spider expert, she identified them as a species called Agelena labyrinthica - quite a common funnel-web spider.

The web of a funnel-web spider on the ground

The owner of the above web - a young Agelena labyrinthica funnel-web spider

In another part of the wood I found a day flying moth with ridiculously long antennae! I knew that this species is Adela reaumurella, which is also reasonably common. This one is a male, as they have the very long antennea - the females are somewhat shorter!

Adela reaumurella

Back home and a look in the moth trap revealed 3 very different moths - they really do come in all shapes and sizes! 

A Pale Prominent moth - reminds me of some sort of American weapon of war!

The Oak Tree Pug - such a delicate little moth with fabulous camouflage. The larvae do feed on Oak leaves - but also sometimes on Hawthorn.

This is a tiny little moth - only about 7mm in length and is called Tinea trinotella. Love the punk orange hair do! Also, liking to be a bit different, its larvae feed on old birds nests!  

So rewarding - an early morning walk

Early morning sunshine through a Beech tree canopy. A walk first thing can be a most rewarding experience, especially at this time of year

We often (me included) rush to photograph a mass of Bluebells, but occasionally it is good to study the beauty of just one flower

You are much more likely to spot deer early in the morning. Above, a Muntjac watches me pass. Once I have gone, it will no doubt resume munching Bluebells, a plant they love to eat!

Bee-Flies

The two Bee-Fly species that you are most likely to see. The less common Dotted Bee-Fly at the top and the fairly common Dark-edged Bee-Fly below.

It has been a brilliant spring so far for Bee-flies. Or, as my other half often says "I've just seen a Flybe in the garden"!) 

If you see what looks like a furry bee hovering in front of you and then, suddenly it has gone, it was probably not a bee at all, but a Bee-fly! 

Next time you come across one, especially if you should see it land, look more closely and you will notice its needle-like proboscis sticking out in front of it. Also, unlike bees, which have four wings, bee-flies have only two that they hold out at an acute angle when they settle.

Bee-flies are dependent on Solitary Bees. The female bee-fly hovers in front of suitable Solitary Bee ground burrows, darting forward and flicking her body rapidly downwards to release her eggs.

Although she lays hundreds of eggs, they weigh next to nothing and are at risk of not landing in the burrow itself.

However, the female Bee-Fly has a special technique to ensure this does not happen. She dips her abdomen onto the ground, collecting soil particles in a small chamber at the end of her abdomen. Then, as she lays each egg, it is coated in a fine layer of soil and dust, giving it the extra ballast to help it reach its target – the Solitary Bee’s tunnel.

If successful, the larva enters and locates a bee grub, and fastens on to it, gradually draining the bee of its fluids. The bee-fly larva spends winter in the bee’s chamber alongside the husk of its victim, emerging as an adult bee-fly the following spring.

Looking at the large number of Solitary Bees in my garden this year, the Bee-Fly population does not seem to be having an impact on its “host” species.

So, yet another amazing relationship taking place in my garden - and across thousands of other gardens across the country. See if you can find Bee-Flies in your garden, local park or nearby countryside!

Deceased Orange-tip butterfly

Sad to find a dead Orange-tip butterfly in my greenhouse today, despite both the door and window being left open. Orange-tips are one of my favourite butterflies and the underneath of the wings - especially of the male (only the male has the orange tips to the wing) - is stunning.

As this individual was in such good condition, I could not let the chance of photographing the under-wings pass by.

Although it is not in the land of the living any longer - it's delicate beauty continues, while of course, it still castes its own shadow.

The beautiful underside of the Orange-tip butterfly

Bluebells in the woods

Springtime in the woods - a haze of bluebells

For those of you who cannot currently get out - this may bring you some joy. Nature is carrying on as normal!

More moths and a butterfly!

I have said it before and I'm quite happy to say it again! Don't let anyone tell me that moths are boring little brown jobs! Sure, one or two are a little dull, but in amongst the 2,500 species of moth in this country, there are some spectacular ones too! 

Here are a selection of moths that I have caught in my garden over the last week and one butterfly. 

A stunning Brimstone moth - actually a fairly common species

A Chocolate Tip moth, photographed from above

And the Chocolate Tip again, but this time photographed from the side. Note the chocolate tip!  

A Scorched Carpet moth showing off its intricate patterns

A Swallow Prominent

A Yellow-barred Brindle

My first Hawkmoth species of the year turned out to be a spectacular Eyed Hawkmoth. When they think they are in danger, they open up their fore-wings to flash their hidden eyes underneath, in the hope that this will frighten you away! 

So the butterfly family don't feel left out, I thought I would add this photo of a Peacock, which I found resting in the sun amongst a mass of Cherry blossom. Spring at its showy best!

A small selection of moths recently caught in my garden

I thought you might like to see a selection of the moths that I have caught in my Wiltshire garden over the last couple of weeks. I use a moth trap that has a bright light which attracts the moths. Hopefully then, as they fly around the light they collide with some baffles which sends them into the trap, where they hide in the dark amongst old egg boxes.

In the morning, I record what I have caught, taking pictures of some of them, before releasing them unharmed back into the wild.

I hope you enjoy them!! 

A Brindled Beauty moth - what a great name! 

A Bee moth.  The larvae of this species feed on the comb inside bee and wasp nests

A Pebble Prominent moth

A Streamer moth blending in well with the surrounding lichens

Nothing much to see in your little garden - don't you believe it!

Red Admiral nectaring on Crab apple blossom

Several people have said to me that it’s difficult to see much wildlife when they only have their tiny garden to look around, due to this awful Corona virus pandemic.

Firstly, I would say “thank your lucky stars that you are not in a one bed-roomed flat in the top of a tower block”! But I would also suggest that if you really look – and I mean REALLY look, then you can find an amazing array of wildlife, even in the smallest of gardens.

A lady called Jennifer Owen, lived in suburban Leicester and had a garden that covered an area of about 0.07 hectares (about two and a half tennis courts). From the 1970s through to 2010, she catalogued all the wildlife that she could find.

Now, over this 35-year period she worked quite hard at this, perhaps almost obsessively, noting down every living thing that she could find. The total at the end of this intensive survey was 2,673 different species! She found 474 types of plants, 1,997 insect species, 138 other invertebrates (spiders, centipedes, slugs etc) and 64 vertebrates (mostly birds).

So, I think that you can see that there is plenty of potential, even in the smallest garden! Also, when you see something, albeit even something common, take time to have a really close look.

When Dennis Potter was dying of cancer, he remarked that the world had acquired a heightened intensity. “At this season, the blossom is out in full now and instead of saying “Oh, that’s nice blossom …. I see it as the whitest, frothiest, blossomest blossom that there ever could be. The nowness of everything is absolutely wondrous.”

    

One thing that this crisis has given many of us (but certainly not everyone I realise) is more time than we would normally have. So, why not spend it wisely, by slowing down a little and taking note of the “blossomest of blossoms” or whatever delights your garden can offer.

I promise you - it will do you a power of good!

PS: There are lots of places on line to try and identify the little beasty that you have found – but one that I use quite a lot is: https://www.naturespot.org.uk/