Monthly Archives: September 2018

Natural History

Autumn Insects at Thursley Common

Black Darter – a dragonfly in late September, and a windy day too. The only other dragonfly about was the Common Darter, I saw two or three.
Woolly Bear caterpillar (of a Garden Tiger Moth) on one of the boardwalks.

Other insects seen included a few bumblebees and some moths scooting away in the strong wind, perhaps Silver Y.

There were only a few birds about; I saw some swallows, two stonechats, a crow, a jay, a gull, a chaffinch, and a finch-sized bird with a white rump flying into a tree, perhaps a bullfinch. Three mallard loitered on the Moat Pond.

A flash of yellow revealed some Gorse in bloom, alongside some fine purple Bell Heather.

The only fungus to be seen was a brown rollrim. A dead birch trunk was colourful with Common Orange Lichen.

 

Natural History

Autumnal Marvels at Kew

One of the delights of walking in nature, or indeed in a botanic garden, is that you never know what surprises you may meet.

Osage Orange, Maclura pomifera fruit cluster, with sticky white latex when cut. The Osage were the tallest tribe in North America; they used the wood to make bows (for shooting). Maclure was a Scottish-American geologist. Pomifera (apple-bearing) means the ‘fruit’ looks vaguely like an apple. Actually it’s more reminiscent of a luridly fluorescent green tennis ball, and about the same size too.
Wild Honey Bees guarding nest in Deodar cedar. David, one of the volunteer helpers, led us to it.
New Blue Dragon on Kew Pagoda
Natural History

Willow Emerald Damselfly at Gunnersbury Triangle

Willow Emerald or Spreadwing Damselfly, rainbow iridescent in the beautiful Indian Summer sunshine. The wings never quite close over the back as they do in other damselflies.
Southern Hawker ovipositing on boardwalk (in front of my boots)
Common Darters in Cop
Dog’s Vomit Slime Mould, Fuligo septica, on Birch log
Natural History

Willow Emerald, Woodmouse, Volunteers in Gunnersbury Triangle

Willow Emerald Damselfly on Willow in GT. This is a new species in the UK, only having arrived from the Continent in the past couple of years. It appeared in numbers ovipositing in the GT pond in August. The species perches with its wings not fully closed together. The iridescent green is handsome when it flies, remarkably well camouflaged when perched.
Woodmouse by GT bicycle wheel
Female Southern Hawker on Broom
Tara Netty Eleni volunteers mowing Anthill Meadow (and looking at interesting specimens). We found small toads, frogs, and newts in the grass.
Natural History

Indian Summer in Richmond Park

Migrant Hawker hovering by lower Pen Pond. I was pleased to get this nice shot of one of these handsome dragonflies, one of the most delicate and shimmering of the hawkers. It was alongside Common Blue damselflies (low over the path) and a few Common Darters.
Great Crested Grebe in the warm water
Small Heath butterfly: one of many skittering low in the short heathy grassland, perching on the ground. We saw few other insects, barring a fast and wriggly Carabid Beetle.