Pauline

[millerd]

Doing some research, the closest match I can find is the Grey Dagger moth.
http://www.wildlifeinsight.com/british- ... nicta-psi/
Someone out there will know for certain I'm sure!

Cheers,

Dave

[Pauline]

The most embarrassing thing about this Dave is that I have just reared a Grey Dagger (page 204) which is now pupating! I'll just get the excuses in first I didn't actually rear the Grey Dagger from 1st instar and I DID look at Vince's 1st instar Commas on this site which I think look very similar to the shots I posted (also Page 204). Added to this a Comma had spent time around that Elm and had laid on it before. Of course at this stage it looks nothing like a Comma but once I had that in my head ..........Just as well there are some sharp eyed folk like yourself out there. Were you not tempted just to wait to see how long it would be before I noticed? Probably when it emerged!!!

[millerd]

I can see what you mean about how that tiny little caterpillar looked at the start, Pauline. It would have been cruel not to tell you, though, and let you wait till it pupated into something very un-Comma like! Still, it's quite an attractive little chap! Commas don't seem to be that fussy about what they lay on - near me, I've found their caterpillars on nettles, hop and shrubby elms in hedges with no particular preference for one over the others. They seem to do pretty well.

Cheers,

Dave

[Pauline]

It would have been cruel not to tell you

No worries Dave - having reared Commas a couple of times I think I might have realised sooner rather than later . I had a good laugh about it though. Moving swiftly on, I have had quite an exciting day - a Painted Lady has been egg-laying all over my aubretia in the garden. I only got the one shot below:

[kevling]

Lovely Dingies Pauline and I like the Gatekeepers in cop too. Nice that you have had luck with Painted Lady eggs too.

Kind Regards
Kev

[Pauline]

Hi Kev - good to hear from you. I'm pleased you liked the 2nd brood Dingy Skippers (I'm afraid the Painted Lady was a little joke with Dave - I have had them in the garden before but they have not yet laid eggs here).

A quick update on the Oxenbourne site and SSS (mostly for any locals reading this) - true to their word, QECP emailed me about site maintenance but their response was a bit ambiguous. I asked for clarification and the gist of it seemed to be that it was all down to resources and priorities and although they were aware of the situation they couldn't at the present time commit to any plan/timescale. I have to say that response was not unexpected but did not fill me with joy. I decided to have another quick look today to see if numbers had increased in the last week. Lo and behold, who should be there but the head ranger and 5 others checking out the situation for themselves, the outcome being that I have now been advised that work will start on that area this October. I'm keeping fingers crossed! I was also pleased to see numbers had doubled - 2 females now and 4-5 males (photos below).

I shall start with my favourite shot of the day. Whilst I was at Oxenbourne I thought I would check on the Common Blue and Meadow Brown eggs. I couldn't find the latter but was delighted to see the Common Blue had just hatched and the larva was still by the egg. First time I have seen this in the wild:

and the rest:

Thought I was about to witness a pairing but they flew off and I lost them:

and Chalkhills like blue confetti

[Wurzel]

Cracking set of Silver Spots Pauline Hopefully the situation at Oxenbourne will improve now the 'Big Guns' have shown up

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[Pauline]

It is nice to think I might have made some little difference Wurzel

A few 'non-hairstreak' shots from yesterday's visit to Noar Hill:

The second brood Dingy Skippers seem to be doing well with several fresh specimens seen:

At home a Gatekeeper was egg laying in the garden. I managed to find one of her eggs but when I realised how poor this shot was I went back to try to relocate it. I couldn't!

That brings the total of species egg-laying in the garden this year to 7 that I know of

[kevling]

Pauline, Beautiful selection of Silver Spotted Skippers, particularly on the yellow flower head. Well done with the freshly hatched Common Blue larva. I rare treat indeed.

Kind Regards
Kev

[Wurzel]

Greta second brood Dingies Pauline There have been quite a few of them about this year and they're getting more regular year on year

Have a goodun and stay safe

Wurzel

[David M]

Always gives me a bit of a shock to see images of Dingies posted in August, Pauline! Don't know why really; they are regularly second brooded.

Lovely shots of the Silver Spotted Skippers too. I've been surrounded by these during the last few days but haven't managed to get any photos anywhere near as good as yours.

[Goldie M]

Great shots of the SSSkippers Pauline, they behaved perfectly for you I'm getting going with Valuations Goldie

[Pauline]

Thank you Kev. I shall be going back to try to monitor the progress of that little Common Blue larva but so many get predated ......... I intend to monitor a few Purple Hairstreak eggs in the wild and as I was passing the area on Wednesday I thought I would stop off and check on them. I didn't realise until I looked at my shots that a spider is showing an unhealthy interest in one of them:

Thankfully the others still looked OK:

Cheers Wurzel - SB is becoming more tempting by the day!

Welcome back David - I'm pleased the SSS have managed to hang on at that site for another year

Thank you M. - that's great news

Early at Noar Hill I saw at least 4 BH flying around. One came down briefly but mostly they were really, really high. There IS one in this shot but I really wouldn't bother looking for it if I were you or you may end up as frustrated as I was:

The usual selection of butterflies were on the wing including a lovely GVW which have been in short supply this season on my patch and a few Small Tortoiseshells which were a pleasure to see:

Back in the garden 3 female Brimstones were nectaring on the Everlasting Pea but still no 2nd brood eggs on the Alder Buckthorn:

An elderly Large Skipper was taking a break on one of the Strawberry trees (at least I think that is what they are) and Gatekeepers continued their search for suitable places to egg lay. A Holly Blue taunted me by landing for only a second at a time for over 30 mins so I have given up on him now - it is just too hot:

Some might remember that last year my roses provided nesting material for what turned out to be leaf cutter bees. I really wanted to see them in action so I was delighted to see them return this year - dozens of them on a purple flower which I have now discovered is Purple Toadflax; a weed, but what a lovely one. I carefully watched the roses which were left unmolested but I couldn't see where the bees were going. Looks like it was over to my wild strawberry patch! Looks like I shall have to wait until next year now:

As most of you know I am pretty useless on plant ID's (well, ID's in general really ). There is another attractive plant growing around my bird tables, presumably from one of the seeds. Any ideas?

[Wurzel]

Looks like a member of the Cannabis genus to me Pauline though which of the three species it is I’m not sure - probably sativa- just keep an eye out for the Rozzers

Have a goodun and stay stay

Wurzel

[Allan.W.]

It does look like a Cannabis (sp;) Pauline , maybe a fertile Hemp seed in your bird feed mix ,although i was once told that seed
used for bird seed /Angling purposes is treated somehow ,to stop germination ,although being an angler (lapsed )myself ,when they are soaked for fishing purposes they sprout quite easily. Regards Allan.W.

[Pauline]

Blimey Wurzel! I thought you were having me on until I saw Allan's reply I was like 'nah! they wouldn't put that in birdseed!' I've now had a chance to read about it - before I compost them I must check to see if I have male or female plants

Thank you for confirmation of Cannabis Allan. I must have led a really sheltered life You've got to laugh tho' - who would have thought!

Actually, just thinking about it, I think it might have been Neil F. who asked if my demented squirrel had access to any strange substances! Well, he certainly eats the birdseed and was chewing these plants along with my acers and delphiniums! Would certainly explain the sort of behaviour I have never seen before eg rolling around on the grass on his back!

[Allan.W.]

A year or two back ,a botanist aquaintence found a Cannabis plant ,growing alongside a narrow Marshland back road ,and funnily
enough he was inundated with requests from people who,d like to see it ! Needless to say .....................he kept quiet .
Regards Allan.W.

[MrSp0ck]

Ive seen it growing in infant schools around the bird tables, its in all the birdseed mixes, they say its been treated to protect themselves of course.

[Pauline]

This is certainly something I am not going to forget Allan. I have been feeding the birds for years and have never seen this before. I don't even know which seed it is (must look that up!). It IS an attractive plant tho' and I'm not getting any distinctive smell from it that is referred to in the literature.

Hi Martin- hope you are well. I am assuming that the schools, like me, were totally unaware!

The temperature levels yesterday (Friday) kept me in until about 6.00pm. It was still very humid, overcast and quite thundery. To be honest I would have welcomed a storm but it didn't come. Having responded to Kev about monitoring the Common Blue larva I thought I would take a quick look to see if I could re-find it. There are loads of Common Blue eggs at Oxenbourne - many of them have hatched but quite a few haven't:

I think I found the original larva - it was in the same place and about the size it should be by now but they are still incredibly difficult to spot. Next time I shall take a hand lens:

I was briefly distracted by a couple of Silver Spotted Skippers that were whizzing around but when one stopped briefly for a nectar top-up I took the opportunity for a few shots:

Many of the Chalkhill Blues are now looking worn:

.... but not all of them:

As I left about 7.00pm they were starting to settle down to roost including this Common Blue which was posing nicely:

[Allan.W.]

It looks a bit like this Pauline (from my fishing baits ) ,can,t say for sure whether this is the "Dodgy" one ,but its certainly related .
regards Allan.W.