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Hi Cotswold Cockney,
Shame you don`t have any photos of the female SSS laying an egg in the folds of a grass leaf, would of been nice to see.
I can see why you would like to have a close encounter with a Yucca Giant Skipper. What an impressive butterfly, with the females wingspan reaching 75mm, [the male being smaller] nearly as large as a male Purple Emperor.
My favourite butterflies are the Common Blue, Adonis Blue, Chalkhill Blue, Wood White and the Silver-Spotted Skipper. I find the first three very photogenic, and can happily spend hours in their company photographing them, or as in the case of this year, trying to photograph them. I spent around 20 hours getting just one picture of an Adonis Blue back in August, but i still enjoyed every second.This is the photo, taken just after 7pm on Aug. 19th.

More from the garden, 29th September 2012
The Red Admiral depicted in the photo below visited my garden all afternoon, disappearing along with the sun, and then reappearing when the sun came out again.Thats why i have posted a few pictures of the same butterfly, but all the photos were taken in different shades of light, this one being in full sun, and i thick the best of the lot.Another one of the four Commas present in th garden that afternoon, and the final photo a Large White.

The garden, 6th October 2012
My last two photos of the year. The first, is this Red Admiral [it looks like a tiny slug has gone walkies on it`s left hindwing] which shows autumn is really on the wayThe second, is this photo of a Comma nectaring on Ivy. I have seen butterflies in my garden since i took these two pictures, but alas no photos. The latest of these sightings was a Red Admiral in the garden today, 5th Nov., nectaring on Honeysuckle.

I have just returned from a two week holiday on the island of Gran Canaria in the Canaries, at the resort of Bahia Feliz, soaking in the sun and, relaxing with a good book for company. But as anyone who knows me, i can`t sit for long without getting itchy feet, and the need to explore the local countryside for any kind of wildlife.
Gran Canaria is a botanists dream, with at least one hundred native plants that can`t be found anywhere else in the world. In the area i exlpored the commonest species i came across was, Canary Island Spurge [Euphorbia Canariensis] which looks like a Cactus but, is actually a tree which can grow to the height of four metres, and the Canary Island Milkweed [Euphorbia Obtusifolia]. The ground itself was mainly stone, and a reddish brown soil, which was extremely dry.
What could actually live in such hostile conditions, i was soon to find out. There were a few birds that i had seen before, like Berthelots Pipits, Trumpeter Finches, Common Buzzards, Southern Grey Shrike, Spectacled Warbler and the European Kestrel. Insects found included a Locus, a coulpe of insects of the genus Oedipoda Sp., a single Wasp, and Bee of the genus Thyreus, a butterfly and, a moth that is a very rare migrant to the south coast of England, which i will go into more depth later on. All these birds and insects were very scarce, and hard to find, let alone photograph.
In the resorts and built-up areas it was a totally different story. Parakeets were numerous along with lizards, a couple of species Wasp, a few buterflies, including the Monarch, which was seen on a regular basis, Canary Island Canary, Canary Island Chiffchaff [western species], Common Waxbills and a few Hoopoe, Collard doves and Spanish Sparrows.

Photos to follow.

Trip to Gran Canaria continued.The above photo is of the area i chose to explore for wildlife. A habitat i thought would be perfect for the Southern Grey Shrike, [nickname, the Butcher bird] and the Spectacled Warbler. I saw the latter on my first visit to the area, and thought things could only get better, how wrong could i be? Wildlife in general was very scarce, to say the least. I did`nt see a Southern Grey Shrike until the tenth day of my holiday, [and i did`nt walk around with my eyes closed] two days after i had found its larder, which consisted of two partly dismembered lizards on the same bush.Now you can see how the Southern Grey Shrike gets its nickname, the Butcher Bird.

Trip to Gran Canaria continued.Southern Grey Shrike on Canary Island Spurge, [Euphorbia Canariensis] it looks like a Cactus but, is actually a tree.

The Desert Locust,Schistocerca Gregaria is the Mr. nasty of all the worlds Locusts. With its ability to mate 2-5 times in its short life, [if the weather conditions are right, with long periods of rain, producing new growth on the vegetation for the newly emerged young to feed on] they live between 3-5 months.They soon build up to enormous populations and, with its ability to swarm and fly great distances, destroying much needed farming crops in their path. Swarms can consist of up to 80 million Locusts per sq. kilometre. The largest swarm on record contained approximately 40 billion individuals. It is found in hot dry habitats with little, or no vegetation, and blends in well with its surroundings, making it hard to locate. Normally you can only see them when they are disturbed, and take flight, flying about 12-20ft, [4-6m] before landing and totally disappearing again with its wonderful camouflage.

Gran Canaria continued.
This is a South African form of the Bee-Wolf, a solitary Wasp, Philanthus Triangulum, [family, Crabronidae, sub family, Plilanthinae], which is totally different from its European cousin, but also of the same name. Both hunt and paralyse Honey Bees for their larva to feed on once they have hatched [hence their nickname, Bee Wolf] and, several Bees are placed with each egg. So as there are no Honey Bees on Gran Canaria and, very little in the way of other forms of Bees or Wasps in the habitat i observed this insect. Only Blue-Banded Bees, 3 seen, and just a single Cuckoo Bee, the breeding success of this Wasp must be very low, [only a 4 or 5 seen] unless they are feeding their larva with some other local delicacy. Their nest is burrowed into sandy and soft soils by the female, while the males busy themselves, marking their territory, leaves, twigs and other local vegetation with Pheromones, to warn off other males, hoping to steal its mate. Both male and female adults Wasps feed on nectar and pollen.

Although the Egyptian Grasshopper does occur on Gran Canaria, your beast is actually the Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria. I attach a photo of Anacridium for comparison.

M.

Thanks Mikhail, i had actually looked at the Desert Locust for an ID, but only found photos of mature adults or hoppers [immature Losust] but, have since your post on the correct ID, found a photo the same as mine and, some interesting info on the life cycle of the Desert Locust, which i new nothing about before but do now. I beleive my photo is of a solitarious Desert Locost, immature adult. Correct me if i`m wrong.Will edit my post. Thanks again, all the best ,Nick.

A high majority of plants around the world release their pollen passively but, a small percentage of flowers, including crops, such as Potatoes, Tomatoes and other fruits release their pollen when vigorously vibrated, [or blown strongly by the wind]. This process is called buzz pollination and, is mainly performed by Bumble-Bees and, solitary Bees, such as the Blue-Banded Bee [Amegilla Cingulata]. The plants normally having tubular flowers, such as the ones on this shrub this Blue-Banded Bee is nectaring on.While i was observing this particular Blue-Banded Bee, it started to act [in my opinion] erratically. Flying and hovering over the same small area, about 2ft. sq. [60cm. sq.].After watching this behaviour for a couple of minutes, i decided it might have a nest very close to where i was sitting. So i moved myself away a few feet and waited, sure enough, she landed by a large stone, before disappearing down into her nest.She spent about 20min. in her nest chamber on each occasion before emerging. The nest site was in a well sheltered spot, probably to keep the eggs or larva cool.I removed the stone covering the nest to take this photo but, placed it back carefully afterwards, and then i watched her return and, disappear down into the nest chamber, before leaving the Bee in peace.

Gran Canaria, continued
This Wasp is of the Genus, Bembix, commonly known as a Sand Wasp and, sometimes the Digger Wasp, which should only apply to the female, as she does all the hard work, tunneling through the soil a metre or more down. The females having rake-like front legs in order to assist them burrow into the sand to make their nest chambers. This Genus consists of between 300-400 species worldwide, with a large percentage being found in Africa and Australia were the climate is warm, with large open habitats of sandy or soft soils.

Blue-banded Bee. Thank you for the identification. I have seen these in Lanzarote and southern Spain, but didn't know what they were called!! They are lovely creatures.

Glad to be of assistance Nick, even though by an indirect route.

Gran Canaria continued
Painted Ladies were seen daily but, only out in the countryside, [if you can call it that] never in the resorts. By pure chance i found a small roost of these butterflies, way up on the top of hill.I visited this spot on a few occasions and, always found them in the same small area.All these butterflies were in very good condition, except for this one,like this one they were lighter in colour, and did`nt have as much black on some of the markings you usually find on the back of the wings.

Gran Canaria continued
I only saw a few birds on this trip but, managed one new species, with this pair of Monk Parakeets.Originally from South America, they seem to be doing well here in the Canaries, along side the Ring-Necked Parakeets.Screeching as they fly from one palm tree to another, giving themselves away every time.They seem to fly around in pairs, and the males seem to be quite affectionate towards its mate.

That Blue-banded Bee is cracking With regards to the parakeets - are the Ring Necked native or is it a case of west being introduced to east?

Have a goodun

Wurzel

The ring-necked parakeets so common round me west of London are believed to be the Indian sub-species (Psittacula krameri manillensis). Apparently this comes from the southern bit of the sub-continent, but has managed to naturalise itself all over Europe, in Australia and in the US. I wouldn't be surprised if the Canarian birds come from a similar source.

Dave

Thanks for your kind comment on the Blue-Banded Bee Wurzel. As for your question about the Ring-Necked Parakeet, Dave has answered it quite admirably. The only thing i would like to add, is that it was not either the subspecies, Borealis or Manillensis, that you would see in europe. The book on birds i have for that part of the world, [which is very good] does`nt list the particular subspecies of Ring-Necked Parakeet that i saw, so i should imagine its a fairly new addition to the wildlife on Gran Canaria. When i visited one of the other Canary islands a few years ago, i saw a number of Bulbuls, a bird, i believe normally associated with the Middle East. The White-Cheeked Bulbul was the only one my book listed out of the three species that i saw. So it looks like i will have to update my library. All the best, Nick.

Gran Canaria continued
The Pale Shoulder Moth, Acontia Lucida,which i came across on this island, is a rare migrant to the southern coastline of England. First recorded in the 19th century and, not recorded again until 1994, when two showed up, in Kent and Dorset. Since then only a handful of sightings have been recorded, all in the southern counties. It is normally found in India, North Africa and, central and southern Europe. It prefers hot, dry, open landscape and, in Europe is double brooded, flying in May and August. On Gran Canaria i believe it flies 12 months of the year, due to the sunny, all year round climate. When i first saw this individual it`s antenna were stuck out, in front of the moth. When i had taken my first photo of it, the antenna had disappeared, when i looked more closely the antenna had been tucked away, underneath it`s wings. I thought this to be unusual, [not knowing a great deal about moths]. So when i came across another one of these moths, i deliberately disturbed it and, watching it fly off, then land again only a few feet away, [they never seemed to fly more than a few feet at any time]. After it had landed i took this picture,And as you can see it`s antenna are sticking out, in front, but as soon as the moth had settled, it tucked it`s antenna underneath it`s wings and out of sight.So a habit well practised with this particular moth.