366/366 Transition

31 Thursday Dec 2020

Tags

birding, birdwatching, British birds, juvenile Robin, robin

I consider this my best photo of 2020, partly for technical reasons – it’s sharp, the bird is looking at me, the background and composition are pleasing, but also because I caught this gorgeous wee Robin in a ‘between’ state, as it transitions from juvenile to adult, its head still showing the mottled beige and browns of its chick feathers but the first of its adult red breast feathers already present. And so this photo also seems appropriate for New Year’s Eve, as we humans transition from one calendar year to the next.

201231 robin

365/366 2020 insects

30 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in insects

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

British hoverflies, British insects, British leafhoppers, Cicadella viridis, Helophilus trivittatus, hoverfly larva, Italian Alder aphid, leafhopper

These are some of the highlights of my year in insects:

201230 hoverfly larva

I found my First hoverfly larva (and I’ve since found another, though not been able to identify either) …

201230 helophilus trivittatus

… and my first examples of the hoverfly species Helophilus trivittatus.

201230 Crypturaphis grassii

And, very recently, my first Italian Alder aphids, which I’ve since found on another Italian Alder tree on the other side of town.

201230 cicadella viridis

Here’s one I haven’t blogged – it’s a leafhopper, Cicadella viridis, which I saw for the first time during one of the two times this year that I actually caught a train to venture out of my local walking area (this was immediately after our first lockdown ended, when I dared to make two local train journeys – not been on a train or bus since).

364/366 A vibrant treat

29 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in fungi, nature, winter

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

blue fungus, British fungi, Cobalt crust, Terana caerulea

It would be fair to say that my fungi-finding year was fairly dismal: only about 20 of this year’s 366 blog posts were about fungi. The highlight, though, was brilliant – the vibrant, intense, almost unreal blue of the Cobalt crust (Terana caerulea) that I posted about earlier this month, in Not just any stick. I haven’t yet been back for a second look at it – I’ve been saving that for a New Year treat!

363/366 Lucky devil

28 Monday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in insects

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Tags

British butterflies, butterflies, butterflying, Small tortoiseshell

I’ve often said that the Small copper is my favourite butterfly, and that’s still true, but the butterfly in my spotlight for 2020 is the Small tortoiseshell. And the good news is that this year I’ve seen more Small tortoiseshells, both the butterflies and their larvae, than in previous years. I hope that means they’re enjoying some good luck, and their numbers are bouncing back everywhere, not just in my locality. I’ve blogged about these beautiful butterflies a few times now: the most recent post was The devil’s butterfly?, in April 2020.

201228 small tortoiseshell

362/366 New leaf flitter

27 Sunday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

2020 birds, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Yellow-browed warbler

For several reasons (Covid restrictions, environmental concerns around travelling simply to see new birds, a desire for quality not quantity), I decided early in the year to restrict my birding to my local patch. That’s meant my list of the bird species I’ve seen this year only totals 118, not the 200 I’ve previously aimed for, but I’ve enjoyed spending more time observing the birds I have seen, getting to know their preferred places, behaviour, feeding patterns, etc. And I have seen one new bird this year, a stunning Yellow-browed warbler that appeared along the local coastal path back in October.

201227 yellow-browed warbler

361/366 Fave flower

26 Saturday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in plants, wildflowers

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Tags

British flora, British wildflowers, Carduus nutans, Musk thistle, thistle

For the next few days, in the countdown to year end, I’m going to go through some of my 2020 highlights: special wildlife moments, favourite finds, best photos.

It’s difficult to choose a favourite wildflower – there are so many crackers! – but a group I confess I’m quite partial to are the thistles: Creeping and Spear are very common hereabouts, Dwarf and Carline can be found at local country parks and reserves, and this year I identified my first Musk thistles (Carduus nutans). The photo below shows one such in bud; the open flowers in all their glory can be seen in my blog Musk thistle, July 2020.

201226 musk thistle

360/366 Be merry, safely!

25 Friday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in plants, winter

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Holly, Holly berries

After a difficult year for most of us, today will be an even more difficult day for many, unable to see their loved ones and friends. But, Christmas will come again and things will eventually get better so, please, be merry safely today!

201225 Xmas holly

359/366 Winter white

24 Thursday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in animals, birds, flowers, fungi, lichen, winter

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

the colour white, white in nature, white wildflowers

With no chance of a white Christmas for me, I thought I’d share some of Nature’s whiteness instead.

358/366 Complete tripe

23 Wednesday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in fungi, winter

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Auricularia mesenterica, British fungi, jelly fungus, Tripe fungi

Though I always try to vary the routes I walk, I was reminded of how important this is on Monday’s local meander. I usually walk back from our local beach through one of the parks but this day decided to stomp up the hill via the road instead. It was a good choice, as I found lots of lovely Tripe fungi (Auricularia mesenterica) on a large stump beside the road. And the stump held the complete life cycle of the Tripe, from the small rubbery looking buttons to the bracket-like structures they later merge into.

357/366 Grainy wagtails

22 Tuesday Dec 2020

Posted by sconzani in birds, winter

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

birding, birdwatching, British birds, Grey wagtail, urban Grey wagtails, urban wagtails

These are very grainy photos as the weather was atrocious and I didn’t have my good camera, had only popped out briefly from home between showers to get milk and a few groceries from the corner shop, but I was so delighted to spot this family of three Grey wagtails foraging in the lane behind my house that I just had to share. It seems the usual Pied wagtails are being challenged for the urban pickings this winter!