Crane’s-bill vs stork’s-bill

29 Sunday Oct 2023

Posted by sconzani in flowers, wildflowers

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British wildflowers, Common Stork's-bill, crane's bills, Erodium cicutarium, Geranium pratense, Meadow crane's-bill, stork's-bills

It occurred to me today, after seeing both Common stork’s-bill (Erodium cicutarium) and Meadow crane’s-bill (Geranium pratense) still flowering locally, to wonder what the difference is between stork’s-bills and crane’s-bills. According to my Flora Britannica, it’s to do with the length of the birds’ bills, i.e. the seed cases of the stork’s-bills are longer than those of the crane’s-bills. The photos below show the relative differences, Meadow crane’s-bill above, Common stork’s-bill below.

231029 meadow crane's-bill vs common stork's-bill (1)

And because they both have lovely flowers, albeit of very different sizes (Common stork’s-bill is a tiny plant compared to Meadow crane’s bill), here they are, again Meadow crane’s-bill above, Common stork’s-bill below.

231029 meadow crane's-bill vs common stork's-bill (2)

Short-eared owl

28 Saturday Oct 2023

Posted by sconzani in birds

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Short-eared owl

As I’ve only ever seen Short-eared owls once before – and those two were mere specks, very distantly flying back and forth over Kenfig National Nature Reserve’s dunes at dusk five years ago, I felt compelled to seek out the bird that was reported from the local coastal fields on Wednesday. I had slipped and squelched my way around the sodden field edges, stood staring this way and that for almost two hours when the sounds reached me of Carrion crows creating a ruckus – always worth a look. I turned in that direction just in time to see two crows following close behind an owl flying along the hedge line of the adjacent field. I was on the opposite side of the field to where they were so I grabbed a couple of quick photos and hurried as fast as I could around my field to the corner of theirs. Unfortunately, the owl had gone to ground, perhaps literally, and, though I waited and watched for another 40 minutes, there was no further sign. But I was still buzzing all the way home!

231028 short-eared owl

Fungi fight back

27 Friday Oct 2023

Posted by sconzani in fungi

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British fungi, fungi on fence railing, fungi on wood panels, Jelly ear, Jelly ear on wood panels

These two fungi sightings made me smile because they reminded me that, given half a chance, Nature is very very good at fighting back against destruction by humans by colonising human-made products. The first fungi – little colonies of Jelly ear growing along the top and centre of the wood-panelled sides of a PortaCabin – were a surprise. I usually see Jelly ear on dead or dying Elder trees, and it can grow on other hardwood trees, but painted wood panels? Amazing, really.

231027 fungi (1)

My second sighting, on the same day as the first, was not such a surprise, as the wooden structure of the boardwalk at Cardiff Bay Wetlands Reserve is now quite old and rotting in places. Fungi are very good at taking advantage of these situations.

231027 fungi (2)

Hoverfly larvae

26 Thursday Oct 2023

Posted by sconzani in insects

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British hoverflies, Dasysyrphus species, Dasysyrphus species larva, Epistrophe grossulariae larva, hoverfly, hoverfly larvae, Syrphus species, Syrphus species larvae

It’s that time of year when, especially after rain, hoverfly larvae can be found washed off their leaves on to fence posts, railings and stones (e.g. gravestones), particularly under Sycamore trees. Twice in the past week I’ve checked the roadside railings of a local park and found several larvae each time, of three different species.

First, a little cannibalism. The first shot shows a Dasysyrphus species larva that has almost finished eating a larva of one of the Syrphus species of hoverfly. When I returned this way a couple of hours later, the Dasysyrphus sp. larva hadn’t moved far (image on the right) and almost looked like it was considering the snail as prey but I think that would be biting off more than it could chew!

This is just the second Epistrophe grossulariae I’ve seen so I was very pleased to spot it. If you’re wondering what it will grow in to, click this link.

Syrphus species larvae were the most abundant (as with many of these larvae, it’s almost impossible to identify them accurately unless they’re retained and breed through to adulthood). And, as a final treat (?), here’s a little video of one of those Syrphus larvae munching on an aphid (slightly gross but compelling viewing!).

Aphids: Tuberolachnus salignus

25 Wednesday Oct 2023

Posted by sconzani in insects, trees

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aphids on willow, British aphids, Giant willow aphid, Tuberolachnus salignus

I know, I know. I said there’d probably be no more aphids during the winter months but they overwinter as adults, and I just happened to be looking at the leaves of a willow while waiting for a train when I spotted these and couldn’t resist a few photos. These are Giant willow aphids (Tuberolachnus salignus), and I happened to catch them in various sizes and forms: the winged aphid is an adult (the scientific term is alate).

231026 Tuberolachnus salignus on willow (1)

The Influential Points website gives some fascinating information about these aphids:

Tuberolachnus salignus is anholocyclic and no males have ever been found, so all reproduction is assumed to be parthenogenetic. The females produce live young which are all genetically identical (clones) … [and]
One part of the giant willow aphid’s life cycle remains shrouded in mystery. Tuberolachnus salignus have only been found on willow trees from July through to early March. Numbers tend to peak in October, but by February few are left on the trees and none has been seen from April to July. [So, where do they go?]

231026 Tuberolachnus salignus on willow (2)

Though I didn’t catch it on camera as my train was pulling in to the station, the aphids got annoyed with my lens being so close to them and started waving their legs at me, apparently something they do to frighten off potential predators.

Canada goose DAKP

24 Tuesday Oct 2023

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Canada goose, colour-ringed birds, Colour-ringed Canada goose, Roath Park Lake

It’s always interesting to learn a bird’s history. During last Monday’s jaunt around Roath Park Lake, as well as enjoying the Shovelers, I spotted this colour-ringed Canada goose so reported my sighting. This bird was ringed near Waterhead, Ambleside, in Cumbria, in June 2016 but has since decided it prefers south Wales.

231024 canada goose (1)

First, it checked out the lake around Caerphilly Castle, where it was spotted in July 2017. Later that year, in December, a report was sent in from Cosmeston Lakes, and the goose also checked in at the coast near Ogmore, in September 2018. Since then, though, Canada goose DAKP seems to have settled at Roath Park Lake, where it’s been since December 2019. Interestingly, there are some gaps in reported sightings: from early February to late July 2020, from October 2020 to May 2021, from February to August 2022, and from late March to late July this year. Whether this means it travels elsewhere to breed, or just fancies a change of scene from time to time is impossible to tell.

231024 canada goose (2)

Leafmines: Phyllonorycter corylifoliella

23 Monday Oct 2023

Posted by sconzani in insects, leaves, trees

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Hawthorn, Hawthorn midget, leaf-mining moths, leafminers, leafmines on Hawthorn, moth larvae on Hawthorn, Phyllonorycter corylifoliella

I thought I’d already shared this leafmine but it seems not so say hello to the Hawthorn midget (Phyllonorycter corylifoliella), a very attractive chestnut –and-white moth, which can be viewed on the UK Moths website and whose larvae mine the leaves of various Rosaceous trees and shrubs. As you can probably see, the mines I’ve found have been on Hawthorn (Crataegus species) but they also mine Apple (Malus sp.) and Cherry (Prunus sp.)

231023 Phyllonorycter corylifoliella (1)

The mines, which are found on the upperside of the leaves, look almost silvery and contains strings of brown frass, can be found in July, and again in September –October. The adult moths are active in May and August, though I’ve not seen one yet.

231023 Phyllonorycter corylifoliella (2)

Beautiful berries

22 Sunday Oct 2023

Posted by sconzani in autumn, plants, trees

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autumn berries, autumn colour, autumn fruit, berries, fruits

I hate when this happens: I had a free Microsoft video editor that was easy to use but, for reasons known only to themselves, Microsoft have deleted it and introduced new software which is totally incomprehensible to me. So, I made a video of my berry (and other fruit) images but with no title card and no captions, and no time to spend trying to figure out how easily to add them.
So, from the local fields and hedgerows, here are: Black bryony; Blackthorn; Bramble; Buckthorn; two types of Cotoneaster which, I think, are C. horizontalis and C. luteus; Dewberry; Field rose; Guelder-rose; Hawthorn; Ivy (not yet ripe); Japanese rose; Privet; Snowberry; Spindle (not really a berry/fruit but rather a case for the seeds within, but I love their colour); Stinking iris; Whitebeam; and Yew.

Orange and spotty

21 Saturday Oct 2023

Posted by sconzani in insects, ladybird

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British ladybirds, Halyzia secedimguttata, Orange ladybird

As I put my foot forward to get closer to yet another bush I was examining, something tiny and yellow-looking flitted up from the ground. I was intrigued, wondering what it could be, so followed its upward trajectory until it settled on a bramble branch in front of me. Well, hello, little Orange ladybird. How lovely to see you!

231021 orange ladybird

Fungi at Cosmeston

20 Friday Oct 2023

Posted by sconzani in autumn, fungi

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British fungi, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Entoloma incanum, Honey waxcap, Hygrocybe acutoconica, Hygrocybe reidii, Mousepee pinkgill, Persistent waxcap

After a few wet, grey and gusty days being battered by Storm Babet, I thought we could do with some Friday night bright colour so here are some recent fungi finds from Cosmeston Lakes Country Park.

231020 cosmeston fungi (2)

The fungi above are Persistent waxcap (Hygrocybe acutoconica), the yellow beauties at the top above, and Mousepee pinkgill (Entoloma incanum), the lovely little green mushroom with the wonderful name. And, below, these are all Honey waxcaps (Hygrocybe reidii), in various stages of development.

231020 cosmeston fungi (1)