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~ a celebration of nature

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Category Archives: autumn

Leafmines: Stigmella microtheriella

29 Monday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, insects, leaves, trees

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

British leafminers, Hornbeam, leaf-mining moths, leafmines on Hornbeam, leafmining moth larvae, Stigmella microtheriella

Hornbeam is a tree that’s somehow escaped my attention but, at this time of year, when its leaves turn gorgeous and vibrant shades of yellow, I can’t help but notice how widespread it is and, while admiring its autumn colour, I’ve also spotted some leafmines on its leaves.

211129 Stigmella microtheriella (1)

Reading the mine description on the British Leafminers website, I thought I had found Stigmella microtheriella (egg laid, so mine starting, on or near a vein but not in the axil) but, as there was potential confusion with another moth, Stigmella floslactella, I checked with the experts. Rob, one of those behind the British Leafminers website, kindly confirmed that my identification was correct and also commented that ‘Although S floslactella is said to mine Hornbeam I don’t know anyone who has found it on that host. It’s a very doubtful record.’ Now I – and you, if you see mines like these – can record them as Stigmella microtheriella with confidence!

211129 Stigmella microtheriella (2)
211129 Stigmella microtheriella (3)

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Golden Ginkgos

28 Sunday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, leaves, trees

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autumn colour, autumn leaves, Ginkgo, Ginkgo biloba, golden leaves, yellow autumn leaves

211128 ginkgos (1)

I simply can’t resist it – the gorgeous golden glow of Ginkgos in the autumn. Such magnificent ancient trees!

211128 ginkgos (2)
211128 ginkgos (3)

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Birds and berries, 1

27 Saturday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, birds

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autumn berries, berry-eating birds, birding, birds and berries, birdwatching, British birds, Woodpigeon

When I walked past this same spot two days after taking this photo, the tree was bare of berries and there were some very content-looking full-bellied Woodpigeons perched nearby.

211127 woodpigeon and berries

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Clubs and stagshorns

19 Friday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, fungi

≈ 2 Comments

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British fungi, club fungi, Handsome club, Small stagshorn, Yellow club

The one in which we look at yellow stick-like fungi, poking up out of the ground, or wood.

211119 handsome club (1)
211119 handsome club (2)

Club fungi can be difficult to identify positively so I can’t be completely sure of my names here, though I have had some help from an expert. So, this first fungus, found in local deciduous woodland, is probably Handsome club (Clavulinopsis laeticolor).

211119 yellow club

This next club fungus looks superficially similar to the last but this one had sprouted in mossy grassland, meaning it is likely Yellow club (Clavulinopsis helvola).

211119 small stagshorn

And this third yellow stick-like fungus is paler, almost translucent and jelly-like, and was flourishing on decaying wood. I’m fairly sure this is Small stagshorn (Calocera cornea).

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A bonus butterfly

18 Thursday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, insects

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

autumn butterfly, British butterflies, butterfly, Red Admiral

During yesterday’s meandering walk around north Cardiff, surveying for one particular leaf-mining moth, I almost stepped in front of an oncoming car, such was my delight at seeing this butterfly flutter up from the pavement in front of me and head across the road. Fortunately, it was a quiet no-exit road, the car driver was going very slowly, and kindly waved me across in front of him. Fortunately, too, the butterfly, this glorious Red admiral, had settled on the roadside hedge opposite so I was able to enjoy watching it enjoy the autumn sunshine.

211118 red admiral

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Changing leaves

14 Sunday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, leaves, seasons, trees

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autumn colour, autumn leaves, autumn trees

‘And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves….’  ~  Virginia Woolf, To the lighthouse

211114 autumn colours

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Cemetery fungi

12 Friday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, fungi

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

boletes, British fungi, cemetery fungi, Cortinarius, earthtongues, entoloma fungi, fungi at the cemetery, waxcaps

In recent weeks I’ve paid several visits to Cardiff’s Cathays Cemetery so today I thought I’d share a selection of some of the glorious fungi I’ve seen, including various species of bolete, entoloma and cortinarius, as well as waxcaps and earthtongues.

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Face to face

10 Wednesday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, insects

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

British wasps, male wasps, Vespula vulgaris, wasp, wasps on ivy

A long section of the coastal path where I walked yesterday was lined with Ivy, covered in ripening clusters of berries … and wasps. It seemed like each nest of wasps (all Vespula vulgaris, as far as I could tell) had laid claim to its own bush, where they sat preening on leaves, wandered over the berries, or just snoozed, and I was able to get quite close for some photos.

211110 wasp (1)

I’ve just been reading on the really informative Eakringbirds website that ‘Many wasps found on flowers from August onwards will often be males. These tend to be more docile and slightly less active than workers and often make better photographic subjects’, and that was certainly the case for me yesterday.

211110 wasp (2)

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Autumn at the cemetery

07 Sunday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, trees

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

autumn colour, autumn trees, Cathays Cemetery

Some of the splendid trees at Cardiff’s Cathays Cemetery displaying their glorious autumn colours. Better in person, obviously, but I hope you enjoy these magnificent trees as much as I did.

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Syrphus hoverfly larvae

06 Saturday Nov 2021

Posted by sconzani in autumn, insects, leaves, trees

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British hoverflies, hoverfly larva, hoverfly larva on Sycamore, insects on Sycamore, sycamore, Syrphus sp larvae, Syrphus species

We’ve seen the Godzilla of hoverfly larvae, one of the Dasysyrphus species, and, back in February 2020, I featured my very first hoverfly larva, one of the Platycheirus family, and then in September we saw the larva and adult of Scaeva pyrastri. However, I haven’t yet shown you the larvae I see most often, those of the Syrphus species of hoverfly.

211106 syrphus sp (1)

I usually find these on Sycamore leaves, the undersides of which are home to thriving families of aphids, the hoverfly larvae’s favourite food. Occasionally, I’ve found larvae on the tops of leaves or on branches, perhaps on the move to a new leaf. And yesterday, on Twitter, I saw a short video by my go-to hoverfly larvae expert on the various species of hoverfly larvae he had found on gravestones under Sycamore trees in his local cemetery. I’ll be checking out that idea during one of next week’s nature walks. Meantime, try turning over some Sycamore leaves – you never know what might be lurking underneath.

211106 syrphus sp (2)
211106 syrphus sp (3)
211106 syrphus sp (4)
211106 syrphus sp (5)

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About me

sconzani

sconzani

I'm a writer and photographer; researcher and blogger; birder and nature lover; countryside rambler and city strider; volunteer and biodiversity recorder.

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