Vapourer cocoon and eggs

02 Thursday Jan 2025

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British moths, moth eggs, moth pupa, Orgyia antiqua, Vapourer, Vapourer cocoon, Vapourer eggs

Here’s another find from December, this one attached to the local park railings. It’s the empty cocoon of a Vapourer moth (Orgyia antiqua), covered in the moth’s eggs. (I’ve blogged about finding one of these cocoons before, though that one was very fresh – see A Vapourer cocoon, 13 October 2023, which also included an image of the caterpillar.) Female Vapourers can’t fly (the UK Moths website has a photo of the female, which, at first sight, doesn’t look like a moth at all) – their sole purpose is to attract a mate and lay eggs. Presumably, this female scarcely moved from her cocoon, immediately emitting male-attracting pheromones as soon as she emerged. A male found and mated with her, and her empty cocoon became a very close and convenient place to lay her eggs.

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Sparrowhawk

01 Wednesday Jan 2025

Posted by sconzani in birds, winter

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Sparrowhawk

Happy New Year, everyone!

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As I’ve done for the past few years, I’d planned to walk a circuit of Cardiff Bay today, challenging myself to find as many birds, and wildflowers in bloom, as possible. But the weather has intervened: heavy rain squalls are barrelling through and we’re under a yellow wind warning until 3pm. I hope to get out late afternoon for at least a local stomp but may return too late and too wet to get today’s blog out in good time. So, here’s a special encounter from a couple of weeks ago, on 17 December, when my end-of-year countdown blogs were underway.

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Fortunately, as I rounded the corner to begin walking the path alongside the River Ely, I was searching the adjacent embankment for any birds and noticed this gorgeous Sparrowhawk, initially perched on a rock, and then it hopped on to a neighbouring dead tree trunk. Amazingly, it didn’t spot me (or, perhaps, wasn’t concerned by my presence), and I got quite a few photos before a motorboat, heading in to the marina, passed quite close behind, disturbing the bird and causing it to fly off.

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These are the special moments I so love when I’m out on my daily wanders. I hope, in 2025, that your days will be full of wildlife and wildflowers, and similar special moments in Nature!

Cosmeston’s Waxwings

09 Saturday Mar 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds, winter

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Waxwing

For the second time this winter, we’ve been blessed with visiting Waxwings at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park.

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First spotted by our resident expert birder last Saturday, 2 March, they’ve alternated between feeding low down on the remaining Hawthorn berries and hips of wild rose bushes and, when the sun’s been shining, flycatching from the tree tops.

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I’d seen them distantly twice flycatching, so I was absolutely delighted during Thursday’s wander around Cosmeston to find all four birds snacking on hips in a location where I could use a hedge as a hide to get very close views.

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Waxwings are such stunning birds, and this has been a magnificent Waxwing winter!

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An early weevil

16 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, winter

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Ash keys, British weevils, weevil, weevil sitting on Ash keys, winter weevil

I can’t remember what led me to check the few bundles of dried Ash keys still hanging from a short tree alongside the path I walked this morning but I’m very glad I did because I found this stunning little weevil lurking amongst the keys. I’m sure this is the earliest date I’ve ever seen a weevil, more evidence if it were needed of how mild this winter has been.

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Alder seeds are delicious

10 Saturday Feb 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds, winter

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Alder, Alder cones, birding, birdwatching, British birds, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, Siskin eating Alder seeds

Alder seeds are delicious. That statement seems indisputable, judging by the gusto with which this small flock of Siskin were tearing apart the Alder cones and munching continuously and vigorously on the tiny seeds. And aren’t Siskin just the most glorious little birds? It was truly joyful to watch them at their feasting today at Cosmeston.

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Stump puffballs

09 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by sconzani in fungi, winter

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British fungi, Lycoperdon pyriforme, puffballs, Stump puffballs

I haven’t found much fungi lately so it was nice, during a walk earlier this week, to spot this little colony of Stump puffballs (Lycoperdon pyriforme).

I had a chuckle at this explanation of its scientific name from the First Nature website:

The genus name Lycoperdon literally means ‘wolf’s flatulence’ and just begs the question who got close enough to a wolf and stayed there long enough to become an expert on such matters. For most of us, surely such an odour cannot be a practical diagnostic feature for identifying the Stump Puffball, Lycoperdon pyriforme.
Nothing at all to do with funeral pyres, the specific epithet pyriforme comes from Latin and simply means pear shaped.

My, what long legs you have

08 Thursday Feb 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature, winter

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British craneflies, cranefly, Tipula pagana, winter insects

This little critter was hanging on to a house wall I passed yesterday. I’m fairly sure it’s a cranefly species and it might be Tipula pagana. However, although I’ve lightened it a lot, my photo doesn’t show the identifying features well enough and, according to what I’ve read, it shouldn’t be out and about at this time of year. It was certainly nice to see an insect at last, as, understandably, they are all hiding away at the moment.

Waders little and large

03 Saturday Feb 2024

Posted by sconzani in birds, winter

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birding, birdwatching, British birds, Dunlin, Ringed plover, Turnstone, waders, wading birds

Like a bird giant, a Curlew strides past this small grouping of Ringed plovers and Dunlins.

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At first glance, I thought there were only a couple of the smaller birds snoozing at the water’s edge but, as the tide was coming in, their slumbers kept being interrupted by waves splashing over them, so every few minutes they had to shuffle a bit further up the beach. And when that happened, more little heads would pop up from where they’d been tucked down amongst the rocks.

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Alexanders rust and springtails

02 Friday Feb 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, plants, wildflowers, winter

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Alexanders, Alexanders rust, Collembola, Puccinia smyrnii, Smyrnium olusatrum, springtail, springtail feeding on Alexanders rust, springtails on Alexanders

One of the most abundant plants along the South Wales Coastal Path, even in the depths of winter, is Alexanders (Smyrnium olusatrum), and, almost as soon as it breaks ground, it seems to have rust on its stems and leaves. This rust, Alexanders rust (Puccinia smyrnii), is only ever found on this plant species, and when I was examining the rust recently, I noticed it was providing a meal for some tiny springtails. I’m not sure which springtail species these are – they can be tricky to identify, but many species are known to snack on fungi, fungal spores, mould and bacteria so I guess they find the rust spores a tasty meal.

240202 springtail eating alexanders rust

Hiding in the Ivy berries

31 Wednesday Jan 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects, winter

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ivy berries, Red-legged shieldbug, winter insects, winter invertebrates

It’s been a bit of struggle finding invertebrates this month – everything’s tucked away out of the cold and the rain – so I was very pleased to see this Red-legged shieldbug trying to hide in this little clump of Ivy berries. If it’s not careful a hungry bird will have a crunchy treat when it comes feeding on the berries.