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~ a celebration of nature

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Tag Archives: Bird’s-foot trefoil

A crow companion

17 Tuesday May 2022

Posted by sconzani in birds, flowers, wildflowers

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Bird’s-foot trefoil, birdwatching, British birds, Carrion crow

I had company as I walked very slowly along the west paddock paths at Cosmeston Lakes Country Park yesterday. This Carrion crow is one of a pair that frequents the area and, as they are fed almost daily by a local visitor, they’ve become quite used to quiet humans. I confess I have given them seed from time to time and I’m sure crows are smart enough to recognise individual people, so it may also have been hoping for a treat from me. No such luck, but it seemed to be finding plenty of tasty morsels amongst the glorious Bird’s-foot trefoil as we walked along together.

220517 crow

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169/365 Emergence

18 Tuesday Jun 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, insects, nature, wildflowers

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

#365DaysWild, Bird’s-foot trefoil, British moths, Common spotted orchid, moths, Pyramidal orchid, red clover, Six-spot burnet, wildflowers

Remember I said on Friday that they’d be ‘coming soon‘, well here they are. The Six-spot burnet moths have begun to emerge, buzzing around the wildflowers like little red-and-black bumblebees. Delightful!

190618 six-spot burnet (1)190618 six-spot burnet (2)190618 six-spot burnet (3)190618 six-spot burnet (4)190618 six-spot burnet (5)190618 six-spot burnet (6)

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148/365 The one that got away

28 Tuesday May 2019

Posted by sconzani in 365DaysWildin2019, insects, nature

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

#365DaysWild, Bird’s-foot trefoil, British moths, Burnet companion, Cosmeston, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, moth, moths

I mentioned in yesterday’s post about the amazing Narrow-bordered Bee Hawk-moth that I had actually been trying to re-find a Burnet Companion moth when I spotted the Hawk-moth. Well, today I got the one that got away yesterday – not the actual moth, as today I was at Cosmeston not Lavernock, and not just one but three Burnet Companions appeared for my camera today.

190528 burnet companion (1)

I felt a bit sad for the first one I saw (below left). Either it hadn’t developed properly in its pupa or something had happened to it since hatching, as its wings appeared damaged and it didn’t seem able to fly.

190528 burnet companion (2)
190528 burnet companion (3)

But the other two were flitting merrily from flower to flower, drinking in as much Bird’s-foot trefoil nectar as their tiny tongues could manage. And not only do they have lovely markings on the top side of their wings but they’re a wonderful buttery yellow underneath as well (above right).

190528 burnet companion (4)

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May at Cosmeston

31 Thursday May 2018

Posted by sconzani in birds, flowers, nature, reptiles, walks, wildflowers

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Azure damselfly, Bird’s-foot trefoil, Bugle, Common blue butterfly, Common whitethroat, Coot, Cosmeston, Cosmeston Lakes Country Park, cuckoo spit, Dingy Skipper, Flax, Hawthorn blossom, Large Red damselfly, Mallard ducklings, Scarlet pimpernel, Swallow, tadpoles

I literally dipped in and out of Cosmeston on 2 May, for a quick look at the dipping pond to see if I could spot any Water voles. I dipped on the voles but I did see Ma Mallard and her two gorgeous ducklings, and a gazillion tadpoles.

180531 1 duckling
180531 2 duckling
180531 3 duckling
180531 4 duckling

180531 5 tadpoles

11 May  I needed to stretch my legs after spending the previous day sorting out after my birding trip so off to Cosmeston I headed. I came in from the north end via Old Cogan farm, where a pair of Swallows was sitting on the wires. I suspect they nest in the old barn as I see them there often over the summer months.

180531 6 swallows

Apart from those Swallows, it was quiet on the bird front and, as a cool wind was blowing, there were no butterflies about either. So, I took lots of photos of newly blooming wildflowers  …

180531 7 Bird's foot trefoil180531 8 Bugle180531 9 Flax180531 10 Scarlet pimpernel

While doing that, I found an interesting little critter mooching around on some leaves (it looked like a weevil without a long snout but I haven’t positively identified it), and I spotted my first cuckoo spit of the season (I just know you’ll be delighted with that find!).

180531 11 snoutless weevil lookalike180531 12 cuckoo spit

15 May  A brief walk through on my way home from Lavernock. I wandered along the edges of Sully brook and then, once again, stopped for a few minutes at the dipping pond. The bad news was that mother Mallard only had one duckling remaining – fingers crossed it makes it to adulthood. The good news was that I saw my first damselflies for the year – both Azure and Large reds were out in numbers.

180531 13 Azure damselfly
180531 14 Large red damselfly

17 May  I passed through Cossie again, this time on my way home from Sully. A Common whitethroat was showing well in the reeds near the cafe, and a Coot was shepherding her three young offspring around the west lake. The chicks were well developed, which bodes well for their survival.

180531 15 Common whitethroat180531 16 Ma Coot and 3 offspring

20 May  This time my 3-hour mooch was all concentrated at Cosmeston. I went early to avoid the Sunday crowds and the scorching sun, and walked the east and west paddocks from one end to the other and back again, along the various trails. I was looking particularly for orchids but saw only leaves, a few with the stalks of flower buds just emerging, and for butterflies. The Dingy skippers and Common blue butterflies were out in good numbers, and it was a pleasure to watch them flitting to and fro.

180531 18 Dingy skipper
180531 17 Common blue

24 May  I went early again to Cosmeston but not early enough, as the rain came in almost as soon as I arrived and I didn’t have a coat with me. I lingered long enough to enjoy the glorious Hawthorn blossom that covers the hedgerows like summer snow, before striding quickly homewards.

180531 19 Hawthorn blossom

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Yellow

23 Friday Jun 2017

Posted by sconzani in flowers, nature, wildflowers

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Agrimonia eupatoria, Agrimony, Bird’s-foot trefoil, Blackstonia perfoliata, Dyer’s greenweed, Genista tinctoria, Lotus corniculata, Rhinanthus minor, wildflowers, Yellow rattle, yellow wildflowers, Yellow-wort

Yellow is the colour of the week as far as the wildflowers are concerned.

170623 Bird's-foot trefoil (1)

These are some I’ve seen: Bird’s-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculata), Yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor), Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), Dyer’s greenweed (Genista tinctoria), and Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata).

170623 Yellow-wort
170623 Dyer's greenweed (1)
170623 Agrimony (2)
170623 Agrimony
170623 Yellow rattle
170623 Bird's-foot trefoil
170623 Bird's-foot trefoil (2)
170623 Dyer's greenweed

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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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