Tag: garden
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Plume moth
I think this is Agdistis bennetii – found in coastal areas, especially on salt marshes. Larva feeds on sea lavender.
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Sawfly larvae
After chewing their way through about 50% of the leaves on the birch tree next door the sawfly larve have transferred into my garden. They’ve also appeared on a small hazel tree which was planted a few months ago.
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The Dark Side
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta Butterflies and moths seem to be attracted to the fence outside my kitchen window, perhaps because it faces south. I noticed a Red Admiral in this same spot a couple of days ago, beautifully bright and fresh-looking, but obviously about to move on. Today’s appeared more settled and had its wings…
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Nest building
A woodpigeon is still working away at snapping twigs off the eucalyptus tree. Recently I read that birds sometimes line their nests with mint and lavender which helps to keep them clean – I’m not sure if the wood of eucalyptus would have this effect (as opposed to the leaves) but the pigeon seems very…
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Painted Lady
Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
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Nesting woodpigeon
A woodpigeon spent several hours collecting nest materials from the eucalyptus tree this morning, snapping off single twigs and carrying them away one by one.
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Swifts
Group of about 15 swifts spotted mid-morning.
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Gatekeeper
Gatekeeper butterfly, Pyronia tithonus, in the garden at lunchtime. It settled on some spurge plants for a few moments but flew off again before I could take a photo. Lots of white butterflies about, and a fairly large moth which I didn’t get a chance to identify.
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Thirsty gulls and more crickets
Heavy rain this morning at about 8.45 am. Two juvenile gulls on a nearby roof were throwing their heads back and apparently drinking it – something I’ve never seen before. At the same time a woodpigeon on another roof seemed to be having a bath – cocking up first one wing then the other and…
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Cricket
A buzzard was calling at about 11.30 am this morning. Went to the postbox this afternoon and saw some ripe blackberries on a patch of waste ground outside someone’s garden fence. A good crop of rowanberries on all the trees and the lime flowers have set seed. A Green Bush Cricket seems to be living…