Fungi

The late cutting of the waxcaps field has been unfortunate for this years crop. I was hoping that the cut would be in time for the waxcaps to fruit again but amongst the grass were lots of broken up waxcaps including a pink one, golden ones and scarlet ones as well as meadow waxcaps. I was too late - but without my own machinery there was not much I could do to affect the timing. Interestingly I saw also some Crested Coral (Clavulina coralloides)and a new spindly sort of fungi which was an orange colour. I wasn't sure about the ID as it looked like it might be Golden Spindle except for the colour. The books say that Golden Spindle is a bright yellow but this was definitely orangey. I can also add one new fungi species to the site list - a single example of Liberty Cap (Psilocybe Semilanceata)was found on the newly mown field which had either missed the mower or sprung up afterwards. I apologise for the poor photo but I didn't have a suitable lens with me.

Privet Hawkmoth

I was privileged to be present when a Privet Hawkmoth larva was found in a wet meadow very close to The Narth. At the time I took some photographs and through that we were able to positively identify the larva. The surprise was that this was the first record of this species in Gwent for forty years and only the ninth record ever in the county.

New Butterfly - Green-veined White

Another new butterfly for the site making it about 12 species so far. More common and less exciting than the Marbled White but a new species nonetheless.

New butterfly - Marbled White

I was just thinking that despite the sunshine bringing out loads of butterflies they were all meadow Browns or Ringlets, when a black and white beauty flew across my eyeline. I have never seen a Marbled White before so it was a very welcome sight.

New flower - Fox and Cubs

This flower is not endemic to the UK, having been introduced in the 17th Century, but pretty widespread in the countryside now. I didn't record it last year so it is a new species for our meadow this year. It is a most striking hawkweed just for its colouring.

Nesting swallows

I'm delighted that swallows are nesting in one of the outbuildings. I realised last year that there were plenty of swallows but no nests on our land. To encourage them I installed four artifical swallow nests in outbuildings. Needless to say the swallows have totally ignored the nests I put up and built a makeshift nest resting on a girder. No pictures I'm afraid - I tried a flash assisted picture but it just frightened the fledgling who was sitting there and the photo didn't come out.

6-spot Burnet

A second moth has been formally identified (I'm starting with the easy ones) on our meadow. Fittingly this is the 6-spot Burnet after the previous day-flying moth identified which was the Burnet Companion (so named because it is often found with the Burnet). The Burnet is pictured on knapweed one of its favoured food sources.

More Orchids

Greater Butterfly Orchids are now flowering at the Pentwyn reserve. Here are a few surrounded by a rich mixture of meadow flowers and grasses.

Twayblade time

Twayblades are out both at Pentwyn and New Grove and for me they are a particularly beautiful orchid. They seem plentiful at New Grove this year.

Burnet Companion

I haven't tried to identify any moths yet but a day-flying moth flew into view yesterday so I can now record my first moth species. No photograph I'm afraid, as it had disappeared by the time I got my camera, but it was a Burnet Companion (Euclidia glyphica)whose larval foodplants include Bird's Foot Trefoil of which there is plenty in our fields.

Masonry bees

There are a lot of bees showing great interest in holes in the stone on the front of the house. For the moment I will assume this is the common mason bee Osmia rufa, as I struggle to identify different species of bumblebee let along the 20 species of mason bee found in the UK. If I get a book on them I will do a more precise ID.

Daffodils

We live very close as the crow flies to Maragaret's Wood, which has a slope down to the road which is currently ablaze with wild daffodils - and a fair few wood anemone as well.

Antlers

Two fallow deer with presentable antlers came by today. Strangely both deer had a limp. It was interesting to note that they clearly had a memory of the land in that when I went outside they casually went to go through a gap in the hedge that I had in fact blocked some months ago. Finding it blocked they panicked a little and rushed off to find another escape route.