Butterfly Week

Another new 2020 record today which makes four in two days and seventeen for the year so far. This time it's the elegant Gatekeeper. It is often said that the two spots in the 'eye' distinguish this butterfly from the Meadow Brown but a small proportion of our Meadow Browns also have a second spot there. The Gatekeeper is however a lot more orangey, is smaller and has different flying habits so those are a more reliable guide.

Three more butterflies

Over the last two days I've added three more butterflies to the 2020 list and overall it's looking like a good butterfly year this year. They are Comma, Holly Blue and Silver-washed Fritillary (photo). I didn't record either of the last two in 2019 but we are up to 16 species for 2020 and I am hopeful for a few more soon.

Siskin on the feeder

A rare sight here is a Siskin (photo) on the feeder. There has been a good selection of birds using the feeder this year with regular visits from Greenfinches and occasional visits from Bullfinches and a Marsh Tit continues to visit despite the dead one found a while back. There has been a definite increase in usage so that the large feeder gets refilled daily and the RSPB deliver at least 25kg of seed a month plus large bags of peanuts for the nut feeder from time to time. The behaviour between species is interesting. The Greenfinches seem the calmest, just slowly eating seed untroubled by the comings and goings of the numerous tits or other finches. Coal Tits and Goldfinches are quite feisty with their own kind and Sparrows are pretty assertive all round without being too aggressive. Nuthatches can be quite tetchy with any bird in their way and other birds do tend to leave in a hurry when they rock up. The alpha species is the Greater Spotted Woodpecker and its arrival can lead to a scattering of the smaller birds.

Second Waxcap of 2020

Say hello to the Citrine Waxcap (Hygrocybe citrinovirens). It first appeared about a week ago but there is a lot of it about now although it is drying out rapidly. The only other true grassland fungus I have seen is a single broken Entoloma (probably E. conferendum).

First Waxcap of 2020

It's the Fibrous Waxcap (Hygrocybe intermedia) - no surprise there, it usually comes early

Apple scrumping again

This cheeky so and so scrumped apples for ten minutes - he knew I was watching him as well.

Major New Species - Grass Snake

Yes - after nine years I have seen the first Natrix helvetica on site. I have only just caught up with the redesignation of the UK Grass Snake as N. helvetica rather than N. natrix. It is now the Barred Grass Snake apparently. Apart from my small pond and the neighbour's overgrown pond in the middle of his chicken run there isn't much water in the immediate vicinity but a serious Grass Snake (maybe an inch across and three or four feet long) raced away when I moved an upturned wheelbarrow on the large compost heap. There was a Slow Worm with the snake as well, who true to his name took a lot longer to make his escape. The snake left behind this skin. I replaced the wheelbarrow as this was possibly a breeding nest.