October musings

A month of contrasts with some mild days, with some cold ones with night frosts is what we should have expected but an Indian summer hung on giving surprisingly mild and sunny days. Common darters were seen in the garden right up until the 27th, then a cold snap hit the region on the 28th.

I snapped this common darter mating pair (right) and got really lucky with this patrolling southern hawker by the garden pond on the 9th. (below right)

There were speckled wood, red admiral and comma in the park on the 11th, with the latter two feeding on ivy flowers. Ivy is a vital late source of pollen and nectar for adult butterflies to feed up before hibernating for the winter. I got really close to this red admiral doing just that.

On the 12th, I got down to Bristol Uni to catch sight of the famous eagle owl that had taken up residence there, just off Woodland Road (below right)

The 23rd was dull and overcast, meaning the light was awful, and who should turn up in the brook near California Road just upstream from the reserve but a pair of dippers. They must know when photos aren't going to be very good and out they pop!

These toadstools emerged in the garden on the 24th. Can anyone identify them? ( below right)

The 27th started fine but cool, but pictures were still to be had in the park. A friend noticed this tiny toadstool growing out of moss on a dead log. It stood around half an inch high. (below right)
Regular walkers are putting food for birds on the fence posts at the far end of the reserve again now as Autumn draws into Winter. This means that birds will include the posts on their foraging rounds and can be tempted down with a few seeds or nuts. Robins give delightful photo opportunities as they aren't shy when there's food on offer and you can approach surprisingly close.

A speckled wood and a few red admirals were seen around the park but the weather drew in by the afternoon.

The month is drawing to a close with a cold arctic blast on its way. Birds don't often visit my garden, probably because of too many cats in the area and insufficient tree cover, but I've stocked up the feeders just in case, and I've got my little bag of nuts and seeds for the fence posts in the reserve. Hopefully the birds will get their share from the voracious squirrels.

Mike.

A quiet moment

You know that you sometimes get one of those rare moments when by chance you get close to nature? For instance if you're in a wood and catch sight of deer, and if you're very quiet you can watch them graze because they haven't seen you?

On Friday I had one of those moments.
A little upstream from Willsbridge next to Siston Brook I was watching a comma butterfly feeding off blackberries. It had seen my movement as I approached and closed its wings as a precautionary measure; the underside of an autumn comma's wings are dark and look very like a dead leaf, giving it excellent camoulflage. Very useful for the months to come when it hibernates through the winter. I knew that if I was patient and kept still, it would open its wings again to catch the warmth from the sun, allowing me to take a photo of it.

While I was waiting, a flock of longtailed tits flew into the hawthorn tree right above and in front of me, with one of them offering a perfect chance for a photo by sitting where there was a gap in the tree foliage.

These delightful birds are tiny, and I must have been less than six feet away from this individual, but I was still able to run off several shots before it got bored and flew away.

Then I looked back at the comma, and it had opened its wings. Perfect!

Early September

The butterfly season is fast drawing to a close with the autumn equinox just around the corner, so this will be the last of my weekly updates until next year. If I see anything interesting I'll be sure to report it.

Here are my notes for the week for the three visits to the reserve that I made:

Tuesday 2nd - A fine morning but only a little activity in the garden. Two or three common darters and a large white or two plus a worn comma was about it before the clouds rolled in just before noon.

Wednesday 3rd
A bright sunny morning but cool. Lots more activity today. It just goes to show that it's sunshine that the insects want rather than temperatures, although things warmed up by noon.
I saw speckled wood, large, small and GV white, meadow brown and a fresh looking comma, the latter no doubt winding down already for winter hibernation.
Dragons were about too, with two male migrant hawkers, male and female southern hawker, and eight common darters that included a tandem ovipositing pair. The other six were all males. I briefly saw a brown hawker.

Thursday 4th
A nice day until clouds rolled in during mid-afternoon followed by a deluge. I got home with a few minutes to spare. The comma was back, and while I was photographing it a southern hawker perched nearby.

August at Willsbridge

Sunday 24th

Butterflies
The late speckled wood emergence has begun with one or two fresh individuals seen. Fresh red admirals were seen browsing the buddliea. Plenty of large whites still around. Only a few gatekeepers left now, all looking a bit tired.
A male summer comma seen in the garden, also past his best.

Dragonflies
Damselflies are finished for the summer I think as I saw none. A single southern hawker female investigated the garden pond briefly but didn't stop to lay. Maybe it's a bit too cluttered at present?
Common darters are less fussy and several males were hanging around there, along with a single female whose tail still held a droplet of water following ovipositing. Around four male CDs were also seen squabbling over the mill pond. I was suprised not to see any southern hawker males over the mill pond, but there's still time provided we get a few sunny spells.

Wednesday 27th
The last of the summer holiday events, Wild About Trees saw many of the regulars from the previous events although the weather was not kind, yet again. The light was awful but there was still a little insect activity in the garden with large and green veined whites, gatekeeper and meadow brown. A mating pair of common darters proved too elusive to photograph. One of the volunteers found a female stag beetle. As mentioned by separate email, photos from all four summer events at Willsbridge may be viewed at http://mike.photos.gb.net.
If you click on a thumbnail of a photo it'll display at normal size. Click on it again to view full size in the Windows viewer. You may need to click on it a second time to toggle the largest size. If you then right click on the image you have the option to download the picture. All AWT members who attended the events are free to download as many of the images that they wish in this way.

Thursday
Took a late afternoon visit when the clouds began to break around 3:30pm. Just a few large whites and a speckled wood were seen in the garden plus a total of four common darter males in the garden and over the mill pond. A tiny toad (toadlet?) was spotted in the garden.

Finally, who on earth pruned the buddliea behind the barn? There were still blooms left on this bush but it was cut right back to base level. The nectar is a vital fuelling station for many insect species overwintering peacocks and red admirals. In any case, the end of August is hardly the time to cut these shrubs back.
I am not a gardening expert but would suggest cutting the bush near the disabled parking point in late January early February so that this one flowers first. This area is in shadow by mid afternoon in late summer so earlier flowering would be more advantageous. The one behind the barn where it catches late summer sunshine should be left until March before pruning back so that it flowers in late August. I have been informed that picking off dead flowerheads regularly will encourage new flowers well into Autumn.

Mike.