Week 35: Gentle Giant, Furry Cats & Edible Dormice

With a title like that, I feel as though I should open with “Once upon a time...”. I started this week feeling somewhat bereft now that the butterfly season is coming to an end. Their presence makes life that little bit more exciting - you never quite know what is going to flutter past you and whether or not it’ll settle or just give a fleeting view and leave you with an unsolved mystery and a reason to scratch your head.

On Monday, I had a good walk around Roughdown Common. The Juniper bushes are looking beautiful and gothic, adorned with berries which glisten in the sunlight. A Chiffchaff was still singing, the Harebells are flowering but what stopped me in my tracks was a group of 18 hungry, hairy caterpillars munching their way through the leaves of an Oak tree. You could actually hear them chewing! These were the larvae of the Buff-tip moth (Phalera bucephala), feeding up before they drop to the ground, burrow down and overwinter in the soil as pupae (chrysalides). In the spring, they will emerge as fantastic little Buff-tip moths. If you’ve never seen one of these, it is worth taking a look at a photograph. They are the master of disguise, hiding in plain sight, looking to all the world like a broken Silver Birch twig. Amazing little creatures.

Buff-tip Larvae (Phalera bucephala) [approx 5-6cm long]

The sunny, clear skies of Tuesday evening saw me standing in the parched, golden meadow at Dellfield. I wanted to catch the Oak in the last light of the day. Needless to say, every footstep was accompanied by a flurry of Crane flies. But, a short while later, just as I was about to leave, things got a little more exciting, with the arrival of the giant of the eusocial wasp world, a European Hornet (Vespa crabro). I first spotted one of these at the Brickworks back in August. The overriding impression was of a whopping, great big flying insect with a massive yellow butt! It was a good 2.5cm (1 inch) long but never settled and quickly went out of sight. The second encounter was also at the Brickworks and was just as tantalisingly brief. Finally, on Tuesday evening, one of these super wasps flew past me and within a matter of seconds had caught and devoured a defenceless Daddy Longlegs! I heard the clatter of the wings as the Hornet snatched its prey. The sequence of shots below cover a period of less than 60 seconds. They aren’t perfect but hopefully give a flavour of the action.

European Hornet (Vespa crabro) snacking on a Crane fly (Tipula paludosa)

This was a male Hornet (if I’ve counted the abdominal segments correctly: 7 on males, 6 on females), approx 1 inch long, with limited life expectancy(!). In late summer, the queen Hornet (who does all the egg-laying), stops producing worker Hornets (who build the nest, pick up food supplies and take care of the brood), and produces a new generation of males and females. At this time of year, the males leave the nest and perform “nuptial flights” (i.e. mate with unfertilised queens). Unfortunately, the males die soon after mating; the workers and unfertilised queens not long after that, with only the fertilised queens surviving into next Spring. Although they look intimidating, they are less aggressive than your common wasp and will only sting as a last resort or to defend their hive. Ultimately, as the largest european social wasp they are impressive insects and this male certainly made light work of the unsuspecting Crane fly.

Now, I don’t go out much at night...It takes something special to tear me away from my comfy sofa and mindless telly. Wednesday evening, instead of drooling over Mary’s mouthwatering pastries I was wandering the woods of Westbrook Hay. I enlisted the help of a friend with ninja nature skills and we went in search of Edible Dormice. It was this friend who had first shown me this curious, nocturnal mammal back in 2011, near Tring, the site of its original, accidental introduction by Walter Rothschild in 1902. The species is common throughout western Europe but not native to England and can be something of a pest. Its diet is primarily plant-based (nuts, seeds, berries, apples etc). During the day it will sleep in unused bird’s nests, holes in trees or a safe nook or cranny. Over the coming weeks, as winter approaches, they will go into deep hibernation, emerging again in the spring.

OK, so we started our search along the tree-lined path which runs the north-west side of Bovingdon Reach, taking us down into Ramacre Wood. The first creature we actually heard was a Little Owl (Athene noctua) calling from somewhere in Hay Wood. Tawny Owls soon piped up too. But, initially, no sight nor sound of arboreal dormice. Finally, in Ramacre wood, success. My friend homed in on to the subtle sound of an Edible Dormouse feeding (ninja nature skills, I tell you). Unfortunately, we could only hear it (not see it) and eventually had to admit defeat and move on. Walking back the way we came, we had two close encounters with fast moving dormice about 4 feet up in bushes. No chance of photographs though. On our third attempt along this path, it wasn’t a dormouse we saw in the trees but a beautiful Tawny Owl (Strix aluco), looking straight at us (see above photograph)! It can’t have been more than 10-15 metres away, perched on a low branch right above the centre of the path. For a good 25-35 seconds each of us stood staring back at the other. The owl barely moving, us not wanting to break the spell. Of course, the owl eventually decided enough was enough and flew off into the night.

Back to our dormouse hunt. In fact, after 1.5 hours searching, it was all suddenly very easy. Walking from the Dellfield car park, a few metres up the road towards the Old Barn, we found a very obliging fella. He (or she) sat fairly still on a branch for 2-3 minutes whilst I faffed about with camera equipment, flashes that didn’t work and angles that weren’t quite right. Thankfully, I did come away with a few photographs.

Edible Dormouse (Glis glis)

Special thanks to my friend for helping to locate the dinky dormice, identifying the Little Owl call and, most crucially, for holding the torch steady!

If you’re wondering why the night time photographs have a red glow to them, it’s because we used red light for observation. Nocturnal creatures are essentially blind to red light so are not disturbed by it or aware that they are illuminated. You don’t need special equipment, just a standard torch and some red transparent film to put over the front lens. Job done and away you go.

The Little Owl (Athene noctua) in Hay Wood was producing a call similar to this one from xeno-canto (just press play)

The week may have started with missing Summer’s butterflies. But, standing, gazing into the wide eyes of a wild Tawny Owl, hearing a Little Owl chirping away in the darkness and photographing a nocturnal mammal is a stringent tonic. Perhaps I should close with “...and they all lived happily ever after”....although not the Crane fly or the soon-to-be-dead Hornet of course...

Week 27: Brimstone & Whistle-stop Summary

A scorcher of a week and with limited time and energy, it was a bit of a whirlwind tour of the lands yesterday. As the photograph above suggests, a Buddleja bush and a Brimestone butterfly were involved. My foray into wedding photography was brief and finite but seemed to go ok. That being said, give me wild creatures over civilised homo sapiens any day of the week.

Under clear skies and rising temperatures, I wandered over Bulbourne Moor and Hardings Moor, eventually making my way up to Roughdown Common. There are still a few damselflies on the river (Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Banded Demoiselle). The nettles on the riverbank east of Station Road are Camp Caterpillar. I couldn’t find anything more interesting than a glut of Small Tortoiseshells though.

The dell at Lower Roughdown had more spots than a Dalmatian, with Six-spot Burnets everywhere I looked, including a mating pair. A few tired Ringlets remain along with Meadow Browns, Gatekeepers and fresh Peacocks.

Up on Further Roughdown, in addition to the species already mentioned, there were a few Marbled Whites and the second brood of Common Blues were zooming around, their speed seemingly proportional to the 30 degree heat. The wild Marjoram is in flower and the Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) were making the most of it, hard at work. Overhead, 3 Red Kites soared on the day’s thermals.

Wild Marjoram (Origanum vulgare)

Honey Bees (Apis mellifera)

I only managed a very brief visit to the Brickworks in the afternoon. The Buddleja at the north-east end of Baker’s Wood is worth a visit. I’ve never seen so many Peacock butterflies in one place (in addition to the Brimstone mentioned earlier). The fruit of the bramble bushes is beginning to ripen and, in the meadow with the mound, more spots. I lost count of the number of Six-spot Burnets.

Finally, to Dellfield and the oak. The Kestrel family are still using the trees in Ryders as a base. I spotted 2 birds hunting over the meadow and a Muntjac trotted up the central path to disappear from sight.

The lush green of the springtime meadow has given way to the parched grasses of the summer.

Left, 19 May 2014; Right 24 July 2014

Week 26: Purple & Gold Celebration

I am slightly distracted this week by the prospect of being one of a handful of “unofficial photographers” at my friend’s wedding this weekend. I did tell her that I hadn’t done any indoor photography (unless you count Swallows in a barn?!) and that if you haven’t got feathers or antennae, I’ve little idea as to how to go about capturing your best side. Bizarrely this didn’t put her off!

With a busy week ahead, Monday was the only day I was going to be able to get out around Box Moor. At Dellfield, I could hear the family of Kestrels were still around and, up at the Old Barn, the young Swallows were still squirming in their nest*. Making my way into Hay Wood, I could hear a Green Woodpecker, likely a fledgling, constantly calling to a parent. The highlights at the revitalised bird feeders were a Great Spotted Woodpecker, Jay and plenty of Coal Tits, with Nuthatches calling close by.  Emerging from the cool, shady woods I caught sight of a Buzzard circling overhead and then walked back down towards the Oak. I guess this week’s photograph is all about the rare expanse of blue sky.

Late afternoon, on the back of a warm, sunny day, I thought the Brickworks might be a good place to explore. I was hoping for a new moth or butterfly to mark the six month point of this project. In fact, the first “new find” was a Cinnabar moth caterpillar, followed closely by what I later learned was the remains of a Burnet moth chrysalis. There were a couple of fresh-looking 6-spot Burnets in the area so it had perhaps been home to one of those. The scrub really was alive with butterflies but two finds in particular made my heart skip a beat.

Cinnabar moth caterpillar

Marbled White

Burnet moth chrysalis remains

Firstly, this week’s new moth and my “celebration” for reaching the 6 month mark in Project 2014 was a tiny but beautiful Common Purple and Gold moth (Pyrausta purpuralis). It’s not fussy as to when it flies, day or night, and prefers dry grassland and chalky downland habitats. The larval foodplants are corn mint (Mentha arvensis) and thyme (Thymus). Most importantly, it was new to me and a real joy to discover. My photograph doesn't do it justice.

Unfortunately, my new friend was rather flighty and didn’t settle for long before I lost it. However, whilst I was trying to relocate it, I came across my second exciting find of the day. It seemed strangely fitting that after the last 2 weeks of developing affection for the little orange Skipper species, that this week I should run into a mating pair of Small Skippers. Unlike some species, which are easily disturbed, this pair were apparently welded to the flower head! Strong gusts of wind didn’t shift them nor did my carefully and strategically manoeuvring the stem slightly so as to be set against a predominantly dark backdrop. Sitting on the ground, photographing a pair of relaxed, mating butterflies; warmed by the sunshine and, behind me in the bushes, the sighing of Bullfinches. The picture of contentment.

More than satisfied with the day's exploring, I headed home for a cuppa.

Ben and the moth trapping team have continued their nighttime endeavours. Last week's reward at the Brickworks was a superb Scarlet Tiger moth. This is an extremely rare moth in Hertfordshire and therefore a highly significant find for the site. Take a look at Ben’s great blog for a photograph and a more detailed report of the evening.

Finally, I’ve added a new tab at the top entitled “The Oak: Week by Week”. This is the series of 26 photographs charting the Oak over the last 6 months. It’s a visual summary and, if you click on a photograph, it’ll take you to that week’s blog post.

Right, pre-wedding photography angst is kicking back in. I’m not sure who is going to be more nervous on Saturday. The bride or those of us who have the responsibility to record the day for posterity! Wish me luck!

* a quick visit to check on the Swallows this afternoon revealed an empty nest and a quiet barn.

Week 22: Of Chalk Grasslands In Hemel Hempstead

Salad Burnet (Sanguisorba minor) (I hope!), the indicator species for chalk grassland, on Further Roughdown, overlooking Hemel & the KD Tower

“Chalk grasslands have been likened to rainforest for the diversity of species they hold. But they are being lost at an alarming rate due to changes in land use causing the decline of grazing: it's estimated that we've lost 80% of our chalk grassland over the last 60 years.” BBOWT

A statement like that makes you sit up and take notice. I was fortunate to be able to attend the “Chalk grassland flowers and grasses” seminar at the Field Studies Council (FSC) in Amersham last weekend. It was led by the incredibly knowledgeable and wonderfully approachable Brenda Harold. On the up side, I could at least identify and discuss the place of Yellow Rattle within the ecology (ref Week 19). On the down side, I’d run out of energy by lunch time and it took 2+ days to recover. Well worth it though and I'd do it again, given the choice. Anyway, this week has been all about enjoying the chalk grassland at Roughdown Common and seeing it through the lens of my new knowledge.

A few notes from the course, in case they are of interest. If not, just skip it.

---

Grassland

Semi-natural, Unimproved land

• Semi-natural i.e. the land has been cleared of trees by man and grazed or mowed for hay. All the plants are wild/self seeded. 
• Unimproved i.e. no mineral fertilisers or lime or other substance added.

Grasslands in general are dependent on the history of grazing, which virtually ceased after the second world war in the UK. This is where “conservation grazing” comes in (ref my “sheepish explanations of ecology” post). Sheep, rabbits, any kind of grazers, are important to prevent “thug species” like dogwood, hawthorn, bramble, thistles etc taking root, monopolising nutrients and overwhelming the smaller species and reducing species diversity.

Chalk Grassland

Calcareous, alkaline, free-draining, drought-prone soil. Low in nutrients (thus no good for agriculture) and often on slopes (so no good for building/development).

To the uninformed it is useless and even costly. Except, by the wonders of nature, it is also the most species rich in terms of the plants which thrive there and the wider ecology which follows. Incredibly, you can have up to forty different species per square metre of grassland. The key is low nutrients and high pH. Low nutrients otherwise the thug species move in and drown everything else out. High pH otherwise the acidity destroys and only the few strong or tolerant survive. It is one of the rare environments where nature is at its richest. And yet, as the BBOWT states, almost 80% of the UK’s  “unique and fragile chalk grassland has been lost....due to intensified agricultural practices, development and mismanagement.” It makes me appreciate all the more the value of places like Roughdown Common, the obligation to protect it and the need to support those who manage it.

---

Ok, context set. Chalk grassland to enjoy.

Where to begin? The orchids! They really are quite spectacular at the moment. The dell, on the north side of Lower Roughdown, is cradling Common Spotted and Pyramidal orchids (both calcareous soil indicators). Something seems to have nibbled heartily at all of the Twayblades but the tell-tale leaf pairs remain. The Selfheal is also flowering now. A Robin was busy collecting food for an insistent youngster, the chiffchaff keeps on singing and a Jay bounced through the trees trying hard to remain inconspicuous.

Up on the south-west side, the bank which runs along the A41, the orchids are breathtaking. I’ve never seen anything quite like it. Swathe after swathe of deep pink/purple, white and every colour in between rising up from the earth, each a beautiful specimen, together a feast to behold.

Walking south-east along the bank, I came across a pair of Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera), which was a lovely surprise. And, I spent a couple of contented hours completely absorbed in the nature around the grassy bank, just before you reach Further Roughdown. It was quite literally jumping with life. Meadow Grasshoppers stridulating (singing), causing grasses to ping every so often as they launched themselves on their merry way. All colours represented. This one (below) is the green variety, and could possibly be a young adult, judging by the short wings, but there were plenty of red/brown examples too. Grasshopper fact to throw into conversation next week: their ears are on their bellies (cool, eh). “On each side of the first abdominal segment, tucked under the wings, you'll find membranes that vibrate in response to sound waves. This simple eardrum, called a tympana, allows the grasshopper to hear the songs of its fellow grasshoppers.” More facts here if hoppers are your thing.

Dock bugs and Common green shieldbugs were flying between plants, butterflies too (Marbled Whites, Meadow Browns, Ringlets, a Skipper species (smaller than the Large Skipper but too quick for me to identify), Small Tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood and a few remaining Common Blues). Then there were the moths. Numerous Burnet Companions, Six-spot Burnets, a Cinnabar and three new ones for me, Knapweed Conch (Agapeta zoegana), Shaded Broad-Bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata) and Celypha lacunana. A Great Tit family came through noisily and an adult Dunnock was trying hard to keep a squeaky juvenile well fed.

Knapweed Conch (Agapeta zoegana)

Shaded Broad-Bar (Scotopteryx chenopodiata)

Out on Further Roughdown, the Pyramidal orchids outnumber the Common Spotted, I think. They are not so numerous but the discreet clumps are fresh and vibrant. A few Swallows were hawking low over the ground, after the insects (and guaranteed to beat me to it!)

Further Roughdown Pyramidal Orchids overlooking Hemel and the KD Tower. 

Also in the mix are Birds-foot-trefoil, Fairy Flax, Yellow Rattle, White Clover and many more species besides (the names of which have yet to take root in a brain cell)! 

And, to round off this week's post, the Oak

Week 20: Old Crone & Woodland Fairies

I have about as much mental acuity as a feather duster this week. Penning prose is hard going, so, you’ll have to bare with me. Thursday, the sunshine battled its way through the clouds and it was a warm and sunny day, albeit very blustery. I spent a couple of hours around Dellfield where a dozen Swallows, House Martins and Swifts were hunting for insects low over the meadow. I love hearing their chirpy little contact calls and seeing them swooping this way and that over the rippling grasses. This one (below) was taking a break from the hunting, but not the calling, perched on the roof of the Old Barn.

One of the first insects to catch my eye was a huge, green dragonfly. Unfortunately, it apparently came with its own cloaking device because every time I arrived at the spot where it had landed, it was nowhere to be found. I spent a good hour trying to relocate it without any luck. Not time wasted though, I rustled up a couple of new moths instead. First, the wonderfully named Mother Shipton moth (Callistege mi) with the mirror images, one on each wing, of the old 16th century Yorkshire crone (or witch!). It’s a day-flying moth, fairly common in England and Wales, favouring open grassy sites, such as wild flower meadows like Dellfield. This fella fed on the nectar of a Dandelion whilst I was watching it (notice the yellow pollen still on/around its proboscis (below)) but it also likes Creeping Buttercup and White Clover (of which, there is an abundance!).

Mother Shipton

Mother Shipton (head on)

The second moth to flutter up into my path was a beautiful Yellow Shell (Camptogramma bilineata). I think I found one of these earlier in the week up at College Lake, Buckinghamshire, but it disappeared before I could get a good look or a photograph. It made Thursday's find especially satisfying. This is another common moth that likes wild flower meadows. It isn’t a day-flier as such but is “easily disturbed” and then “flies from dusk onwards”.


I returned to the area on Friday, mostly just for a wander and to take this week’s Oak photograph. I also wanted to walk up through Ramacre Wood with my eyes peeled for Spotted Flycatchers. This is a migrant bird species, forging its way from Africa and arriving in the UK during May. Unfortunately it is becoming increasingly scarce and it would make my summer to find one on Box Moor Trust land. No luck today but I did come across this brilliant Black-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa coccinea) (below). It’s obvious black head and deep, blood red tones distinguish it from the more common Red-headed Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa serraticornis). It’s 2cm long and a predator, feeding on smaller insects that happen to land where it’s perched. According to one website, it “is an uncommon and specialised ancient woodland indicator species”. That’s good news for the Box Moor Trust land management team.

In this same area was a cloud of fluttering fairies, dancing in the air. Oh ok, not actual fairies. They, of course, keep their tiny wings, their powers and their existence carefully hidden from humans. No, this was a wonderful swirling haze of perhaps 50 Yellow-barred Longhorn moths (Nemophora degeerella). A species which is part of the Adelidae or “fairy longhorn” family of moths (and featured in last week's post). It was the second time I’d experienced this sight this week (the first being in my garden). I’m not entirely sure what's going on but I’d guess it’s some kind of courtship behaviour. I could only find one female in the group (with very obvious, short antennae). The males seemed to take it in turns to go up into the displaying cloud before coming back down to land on a leaf. There didn’t appear to be any obvious hostility. It seemed to simply be a mass flying event. As an afterthought, I grabbed some video footage but really didn’t think it through (mental acuity of a feather duster, remember). The dimly light woodland made focusing tricky but hopefully you'll get the idea!



This week's Oak photograph

Whilst walking through Bovingdon Reach

• Moths of note: 7 Yellow Shells, 1 Silver Y, 1 Straw Dot. 
• Butterflies: 2 Small tortoiseshell, Speckled Wood, 2 Peacock, 4 Common Blue. 

Dellfield is bustling with Burnet Companion moths. There’s got to be at least 30, probably more.

Finally, in other mothing news, Ben and the team had an excellent evening trapping on Monday at Roughdown Common. Amongst the catch was a rare Pammene albuginana. For more details, take a peek at Ben’s Blog.

Week 19, Extra: Carpet, Muslin & a little Gem

Not the contents of my living room but a few of the captivating critters around Box Moor. After the rain at the start of the week, I managed a couple of outings, targeting moths in particular. With some 2400 possible UK species, and less than 30 on my found list, the odds are in my favour to experience the thrill of a new discovery.....every time I go out! It is strangely addictive.

However, before I get to the moths, it is a bug to rival any jewel that Mr Fabergé could create. The tiny but beautiful Woundwort shieldbug. It is, of course, a member of the True Bug (Hemiptera) order (no Fake Bugs peddled on this blog thank you). It is a bona fide gem of nature, which was once rare in the UK but numbers have since grown. This one was at the Bovingdon Brickworks site. However, Martin Parr has also found them at the Gadespring cressbeds, a site which is not yet open to the public but which has an “Open Day” tomorrow 11am - 2pm. See the Box Moor Trust website for details.

Martin is one of two Conservation Managers at the Maple Lodge nature reserve near Rickmansworth, but he is also very kindly carrying out some informal survey work for the Box Moor Trust. He introduced me to the shieldbug species earlier this month and, so, it was all the more rewarding to finally find one. The only downside was that it was deep in dark undergrowth, so, in order to photograph it, I had to lift it out. I would have preferred a natural setting but my finger had to suffice. Anyway, back to the sheildbug: “There is one generation per year; the nymphs feed on hedge woundwort (Stachys sylvatica) and sometimes other plants...such as white dead-nettle. New adults may be found from August onwards.” Keep your eyes peeled!

Next up, who could resist an ivory cloak with black spots, accessorised with an extravagant, white feather ruffle!? Not me, that's for sure. Another Brickworks find, an elegant female Muslin moth (Diaphora mendica) that looked positively strokable (is that even a word?!). The male is a grey-brown colour and is nocturnal. The female gets out and about during the day, soaking up the sunshine (sensible lady). The larval food plants are “dock, dandelion, heathers, chickweed, plantains, Purple-moor grass and Eared Sallow”. It isn’t rare but was a joy to find, and, it actually sat still for photographs, which made it all the more satisfying. [Better reproductions can be found in a set on Flickr here]

Now, to the Common Carpet moth (Epirrhoe alternata). It’s not difficult to see how it acquired its name. It’s widespread i.e. “common”, and it looks like, well, a 1970’s carpet (what? It does!). I think it is mostly nocturnal but “is easily flushed in the daytime”. This one was at Roughdown Common.

A couple of other moths, photographed in the drizzle at Dellfield. The Yellow-barred Long-horn (Nemophora degeerella) (look at those antennae!) and the tiny (6mm long) Diamond-back moth (Plutella xylostella).

• Longhorn fact: This is probably a male, judging by the length of the antenna (i.e. long! (and I am resisting all smutty jokes)). 
• Diamond-back fact: it only lives 14 days.

Long-horn (Nemophora degeerella)

Long-horn (Nemophora degeerella)

Diamond-back (Plutella xylostella)

Finally, the prize for the most curious find of the week goes to this

Side 1

Side 2

It was approx 1cm long, “hairy” and obviously “plugged into” the willow (Salix fragilis) leaf. In fact, it’s probably the larval casing of a Coleophora lusciniaepennella moth. Basically, inside that tightly compressed casing, created from the leaf, is a developing larva. As it grows, it constructs new cases in which to live. It feeds by attaching to the leaf and “mining” for nutrients. At this stage it’s still feeding but will soon enter the pupation phase, when feeding stops and metamorphosis occurs. The adult moth emerges June or July. It’s an incredible process these little creatures go through!

Birding moments of note this week at the Brickworks: I not only heard but saw the male Cuckoo singing; a stunning male Bullfinch perched in the open but not long enough to photograph unfortunately, and I heard my first Brickworks Willow Warbler.