Sunday, 25 October 2009
An Explosion of Fungi
Saturday, 24 October 2009
Hazel Catkins in October?
It was a busy day for wildlife today. There have been a least a dozen pheasants around and when I went to have a look at the pond I disturbed a heron and two mallard ducks.
Friday, 23 October 2009
Silk Button and Common Spangle Galls
I found these galls on a fallen oak leaf today. The doughnut shaped ones are Silk Button Galls (Neuroterus numismalis) and the green-coloured ones are Common Spangle Galls (Neuroterus quercusbaccarum). They are tiny. The diameter of the Silk Button is about 3 mm.
They are created when the tiny Cynipid wasp lays eggs on the oak leaf. The grub matures inside the gall.
The second photo shows a close-up of these amazing growths.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Roe Deer Buck
I got my camera out when he was eating the windfall apples this evening, but it was almost dark, so the photograph is not too good.
You can see the remnants of his ginger summer coat amongst his darker winter coat.
He is also a relatively young male since his antlers are quite small. Roe deer shed their antlers each winter and regrow them.
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Deer, Squirrels and Pheasants
The squirrels are hyperactive at the moment. Every time I look out of the window, I see one running across the lawn, probably with acorns to stash away.
I think there must be people locally who breed pheasants. I suspect that they have just released this year's brood, possibly because the pheasant shooting season in England started on 1st October. In the last two weeks, there have been at least a dozen pheasants in the garden - mostly males. We often hear shooting in the woods, so I hope the pheasants realise they are safe in our garden!
Saturday, 17 October 2009
Feathered Thorn Moth
Monday, 12 October 2009
Green Woodpecker
They are very shy and don't often come close enough to the house to get a decent photo through the window.
The beak is very long and it hammers it into the earth to find ants, usually ending up quite muddy in the process.
Unlike other kinds of woodpecker, green woodpeckers spend a lot of time on the ground rather than in trees. Their green plumage merges into the background, but the red head means it can be spotted quite easily.
At the weekend there were dozens of ladybirds flying around. I would guess that they are trying to find a warm and cosy place to hibernate. Last winter, lots of them ended up in the frame of our sliding patio doors.
Friday, 9 October 2009
Badger and Hare
Badgers have few predators in this country and it is badger cubs that are most at risk from predators. Adult badgers can fight back fairly aggressively if attacked and they have a nasty bite. They also use their black and white striped face to warn off attackers.
Badgers are getting a fairly bad press at the moment in the UK, accused of spreading Bovine TB. I hope that no local farmers are taking it into their own hands and poisoning them. They are such beautiful creatures.
I also surprised a brown hare (Lepus capensis). It was just a few metres away so I got a good look at it before it ran off. I have seen hares in the garden before but only from a distance. I was surprised by its light colouring and, of course, it had the black tips on its ears. I wish I could get a photo.
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Gardener's Enemy
In woodland, this fungus serves the very useful purpose of breaking down the wood of dead trees and making space for new trees to take their place. However, in gardens, the fungus can spread to healthy trees and shrubs and kill them.
We get Honey Fungus in the garden most years but have not as yet had it spreading to healthy trees. I am not really sure what, if anything we should do about it. There is no easy way of getting rid of it.
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