Vine Weevil

Vine Weevil, Otiorhynchus sulcatus, photographed on the Guardian, 28 September 2011.

I found one of these in my moth trap recently, and thought it looked interesting. Then I discovered as soon as I identified it that they are actually quite a harmful pest; they eat leaves, and their grubs eat roots. Luckily I only saw one .. but then this one appeared in my house. I hope they are not attracted to my pot plants.

Two Garden Slugs

Large Black Slug, Arion ater, going for a chunk of mango in my back garden in Hayes, 7 September 2011.

I used to pick up the big slugs in my garden and throw them over the back fence into a patch of scrub and trees, but then I read that some of them eat the smaller slugs that do most damage to garden plants. Since then I have let them be, and there does seem to be a lot less slug damage.

The creature in the top photo is called the Large Black Slug, but actually varies in colour. Back in Newcastle, they were all jet black. Here, they are mostly this mid-brown, though some are more yellow.

You can clearly see its mantle, its breathing pore and the stripy fringe. At the end of the tail is a little lump of mucus that picks up bits of the environment; bits of grit and plant debris in this case. This slug eats vegetation and carrion, but will not actually attack living prey.

Below is a Leopard Slug, so-called because of its appearance, but this one is also an active predator and goes after the little slugs as well as carrion. A group of these spend the day under the rim of my rainwater butt, cool and wet. Welcome to the garden, Limax!

Leopard Slug, Limax maximus, in my back garden in Hayes.  25 September 2011.

Piece of Treetrunk

Piece of treetrunk in a clearing.  West Wickham Common, 2 June 2011.

This piece of tree was placed next to a holly sapling almost like a sculpture, and seemed to be lit in an interesting way, so I took a shot with my 100mm macro lens. This was at f/2.8, showing how sharp this lens is even wide open.

The wood has been moved around several times since June.

Twenty-Plume Moth

Twenty-plume Moth, Alucita hexadactyla.  Micromoth.  2 October 2011.

This strange small moth appeared on the outside of an upstairs window one evening. After some wild manipulations with a plastic coffee cup I managed to catch it, and I left it in the fridge overnight hoping it would be subdued in the morning and ready to be photographed. But it was still lively; in this shot it is crawling up some paintwork. After this I caught it again and let it out.

As you can see, its wings are split into spines or plumes which are covered with fine hairs. Each wing has six plumes, so there are actually 24 altogether. Whoever named it was distressingly inaccurate, and I do not know why whoever gave it its Linnaic name referred to the plumes as fingers.

It's one of many moths that the books say are common, and yet I do not recall having seen it before. Perhaps because you need to look closely to see the plumes.

Bumblebee on Greater Knapweed

Bumblebee, Bombus pascuorum, on Greater Knapweed, Centaurea scabiosa.  Lullingstone Country Park, 14 October 2011.

Another shot taken during my wild flower course at Lullingstone.

Lesser Hawkbit

Lesser Hawkbit, Leontodon saxatilis.  Lullingstone Country Park, 14 October 2011.

I am taking a course called "Discovering WIldflowers" at Lullingstone Country Park. Last Friday we walked around some of the park, looking for roses but not confining ourselves to them.

This is a common enough flower, one of the many yellow-flowered composites that look a little like dandelions. This one looks as though someone has taken a paintbrush full of grey, outlined the sepals are run the brush up the outer petals.

I also took a shot of the flower full on, shown below, but I think the first one is much more pleasant and  interesting.

Lesser Hawkbit, Leontodon saxatilis.  Lullingstone Country Park, 14 October 2011.

A Popular Oak Leaf

Popular oak leaf on Hayes Common.  18 September 2011.

Oak trees support many other species and are ecosystems in themselves. This single leaf illustrates some of that!

I am no expert on galls, but they are interesting and some of them are easy to identify. Not these, unfortunately.  This leaf has up to three different types. The large round one on the right might be a Striped Pea Gall, caused by the gall wasp Cynips longiventris, though it is not as colourful as I would expect. There are also some small green galls lower down the midrib, possibly younger versions of the same, though if so their timing is odd; and some small black ribbed galls on the side veins.

The tip of the leaf, on the right, is covered with droppings and silk strands, showing that something has been living there, curling the edge of the leaf around for protection. The same has happened where the edge of the leaf is curled under at the bottom of the photo.

The white patch in the middle is where something has eaten out the green goodness from between the upper and lower surfaces of the leaf.

There are holes where something has either eaten or taken away chunks of leaf.

There are some white cast-off skins showing where aphids have moulted.

And finally, I  leave it to you to spot the scale insect, tucked in and hanging on quite happily.

Nail Galls

Nail galls on Small-Leaved Lime, Tilia cordata, caused by the gall mite Eriophyes lateannulatus.
Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

Small-Leaved Limes are scarce in the UK. It is likely that the climate is not warm enough to allow them to seed successfully. But they are found in ancient woodlands, so were probably established there when the climate was warmer. They reproduce vegetatively, and young trees can often be found in the neighbourhood of older ones.

There are just two specimens in Farningham Wood, yet this is enough to support a species of nail gall mites that are unique to this species of tree. The nail galls on the more common lime tree, Tilia × europaea, are produced by a different mite and are noticeably larger at this time of year, as shown below!

Lime nail galls, caused by a mite, Eriophyes tiliae, on a lime tree in Cudham car park.   30 September 2011.

Yellow-Berried Holly

Holly, Ilex aquifolium, with yellow berries next to one with red berries.  Hayes Common, 10 October 2011.

Not all holly berries are red!

Magpie Ink Cap

Magpie Ink Cap, Coprinus picaceus.
Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

Back on 2 October I was with the Orpington Field Club at Farningham Wood, looking for fungi. At the far side of the wood, power lines go overhead, and beneath them are piles of wood chippings, clearly the result of trees being felled to keep the lines clear.

Wood chippings are great places to look for fungi, especially if, like these, they are in a shady spot and get plenty of dew. These were still wet at mid-day in the middle of a heat-wave.

This was one of the fungi we found. They are all the same species, but the top specimen is still young, and the lower two photos show a mature one almost ready to drop.

They are very showy and distinctive, and from under their cap emerges a strong chemical smell, reminiscent of mothballs; not camphor, which is sometimes used in mothballs and smells medicinal but not unpleasant, but the other, harsh kind. And not the same, but in the same class of smells. I apologise for this vague description, but there is nothing else in everyday life that compares.

The name "Ink Cap" derives from the black fluid they release when ripe. The colour comes from their spores.

Magpie Ink Cap, Coprinus picaceus.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

Magpie Ink Cap, Coprinus picaceus.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

November Moth

November Moth, Epirrita dilutata. Farthing Downs, 4 October 2011.

This is one of the moths I photographed at Farthing Downs on 4 October. It posed in several positions and I was able to catch it from all angles. Despite their name, it is common enough to see them in October.

It is most unusual for moths to stand with their wings up in butterfly fashion, but here it is. They do not normally rest with their hind wings visible either, so the second shot below is an unusual photo.

November Moths belong to a small group that all look very similar, and the field guide has diagrams of their genitalia, always a bad sign. But we are pretty sure of this one without resorting to a microscope.

They are not spectacular, but I like these photos.

November Moth, Epirrita dilutata, on a 5mm grid.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

November Moth, Epirrita dilutata.  Geometer.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Badger Dung Pit

Badger dung pit, Meles meles, on Hayes Common.  28 September 2011.

I recently posted a photo of fox scat, and here is the badger equivalent. Badgers make communal dung pits to mark the edges of their territory, and I saw this one while walking on Hayes Common.

These badgers have been eating something, maybe cherries, that have round stones. The dark colour suggests that they might also have been snacking on blackberries.

Cherry Stones

Cherry stones eaten by a vole.  High Elms Country Park, 20 September 2011.

When a small area of grass and wildflowers in High Elms Country Park was mown, this hoard of cherry stones was uncovered. They were a few yards from the tree, and a small pathway between the stones and the tree could be seen (gone by the time I saw it). It was pointed out to me by Nick Hopkins, one of the rangers, who is pretty sure that the creature responsible was a vole, probably a short-tailed vole, Microtus agrestis. They must have been brought here, a spot which was well under cover at the time, and then eaten in safety. It's interesting to see that it's not just the sweet outer part of the cherry that attracts wildlife.

More Farthing Downs Moths

Ypsolopha sequella .  Micromoth.
Farthing Downs, 4 October 2011.

Here are some more of the moths we caught at Farthing Downs on the morning of 4 October. I showed some of them on 6 October.

The small moth on the right is a micromoth, quite distinctive with that Bugs Bunny outline on its back. Gill Peachey, my informal tutor, does not work with micromoths, but even so, she knew it straight away.

We are starting to see the moths that really belong to the Autumn. I think that the two next down make a good contrasting pair; the Black Rustic does look quite black in normal light, with white pips on its wings, and it's only the strong light of the flash that brings out some detail. It has white underwings.

Further down is the Deep-Brown Dart, on which detail can be seen in normal light if you look carefully.

The Snout is impossible to mistake, even with a faded specimen like this, with its delta-wing shape and pointed facial outline.

The Barred Sallow and a normal Sallow would make a good pair, but the Sallow would not settle down and I couldn't get a photo.

And the last moth on this page is a Red-Green Carpet, quite showy in a dark sort of way. I like the way its eyes match the overall body and wing colour.

Finally, there were lots big ichneumon flies in the trap this time. I don't know the species, but they look quite dramatic.

Black Rustic, Aporophyla nigra (left) and Autumnal Rustic, Eugnorisma glareosa (right)  Noctuids.
Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Deep-Brown Dart, Aporophyla lutulenta.  Noctuid.
Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Snout, Hypena proboscidialis.  Noctuid.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Barred Sallow, Xanthia aurago.  Noctuid.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Red-Green Carpet, Chloroclysta siterata.  Geometer.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Unidentified ichneumon fly.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

White Melilot

White Melilot, Melilotus albus, in Hayes Station car park.
18 September 2011.

This is my local station car park. It was given a new fence only a few years ago, and the balance of the ecology around its edge has not settled down yet.

There is a small earth bank along the roadside, and cracks in the tarmac elsewhere where plants flourish.

Last year, there was a flush of Mugwort, Artemisia vulgaris. This year, hardly any of that; instead, lots of White Melilot, a plant I had not even heard of until earlier this year. I know northern plants pretty well, but there are still plenty in this area that are still new to me.

In fact I thought of this plant as belonging to a chalk grassland community, because that's where I first saw it, earlier this year at High Elms. But here it looks quite happy and healthy growing through tarmac on clay ground.  This small patch is only part of it.

Although I doubt very much whether ecology is on their minds, the managers of this car park clear the plants once a year, in mid-September. These have gone now. That's quite good timing, as it allows many plants to mature and set seed, which gives me greenery to enjoy. I have already shown photos of thistles, horsetails and Prickly Lettuce from this car park, and I have photos of other plants too. It will be interesting to see what flourishes here next year.

Below is a shot from the first time I saw White Melilot.

Honey bee, Apis mellifera, on White Melilot, Melilotus albus, on Burnt Gorse at High Elms Country Park, 14 July 2011.

More Farningham Wood Fungi

Motorbike racing.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

This was the view from a high spot at the far side of Farningham Wood on 2 October, on the Orpington Field Club's fungus field trip. I showed some of the results of the trip a few days ago.

The bikes were very noisy. At first it was just a murmur, but as we walked on the sound gradually became a foreground roar.  I wouldn't have minded getting a bit closer to try for some dramatic photos, but reasonably enough the group headed away from them.

You can see that the soil there is pure sand. We, in the woods, were mostly on Blackheath Gravel, the same beds that my local commons are on (West Wickham Common, Hayes Common, Keston Common, Spring Park - all within walking distance; I feel well placed.) Despite the dry weather, there were quite a few fungi, and although many of them were dried up, old, or nibbled, they still make good photos.

First, the edge of a beefsteak fungus, a common wood-rotting bracket found on dead wood. It grows on my local oaks, but this one was on a chestnut tree. You can see the pores from which the spores fall when they are ripe.

Beefsteak fungus, Fistulina hepatica, on a chestnut tree.  Farningham Wood,  2 October 2011.

Slugs love to eat fungi, and this one has been comprehensively nibbled.

Leccinum aurantiacum.  Nibbled by slugs in a scalloped pattern.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

Ths next one is an old specimen and has mildew growing on it. It is also being explored by a beetle.

Cortinarius species, on Willow. Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

Now, two small and delicate growths. The first one is tiny. That is a fingernail next to it.

Mycena speirea next to a finger.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

Coprinopsis lagopus. Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

A small cup-shaped fungus.

Peziza species.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

Not all of the fungi had large fruiting bodies. This next is an oak leaf mildew, and you can just see the tiny black specks which are its equivalent of mushrooms.

Oak Powdery Mildew, Microsphaera alphitoides (or Erysiphe alphitoides).  Fruiting.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

The last fungus for today is an unidentifed species which was growing on the dead stem of a nettle. The mycologists were quite pleased to find this; apparently the stems supporting the cups are unusual.

Unidentified fungus on the dead stem of a nettle.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

The fungi that decompose tree-trunks are responsible for the blocky cracquelure in this example. This is normally all you see until they put out a fruiting body like the beefsteak bracket near the top of this page.

Decaying wood.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

Finally, on our way out of the wood we went along a field edge looking for a rare plant that grows locally, the Deptford Pink. We did find several of them by the hedge, but they were well past flowering, and these seed-heads were all that was left.

Seed heads of Deptford Pink, Dianthus armeria.  Farningham Wood, 2 October 2011.

Morning Walk

Oak tree on Hayes Common, 22 September 2011.

Following yesterday's oak tree, here is a very different one that I pass on one of my local walks. The way it branches off from a low point like this suggests that it was originally a pollard, cut back to that height every few years and the branches and leaves harvested. But the branching point on this specimen is unusually low. A pollard would have been cut above the height at which cows and deer might graze. So although there are many old and ancient oak pollards in this area, there may be another explanation for this one.

Misty Morning

Oak tree in light mist, Hayes Street Farm, 27 September 2011.

There's normally a view into the distance past those far trees, and I have quite a few photos taken from this spot. A little mist makes a big difference to the mood. (Taken with my Ixus 100.)

Turkey Oak

Acorns of Turkey Oak, Quercus serris.  High Elms Country Park, 20 September 2011.

The Turkey Oak is not native to Britain, but is widespread, possibly introduced because it gorws fast and looks decorative. It is required for the sexual generation of a gall wasp, Andricus quercuscalicis, that causes knopper galls on our native oaks in its alternating parthenogenetic generation. So knopper galls are now quite common, though their frequency varies a lot and this year they are quite rare in this locality.  I expect to post some photos of plant galls later on.

Turkey oaks are distinguished by their leaf shape, bristly bud tips, and those tentacle-like protrusions on the cups of the acorns, sometimes described as "mossy."

Even though this is a good year for nuts and berries, I could only see these two acorns on this tree.

October Moths at Farthing Downs

Copper Underwing, Amphipyra pyramidea.  Farthing Downs, 4 October 2011.

On 4th October Gill Peachey invited me to Farthing Downs for another moth-untrapping session. It was nearly two months since the previous one, and conditions for mothing were excellent; we had just had a week of heatwave, followed by a cooler, overcast night.

The trap was full of interesting and instructive moths. 76 macromoths of 24 different species, and a few micros as well.

Of course, some of them were by now quite familiar, like the Copper Underwing on the right and the Large Yellow Underwing just below. I also saw a Broad-Bordered Yellow Underwing fluttering about the lamp as I arrived; I was quite excited, thinking we had a big new yellow moth, but the bright light on the strong colour of the rear wings had fooled me.  It was great to see that a moth that looks like earth or a dead leaf when resting can be so vivid in flight.

Large Yellow Underwing, Noctua pronuba.
Farthing Downs, 4 October 2011.

As before, the City of London wardens kindly allowed us to use their premises, and we were joined both for the untrapping and the ID session afterwards by one of the wardens, who really got stuck in. I really enjoy these sessions, and Gill is a good teacher.

Although I have seen lots of Large Yellow Underwings recently, I included this one because it has clear wing markings as well as that distinctive beak, which makes it a good example.

Gill made sure to pot up several specimens of three types of moth that can look very much alike, and all three of us pored over the books until we could distinguish them fairly easily. These are the Beaded Chestnuts, Brown-Spot Pinions and Lunar Underwings shown below. I have seen a dozen Lunar Underwings in my own trap, but only one of them was the brown shade that can let them be confused with these others; that shade seems to be more common here at Farthing Downs.

Some of these photos are on a rough card background; they are still resting in the egg-boxes that are left for them in the trap. Others are on grey, squared paper; those are 5mm sqares that I printed off, which allows a good size comparison however the photos might be processed.

A few others are in pots or on other surfaces, like the Copper Underwing above which is on the concrete next to the trap.

The most showy catch today was a Frosted Orange, which I will include at the bottom of this post. I will show more of these moths on another day.

Beaded Chestnut, Agrochola lychnidis.  Noctuid.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Brown-Spot Pinion, Agrochola litura.  Noctuid.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Lunar Underwing, Omphaloscelis lunosa.  Noctuid.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Two more that I thought were quite similar in appearance, though they are not actually related; the Brindled Green and the Large Ranunculus. This Brindled Green does not look very green. The colour was hard to distinguish under the artificial light of the Rangers' room. Green fades very quickly from moths.

Brindled Green, Dryobotodes eremita.  Noctuid.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Large Ranunculus, Polymixis flavicincta.  Noctuid.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.

Notice how the different apparent size of the grey squares tells you that the Large Ranunculus is bigger than the Brindled Green.

Finally, the showy one:

Frosted Orange, Gortyna flavago.  Noctuid.  Moth trap at Farthing Downs with Gill Peachey, 4 October 2011.