A spring-like day

Brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni)

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Meteorological spring begins officially on Sunday 1^st March. As if to herald that auspicious day, Wednesday was sunny and mild. We opened the patio doors to our sitting room to listen to frenetic birds singing loudly, claiming their territory, challenging their peers.

Squirrels cavorted in the trees, chasing madly up and down the tree trunks, leaping from pathway to pathway along the naked oak tree branches.

The first butterflies were flitting about the shrubs. A bright flash and flittering of lemon yellow, the Brimstone butterflies (Gonepteryx rhamni) had emerged from their winter hibernation in the ivy or holly or brambles. It is the males that are so gaily decked out. The mates they hope to impress are more soberly dressed in greenish-white. They are long-lived, these harbingers of spring, enjoying a full twelve-month of life. They survive almost freezing temperatures with glycerin, a natural ‘anti-freeze,’ and by controlling the water in their bodies. While the warmth of a February sun tempts them from their lairs, a sudden drop in temperature can send them back to shelter.

 

In the uncertain days of early spring, Brimstones rely on nectar from early flowering shrubs and flowers, like pussy willow, primroses, or dandelions, though there are none of these producing anything at present for their sustenance in our garden.

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

It’s good to be alive!        

Jonquil, Daffodil or Narcissus?

 

Jonquil, Daffodil or Narcissus?

The common botanical name for all these lovely spring flowers is Narcissus.

Daffodils may be perfumed, but their scent is delicate and, to my nose, green. They have one flower per stem. They come in many shades, from white, through yellow to peach and pink. Often their trumpets are a brighter colour.

Jonquils are strongly perfumed and carry many flowers on each stem. They are seen in all shades of yellow and the trumpets, or corona, are shorter than in daffodils, but, like them, contrast with the outer petals.

Although daffodils and jonquils are both classified as narcissus, they are different species. Nonetheless, they will probably always be referred to as ‘daffodils,’ glorious harbingers of spring.

 I noticed a bent stem of jonquils in the garden and brought it into the house. It smelt wonderful. My photographic skills do not do it justice, and there is no way of capturing the scent, but I think it is beautiful. 

Covid-19

Life in the time of Covid-19 and other things

Being part of the ‘vulnerable’ cohort, we have had to give in and ‘self-isolate’, much to our children’s relief.  Delivery drivers are being punctilious in their manner of conveying items to us.

At present, all is bonhomie and I really cannot complain. We go out in the early evening to walk our four dogs. It’s quieter then and because we drive to the woods we do not risk breathing on others or being breathed upon. Susannah lives close to us and calls by every day to see if we need anything. She keeps her distance and we are becoming accustomed to shouted conversations that the whole neighbourhood can enjoy, though, to be sure, they are fairly banal. Frankie stands by, looking a little bemused. His routine has been severely affected, as school has closed for him and all his activities have been suspended. Susannah says the local shop is empty of many things but full of people ignoring the oft-repeated mantra to maintain a 2-metre distance from others. Why? Some people appear to be treating the current lockdown as an impromptu holiday. In some instances, police have dispersed gatherings of more than two people.

Gillian, our eldest daughter, told us of an incident in sleepy Blandford, when police were called to a supermarket to arrest a man who had punched another man because he wanted his block of cheese! Dear me, whatever happened to self-control?

I am enjoying the peace and quiet. It’s never horrendously noisy here but currently we are free of over-flying helicopters and other aircraft, apart from a very occasional airliner. Is it my imagination or are the birds singing more joyously than usual? They are certainly very busy, meeting and mating, nesting and brooding and keeping Herschel and Jellicoe entertained. Their brother, Isambard, died very suddenly last October. Barry had been confined to bed with pneumonia and Isambard had been keeping him company and developed a respiratory disease that killed him in 24 hours, despite the best endeavours of our lovely vets. Very sad. However, he left a little of his soul behind in his brothers, who have both become much more attentive and demonstrative. Jellicoe had also been very ill with pancreatitis and we have found that nursing sick animals seems to make them more affectionate.

The last few days have been glorious, sunny and bright. As spring matures, Nature continues to awaken and dress herself in fresh green and flowers. I saw my first butterfly yesterday. It was yellow, perhaps a Clouded yellow. I’ve just discovered that a yellow butterfly symbolises hope and guidance, and was the symbol of the soul in early Christianity. We certainly need plenty of hope and forbearance at present.

To occupy the hours, I am practising the piano, attempting to improve my playing – long way to go there! – doing jigsaws and tapestry, reading, writing, and trying to remember how to crochet. Crochet is not like riding a bicycle – once you fall off the hook it’s not so easy to get back on!

We are only in the first week of lockdown – I think some folks are going to get mighty tired of it long before the initial three weeks are over. I do feel sorry for teenagers and also glad I haven’t any to contend with. Someone suggested that the divorce rate would increase and/or there would be a ‘baby boom’, the resulting infants possibly becoming known as ‘Coronalists’.

Spring has sprung 2012

Spring has sprung, the grass has ris’,

I wonder where the birdie is?

There he is up in the sky,

He dropped some whitewash in my eye!

I‘m alright, I won't cry,

I'm just glad that cows can't fly!

Spring is coming on apace and there has been activity in the pond.

In my Easter bonnet . . .

Look into my eye! See the humans' house. 

We have not heard the great chorus of frogs that has been customary in the past and there are certainly not hundreds of them in the water. They started calling later this year and are still croaking now so something has changed in their world. Overall, numbers have been dropping over the last three years and this spring they are sadly depleted.

Nonetheless, they have laid great swathes of spawn which appears to be developing healthily.

One thing that is really flourishing is the duckweed (Lemna minuta) The plant mass can double in size every two to three days during the summer but in our pond it dies away almost completely in the winter. We keep it under control by raking it off the surface and composting it. I don’t object to it – its little leaves are quite pretty and provide some shelter to frogs and fish.

We have daffodils aplenty and strong, bright grape hyacinths (Muscari) Our first early-flowering tulips have appeared and I noticed forget-me-nots this morning. 

 Nectarine (Prunus persica variety nectarina)

The nectarine on the patio will look stunning if all the hundreds of buds open. Two days ago there was one flower; today there are many more bursting.

A week ago it was the woodpeckers that were most audible, drumming on the trees. In the last couple of days the crows have been extremely vocal. Our feeders are well patronised. Long-tailed tits, blue tits, great tits and coal tits flit in, cheeping and cocking their heads, always keeping an eye open for enemies. The starlings continue to squabble and scream at each other in a friendly sort of ‘we love to hate each other’ way. Wood pigeons stumble onto the fat cakes and magpies and robins and nuthatches fly in to sample the feast. Blackbirds search for wriggly meals and sound their alarm calls at the first hint of danger. After a noticeable absence last year, when I saw just one collared dove, I have already seen a pair this year and hope they will return to nest in the garden.

The fur I’ve groomed from the dogs waits to be collected by the tits for their nests, and butterflies – those ‘self-propelled flowers’ (R.A. Heinlein) - dance in the sun and settle occasionally for a photo call.

The Comma (Polygonia c-album) is one of the first butterflies to be seen, appearing from late February. Much of the males’ time is spent looking for a mate – are the females playing hard to get? It’s interesting to reflect that a century ago the Comma was a rare sight but now is common throughout England and Wales and may soon colonise Scotland. A few have been spotted in Ireland in recent years. It’s good to hear of their success.

seven-spot ladybird (Coccinella septempunctata)

Cobwebby seven-spot ladybird

We have seen many seven-spot ladybirds, too, the commonest in Europe. Perhaps this means a summer full of aphids . . .

This is such a beautiful time of year when all things are full of life and growth and each day brings more treasures to light. The world becomes brighter and more colourful with every passing day and everything, birds included, looks as if it has been freshly painted.

Two-headed eight-legged beasts

The two-headed eight-legged beasts are back! No, not a mutant arachnid – even with just one head spiders are scary . . . shudder. The creatures of which I speak are amphibians and often appear in our garden pond around this time of year. It seems too chilly yet for them to emerge from their cosy hibernation in the mud and the weather forecast is for a cold snap for a few days so they may well die to regret their enthusiasm.

Nonetheless, they are active once more, though surprisingly quiet. There are variations on the mutation; I have seen amorphous masses with six or seven heads and twenty-four to twenty-eight legs, some of which seem to be in opposition to the majority – that is, upside down.

Later on gelatinous clumps will appear on the pond’s surface, each with a small black inhabitant which, when closely observed, appears to move. Within a few days the jelly-dwellers have grown and soon will have consumed their surroundings. How strange that must be! Imagine eating your own house! Some of it would be so crunchy and difficult to chew and other parts would be decidedly unappetising if not downright disgusting.

So what do these wriggling black commas do when they’ve literally eaten themselves out of house and home? Well, the ones that aren’t immediately gobbled up by other pond residents continue to grow and before long have developed legs. They are undergoing tremendous changes and one day, provided no passing crow or magpie has feasted on them, they will metamorphose from gilled beings to air-breathing animals capable of leaving the water and living on land.

The frogs this year are camera-shy so the photos are of their bolder, older friends and relations from last spring. 

Yes, the frogs are alive and busy once more!

 

Who would not love that happy smiley face?

Late one day this week, when the sun had set and it was cold and dark outside, a large frog was spotted trying to break into our house. He sat next to the patio door, waiting for a foolish human to open it and allow him access. It was as well that he did not succeed for inside were four-legged animals that would have played with him but not known when to stop. Thus his chances of passing on his genes would have been dashed forever.

If you are too cold, little frogs, return to the dusky depths and slimy safety of the bottom of the pond.

Spring 2010

Has Spring sprung or merely gently yawned and stretched?
Last night, for the first time this year, I heard a frog calling with that distinctive rolling chirp. In 2009 the frogs started singing a full month earlier than this. There are a few individuals in our pond and the fish are swimming about in the expectation of tasty frogs' eggs though I think they may be disappointed for a while yet (not French, our fish, nor gastronomes – no taste for grenouilles). I'll feed them anyway so that some spawn may survive – if eventually it is deposited.
Spring is certainly taking its time to wake up. The Spring flowers are late. Usually the tête-à-tête daffodils are in full bloom by St David's Day on 1^st March but they've only opened in the past week. Other daffodils in the garden and in pots are still in bud, their glories yet to be revealed. Tree buds are beginning to ripen but everything seems reluctant to show itself.

Common Ninebark  (Physocarpus Opulifolius) 'Dart's Gold'

I suppose Spring always enters shyly, disclosing her beauty gradually so that we may appreciate it the more. Our Common Ninebark (Physocarpus Opulifolius) is almost in leaf – I love the bright yellow-green of its foliage and of course the hazel catkins are shaking their tails in the breeze.

 Corkscrew hazel (Corylus avellana contorta)

I discovered some hellebores bravely blooming, their heads barely raised above the ground. The crocuses were late, too, and the lone snowdrop I've seen stands tall and proud – and late - in the shelter of the ninebark.

Somewhat battered Hellebore

Perhaps Spring is performing the dance of the seven veils. Maybe she always does but as I look out on this dank March day I feel that this year she is being unnecessarily coy. If the sun shines later – or ever – I will definitely feel more hopeful but for now the wind is sharpening and the drizzle is determined to grow up into rain.

SkyWatch Friday Season 4 Episode 34

Barry took these photographs during our walks this week on different days. It was good to be out in bright, brisk weather, though the wind was keen.

Not a thieving magpie in the bare branches of this tree but a retrieving crow. We are watched and followed by crows on the days we carry treats for the dogs. Treats are thrown into the pond/s to encourage Frodo to take a bath (though often he plunges in of his own accord) and those he misses are spotted and plucked from the water by the vigilant, clever crows.

Click on the photo to reveal two ponds. These are deep - even deeper at present after our cold, wet winter - and are frequented by three mallards in the Spring. Two drakes and a duck divide their time between the various ponds in the forest but go elsewhere to nest and raise their young so we never discover which drake is the chosen swain!
Thank you to the SkyWatch team for their hard work in organising and hosting this meme. Click here to gaze at other skies.

First frog and a foolish butterfly

Yesterday, St David's Day, started with a heavy frost and blue, blue skies. It was a wonderful day – brisk, bright and surprisingly warm in the sun though had the wind been blowing it would have felt very cold. Today started in similar vein and the weather forecasters are predicting that we will have several more dry, clear days. In celebration of that I have chosen a Spring-like colour for this post, though it will probably be impossible to read.
Yesterday there were many flies in the forest, most of them intent on settling in my hair and just now I saw my first butterfly of 2010 in our garden. It was yellow – more lemon yellow than primrose but it didn't settle so I couldn't photograph it. I'm sure it's much too early for butterflies to be out and about so I fear it is destined for a short life unless it can find a warm place to rest. While I was outside I glanced into the pond in time to see a frog swimming into the safety of the depths. This was the first frog I have seen this year – usually they're busy quite early in February. Like our daffodils, however, they are late to appear this Spring.

Today’s Flowers #81 Crocuses

Finally we have some flowers in the garden! They're not very far advanced but I was delighted to see them! Spring flowers look so delicate but are really very hardy - they grow and bloom despite frost, snow, hail and icy blasts. 

Thank you to the TF team for working so hard in hosting this meme. To see more flowers from around the world please click here.

Camera Critters #96 Nuthatch and Blue Tit

As Spring approaches the daylight hours are lengthening and the birds are wearing brighter plumage. They are much in evidence in the garden, feeding, preening, bathing, squabbling.
The other day a Nuthatch came obligingly close and posed prettily for Barry to take photographs.

This image is not quite sharp enough but you can see the Nuthatch's long tongue. I don't know what it was capturing - very small insects perhaps, though it was a very cold day when most self-respecting insects are tucked up somewhere warm - probably in our house!

This is no insect! It looks like a berry, but our holly had no berries this year and there are none on the ivy - wrong colour anyway, for either of those. Maybe it's a larva of some sort, but spherical??

Pause for thought . . .

This is how we typically see them, parading down a tree trunk. 

Then another joined it - its mate, perhaps, but he couldn't capture them in one shot. They departed and a Blue Tit flew in.

Thank you to Misty Dawn for organising and hosting this meme. To see more Critters please click here 

The first day of Autumn 2009

Yesterday, August 31st, was the last Bank Holiday the UK will enjoy until December 25th, Christmas Day. (Scotland's last one was on August 3rd.) Though many people consider that Autumn has arrived, naturally enough when the Autumn school term is about to start or has already commenced, in my mind at least it is still Summer. Yesterday was a warm, sunny, beautiful day and this morning dawned bright and breezy.
Spiders are usually an indication that the season is changing as they come inside in droves but they have been in residence all this year. I know they keep the bugs down and they also amuse the cats and dogs, occasionally nipping their inquisitive noses. This does not dissuade the cats from consuming them - in fact, it probably makes them more determined. The dogs merely flatten them.
I am not a fan of spiders - a fact I repeat ad nauseam - though I appreciate their role in the greater order of things, but an increasing interest in photography has encouraged me to look more closely at them. I admire the efficiency of their design and the intricacy of their webs though too long spent studying them makes me itch.
On my way into the garden this morning I noticed a reddish-brown spider on the galvanised wire mesh panel that slots into the patio door groove (we have this so that small people, dogs and cats are safely contained while fresh air is free to enter) The mesh is 2" x 2" (50mm x 50mm) and the spider was about 0.6" (10mm) and actually rather pretty though the close-ups made me reconsider that opinion. Such a tiny creature, so beautifully constructed, so busy! It seemed to be attempting to build a web, though the constant opening and closing of the patio door must have disturbed it somewhat. He looks as though he's about to pounce - or perhaps he's practising his conducting gestures for the Proms


This is his underside - he looks a little embarrassed or is he simply 'hanging loose'?

I later identified it as a male Garden spider, Araneus quadratus, which is only slightly less common than its extremely common and widespread near relation Araneus diadematus. Males are smaller than females. There are some stunning photographs here. In our front garden we have two Kentish cob trees, brought to Berkshire when my parents moved here from Kent thirty years ago. They produce many cobnuts which are particularly relished by the squirrels - they have expensive tastes as cobs bought from Waitrose are currently £3.99 per kg. As squirrels are inveterate gardeners we have many saplings from the cobs and also from our corkscrew hazel, Corylus avellanus 'Contorta' - this used to be known as 'Harry Lauder's walking stick' as the singer and entertainer Harry Lauder (1870 - 1950) carried a crooked stick for every performance.

While photographing the cobs I noticed, as I do every year, and marvelled at the tight little catkins that will herald Spring in a few months' time, dancing in the breeze before the leaves unfurl. To paraphrase Shelley, 'If Autumn comes, can Spring be far behind?

Meanwhile the day that started so promisingly has commenced its downturn - the wind is strengthening, the temperature is dropping, splendid clouds have massed and are now emptying their contents vigorously on our sodden ground.

Camera Critters - ducks and drakes

Our dogs disturbed this pair of Mallards. Often there are two drakes courting one duck. Duck leads off with drake following closely.

No peace for Duck . . . Duck touches down followed as ever by her faithful swain.Though we see Mallards every year we have never yet seen any ducklings . . . strange . . .

Thank you to Misty Dawn for this meme.

To see more Critters click here

Flower Crampons for Busy Bees

Many plants rely on insects for pollination. The insect that probably comes to mind most readily as a pollinator is the bee.

Some flowers have petals covered in tiny cells like pyramids and scientists have discovered that the purpose of these conical structures is to help bees get a good foothold. In order to discover this the researchers created very convincing artificial flowers from epoxy resin, making some with cones and some without. A sugar solution was placed inside and bumble bees were set free in the laboratory to ascertain their preference.

When the flowers were horizontal the bees showed no particular inclination, treating coned and coneless flowers impartially. However, when the flowers were angled the bees preferred the rough surfaces to the smooth and more so as the angles grew steeper. High-speed film showed that on the smooth petals the bees’ feet were unable to gain a good purchase and they were having to beat their wings fast to maintain their position, using a great deal of energy in the process.

In a separate study the pyramidal cells were found to act like solar panels, warming the petals and the nectar which benefitted the bees, allowing them to use their energy for their prime purpose of collecting nectar and pollen.

In the following photographs there are different species of bees. Bee identification is not one of my skills so I am unsure of naming them correctly!

White-tailed bumble bee - Bombus lucorum - on Chives


Bombus lucorum again

Honey bee - Apis mellifera - on flowers of Physocarpus Opulifolius (Common Ninebark) 'Dart's Gold'
Bumble bee - Bombus terrestris? - on Common Ninebark flowers

Buff-tailed Bumble bee - Bombus terrestris - on Herb-Robert