Insect Vandals

Do you get damage to your wooden posts and fence panels? Do you see lighter coloured stripes on darker wood like these?



On a quiet, still Summers day you may hear a distinct scraping sound. More than likely it will be one of these helping itself to some of your wood.



I have often heard and seen wasps stripping the top layer of wood fibres to turn into a pulp which they use to build their nests. They seem to use the same few favoured spots and in the past I could see where my old oak fence had been thinned over the thirty years it had been in place.

Recently I have seen bumble bees apparently resting on fence panels in the Sun and assumed they were resting and warming up but this morning as I watched one buff tailed bumblebee I got the impression it was also gathering wood fibres.



I though I could hear it scraping at the surface but that may have been my imagination as there was a lot of background noise at the time and the wood is too new to see any evidence.

Hope Visits and a Different Magpie

When I let Bobby out about nine last night he straight away sussed out where Hope, the young Hedgehog, was. There peeping round a planter was a shiny pointed nose.



I hurriedly nipped in and brought out a handful of dried mealworms which I scattered around the area. I think Hope is getting used to this as she didn't run away this time and was soon tucking in.

When Bobby first went over to Hope he disturbed a moth. It was such a brilliant white with black dots and bits of orange that I went and fetched the camera even though it was raining lightly. After much Googling round the net I found out that what I had seen was The Magpie Moth Abraxas grossulariata.



Fortunately with a 200mm lens I didn't have to get too close while it obligingly rested on some dead leaves. I read that it is very common though I don't remember seeing one before now. In spite of my aversion to moths I must admit I admired its beautiful markings.

At ten thirty Bobby went out in the front garden for his last look round of the day. When he reached the drive gates he stopped, had a good sniff and gave one loud bark. I went over to see what the fuss was about and there, just outside the gates, was an adult Hedgehog. I have seen their droppings on the paths between the front and back gardens so I knew they hunted in both but this was the first time we had seen one in that area.

Red and Black with a bit of White

Not a lot going on here at the moment. The weather is so variable. Most mornings start off sunny but it doesn't last. The cloud cover builds and by early afternoon it always seems to be raining, sometimes just drizzle but other times we get a tropical downpour with thunder storms thrown in.

There seem to be a lot of red flowers around my garden at the moment. Here are three of the pond lilies and the flower head of a succulent in my 'rockery'.



Occasionally when the cloud cover clears a little near sunset the sky turns shades of red or orange and one evening it gave some quite unusual tints.



During one sunny spell there were numerous male blackbirds trying to feed from the ground feeder. This is always an occasion for some action as they take it in turns trying to monopolise the food. I have tried, and failed, to capture the moment I really want to record. When male Blackbirds argue they always fly up close together facing each other in an aggressive stance. They rarely come to blows but just try to face off the opposition.







Even when they already have a beak full of food they continue to argue. Writing of full beaks - Compo the scruffy looking Blackbird has a nice juicy worm but still insists on collecting more food. As soon as he leaves a juvenile Jackdaw takes his place at the ground feeder. (no sound)



The two juvenile Magpies have been daily visitors ever since the parents first brought them several weeks ago. Interesting the way they open their beaks after they have reached down to the ground as can be seen in the second section of the video. (no sound)



Looks as though it may be a better day today. Nice bright sunshine at the moment anyway.

Greenfinches and a Sparrow Loses a Seed

Here an adult Greenfinch is sat on the cables to my shed making sure the coast is clear before nipping down to the feeders. The second part of the video shows a juvenile Greenfinch tucking in. It is interesting to note the difference in colour as the juvenile's colouring is much more muted with just a hint of green which is far more suitable for camouflage.



Unusually this House Sparrow preferred to collect one seed at a time and take it away while it rolls it round in its beak trying to crack the outer covering. I think it has a round millet seed which was hard work. In the end the seed shot out of the bird's beak. In the slowed down last part of the video you can see the seed fly across the screen.



Hedgehog Update:

Last night I only saw one adult but the night before all three were seen. Hope, the juvenile, arrived first, had a drink followed by a good fifteen minutes of dried mealworm munching. After another drink of water she trundled on her way. About half an hour later Henry and Honey arrived. Henry grabbing food as fast as he could and Honey spending much time walking backwards to keep out of his way.

Film Friday

Catching up on a few videos.

Yesterday I spotted a Song Thrush with a snail in its beak hopping across the lawn. It was heading for some stepping stones so it could use one as its anvil to crack open the shell.



A few days ago I heard an unknown, to me, songbird close by. Right near the top of a dead tree next door was a Goldfinch singing its little heart out. This is the first time I have seen one singing so that is another bird song I have learned. The contrast is poor as the light was on the wrong side. It was very breezy so the top of the tree was waving about in the gusts of wind. You can also hear the constant chirping of the House Sparrows which were a lot closer.



From six months ago when I was bemoaning the fact that Goldfinches never visited my garden they are now regular visitors. I only ever get two adults at a time but as there are a couple on and off all day there may be more than one pair. A couple of days ago there was a baby but it didn't stay long enough to be photographed.

This is the same Goldfinch I filmed singing. As soon as it had stopped it came down to recharge its batteries.



The Goldfinches are endearing birds. Often when two are feeding one finishes before the other and waits on the cables above the feeders. The second one eventually joins the first and then they fly off together. They never bother other birds and always seem very laid back. When Bobby goes out the back door most of the feeding birds scatter but the Goldfinches just ignore him and carry on feeding.

A Dragon Comes to Lunch

Yesterday was really windy in the morning with gusts which must have been reaching near gale force at times and much of it blowing in the back door. To help keep most of the winged wild life out I have a sliding mesh door so I can leave the back door open. There is a hole in the bottom of the mesh so Bobby can come and go as he pleases. There used to be a dog flap for previous dogs but Bobby is a little on the tall size and hated it.



Occasionally low flying insects manage to get in and that is what must have happened to this Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly I heard flapping around the conservatory.



Against my better judgement I opened both the double doors to the conservatory in the hope it would find its way out but the stubborn insect just settled on the roof beam. I keep a large clean empty coffee jar for such occasions so I can catch them safely and put them back outside. As I walked through to the kitchen I was greeted by a furious fluttering of something a bit larger crashing against the window. Now as some of you will know the reason I keep flying beasties outside is I get an instant panic reaction when they are in the same room as me. I instantly went cold all over - a reaction which seems to date back about sixty years.

What was it trying to drill a hole through the double glazing?

A Southern Hawker Dragonfly which must have been blown through the open doors and flown past me in to the kitchen.



I watched from a distance while I tried to work out how to get the thing out. I know I had been moaning about the lack of Dragonflies here but this was ridiculous. Eventually I plucked up courage to open a window near it but would it fly past the vertical bar separating the fixed window from the open one? Nope! Anyway the wind was blowing in that window.

While I pondered the situation I took a few photos. Looking at the barbs on its legs I can see how they manage to cling on to nearly anything.



Eventually it settled as far away from the open window as it could get.



How to move it safely? The coffee jar was too small. Looking round I spied a large polythene tub I keep my clothes pegs in, emptied it and gently placed it over the dragon. Then I slid it slowly sideways and past the upright. When we reached the open window I tipped it out and off it flew. Phew! Mission accomplished. Next the coffee jar and the butterfly - did that, closed the double doors and gave a sigh of relief. A cup of coffee next and a cheese scone as it was lunch time.


On the Hedgehog front I only saw Honey yesterday. She arrived just after 10 and was still about when I went to bed. That is not to say there were no others around, I just didn't see any at the times I checked the monitor.

Hope by Daylight

I was a bit concerned yesterday when Hope, the young Hedgehog, appeared at 4.30 in the afternoon. Hedgehogs should not be around in daylight. She (or he) was looking round the area under the bird feeders so I put out some dried mealworms. The little one was soon tucking in and kept eating even as I set up the camcorder to do a bit of filming. The first part was filmed from the back door and Hope is partly obscured by the self sown plants. Later I moved the tripod outdoors where I could get a clear view.

Bobby was fascinated and after being told off for barking at Hope sat and watched from a distance all the time she was there.



After eating her fill she trundled off back under the fence to next door's garden. Hope looks healthy enough to me, bright eyes, coat in good condition, walking normally. I think she has been turned out of the home nest and, like all young creatures needs small amounts of food more often than the adults.

The only concern I had was that I had never seen the youngster drink but was relieved when she appeared again about 8 p.m. and had a drink from one side of the bowl of water, walked through it and trundled on her way. She came again later for more food. Both adults appeared after 10 o'clock and all had moved on by 11 when Bobby went out for his last look round his 'estate'.

If the youngster keeps appearing during the daylight hours I will have a word with the local Hedgehog Hospital and take their advice.

Baby Hedgehog Again

I was going to give the subject of Hedgehogs a miss today but ......

Last night I had prepared the Hedgehogs' food about 8.30 p.m. not expecting to put it out for another hour. Much to my surprise when I glanced at the video camera monitor I spotted a baby hog near the paved area. That was just after 9 p.m.. I took the dish of food out to scatter and fully expected the youngster to run off but no, it stayed put, even when some of the food (sunflower kernels, crushed unsalted peanuts and dried mealworms) bounced off its back.

Slowly it began to investigate and gradually tucked in to its supper. It had the area to itself so was able to eat in peace without being pushed around by any adults.

To me it seems a little larger than the baby I saw last night. As the hogs normally have 3 to 4 in a litter this may well be a brother or sister.

As it was fairly light in spite of the dark clouds and rain I set up the camcorder and took about 10 minutes of video. The colours are a bit peculiar in places as the camera tried to cope with the low light levels. To give an idea of the size of the baby - near the beginning of the video it climbs over the wooden surround to the paving slabs. That is made of 3x3 inch timber. The video is made up of three sections from the video I took.



I also managed to use autofocus and flash with the DSLR and here is one photo of young Hope (named suggested by Glo of Porcelain Rose) just approaching a nice clump of dried mealworms.



Later on, soon after 10 p.m., there were two adult Hedgehogs gathering up the food missed by the youngster who had left by that time and by bedtime they had all moved on to pastures new.

Early Shift and a Baby Hedgehog

I had no sooner put out the food for the Hedgehogs just before 9.30 p.m. when the first visitor arrived. It was an adult by itself.



It spent about five minutes hoovering up unsalted peanuts and dried mealworms, had a drink, disappeared for a minute and then it (or another adult) appeared again for a while.

There was a while with no visitors. About 10.15 p.m. I went to the conservatory to check for signs of hogs before letting Bobby out. To my surprise there was a baby and an older Hedgehog. This baby looked smaller to me than the one I saw the other night. Also the older one looked smaller than the one which had been bulldozing its youngster.

Last night the larger one spent a lot of time rushing backwards and forwards. Every so often it would go to the youngster, sniff it and try pushing it around. This went on for nearly three quarters of an hour. The actions were less aggressive that that seen in the past. It was almost as though the adult was trying to get the baby to get a move on but either it didn't understand or it was just plain stubborn.

It is hard to convey in words just how much effort the adult was making, rushing backwards and forwards, pushing and shoving for three quarters of an hour while I was watching. In the end it managed to shove the baby off the paved area and on to the grass.

By that time it was 11 p.m. and I was ready for bed. I banged on the door to try to get them to move away. Bobby barked at them but they took absolutely no notice until I let Bobby out. The older one ran away and Bobby had a quick sniff at the youngster. It was still on the grass when I went to bed but I assume baby was eventually persuaded to do as it was told.

Some pictures of the baby.





To give an idea of size - the baby is the same height as the wood behind it - three inches.



Adult and baby together.



The adult even took time out to have a drink of water.



Earlier in the evening I managed a few photos of the spiders building their webs over the pond.

Tetragnatha extensa - the Common Stretch Spider. Identified for me by Rambling Rob.


I had to put the ISO right up to 3200 to get any semblance of fastish shutter speed. Why I didn't change to a flash setting I have no idea - another of those too frequent 'senior moments' probably.

Adult and Juvenile Hedgehogs

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Hedgehogs

Looking at the relative sizes of the hedgehogs which have visited recently I think it is reasonable to assume that the small one is a juvenile.

This clip from a much longer video taken last night shows the youngster near the back of the paved area when an adult arrives. Both carry on feeding happily while there is reasonable space between them. Eventually the adult moves closer to the youngster and then the usual push and shove starts. The adult spends quite some time, head down and leaning its spines towards the other, pushing the juvenile around and apparently trying to remove it from the paved area altogether. It doesn't succeed though it makes many attempts. Both manage to get their share of the food.




First I tried for some flash photos through the double glazed window in the kitchen but as I expected there was far too much glare and they were washed out. Then I tried some flash through the single glazed conservatory door with some success despite the heavy rain and the water drops running down the glass.

The one semi-clear photo I managed to get of the juvenile



Here the adult is charging towards the youngster at full speed.
No - it doesn't have a green nose, it's a leaf!



Approaching the juvenile.



Typical head down and body leaning so the spines can be used for offence and defence.





Each time the adult seems satisfied that the youngster was out of the way it went back to feeding as did the young one. In the end the adult left and the juvenile had the paved area to itself.

Greenfinch - Hedgehog - Videos

Firstly many thanks to Rambling Rob who identified my spiders as belonging to the group Tetragnatha extensa, the Common Stretch Spider. A large group with varied markings but Rob's pointer allowed me to Google some pictures which included a couple virtually identical to mine.

Last night the Hedgehogs were being awkward as far a videoing them went. First one of the adults spent a while eating and drinking. I waited a while and then shut down the computer. Soon after that the juvenile appeared but by the time I had got Windoze to fire up it had gone again. I waited until bedtime but nobody showed up. Having shut down the computer again we went out and there was the juvenile again. So the only video I managed last night was part of the adult's visit.



This morning, once the overnight rain had stopped, I could hear a bird up high singing away all the time I was refreshing the feeders. It took me a while to spot it way up on next doors Leylandii. There was a Greenfinch singing away. Fortunately it carried on while I got the camcorder set up and grabbed a bit of video. There are Sparrows constantly chattering away and the odd alarm call from a Blackbird telling me I was too close to the ground feeder. I added an older bit of footage of a Greenfinch at the seed feeder being given a rough ride by the Sparrows as they kept arriving and leaving but it carries on feeding regardless.



I didn't see many of the spiders this morning. I hope they didn't get washed away by last night's heavy rain.

Unknown Flower, Hogs, Web Building and Others

A bit of a mixture today. First off I noticed that the older Juvenile Starlings are now beginning to change to their adult speckled plumage. One look at the beak and you can tell how they get through four fat balls every day!



Writing about fat balls - this Starling had managed to grab a remnant which was small enough to pull out of the feeder. It was being hotly pursued by another juvenile. As it rushed around and dropped its prize a couple of times little bits fell off so the other bird did end up with a share.



Compo the Blackbird still hasn't been to the birdy barbers. Feathers sticking out in all directions but otherwise its behaviour seems completely normal.



For a few days now I have been admiring a small yellow flower. It's about nine inches high and the flower is about an inch across. From its growing position in a tub near the feeders I think it has grown from the bird seed mixture. If I can find out what it is I will grow a tub of them next year as I think it is pretty and the flower seems to last quite a while.





When Bobby and I had a walk round the garden about 9 p.m. I had a look in the pond. Something I don't usually bother with at that time of night. Some movement among the plants poking out of the water caught my eye. There were at least six black and yellow striped spiders of various sizes busily weaving their webs. I was going to get the Canon to take a photo but in the end decided to try for a video clip. The light was reasonable but fading and with all the surrounding vegetation I had, for the first time with the camcorder, to use manual focus. This is a compilation of several of the spiders. I was captivated watching how busily this group of spiders were working to build up their webs and could have watched them for hours. Towards the end a certain white hairy monster decided to have a barking session.

Any identification of the spider would be appreciated.



Today I went searching in case the spiders were in view. I found several resting in the leaves of some pond plants. They don't look quite so yellow in full daylight and the black hardly shows at all.






I had once again put out the Hedgehogs' supper earlier and by half past nine there was one taker. This was the small one I saw the other night. This time by itself. I didn't want to disturb it by going outside so I took a few flash photos through the back door. Again I had to use manual focus but didn't quite get it right this time. The small hog is a little larger than half the size of the adults.



The Hedgehogs seem completely indifferent to the single flash. If I put the camera on auto focus then it sends out a rapid series of flashes while it focusses. Then the hogs notice and disappear rapidly. Bobby and I watched through the conservatory door while this little hog spent a while eating and then rushed off. When Bobby went out about half past ten there was one of the adult Hedgehogs tucking in to the leftovers.

Of Magpies and Hedgehogs

The rapid changes in the weather and lighting conditions really make photography challenging these days. On the same setting on the camera one minute you can get clear crisp photos and shutter speeds are 1/000 or 2/000 sec. A few minutes later the slightest movement of the subject blurs the picture and speeds are down to 1/25 sec. At this rate I am going to wear out the ISO change button!



One solitary juvenile Magpie visits quite a few times each day. I wonder where the other one went. It no longer bounces around on its invisible space hopper but now walks across the ground. Occasionally it will stay long enough for a few decent shots like this one which shows what a large array of colours there are when the light catches them in the right direction.



I had always thought of Magpies as being just black and white and it is only this year I have really noticed the blue on their wings. This young bird also shows quite a bit of green, especially on the tail feathers.



Also noticeable is the different arrangement in the feathers over what I assume is the bird's ear. This shows to a lesser extent on the adults as these feathers are only a slightly different shade of black and the light needs to be in the right direction for the difference to show up.

Hedgehog Update

After the early arrival of Henry a couple of nights ago I have put out the food at an earlier time but they don't play the game and nobody has arrived early since then. The night before last Honey was there by herself when I let Bobby out at bedtime. Last night was a complete surprise. At bedtime I could see two hedgehogs on HoggyCam with one travelling slowly backwards as I have seen many time in the past. When we went out I was taken completely by surprise. Those were both large hogs and on the paved area there was also a smaller Hedgehog. This is the first time I have seen three feeding together here. Of course as it was bedtime I had already packed the cameras away and I knew they would disappear before I could get one out - which they did!

The Early Early Shift

When I let Bobby out about 9 p.m. I was more than a bit surprised to see a hedgehog already on the paved area under the bird feeders. Normal early shift is just after 10 p.m. and the late shift around 1 a.m.. I hadn't even started to get the food ready for hogs. Of course I had just put the cameras away for the night. Bobby went in the front garden and by the time we returned to the back door there was not a hedgehog to be seen or heard.

I hurriedly prepared some crushed unsalted peanuts and added a slack handful of dried mealworms then scattered them on the slabs hoping the hog would come back again while it was still light enough to take a photo or two.

My luck was in - somebody was hungry. About half an hour later the hog reappeared. Not wanting to disturb him - I think it was Henry - I leant the camera against the glass in the back door. Too dark. Slow shutter, blurry pictures. Oh well, try with the flash. Had to focus manually but the idea worked - no reflection from the glass, probably as the camera was pointing well down and the rubber hood was against the glass.



I also managed a short piece of video from the outside camera. Henry was having a drink of water to wash down all that free food.





I hadn't realised until I looked at these photographs how large the feet are. I seem to remember reading that the legs are longer than they look - three to four inches long. Also they can run as fast as a person can walk. They certainly never seem to hang around and always seem to be rushing somewhere.

And now for Something Completely Different

When I had some overgrown evergreens cut down a few years ago I decided it would be a good place to grow some fruit. Having lost much ripe fruit to marauding Blackbirds in the past I decided to have a fruit cage. After looking around to see what was available I decided I would be better off building my own. It is not pretty to look at but is gale proof, large enough to walk in and does an excellent job of keeping the ripe fruit safe.

From album

Last year I had excellent crops of Blackcurrants, Strawberries and Blueberries with a few Raspberries. This year all my Blueberry plants died as did the Strawberries. The Blackcurrants were attacked by greenfly but did manage to grow new leaves and produce some fruit. The Raspberries have been groaning under the weight of fruit.

Nothing quite like fresh picked fruit for taste. Unfortunately, with the aid of a dollop of single cream, they don't last very long.

From album

Also in the cage are a couple of patio pear trees, yet to produce anything, and a patio plum tree which did start to form a few plums but then the cold weather caused them to drop.

Oh well - better luck next year. At least I have a bowl of Blackcurrants ready for today and more Raspberries ripening for another day.

Preening Feathers

Once again I am stuck indoors. A few weeks ago it was gout now, for some unknown reason, the Achilles tendon on my right foot is giving me grief.

Yesterday I noticed a couple of Collared Doves sat on top of the fruit cage and one spent at least five minutes preening. This is something all birds have to do to keep their feathers in top notch condition. It is fascinating watching them carefully arrange their feathers and zip up their flight feathers by drawing them through their beak.



You can see this happen when the dove works on its tail feathers. Phil at Beyond the Human Eye wrote about the technicalities of this process in his entry Zipping Up a Feather along with some macro photos of a feather. If you find a wing or tail feather you can try the process for yourself. If you gently pull along the feather from tip to quill the sections will separate and when you pull the other way they zip back together.

Further detailed information about feathers can be found at Peteducation.com with explanations of the different types of feather.

Food Glorious Food

The weather has been very variable of late. Heavy downpours of rain with sunny intervals. No matter what the weather the birds still have to eat, only taking shelter during the heaviest rainfall.



As normal, most of the birds go about their daily lives with little fuss. The one guaranteed exception being the Starlings who spend as much time arguing as they do eating.

From MIDMARSH JOTTINGS

Compo, the scruffy looking Blackbird, still visits several time a day always collecting as much food as his beak will hold. His feathers still stick out in all directions but he seems to cope perfectly well.



The Magpies also visit several time a day. The juveniles are now feeding themselves. As usual they are very wary and this is often the view one sees of them.



During one of the short sunny intervals I managed to spot a couple of Blue-tailed Damselflies at the garden pond. This time one obligingly settled on a lily pad which gave me time to photo it. The only other insect life about was a hoverfly resting in the sunlight.

A Different Noisy Bird

While sampling my first boost of caffeine this morning the peace was broken by a different group of birds. This time it was not the feathered variety but man made metal ones. All day passenger jets cross this area but they are way up in the sky and can rarely be heard. Today it was the turn of the military who fly a lot lower.



At first I thought it might be a couple playing chase as they do from time to time as they practice their manoeuvres. This time several were circling and then heading towards the coast a few miles north of me. Then it dawned, especially after hearing a few hollow explosions, they were using the coastal bombing range. I often hear the explosions of the practice bombs but it is rare for the craft to stack over this part of the countryside as they wait their turn.

After some ten minutes they had moved on and it was so peaceful. Even the Starlings were silenced though they too were stacking up, waiting their turn for breakfast.



From my kitchen window I often observe the cloud formations I can see between the trees at the end of the garden. Where I live the 'weather' is often split as the height of the Lincolnshire Wolds divides the winds and clouds in different directions. It can often rain heavily north and south of me and we will be virtually in the clear.



Last week I spotted the first damselfly to spend some time flitting round the pond. Unusually this one did not land once while I was watching, and trying to get a shot of it. This is the only near decent photo I managed. There should be more opportunities later as the dragons and damsels usually visit me during July and August.



Henry continues to visit on the early shift but I only see Honey occasionally. The other night Henry (the hedgehog) was drinking when Bobby went out. Bobby had to have a close look - too close as his nose met the spines - but Henry just carried on drinking. After we had been round the front garden Bobby went back to the water bowl but Henry was not there so Detective Bob went investigating.



It didn't take long to follow the scent. Henry had taken cover.

I keep forgetting to report back on the ringed Starling. I did get a message back after I had sent what details I could make out. Unfortunately, as I thought, there was not enough of the number showing to be able to trace that particular bird.

If you find a ringed bird in Europe, can read all, or most, of the information on the ring and want to report it then go to the following page on the BTO site and choose which type of ring it is. Then you will be shown a form to fill in with as much information as you can. If you are lucky you will get a report back telling where and when the bird was ringed. Reporting will help the various societies who ring birds develop their knowledge about each species. How long they live. How far they travel, etc..

British Trust for Ornithology Euring Web Recoveries.