Day 239 - Tremendously Beautiful Tortoiseshell Butterflies

Small Tortoiseshell ( Aglais urticae )

Hey everyone today's Day 239 and, as it's Summer, I thought I would cover something that usually comes out around this time. But before I do this, I just want to say 'sorry about the heatwave' to anybody that's living in England especially people down South as it is thought to get up to 35*C in London. The sad thing is where I am there's a weather warning as the temperature maximum is 26*C, and it's Sports Day tomorrow!

Anyway, on with today's post. Small Tortoiseshells butterflies usually come out around this time but I haven't actually seen many yet so I was lucky to see this one recently and grab some shots. I love butterflies in general and last year my Grandad actually bought me a Painted Lady growing kit. It had 5 caterpillars in it and, over the Spring, I successfully raised them and set all 5 of them free! There's a bit more about this in my Painted Lady post.

So, here are the Small Tortoiseshell facts:

• Above I said that the usually come out this time of the year but not always. The high temperature is what wakes them.

All this heat should ensure lots are emerging

• This means that they might come out of their hibernation on the first days of January or the middle of September. With the previous weather I have had up here, the heatwave should entice them out of their sleep.

• They have a wingspan of 45-55mm in Males and 52-62mm and each wing has an orange backdrop with a black outline, at the top there is a line of black and peach. Right on the wing tip is a dab of white. 

• Females lay their eggs on young stinging nettles, either the Common Nettle or the Small Nettle. 

• This is because the larvae feed on these plants, the adults' main food source is nectar extracted from different plants. 

• You will normally see the Tortoiseshell Butterfly throughout March to October, if the weather is right. The caterpillars are seen from May to August.

• This is a long season as they often have two broods per year and explains why you often see hibernating Tortoiseshells.

Very successful but numbers are declining

• They are usually found feeding on a variety of flowers in most 'flowery places' and in both urban and rural places.

• They are a very successful butterfly in the UK and are very widespread being found all across the country including as far North of Shetland. 

• Worryingly though there has been a decline in their numbers and this could be down to a fly who's larvae feed on the butterflys larvae. This fly Sturmia Bella,  is now more common due to global warming.

• Their wings hold extremely good defence for them. When they are closed the look exactly like leaves, camouflaging them.

Here are some links to more information:

UK Butterflies - Tortoiseshell Butterflies

Butterfly Conservation - Tortoiseshell Butterflies

RSPB - Tortoiseshell Butterflies

Wikipedia - Tortoiseshell Butterflies

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 238 - Superly Cracking Spotted Craneflies

Spotted Craneflys (Nephrotoma appendiculata)
mating

Hi all today's Day 238 and today's post is different to the last couple of ones. It's about something that you will regularly overlook. You might say, "oh, a fly." But not anything else. I, though, like to look at anything that I see and take photos of it. That's how I've done 238 days without running out, it's getting hard though! Anyway, the Spotted Cranefly is the perfect thing to write a post on today. I found these little beasties on our allotment.

So, here are the facts:

• There are around 300 different species of Cranefly in the UK such as the Tiger Cranefly, Phantom Craneflies, Hairy-eyed Craneflies and of course the Spotted Cranefly.

• Some of these are actually known as the Daddy-Long Legs. An interesting facts is that, although numerous websites tell you otherwise, they are not venomous.

• This myth seems to come from the fact that 'Daddy long legs' are different species depending on where you come from. In the USA it means a Harvestmen spider (post on these coming soon). These were thought to be very poisonous but harmless to humans as their teeth were to short to bite us. This is also a myth!

• Nephrotoma appendiculata is the Spotted Cranefly's Latin name. This is because their genus is Nephrotoma and their specific name is appendiculata.

• Another Daddy Long Legs fact is that their species is very old. Fossil Cranefly's have been found which are at least 240 million years old.

Male close up

• They are 13-15 mm long and their wingspan is a quite large 50 mm. That means their wings are more than half of a Goldcrest's.

• The Spotted Cranefly's body is yellow with short, black stripes which, if their name is to be believed, makes them look spotted.

• They can be found using their 5 cm wings throughout May to September in Woodlands, Gardens, Farmlands and Fields.

• Their larvae are called Leatherjackets, and feed on the roots of grass whilst the adults, if they do feed, feed on plant stems such as Cow Parsley.

• They have four life stages:  

1. Eggs - laid on water plants which take about 3 days to hatch, 
2. Larvae - which take around a month to grow to the next stage
3. Pupa - not sure how long this stage takes
4. Adult - this stage can last only a few days, they may not eat and only look to mate and lay eggs 

• Contrary to what some people believe, including my Mum, the Daddy Long Legs are not blind. It's their steering that isn't so good. They are attracted to light though just like moths.

Here are some links to some more information:

Wikipedia - Spotted Craneflies

NatureSpot - Spotted Craneflies

UK Safari - Spotted Craneflies

Mentalfloss - 15 fascinating facts about Daddy Long Legs

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 237 - Gloriously Delicate Golden Ringed Dragonflies

Golden Ringed Dragonfly ( Cordulegaster boltonii )

Hey everyone today's Day 236 and I thought that I would carry on the same sort of topic to Yesterday's Blue Damselfly post. I have kind of switched around the type of insect that I am covering, from a damselfly to a dragonfly. I'm glad it's warmed up a bit now and the dragonflies and damselflies are starting to emerge again as I really love looking for them,

I saw this lovely dragonfly at Silton Forest, a place where I go quite a lot. last year and I'm on the look out for them again. So far I've only seen a couple of Common Blue damselflys and a Large Red Dragonfly.  Well, from the title and pictures you'll know that today I am talking about Golden Ringed Dragonflies.

So, here are the facts:

• They seem to be found everywhere but Ireland, Central England and Norfolk. They are found on Orkney but not on the Shetlands.

• Males are usually about 74mm and Females are 84mm because of the ovipositor making the female the UK's longest dragonfly.

• The wingspan of both can grow up to 10cm. That's only a centimetre off being Goldcrest size!

In wait for a meal!

• They breed in rivers and streams of all sizes. They are most likely to be found in Heathlands and Uplands.

• The only other Black and Yellow dragon/damselfly in the UK is the Common Club-Tail but the Golden Ringed is up to 34mm larger.

• In case the photos aren't loading for you, they are black with, well, gold rings around it. They have green eyes and Females are longer and thinner.

• They feed on a variety of insects, bees, wasps, beetle, moths, damselflies and even other     dragonflies.

• As larvae they are aggressive hunter, they eat fish fry, other insect larvae, tadpoles and snails.

• They can also be eaten by newts and frogs so they spend most of their time partially buried in mud ready to attack their prey.

• They spend around 3 years, but some
  times longer, as larvae before they find a spot to complete there metamorphosis into an adult.

Here are some links to some more information:

British Dragonflies - Golden Ringed Dragonflies 

The Wildlife Trusts - Golden Ringed Dragonflies 

Wikipedia - Golden Ringed Dragonflies 

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 236 - Beautifully Delicate Blue Damselflies

Blue Damslefly (Enallagma cyathigerum)

Hey everyone today's Day 236 and I often go to places where I find many, many dragonflies. I love seeing them everywhere I go. They are beautiful insects to see and I am sure all of you like to see them as well. Some places that I go to to see them are Silton Forest (a place I go to regularly), Norfolk Wildlife Trusts Hickling Broads (When I go on holiday I come here, I once saw at least 100 dragonflies at one time!) and finally, Stavely Nature Reserve.

In all of these places I see the lovely Blue Damselfy! They are one of my favourite things to watch and they will be a lovely insect to cover.

So, here are the facts:

Emerging on a reed.

• They are found in every part of England, Scotland and Wales as well as the border between Northern and the Republic of Ireland.

• They use their average 40mm wings and their 32mm length between May and September in the flight season.

• They are found on most Lakes and Ponds where they are usually the most common species their.

• The Males are blue (as the name suggests) with black spots but the Females are actually a sort of Yellow. 

Found a mate 

• The eggs hatch into larvae called nymphs which then climb up a suitable stem to moult into damselflies.

• When mating, the Males clasps the Female by the neck and she them moves her body around to his reproductive organs. This is called a mating wheel. You can see it in this picture by CharlesJsharp.

• Weirdly, they often all perch on stems of plants around one pond and all point in one   direction.

• There are several ways to tell them apart from other damselflies and even dragonflies. Damselflies rest with their wings closed on their body. You know it's one of these as they seem to drift through the air and, well, they're blue.

Here are some links to some more information:

"Common blue damselflies (Enallagma cyathigerum)
form mating wheel" by Charlesjsharp - Sharp Photography

British Dragonflies - Blue Damselfies

Wikipedia - Blue Damselfies

RSPB - Blue Damselfies

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 235 - Reet Wonderful Reed Warblers

Reed Warbler (Akroskephale scirpusaceus)

Hi all today's Day 235 and yesterday I covered the Sedge Warbler. Today's bird is a very close relative to it. I find these in the same places that I found the Sedge Warblers such as Leighton Moss and Saltholme but I also see them in a place quite near me that I go to quite a lot. Fairburn Ings is a great place to see Reed Warblers! They are a very nice bird to watch and hear (here's a recording of their song) and I am sure they will be very good for a post. Hope you like the Yorkshire alliteration today too.

So, here are the facts:

• They Summer along the East Coast of Ireland and all of England and Wales apart from Northern-Central England.

• They are a Green Status bird as there are 130,000 breeding pairs in the UK and in Europe there are 2.6 million to 4.5 million breeding pairs.

This Reed warbler was more wary of me than the Sedge warbler

• They start breeding at 1 year old and, like the Sedge Warbler, live for 2 years. The oldest, though was 12 years, 11 months and 21 days.

• They usually have a length of 13cm and a wingspan of 19. Both Male and Female birds weigh 13g. Their ring size is A, the second smallest.

• They travel to us from Africa when they spend the winter. Always find it amazing that a bird that weighs so little flies so far!

• They must have amazing energy, They are also the Cuckoos favourite victim and they have to work hard to raise a Cuckoo chick!

• In some birds, their eye colour changes with age. When they are young they have a charcoal iris.

But eventually it came up for a clearer shot.

• As they get older they have a olive-coloured iris. Also, when they are young, they have a spot on their tongue to help the adult feed them.

• Their diet is quite varied and they will east insects, fruit, seeds and flowers.

• Birdlife Europe estimates Europe has 50 and 74% of the breeding population at around 8.1m - 15m birds. A rough calculation would be that the world population is around 30,000,000 individual birds.

• Their scientific name (Akroskephale scirpusaceus) comes from both Greek and Latin. Akroskephale means pointed-head in Greek and Scirpusaceus means reed-resembling.

Here are some links to some more information:

RSPB - Reed Warbler

BTO Birdfacts - Reed Warbler

BBC Nature - Reed Warbler

Birdlife - Reed Warbler

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 234 - Sensationaly Wonderful Sedge Warblers

Sedge Warbler (Akroskephale skhoiniklosbaino)

Hi all today's Day 233 and sometimes I go to Salthome RSPB Reserve where I saw these lovely birds. I've also seen them at Leighton Moss where Autumnwatch is sometimes filmed and a place that I go when ever I go on holiday near there. Most of the time all I saw of these birds was a little whirr of wings over to a reed and a little bird hopping down them to cover! But in the end I found one so busy singing I was able to get a few shots.

These birds are a close relative to the Reed Warblers and are just a lovely to watch and see. From the title and pictures you'll know that I am talking about the Sedge Warblers.

So, here are the facts:

Took a while to find one that wasn't down in the reeds 

• They are a Green Status bird as they have 290,000 breeding territories in the UK and in the Europe there are between 3.9 million and 4.1 million breeding pairs.

• They usually start breeding at 1 year and they live for 2 years but the oldest lived for 8 years, 8 months and 8 days.

• They can have either 1 or 2 broods which consist of  5 eggs which need incubating for 14 days and fledge after another 13 - 14 days.

• On top of this they have a juvenile survival rate of a pretty good 0.25 or one in four make it to an adult.

• All of this means that the average adult pair will raise 3 chicks to breeding age. (5 / 2 + 5 = 7.5 / 2.5)

• They are 13cm long and have a wingspan of 19cm. They weigh but 12g! Also, there ring size is A, the second smallest.

But this one was happily singing away

• Their Scientific name (Akroskephale skhoiniklosbaino) is Greek and means pointed head / a reed to walk.

• The Sedge Warbler is a very good mimic and will add in different phrases to its song, meaning it never sings the same song again.

• The Male with the largest variation of songs (the Male that has heard the most bird songs) attracts the most Females.

Here some links to some more information:

Birdlife - Sedge Warblers

RSPB - Sedge Warblers

BBC Nature - Sedge Warblers

BTO Birdlife - Sedge Warblers

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 233 - Cracking Cardinals

Cardinal Beetle (Pyrochroa Serraticornis)

Hey everyone Day 233 and today I'm continuing with my nature ramble at the wonderful Stavely Nature Reserve. We hadn't been for a couple of months and had been disappointed to see that the feeders had been taken down next to the hide. We used to love sitting there looking at the Yellowhammers, Water Rail, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Long-tailed tits, even the rats!  They made the decision to take the feeders down because it was costing too much to keep filling them up. We know all about that! The birds in our garden are so greedy my mum sometimes fills the feeders up 2 or 3 times a day! And that's just in a small garden, so it must get eaten even quicker at a special place like a nature reserve. So they need donations in the stone cairn at the start of the walk. I hope they get enough to be able to start it up again. I'm thinking of doing something and get sponsored to raise some money for them, even a few pounds will help.

So, here are the facts:

• Their Latin name is Pyrochroa Serraticornis and their common name (the Cardinal Beetle) is probably named after the Cardinals who wore red.

• They are a medium sized beetle at around 20mm with long, black antennae and their shells are a deep red colour.

What's this then?

• There are two species of cardinal beetle in the UK. The Black-Headed (pictured) and the Scarce which is only really found in some parts of Scotland and Wales. The Scarce is much smaller at around 9mm.

• Blackheaded Cardinal beetles are found all over Britain.  They are found mostly in woodlands around hedgerows during May to July where they are often seen sunbathing!

• They are found in Farmland, Woodlands, Towns and Gardens and grasslands.

• Cardinal Beetles are predatory insects and feed on other insects. Their bright red colour makes other animals believe that they are toxic.

Oh is that all!

• They can be easily confused with Scarlet Lily Beetle but there is a way to tell them apart. They are more round and their wing cases have dimples on them.

Here are some links to some more information:

Wikipedia - Cardinal Beetles

The Wildlife Trusts - Cardinal Beetles

Nature Spot - Cardinal Beetles

UK Safari - Cardinal Beetles

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 232 - Amazingly Patterned Agapeta Hamana

A Smiley Moth! aka Agapeta hamana

Hey everyone, well its day 232 and I have another great discovery from my ramble around the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's Stavely Nature Reserve on Sunday. I was walking through the woodland there and it was really nice to see this little creature. It fluttered about a bit before it settled but what a lovely bright smiley little chap it was, it really caught my eye, and then when it landed it was lovely to see it smiling back at me. Now, I had a bit of a hard time identifying it as my searches on yellow moths didn't show this one up so I'm very grateful to @JillWarwick for the help with identifying it. I haven't found a common name for this moth so I don't know if today you will have guessed that I'm talking about Agapeta Hamana!

So, here are the facts:

• The Moth has a 15mm-24mm wingspan and can be seen from June to August often flying from Dusk.

• This is strange as we found ours at about 3:30 pm probably because they are easily disturbed in daytime.

It was patient while I photographed it....

• In Norfolk they have been seen to range from mid April all the way to mid October. The larvae are seen in July.

• They are most common in Southern England but they have been seen as far as just North of Aberdeen.

• They are found in Meadows, Gardens, waste ground and Parks where they eat thistles as adults and the roots of these as larvae.

• There were 107 records in 1990 but then they had a decline to 1999 where there were just 47 records. There numbers have since risen and last year there were 376 records in Norfolk!

..well for a little while, then it moved and I had to follow it

• Their name is Agapeta Hamana but their common name is Common Yellow Conch. Their even commoner name is the 'Smiley Moth'.

• They are found all around Europe apart from Scilly, Iceland, Belarus, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece and a couple of others in Southern Europe as well.

• I found several common names including Hook Marked Straw Moth and Common Yellow Conch.

Here are some links to some more information:

Wikipedia - Agapeta Hamana

Norfolk Moths - Agapeta Hamana

Suffolk Moths - Agapeta Hamana

European Moths and Butterflies - Agapeta Hamana

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 231 - Cracking Common Terns

Common Tern (Sterna hirundo) 

Hi all today's Day 231 and I have recently been at Stavely nature reserve where I saw quite a lot of things one of which is a lovely seabird bird that I haven't covered before in a post. I haven't got many photos of these as they were very flighty but hopefully they are good enough for this post. They are such a nice bird to watch and it was entertaining to watch them catch fish. Yes, I am talking about the Common Tern.

So, here are the facts:

• They Summer all over the UK apart from South-West England, Central England, South West Wales, Central Ireland and Central & Southern Scotland.

Effortless gliding

• They are an Amber Status bird with 12,000 breeding pairs in the UK. They are an Amber Status bird as they have a localised breeding population.

• They are most common on Estuaries but they are also found on Shore, Lakes, Ponds, Rivers and, least commonly, streams.

A successful hunt for food

• Have to say I was slightly surprised to see a seabird so far inland but it seems they often breed inland unlike the Arctic Tern.

• They have a huge typical lifespan of 12 years while the oldest was a huge 33 years and 6 days old!

• They have a number of common names. 'Sea Swallow' and 'Darr' as well as 'Tirrick' are some of them.

• Their Latin name Sterna hirundo translates as the Swallow Tern.

Off to hunt again.

• It's a lovely bird to watch flying and hovering looking for fish before they dive to catch one. Fish is their main diet but sometimes they eat crustaceans.

• They have an interesting ring size which is C2. By the way I hope to be going ringing again in July so expect a post on that in a while.

• They 33cm long with a 88cm wingspan. Both Male and Female birds weigh, on average, 130 grams.

• Their wingspan is basically the only way to tell apart the Sandwich Tern, this Tern and Arctic Tern. The Sandwich Tern has a wingspan of 1 metre while this one has an 88cm span and finally the Arctic has a 80cm wing length.

Here are some links to some more information:

RSPB - Common Tern 

BTO Birdfacts - Common Tern 

Birdlife - Common Tern 

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 230 - Lovely Long-Horn Moth - Happy Father's Day!!

Long Horn or Fairy Moth (Nemophora degeerella) sunbathing on a nettle.

Hi all today's Day 230 and before I want to do anything, I want to wish all Dads a happy Father's Day! I went out to Stavely Nature Reserve today with my Mum and Dad and we saw a lot of wildlife there. Its a fabulous reserve. We saw a group of young stoats running around making a right noise so I don't suppose they caught anything. They were very quick though, too quick for me and my camera!

My Mum spotted a lovely little Moth that I thought would be great to do as it is a very impressing looking Moth. When we looked around we actually found two of these beauties sunbathing on some nettles - just to make the photography a little more challenging! From the title /\ and pictures > you'll know that today I am covering the Long Horn Moth.

So, here are the facts:

Despite being on nettles they were very good and sat still

• They usually are 16-23 millimetres long this is 0.63 inches - 0.91 inches.

• The Males can have antennae which are up to 5 times their body length. This could be up to 115 millimetres! 

• This makes them the longest antennae of all UK moths!

• They are seen from May to July during the daytime as they are a day flying moth.

• Their larvae feed on Birch leaf litter and we found these in a patch of mixed deciduous woodland. 

• They are mostly found in Southern England, mostly found around Norfolk but there is also quite a large colony near Land's End. They can also be found as far North as Dumfries in Scotland.

Antennae blowing in the breeze.

• The Long Horn Moth are also called 'fairy moths'. Their Latin name is Nemophora degeerella.

• They are found in deciduous woodlands, which are often damp. Also they are found around well wooded hedgerows and lanes.

• The Females are usually much shorter than the Males while they hardly have any antennae  at all compared to the Males.

Here are some links to more information:

Wikipedia - Long-Horn Moth

Naturespot - Long-Horn Moth

Moths UK  -Long-Horn Moth

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 229 - Honoured Hawaiian Geese

Hawaiian Goose (Branta sandvicensis)

Hey everyone today's Day 229 and, as you know, I love to go to Washington Wetlands Centre. It's a great place to visit and to see birds that you would be very lucky to see in the United Kingdom. One of these is a particular bird of which I was lucky enough to see its goslings at the Duckery that they have there. As you'll know from the title and pictures, today I am covering Hawaiian Geese.

So, here are the facts:

• They have another name apart from the Hawaiian Goose. Don't get confused if you hear them called Nene Geese as this is technically their official name.

• They are a VULNERABLE species meaning that they probably won't become extinct but there is a small risk. It's the same as an Amber Status.

• My alliteration of these geese being honoured refers to the Nene goose being the state bird of Hawaii. It is the rarest of the American State birds.

• They can range from 56cm to 71cm and their weight can range from about 2.2kg in Males to 1.9kg in Females.

With their lovely goslings

• They used to breed on all of the Hawaiian Islands but now they only breed on Hawaiʻi, Maui, Molokaʻi, and KauaʻI.

• They are also found from Sea Level all the way up to 2,400 metres (7,900 feet).

• Weirdly, even though they are only a Vulnerable species, they are the sixth most endangered water bird in the world.

• They are the only species of goose that is only naturally found on islands rather than on a continent.

• As they are isolated on islands and are called sedentary as they don't move or migrate much and have only been known to do this if they have run out of food. 

• They are under threat from hunts, egg collectors, mongooses, cats, dogs, pigs and rats. Road kill, though was the biggest danger from 1989 to 1999.

All the family together.

• Their diet is leaves, berries and flowers of grasses, herbs and shrubs.

• There are fossil records of the geese which have been found all over the islands. Scientists have analysed these remains and found that they have evolved from Canada Geese over the last 500,000 years.

Here are some links to some more information:

Wikipedia - Hawaiian Geese

Birdlife - Hawaiian Geese

Ducks.org - Hawaiian Geese

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 228 - Sensational Scorpion Fly

Rawcliffe Ings bursting with flowers

Hey everyone, it's Day 228 and I found another fly to look at from my day at Rawcliffe Ings. I thought I'd start off though with a picture of the meadows there as they were looking really wonderful while I was there, absolutely bursting with flowers!

So, while I was out looking for the Tansy Beetle I saw quite a few insects and plants that were of interest. I saw the Sawfly I covered a few days ago fo the first time though it was too quick for me to get photos of and I had to wait for another calmer one in my local forest to get the photos I used.


This little chap, though, was quite still for enough for me to get a few shots before it took off. I'm looking today at the Scorpion Fly! Well, at least I think it is. Looking at its wing patterns it looks closet to this from my research but there are three types that are quite hard to tell apart but I'm going to cover the Scorpion Fly (Panorpa communis).

Scorpion Fly (Panorpa communis)

So, what did I find out about them:

• They are seen from May through to September and are distributed across most of England, Wales and Central and Southern Scotland.

• It likes a variety of habitats including Farmland, Grassland, Heathland, Gardens, Uplands and Woodlands.

• They particularly like nettles and brambles but this one was sharing the Tansy plants with the Tansy Beetles.

• They get their name from a scorpion like tail on the males, which they use in courtship displays. 

The same fly from behind

•  Despite it looking like a scorpion it does not sting!

• The adults mate at night and the male will present the female with a gift of a drop of saliva or dead insect, if he doesn't he might get eaten by the female!

• Once they have mated the female lays her eggs in the soil where they hatch. The larvae live and pupate in the soil

• The adult's diet is mainly dead insects. It has a long beak like structure on its head with its jaws at the end. They will often steal the contents of spiders webs!

And from above.

• They are 14-20mm long.

• They belong to an ancient group of insects more than 250 million years old, the 'Mecopterans'. It is thought butterflies and lots of other species evolved from this group of insects.

Well, quite an interesting insect to find. If you want to find out more try these links:

Nature Spot - Scorpion Fly

Wildlife Trusts - Scorpion Fly

UK Safari - Scorpion Fly

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 227 - Wistful Whistling Ducks

Black-Bellied Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna autumnalis)

Hey everyone today's Day 227 and, as you know, I like to go to Washington Wetlands and Wildfowl Centre. There are lots of lovely water birds there and I love the idea of getting worldwide birds that are endangered and make enclosures for them, as well as breeding them and putting them into incubation areas so they have a very good chance of hatching. But
anyway, today's post is about the lovely Whistling Duck, specifically the Black-Bellied Whistling Duck.

So, here are the facts:

• From the facts that I have found, it seems there are around 1,000,000 of these birds in the UK and these birds are also of Least Concern.

• They do have a couple of threats, though. Like all aquatic birds, they are susceptible to Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) and a sudden outburst of this could affect the population.

What's that?!

• They are also hunted around the World and they could be hunted to extinction. It's unlikely but it could happen like the Dodo's story.

• They have a length range from 47cm to 56cm and their wingspan ranges from 76cm to 94cm. Their weight ranges from 652g in Females to 1,020g in Males.

• There are two species of Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks. The Northern and the Southern. The Northern one is larger and has a brown front and back while the Southern one has a grey front and back.

• Even though they are water birds, they will live in nest boxes created for them in wooded areas as well as gardens.

"Look over there!" "Oohh! Good spot!"

• One Female, on average, will lay 13 eggs and several Females will lay in one nest site meaning one Female can incubate and the others can find food.

• Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks dabble for their food which consists of plants, including grasses and agricultural crops.

Here are some links to some more information:

Wikipedia - Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks

Cornell lab of Ornithology - Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks

Birdlife - Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks

Ducks.org - Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 226 - Mystical Mayflies

Mayfly (Ephemeroptera)

Hey everyone today's Day 226 and today's post runs along the same lines as yesterday's Sawfly Post as it is another mini-beast. This one, though, looks completely different. "Like a Fairy," when it's caught in the sunlight on a warm day, says my Mum. O..K.., anyway, moving swiftly on, it is, in case you hadn't guessed, the Mayfly! We only have one photo (which you can see to the right) as they are incredibly difficult to catch with our cameras! These are lovely little insects that once I saw a Robin chase. It missed the first time, but the second time the Robin went in for the kill the fly mysteriously disappeared...

So, here are the facts:

• There are 51 species of Mayfly in Britain. Some examples of Mayfly families are: Spiny Crawler Mayflies (about 90 species in the world) and Leptohyphidae (about 140 species of these in the world.

• They have large compound eyes, two wings, six legs and long, slender tails.  Some have what look like streamers (called filaments), such as the one in the photo.

• Their name is misleading as they are not only present in May but through all of the year as well.

• Some species of Mayfly are called the Dayfly because, unbelievably, they only live for a few hours as an adult, however, a few species live for longer, weeks and, sometimes, even years!

• They start life as an egg on a river bed and they hatch into a 'nymph' (other people obviously think they look like fairies!).

• The Nymphs feed on vegetable matter before emerging out of the water after anything up to two long years! Adults don't feed at all and have functionless mouth-parts. 

• The Adults fly to the river bank where they moult and then fly back to the water to perform their mating dances as they only have a number of hours to live, they must find a mate.

• Once they have mated, the Males immediately die. The Females then lay their eggs in the water, then they die to. 

• Mayflies are one of the oldest winged living species with fossil records dating back over 300,000,000 years! Otherwise known as 300 million years, long before the dinosaurs.

• The Larvae and Adults are a vital source of food for many other creatures such as fish and, as we witnessed, birds.

• Their Latin name (Ephemeroptera) means Short Lived wing. Ephemeros means short-lived and pteron means wing.

• As they appear at the same time as the Hawthorn blooms the Hawthorn once called the May Flower.

Here are some links to some more information:

Wikipedia - Mayflies

UK Safari - Mayflies

Bug Life - Mayflies

Insect Britannica - Mayflies

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 225 - Super-fly Sawflies

Tenthredo mesomela. 

Hi all today's Day 225 and today's post is about something I (and I'm sure you) see quite a lot. The most recent time was when I was at my local forest and it was very accommodating and stayed still for a very long time to (I like to think) let me take photos of it. It did move for a little bit into a different place letting me get some very nice shots of it in different positions. You'll definitely already know what I'm talking about from the title /\ and pictures >

So, here are the facts:

• Sawflies are part of the same family as bees, wasps and, surprisingly, ants! This family is called Hymenoptera.

• The Sawfly differs a small bit because it doesn't have a 'waist' and they have two sets of wings. more importantly, they don't sting and are harmless. Yay!

What!?

• Females possess 'saw-like' body parts which they user to cut through plant tissue to lay their eggs.

• In the UK there are about 107 genera
  and about 500 subspecies. Some of the most common are (in no particular order):

1. The Apple Sawfly
2. The Gooseberry Sawfly
3. The Turnip Sawfly
4. The Pear and Cherry Slugworm Sawfly
5. The Rose Slug Sawfly (A.K.A the Rose Skeletoniser which brings me onto my next fact...)

• If you find some leaves still attached to the plant that have become 'skeletonised' with just their veins remaining they are likely to have been eaten by Sawflies.

• Their larvae can often be seen on the leaves and curl up into a 'little S shape' if you get too close as a protective mechanism. They can also bury themselves in developing fruits. 

Walking Away

• Adult Sawflies can often be seen flying on warm sunny days around blossom which they then feed on.

• The Adults live for about 2 weeks, during which time they must both find a mate and lay their eggs.

• The Eggs hatch into larvae that look like Moth Caterpillars except they have more legs. They usually feed for 4 weeks before burying themselves in soil to pupate.

• Infestations can occur which gardeners may have to deal with as they can attack Roses and Apples.

A bird's eye view.

• It can be managed naturally by placing things like Roses in open areas where birds can feed on the larvae.

• This particular Sawfly is a Tenthredo mesomela. It's seen through May to July and is seen around Meadows, Verges and Woodland Rides.

Here are some links to some more information:

Naturespot - Sawflies

Naturespot - Tenthredo mesomela

BBC Gardening - Sawflies

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 224 - Wonderfully Handsome Darlings - White-Headed Ducks

Male White Headed Duck ( Oxyura leucocephala )

Hi all today's Day 224 and as you know I go to Washington Wetlands Centre and I do a post now and again on one of the birds that I see there. This duck is one that I really liked the first, and all the other, time I saw it. Mostly because of its almost Ultra-Violet head and beak. Another reason is that blue isn't the most common colour for a beak of a bird so it makes it almost unique and extra special. I am of course talking about the White-Headed Duck.

So, here are the facts:

• Most of its body is a chestnut brown colour but, as I mentioned above, it also has a blue beak and, as the name suggests, it has a white head, it does have a black stripe over its head, though.

And a female.

• This is the Male though, the Female is also Chestnut brown and it has a paler face than the Male and has a dark cap and cheek stripe. They have a darker beak as well.

• They are 43-48cm long and they have a rather long tail. They weigh from 580g to 750g and I'm guessing they are Sexually Dimorphic meaning either the Male or Female is bigger than the other but I'm not 100% sure as there is not a BTO Birdfacts page on them.

• Its Latin name (Oxyura leucocephala) is literally translated to Pointed Tail and White Headed. Pretty apt huh? They are members of the stiff-tailed duck family.

• This is one of the rarest bird species in the world with a world population of no more than 15,000 birds. These are mostly seen and breed in Spain and Northern Africa.

You can see how far back their legs are here.

• These birds dive and swim underwater and if they feel threatened are more likely to swim underwater to reach cover rather than fly.

• Their legs are set quite far back on their bodies making it harder to walk which is why they prefer to swim.

• Another reason for their underwater swimming skills is to reach food which is larvae, pupae, aquatic animals, small fish, snails, crabs and plant material, they mostly eat at night.

• A fossil species from the late pliocene or early pleistocene resembled a small Ruddy Duck or possibly blue bill, Ruddy Ducks and White-Headed Ducks are part of the same family.

Displaying.

• They are generally silent thought they might make a low, rattling or drumming noise when displaying.

• They are monogamous meaning they will mate for life. Females lay between 4 and 9 eggs at 1.5 day intervals because at total clutch weight is around 100% of her body mass.

Here are some links to some more information:

Wikipedia - White-Headed Ducks

Birdlife - White-Headed Ducks

The RSPB - White-Headed Ducks

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.

Day 222 - My Local Patch - The Fantastic North York Moors

Bluebells at Silton Forest

Hi all today's Day 222 and I thought today I should do a different post for two reasons. First, it's the Wildlife Trust's #30dayswild campaign at the moment. Second I was asked if I'd like to do a post for the North York Moors, which I really wanted to do as I live in that area and it is a fabulous place for my nature hunting.

I live right in the middle of the North York Moors and the Yorkshire Dales, both of which are amazing places to go to. I spend more time in the Moors though as it`s so close to us and we love the woods and forests, and it has the coast line where we like to see the sea (Whitby in particular). The North York Moors has an incredibly vast range of places to go, from lakes to abbeys, from woodlands to cliffs, as well as the shoreline. All the different environments which are great for exploring and, my favourite activity, nature hunting!

Topping up a puddle full of tadpoles

All that said I am off camping in the Dales tonight!

Anyway I thought I’d tell you about a few of my favourite places in the North York Moors, why I like them and some of the wonderful things I've seen at them.

I will start with the forest that I regularly go to:

The Woodland

The Blue Pheasant

Silton Forest - It’s a great walk and the woodland is quite mixed with deciduous and coniferous trees. It’s got grassy paths, sandy paths and lovely streams so I see quite a lot of different creatures here. My favourite regular sightings here are Jays, Deer and Mice. I have also seen Adders, Slow-worms, Lampreys, Green Tiger Beetles, White Lipped Banded Snails and a Blue Pheasant too! 

I sometimes go to other forests in the North York Moors but definitely not as often as this one.

Cod Beck at dusk just before the
toads start to move.

The Lakes

Cod Beck, Osmotherly - A reservoir just next to moorland. It covers lots of types of area such as coniferous forests and grassland, as well as rivers. A Toad Patrol is held there every Spring to help toads cross the road from the moorland to the lake and vice–versa, it's one of the top ten toad breeding sites in the country. I also saw a lot of goslings here this spring.

An Alderfly at Gormire

Gormire from Sutton Bank

Gormire - This sits beneath Sutton Bank hidden in some beautiful woods. It’s a lovely calm place. The lake was formed by Glaciers and it’s a bit mysterious as it has no streams going in or out of it but it has crystal clear water. It's great for seeing the wildlife in it like the leeches and watersnails. I've also sat and watched swallows hunting for insects across the water here lots of times while having my sandwiches.

The Coast

Sea Anemone at Sandsend

Sandsend - I spend a lot of time here looking around the rock pools. There's lots to see in them and the beach is a great place to spend some time on. The views over to Whitby from here are fantastic too and it's also a very good place for finding fossils. Once me and my Dad got so immersed in fossil hunting we had to make a very quick exit scrabbling up the rocks as the tide was coming in rapidly! Must pay more attention in future! (my Mum was horrified when we told her...!)  I haven't seen much in the Rock Pools but I have found lots of Barnacles, Lichens, Limpets and even Sea Anemones! I like looking along the Coastline to see birds such as Turnstones, Sanderlings, Gulls and Oystercatchers. This is also a place where I can do my #twominutebeachclean and once collected some fishing line, hooks and nets that had been washed up by the tide.

Looking at Whitby from Sandsend

Port Mulgrave - This is a great place for finding fossils - I have found an ammonite at least a metre in circumference (I didn’t take it home, of course!) It’s also a great place to have a good walk as the top is about 100m above the sea, easy getting down and great exercise going back up!

The Moors

I like Sutton Bank!

Sutton Bank - This is a great place to see some very interesting birds that I don’t see very often such as the Yellowhammer, Willow and Marsh Tits and even the Crossbill (though I'm still looking for this one!), there is a great walk from the White Horse over near Kilburn all the way to the Sutton Bank Visitor Centre. They do a great Hot Chocolate! It's great for fungi in the Autumn too. The views from here out over to the Dales and looking over Lake Gormire are so beautiful, and it deserves the sign there that says it is one of the finest views in England (not that my photo does it justice!)

Snilesworth Moor

Snilesworth - There's actually loads of parts of the Moors I could have mentioned. On this part of the moors I often see Red Legged Partridge and Mistle Thrush. The moors can have surprises too and I mentioned Snilesworth as I found a Eucalyptus tree growing here - not the sort of tree you would expect to see high up on a some times cold and windy moor!

The Abbeys

Lichen at Rievaulx

Rievaulx - This is a place that has lots of wildlife all around it, such as on the wooded slopes up to the Temples on the hill above. There are also ancient woodlands nearby. The abbey itself you might think doesn't have much wildlife to see but if you look closely you can see a lot of things. I did a whole post on the Lichens and Cobwebs that I found in just a single wall. You can see it when you click here. It is one of my earliest posts, Day 14 so I am sorry if it isn't as good as the ones that I am producing now.

There are other fantastic abbeys to see in the North York Moors area too including Byland, Whitby and a working abbey at Ampleforth which makes a beer that Dad likes!

A lovely view over the moors

So I hope I've shown off my 'local patch' quite well. It's got so much to offer and much more than I've described here. If you get a chance to visit you'll be glad you did.

Hope you enjoyed,

Z.