Wildlife spotting

[ZoyzaSorris]

Which ones are the dirty foreign ones that we need to send back? I read an article on native species recently but sadly can't remember anything outside of "count the spots and some are even yellow".

Yes! Worldwide Butterflies - I agree they are ovepriced. I will look around I think for more. I like your project. Like you I tend to go a bit mad on things or do nothing so this seems worthwhile. I wonder how many you would realistically have to put out there to make a difference. Must be in the thousands. I like the idea of establishing a local colony though. I could build a compound and be king of the buterflies.

Need to find what species should be in mid-Wales.

Yes, I have no illusions my tiny releases are going to make much of an impact on the species at large! But with suitable habitat in cities (and increasingly in the countryside too unfortunately with the ever-increasing intensification of agriculture) fragmented into essentially islands, I was just hoping I might be able to get a local breeding population going at least. I would definitely go for other suppliers than WWB if you can find what you need, they are a bit of a ripoff (though may have to resort to them for my hairstreak plans). Can often find stuff on ebay or Devonbutterflies.co.uk are good but only have a couple of things in stock at any given time. Released the peacocks today, they looked happy, even had a couple back in the garden later on. 

Saw a cinnabar moth in the garden today, first I've seen in years, and first in the garden ever! Didn't get a pic but a right chirpy little fella, cheered me right up.

Indicative image

[Attila]

"not as lovely" just as special. Love that fox and foxy sox

That odd one of the fox was the first in the set (the camera takes 3 in quick succession when it detects motion), and looked as if some sort of space creature was dancing on the lawn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aae_RHRptRg

[Howj Begg]

Wonderful thread, this. I do hope I won't be polluting it if I post the odd extremely common species.

Lovely little jumping spider on my copy of The Rainbow a week ago.



I'm fascinated by the way they move in abrupt scurrying motions, recollecting themselves into a new position and attitude with just a flicker.

[ZoyzaSorris]

Yeah, jumping spiders are excellent little fellas.

[gib]

100 peacock caterpillars or similar would eat a LOT of leaves, is the tricky thing. It was quite a job keeping ten topped up with nettles once they reach the last couple of instars.

Oh, i thought they came with nutrient pellets you could feed them. Not sure where i got that idea.

I live right near a park and it's got acres of nettles. Never seen a single caterpillar on them - i'm sure when i was a kid you'd see nettles all draped in silk dotted with caterpillar shit.

[ZoyzaSorris]

The painted lady will feed on an artificial diet but I dont think many other species will. Yes, the massive decline in nettle feeding species like the peacock and small tortoiseshell is a bit of a mystery given there is no lack of food plant available, in fact nettles are doing well from all the nitrogenous pollution in today's world. It must be a problem elsewhere in the lifecycle, some believe our mild winters are ironically making it harder for them to survive hibernation, also disease and wasp parasites could be causing increased larval mortality, probably as with bees it's a mixture of modern stresses.

[Spoon of Ploff]

There's a small but relatively stable population of Small Tortoiseshells near me. They're usually the first butterflies I see every late winter/early spring. You can watch them basking on the nettles, and see the males sit close behind the females and tap them on the back with their antenna. Insect foreplay there.

[BlodwynPig]

Final hike to the marshlands this morning before I leave for Beige Britain on Wednesday

I've seen things...you people wouldn't believe. Attack skunks on fire off the shoulder of Lake Ontario. A red-bellied woodpecker fluttering in the dawnlight near Hendrie Park gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like sock in the flood water. Time to fly.

[jobotic]

Have seen three or four cinnabar in the past couple of weeks. In wait for it...Kent. One of the few moths I know the name of.

[BlodwynPig]

Have seen three or four cinnabar in the past couple of weeks. In wait for it...Kent. One of the few moths I know the name of.

How big are they? They look incredible in the picture above.

[Attila]

Major discussion here this morning, as the wildlife camera appears to have caught what might be a snake, Bigfoot, or a sentient sock.

It's definitately not a bird or vole or anything like that. Unfortunately, it was at the far end of the garden from the camera, and only part of whatever it was got caught in the photos -- but Mr Attila is convinced that it's a fairly large snake, maybe someone's escaped pet. Maybe it's just a grass snake?

Apologies for the giant photos, but it's for anyone who wants to spend a Sunday gotta-go-to-school-tomorrow (or in my case, two days of Exam Boards) musing over what sort of creature has moved into the bottom of the garden. Should also point out: something absolutely destroyed a bird in the greenhouse that's in the other corner of the garden. Even our cat-neighbour Mr Gus doesn't cause that much carnage when he brings down a bird.

The camera takes three photos in succession when it detects motion.

The 3 photos look really creepy when you scroll quickly through them, because it really does look like a large snake winding and rearing up its head.

I've cropped the photos so that you don't have giant photos of our garden. For scale, the orange roses are right next to Mr Creature, and each rose is about 2 inches in diameter.







It sure looks like a snake, and if I were back home in the US, I'd be like, 'Yeah, ok, and?'

But I didn't think there were any bigguns like that in the UK, which is why Mr A thinks it's an escaped pet or summat.

[BlodwynPig]

can you put an arrow as I really cannot see anything but tall grass and the Bigfoot in the shadows

[gib]

Is it the tip of a large black panther's tail?

[Brian Freeze]

Looks like a small Komodo dragon to us.

[Attila]

can you put an arrow as I really cannot see anything but tall grass and the Bigfoot in the shadows

Hallo, Mr B --

You've circled a shadow and a stalk of lavendar, but that's my fault as I didn't mark up the photo. Also, your Bigfoot could easily be Mr Attila relaxing in the corner of the garden. It really is extraordinary what he gets up to out there.

[Attila]

Looks like a small Komodo dragon to us.

Yikes. Are they that bendy?

[BlodwynPig]

the texture looks possum or raccoon but all grey-black

[Attila]

the texture looks possum or raccoon but all grey-black

Neither in this neck of the woods, tho. And I'd've spotted a possum a mile off, as we used to get loads of them in the wildlife cafe/food station my mum had back in the US. Poiny noses.

I'm still reckoning on something repetilian, like a snake or (as above) a komodo dragon or Cloverfield.

[Dex Sawash]

Armadillo w/o armor

[gib]

Yikes. Are they that bendy?

Nile monitor lizard:


Even the stripes look right.

[Attila]

So what's s/he doing in a garden on the south coast of England near Portsmouth. I wonder.

Do they eat cats?

[gib]

So what's s/he doing in a garden on the south coast of England near Portsmouth. I wonder.

Monitoring stuff?

Do they eat cats?

According to the Daily Star, yes.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/435940/Nile-Monitor-lizard-cat-eating-vicious-creature

[poo]

That's a tentacled pearly king!

[Attila]

Monitoring stuff?

Fair enough.

According to the Daily Star, yes.

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/435940/Nile-Monitor-lizard-cat-eating-vicious-creature

Fucking Florida, sending their cat-eating lizards over here.

[BlodwynPig]

I did see a water snake yesterday here as the lake is still flooded and I had to wade through flood water that stank of dead fish to get to the bird feeding (see above)

[gib]

Fucking Florida, sending their cat-eating lizards over here.

I know! They should stay on the banks of Florida's River Nile, where they belong.

[Brian Freeze]

As promised, an angle shades moth ealier this month. Not the best photo but the lovely markings are still visible.

Ive seen a couple of Cinnabar moths lately, always get them confused with Burnets until I look in the book. Seeing hordes of their stripey caterpillars demolishing weeds is a proper childhood memory.

[paruses]

Major discussion here this morning, as the wildlife camera appears to have caught what might be a snake, Bigfoot, or a sentient sock.

[...]
It sure looks like a snake, and if I were back home in the US, I'd be like, 'Yeah, ok, and?'

But I didn't think there were any bigguns like that in the UK, which is why Mr A thinks it's an escaped pet or summat.

Are you sure you put the garden hose away?

[Attila]

I know! They should stay on the banks of Florida's River Nile, where they belong.

Hey now, that article says it was a Nile lizard living in Florida. Probably on an exchange with a gator who is currently romping with his corocdile pals back in Egypt.

Are you sure you put the garden hose away?

Wrong colour, and as far as I know, unless it's a euphemism, Mr Attila hasn't got a prehensile garden hose.

[gib]

Moths as promised.