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dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Sun Aug 20, 17 9:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

hybrids have left me puzzled more times than i care to remember

another issue re identification was apparent last week as slim named some trees as US species that i would have taken to be acer hybrids without a sp specific name.
it seems that there is a longer history of "ornamental" plant hunting that is more evident in york than i had thought.
at least two of them must be 250 to 300 yrs old which might make sense as they are in the garden of a 1690's local civil servants house.

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 17 5:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I think exotic planting goes back as long as people have been travelling Dpack. Even the beech tree where you are is said to be an exotic, as it's natural range is far further south. Although most of the sweet chestnut plantations in the south of England are Victorian, that was almost certainly introduced by the Romans, and we are not quite sure about the ubiquitous sycamore which was certainly here by Elizabethan times (the first one), but is non-native.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 17 4:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Today we visited an area of mixed woodland/grassland/wetland. We had hoped to find the Willow Emerald damselfly, but the tree on which one of us observed it last year had been cut down. This not necessarily a complete disaster, but the tree was the one best placed for observation of this species, which is unusual in that they lay their eggs under the bark of tree twigs that are above water. When the eggs hatch the larvae drop into the water and carry on life in the usual damselfly way.

We did find this interesting creature:




which is some species of heteropteran bug emerging to adulthood from its final pupal state. I am fairly sure it will soon lose its lovely orange colour and turn a dark brown. If I can discover the species I will let you all know.

Edited to add that I suddenly realised that as it is on a dock head, it must be the Dock Shield Bug (Coreus marginatus).10.32 BST

We also found the Fork-palped Harvestman (Dicranopalpus ramosus)




This species was first found in the county in 1999 and is now quite common.

Henry

Last edited by buzzy on Mon Aug 21, 17 9:34 pm; edited 1 time in total

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 17 5:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

good finds, the bug is an ace colour unless you live on green and brown things.
if it isnt toxic i recon you are correct that it will change hue as it dries

we have quite a few harvestmen/ladies in the yard (and under the sink sometimes) but i haven’t spotted that type yet.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 17 7:31 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dpack wrote:
good finds, the bug is an ace colour unless you live on green and brown things.
if it isnt toxic i recon you are correct that it will change hue as it dries

we have quite a few harvestmen/ladies in the yard (and under the sink sometimes) but i haven’t spotted that type yet.


I've just realised that, seeing as it's on a dock seed head, it must be the Dock Shield Bug (Coreus marginatus) (unless the world has gone mad ). It will turn brown as it dries.

That particular species of harvestman always seems to rest with its legs at that angle, so is very distinctive. My reference says it often sits on walls and tree trunks, and indeed the two times I've seen it before were on walls, but this one decided to sit on a leaf for a change.

Henry

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 17 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

many of our ones "nest" in the small holes in the surface of bricks which are just the right size for their body and the legs press flat on the surface.

i guess they look for a similar bivvy on tree trunks etc

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 17 9:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

dpack wrote:
many of our ones "nest" in the small holes in the surface of bricks which are just the right size for their body and the legs press flat on the surface.

i guess they look for a similar bivvy on tree trunks etc


I once found a different species (which one I didn't note at the time) swarming under a window sill - there were dozens - a huge tangle of legs!

Henry

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Aug 21, 17 10:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

i have found them under ledges as well but i dont recall any in vertical cracks ( such as the edges of sash windows ) or hiding on the underside of leaves nor do they seem keen on big holes like quite a few spiders maybe they worry something might join them for dinner with them on the menu

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Tue Aug 22, 17 6:38 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Interesting finds Buzzy. I have never seen one of those harvestmen. All ours seem of the ordinary variety.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 17 5:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Today we visited an old quarry which has been made into a nature reserve.

The first species we homed in on was Autumn Ladies Tresses, which is very uncommon in the area. Most of the flower spikes were well past their best, and since they are quite difficult to photograph, and grow in clusters so it is very hard to see where they all are, I refrained from trying to get a snap today.

We wandered gently around, and saw nice things like Brookweed and Saw Sedge. Not a great deal in the way of invertebrates, though I did find one Common Groundhopper, which hopped off before I could show it to the others.

We found quite a few xquares which had been placed in the hope of attracting reptiles. All we found under them were ants (and one mouse)! Probably too hot today for reptiles.

In the past I have found lots of small Bedeguar Galls on small rose plants close to the ground - today we found this robust one:




Also known as the Robin's Pincushion, and caused by the gall wasp Diplolepis rosae.

Henry

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 17 6:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I have only seen Autumn Ladies Tresses once, and that was at the hotel we stay at in Devon. They had some growing in the lawn. We haven't been there in August recently, so not sure if it is still there.

Those Robins Pincushion galls are rather attractive, even though they are a gall, so probably not ideal for the plant.

Sounds and interesting place.

Slim



Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Posts: 6533
Location: New England (In the US of A)
PostPosted: Thu Aug 31, 17 11:43 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Not mine, but a recent video of two Lynx being catty at each other in Maine. Thought it might interest.

https://youtu.be/L4iyPXHM89E

Mistress Rose



Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15539

PostPosted: Fri Sep 01, 17 6:56 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

Interesting Slim. They seemed completely oblivious to the vehicle. Otherwise similar to domestic cats in behaviour, but actually a bit less vocal.

buzzy



Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 17 5:11 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

I didn't join the walk last week but today we went to a local site, hoping to dodge the rain showers (which we did), There wasn't a great deal of bird life about, though we did have very good views of two Red Kites.

We did find a large and very active ground beetle, and a slightly smaller but still active female garden spider, but the invertebrate highlight of the day was finding several Willow Emerald Damselflies (Chalcolestes viridis) a recent colonist of Britain and first recorded in our county in 2012. Here is one of the ones we saw:




We also found a fungus which earned from the mycologist an "Ooooooh!" and a "Brilliant find!" - no mean praise! Here is the subject:




the Saffrondrop Bonnet (Mycena crocata) which is supposed to grow on or near Beech but there was no Beech nearby.

Finally we found a spectacular clump of Ivy (Hedera helix) in full flower:




that was attracting large numbers of assorted insects.

Henry

dpack



Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45377
Location: yes
PostPosted: Mon Sep 11, 17 9:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
    

nice snaps

round here we have a good selection of the blue and black ones , which makes it a bit tricky to attribute a sp to one flitting past but we don't seem to have any green ones.

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