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Post by Tig on Jan 2, 2021 10:23:41 GMT
It's snowing again! The robin visited and puffed itself up.   |
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Post by Barbara on Aug 30, 2021 7:48:29 GMT
 A funny old spider on the clematis yesterday. |
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Post by Tig on Aug 30, 2021 10:57:07 GMT
It's a garden spider Barbara (araneus diadematus). They range tremendously in colour, from black & white, chestnut brown & beige, to the paler versions like the one you spotted. The dotted spots down the centre of the body and at the shoulder a slight bar that forms a sort of cross identifies them. |
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Post by Barbara on Aug 30, 2021 12:58:23 GMT
They're everywhere at the moment, walked into one on the patio this morning, it was swinging from the washing line, a web at the side has hundreds of midges and greenfly in it.
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Post by Missredhead on Aug 30, 2021 14:39:31 GMT
This is the time of year that I put the washing line away as I walk down the path saving my arms like a mad woman...
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Post by Tig on Aug 30, 2021 19:26:26 GMT
I walk round the garden with a cane in my hand first thing waving it like a magic wand! I've had a face full of web too many times!
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Post by Ladygardener on Aug 31, 2021 6:58:47 GMT
Well spotted Barbara and thanks for the identification Tig. Every morning here there are bees of some sort or another asleep in the flowers and I've seen tons of ladybirds too. Tig would you know what this is sleeping in the rudbeckia yesterday   |
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Post by Barbara on Aug 31, 2021 8:50:14 GMT
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Post by Tig on Aug 31, 2021 11:52:07 GMT
It looks like a halictus sp bee LG, possibly h. rubicundus. They are quite small and I'm not that good at bee IDs, there are so many of them. I've spotted quite a few having a nap on a flower lately, this one yesterday looked like it had a bad hangover ...  Whilst we are on bees, now is the time to look for Ivy Bees (colletes hederae), they are quite distinctive with the furry gold bands and hairless eyes (honey bees have fine hairs on their eyes). I spotted my first one of the year this morning, it is a newly emerged male I think.   |
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Post by Ladygardener on Sept 1, 2021 8:48:36 GMT
Thanks for the info Tig. I'll keep an eye out for Ivy Bees (colletes hederae). We have a block type thingy that we allow the ivy to grow up and flower, each autumn it's humming with bees and it's just coming into flower now. I love it. |
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Post by Tig on Jul 29, 2023 17:47:31 GMT
OH lifted the cover on the sewer pit and was shocked to find this sat on the side at the bottom!  The brick pit is over 3' deep so no way would it have got out, we are not sure how it got in. Anyway he came up with a rescue plan which didn't involve him getting in there, it isn't that big so he would have struggled to stoop to reach it. Eventually he got it out. 2nd wildlife rescue in two days. |
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Post by Ladygardener on Jul 30, 2023 6:49:11 GMT
Wow, well done on that rescue Tig, it looks healthy enough anyhow. This is the beautiful burnet moth we spotted in the garden earlier in the summer.    |
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Post by Tig on Dec 26, 2023 13:49:06 GMT
Friendly companion on my tour of the estate this morning.  |
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Post by maggy on Aug 20, 2024 13:14:43 GMT
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Post by Ladygardener on Aug 20, 2024 16:23:41 GMT
Those are beautiful to see maggy, corn marigold I think. I'm sure they're heaving with insects and hopefully pollinators too. |
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