Newhaven Wildlife: Lockdown Delights 2/3

Monday, 20 April 2020

Lockdown Delights 2/3

Et in horto domus

The urge to watch and record the nature around me has continued unabated, albeit rather more introspectively than usual. Whether working in the garden or sitting, transported back to Roman Britain with my book, much has been seen. Red Kites, Buzzards, a Peregrine and Kestrels have been seen circling above the garden. The burgeoning House Sparrow clan have become more relaxed with our presence, arguing amongst themselves and feeding as if we weren’t within inches of them. The Herring Gull pair is nesting as usual on a neighbouring roof and swoop to my delight across the garden. The winter flocks of tits and finches are less frequent now that they have retreated back in to the countryside, but can still be heard. Dusk and dawn sees the usual pipistrelles snatching moths en route to my moth trap.

Chamomile Shark (Cucullia chamomillae)

The moth trap itself has produced earliest records for a few species, including Waved Umber, Muslin Moth and Chamomile Shark; otherwise it has been more-or-less average. The Orthosia species seem to be nearing the end of their season, suggesting they were not too delayed by the poor weather in February and early March.

This year I have left the duckweed on the pond surface. It means that I haven’t seen the smooth newts or frogs, but I did find some frogspawn and occasional ripples as adults push their heads above the surface. I also heard some males calling at night until a few weeks ago.

New plants are flowering: a carpet of ground-ivy has been seen for the first time in the wild corner by the compost heap, Herb Robert has become more established, goosegrass and bedstraws proliferate and the red dead-nettle that I left to bloom has attracted Hairy-footed flower bees (Anthophora plumipes). The blossom on the weeping cherry has passed, but was sheltered from the recent easterly breezes this year and so for longer than usual this spring it delighted all who passed, including several species of bee.

In recent days I have seen in the garden Orange-tips, Large and Small Whites, a Speckled Wood, Wall, Red Admiral, Peacock, Comma and, for the first time today, a pair of Holly Blues. The weeping cherry has Box Bugs (Gonocerus acuteangulatus) basking on its fresh, delicate leaves and I have seen Green Shieldbugs (Palomena prasina), Dock Bugs (Coreus marginatus) and Ant Damsel Bugs (Himacerus mirmicoides) elsewhere in the garden. A patch of stinging nettles I left now has some tents stitched roughly together, but I think these might be Mother of Pearl rather than the hoped-for butterfly larvae. It's not a complaint. Common Carder-bees (Bombus pascuorum) have visited briefly, while both Dark-edged (Bombylius major) and Dotted Bee-flies (B. discolor) have been resident.

The vixen has been her usual furtive self, understandable behaviour considering she is feeding her litter of cubs who are not yet venturing beyond their earth in an overgrown neighbouring garden. A hedgehog was seen at the front of the house a couple of nights ago.