Day 48: Angle Shades Moth

Moths are insects I must learn more about, being much more familiar with their butterfly cousins. Both are in the same order of Lepidoptera, meaning 'scale-wings' and both have equally fascinating life-cycles, colours and habits. This moth, which I rescued from inside our garage, hiding it under a rose leaf, is an angle shades, identified with the help of a friend. I think this must be a particularly fresh individual as, apparently, the green bands quickly fade to a 'dirty brown'.

Although this is a common species, I can't say that I have knowingly seen one before, and I think the patterning is rather beautiful. The folded wings when at rest are to give the impression of a dried leaf and when in flight, these moths favour the flowers of grasses. The caterpillars will feed on a range of herbaceous plants, including nettles and brambles.

References:

Chinery, M (2005) Collins Complete Guide to British Insects, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

https://butterfly-conservation.org/moths/angle-shades (accessed 09/05/2020)

Day 47: Great Diving Beetle

This great diving beetle is perching on the floating leaves of brooklime, clearly deciding our wildlife pond isn't the right place for it. After watching this large beetle for some time, I became aware of a high pitched buzzing noise, a little like the sound of water escaping through a small hole (which is slightly concerning when sat next to a new pond...). Eventually, a few seconds after taking this photo, it took off in a rather sudden and bumbling manner, making me jump backwards. 

A diving beetle has been present in our pond since almost a week after we made it, whether this is the same individual or not, I do not know, but it was lovely to watch it surface and dive to the bottom. We are still awaiting our delivery of oxygenating plants, as none survived in the previous pond, so I wonder whether the oxygen levels have depleted enough to make it uninhabitable for this species of still water. Hopefully, once they do arrive, more diving beetles and other species will colonise to make it a small oasis for wildlife.

References:

Chinery, M (2005) Collins Complete Guide to British Insects, HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

Day 46: Field Forget-Me-Not

Amongst the daisies, common vetch and Germander speedwell is a single spike of field forget-me-not. Its pale blue, five-petaled flowers reminiscent of a clear summer sky, where faint puffs of white cloud gather around its yellow centre. Its unopened flower buds covered in pale hairs, when they go to seed the seedpods will stick to clothing and drop off to germinate elsewhere.

These dainty flowered-plants are very common on roadsides, so I'm sure more specimens will appear in out little patch as a symbol of love of the natural world, rather than a token to be worn to not be forgotten by a lover.

References:

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/plant-fungi-species/forget-me-not-common (accessed 09/05/2020)

Day 45: Common Daisy

The common daisy certainly lives up to its name, but isn't it a glorious sight to see an otherwise boring green lawn come alive with these fallen stars of white and yellow? An even more magical sight when they become pink tinged because 'the faeries sit on them' when they close up at night.

Interestingly, researchers have studied daisies in Africa and have discovered that those which close at night produce cryptic colouration on the lower surfaces of their 'petals' to camouflage them from herbivores. Whether or not this applies to our native common daisy, I am not sure, and they have only studied one plant family so far.

A single daisy head isn't, in fact, just one flower, it is a composite of many tiny flowers which make up the bright yellow centre and the white ray-florets which appear like petals. Daisies are perennial herbs, so they will keep popping back up year after year, providing a valuable nectar source for bumblebees, honeybees and hoverflies. 

References:

Rose, F (2006) The Wild Flower Key, Penguin Books Ltd.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/08/190830112819.htm (accessed 09/05/2020)

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/plant-fungi-species/daisy (accessed 09/05/2020)

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/common-daisy (accessed 09/05/2020)

Day 44: Germander Speedwell

Another gorgeous wildflower that is growing well in our 'wildflower meadow' is the Germander speedwell. Clusters of pale blue flowers with dark blue veins that look as thought they could have been painted. The four blue petals surround a yellow and white centre, with two long anthers and a stigma emanating out like whiskers.

This plant is widespread and common in verges and hedgerow, so are relatively easy to find. Even so, these 'cat's eyes' are a colourful addition to our little wild patch amongst the fresh green leaves of those yet to flower. 

References:

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/germander-speedwell (accessed 07/05/2020)

Day 43: Common Vetch

These beautiful magenta flowers belong to the common vetch, a plant that is growing in abundance in our 'wildflower meadow'. The leguminous plants are scrambling and climbing over each other to create a lovely display of fresh green foliage with, from afar, polka-dots of pink. Close up, these flowers look like miniature sweet peas, so it is unsurprising that both are in the pea, or legume family. Their climbing habit has caused this patch to become a small jungle of leaflets and delicate flowers, creating a wonderland to peer into from the undergrowth. 

As I watched, several common carder bees were visiting the flowers, seemingly favouring them over other nearby blooms. Looking closely, many of the leaves have also been nibbled, so they are hopefully hosting some caterpillars or other animals. The common vetch also has other uses, being in the pea family, it is a nitrogen producer, so can be used as green manure and can be grown as livestock fodder.

References:

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/plant-fungi-species/common-vetch (accessed 06/05/2020)

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/common-vetch (accessed 06/05/2020)

Day 42: Bugle

Like an ethereal wood-sprite who only appears in your peripheral vision rather than being in focus when you look directly at it, this, the first flower spike on either of my bugle plants refused to allow me to focus fully on the uppermost open blue flower each time I pressed the shutter. The dark green-purple foliage spreading like slowly creeping arms to fill the bare ground below the winter honeysuckle, where I can make nothing else grow, is now throwing up thick, hairy purple spikes where these little blue veined flowers bloom. Their shape reminds me more of fairy-tale creatures, of fairies disguised as flowers, or as one with flowers, possibly more than any other in my garden, reminding me of days of poring over Brian Froud's fantastical books. 

This perennial woodland plant is also much loved by bumblebees and is a good early nectar source for green-veined white and orange-tip butterflies. The wild flower, native to most of the British Isles, is Ajuga reptans. The two I have, Ajuga reptans Braunherz, are cultivars of this and are easy to grow under almost all conditions.

References:

Thomas, A. (2017) Gardening for Wildlife, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/plant-fungi-species/bugle (accessed 03/05/2020)

https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/89313/Ajuga-reptans-Braunherz/Details (accessed 03/05/2020)