A bit of yellow 💛
(c) K Wicks
Yellow Nature
Wildlife
Pond and snails
I realise I forgot to do a proper post about my new little pond. A spur of the moment idea which is now about a month in, everything has settled and I’m making around the edge look OK with a few bits here and there.
Today I decided to move two of my five pond snails over as they have been doing well since I got them about a month ago now too. Not that easy to photograph, but I have tried. They are awesome to watch.
And today while checking the numbers, I lifted the small solar powered pump in the first tub pond, and what do I find? Small batches of eggs! There may be more snails very soon 😬
Also not so easy to photograph. But these have also been moved to the new pond. They are incredible at cleaning up, and have made the water crystal clear, and have helped clear all the algae that was forming round the growing plants.
These are the relocated two, as you can see, they have their work cut out for them here. Lots of algae there already, that may have come with the plant I moved to start it off though. Hoping for more wildlife, so far the birds have been using it as a bird bath too, so it has their approval, even using the little steps to hop down to the lawn on one occasion!
(c) K Wicks
July caterpillars & butterflies
There have been fewer butterflies by this time last year, but the weather did really delay all the flowers coming out so its not surprising.
But July had made up for it, firstly with a tortoiseshell a couple of weeks ago, warming up on the fence.
But last week, I was contemplating getting rid of the overgrown and looking almost past it sow thistle. Then decided to look closely at all the fading heads and small aphid patches – thinking there is still a lot of life here. Then I saw them.
Lots of little caterpillars. The sun was coming up and made for a few awesome pictures.
I think they are starting to look like bright-line brown-eye moth caterpillars after looking through many options, but we will see. One has made it over to my small growing cherry tree and has munched its way through half a leaf or two, but that’s ok. There’s plenty there and it is food for them.
The detail on them is amazing when you get up close. I was also treated to large and small white butterflies making an appearance at last. Drawn in by the lavender rather than the nasturtiums. It landed as I had my camera in hand watching the bees, a rare treat compared to waiting, following and still not catching them. I hope for more to come.
(c) K Wicks
Nature in the garden – 06.06.21
It has been another exciting week for nature in the garden, still lots of flying things it seems. This is for the last week or so and one pic in May I forgot to post, but most all of these are my first time seeing them. I may have given them a glance before, but not that I remember, and not that I noticed. I amazed at just how much there is once you start paying attention and letting the garden grow a bit wilder and by plating a bit more.
I haven’t ever seen one of these hoverflies before, there have been a number of different ones, so of course they will get their own post at some point 🙂
A very small weird looking mayfly, checking out my new little tub pond I put together mid week. It’s a work in progress and a trial run really. We’ll see how that goes.
This is another first – a type of crane fly that looks a bit more special than the ones I see all the time. Nature is great.
A new moth for me, and more exciting because it was in my own garden. This almost looked like a leaf at first, but on second glance I noticed it had wings, and a brilliant blue trim on them. I have now seen another of these, so that’s two in a week (I know it was a second moth and not the first again, because it was smaller).
At first I thought this insect had orange eyes. He was moving quickly and didn’t settle for long. After getting a couple of pics he left. I studies the picture to see what it was having worked out it was a type of bee, and discovered the orange bits appear to be pollen. Must have been a very pollen filled flower he visited before getting to me garden.
I love these colourful little wasps. They are so quick and settle for so little time, it’s a difficult process trying to get a good pic, so this one isn’t great, but as it appeared this week again, I really wanted to get a shot.
I am seeing these almost daily now, they land often and give me plenty of time for shots, but are easily spooked. So I wait and enjoy watching them a while first usually.
Again, not a great pic as it’s another fast moving wasp. Enough to work out what it was though. They are as small and cute looking as the rub-tailed wasp.
This chap did not settle long, enjoying the fully flowering loganberry bush but there wasn’t much left for him it seems as the visit was brief. I’m trying to capture all nature at the moment, rather than wait for a perfect shot or miss it.
Hopefully I will get to see lots more this week, maybe something new, maybe not. That part of what makes nature watching so exciting.
(c) K Wicks
World Bee Day 2021
I have been naming more bees this year from my old pics and seems there are more than I thought. There is a Bee Talk this evening with the Wessex Museum which I am quite excited about ‘attending’ so may know more later. But for now, here is a small selection of bees that I think I have named correctly for you to enjoy.
(c) K Wicks
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