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Downsizer Forum Index -> Conservation and Environment

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dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45460
Location: yes

Posted: Mon May 29, 17 5:42 pm Post subject:
am i right in thinking it was in a fairly damp environment?

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Mon May 29, 17 8:42 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

am i right in thinking it was in a fairly damp environment?

Well, dampish. A yard or two from a full ditch, on peaty soil. But it didn't squelch!

Henry

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45460
Location: yes

Posted: Mon May 29, 17 10:22 pm Post subject:
i think i know where to look for them now ,ta .

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Tue May 30, 17 9:42 am Post subject:

dpack wrote:

i think i know where to look for them now ,ta .

The books say heaths and sandy places, The one in the photograph was on a path with quite a lot of vegetation, and it was very hard to spot, except when it moved, and they do move very fast. The others we saw were on less vegetated mossy parts of the path, but presumably it was easier for them to see us (those huge eyes!) hence the flight.

Good hunting!

Henry

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45460
Location: yes

Posted: Tue May 30, 17 10:52 am Post subject:
there are a few places round here that fit those criteria, i will report back if i manage to spot any. i had best not take the hounds though as they are ankle deep in adders.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Mon Jun 05, 17 3:18 pm Post subject:

Following on from last week's creatures, you might also look for these, dpack:

.

Found at the same site, I initially thought they might be the entrances to solitary bee nests, but after consultation with better entomologists than I, they are in fact the entrances to burrows of the larvae of Green Tiger Beetles, You can just see the top of the armoured head of one in the right hand burrow, waiting for a victim.

Henry

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 45460
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Jun 05, 17 3:41 pm Post subject:
ta ,knowing what home looks like helps with finding most critters.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Mon Jun 05, 17 3:44 pm Post subject:

This week we went to a piece of FC woodland to look for Fly Orchids (we found seven) and Greater Butterfly Orchids (we found quite a few but I don't think anybody counted).

We also searched for, and found, this:

.

This is the Rayed (or Four-footed) Earthstar (Geastrum quadrifidum). Thi specimen is one of last year's, still surviving. It does have a fourth 'foot', but it is folded underneath. This is an uncommon species and this site is the only one known for the county.

Not far from this was:

,

The slime mould Flowers of Tan (Fuligo septica) which was a much brighter yellow than it appears in the photograph.

We also saw lots of rather drowsy bumble bees, feeding on Comfrey flowers. I think their drowsiness was due to the coolth of the morning. If I can obtain a positive identification I will post a picture.

Henry

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15575

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 17 6:14 am Post subject:

I have never seen those Buzzy. I didn't know we even had earth stars in the UK, although I have seen them in the book.

Lovely to have seen the orchids too. I don't think I have seen a fly orchid, although we found 1 greater butterfly orchid at the other end of the wood. If I get time I must see if there are more there as it was cut last autumn, so best chance of finding one. I am hoping to visit a site for bee orchids next week, so will be looking out for them. So far, only pyramid orchids here. I have seen one that I think is a pyramid in the woods, which is the first I have ever seen there.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Tue Jun 06, 17 10:02 am Post subject:
Here, just for you MR, is one of the Fly Orchids (Ophrys insectifera). This group is growing in rather dark woodland, but I have seen them in open meadow and on limestone pavement. They are not easy to photograph at this site. Henry

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15575

Posted: Wed Jun 07, 17 5:58 am Post subject:
Lovely Buzzy, thank you. I will look them up and see if there is any chance of them in our wood. As we haven't seen any I suspect not.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Mon Jun 12, 17 9:19 pm Post subject:

No walk today for me, for a variety of reasons.

But here is a (slightly fuzzy) picture of a visitor to the van, who popped in through the window yesterday and buzzed round the room for a while.

This is the hoverfly Myathropa florea, apparently quite common, but this is the first one I have been close enough to to see the details of it. Its larvae feed on bacteria in water-filled rot holes in trees and in other stagnant collections of water.

Henry

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 15575

Posted: Tue Jun 13, 17 3:53 pm Post subject:
No doubt we have plenty of them in the woods then as we have odd bits of tree with water holes. Adds to the biodiversity I suppose but some creatures do have revolting feeding habits.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42207
Location: North Devon

Posted: Tue Jun 13, 17 3:57 pm Post subject:
I like the ones that you can get to track orange pips. No idea what species they are though.

buzzy

Joined: 04 Jan 2011
Posts: 3708
Location: In a small wood on the edge of the Huntingdonshire Wolds

Posted: Tue Jun 13, 17 4:12 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

I like the ones that you can get to track orange pips. No idea what species they are though.

Tell me more about the orange pip business, please.

Henry

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