A photo a day. Feb 26th to Feb 29th ( leap year)

Leaping to the end of Feb and looking for something more uncommon here are photos of the sky,the insect world, my favorite subject at present - lichens,  and drama in the pond.

 Another chance find in the green house. It has a black face and the clumps of bristles are in a regular pattern growing out of a series of black bands on the body of the caterpillar. Its about 2 cm long. I will try to get an ident.  Feb 26th

The moon was was making an interesting picture with Venus close by on a perfectly clear sky.

 Feb 27th

I've found about five different lichens so far and here are two of them.  The yellow form could be Xanthoria parietina. Feb 28th

Now this is a big scoop for me. Just by chance I was peering into our pond knowing that in the last two weeks or so the water boatmen ( Notanecta glauca Notonectidae ) and other beetles had started moving around and right in front of me this water boatman was unusually remaining in the same place as I peered down at it. They usually dive of swim away as soon as I get near the pond. Its quite clear that it has caught a smaller insect which was still moving as I took the photo from above. It did eventually swim out towards the middle of the pond and dissapeared.  Although the photo is not very good I am still very pleased to record this action in the pond. Feb 29th

A photo a day Feb 20th to Feb 25th

Now we have moved into March every plant in the garden seems to be really starting its growing season and the animals and insects are on the move. The weather is a mixture of sunny days some warm and others with a cold wind.  This next set of photos shows some more of that change over from winter.

Last years nest. Survived the winter storms. Watched a lone pigeon spend some time in and around the nest but has not come back to it.  Feb 20th

Severn-spot Ladybird, Coccinella 7-punctata. Sheltering it seems. Beautiful markings on the bark! Feb 21st

Hart's - tongue Fern , Phyllitis scolopendrium. Growing in the top of an old well . Feb 22nd

Compere with Lichen shown Jan25? What species is this?  Feb 23rd

Great Crane Project Aller Moor. See write up in separate post.  "borrowed" a 300mm lens  to take this. Feb 24th

New growth in wild garden. What on earth is this?  Feb 25th

A photo a day Feb 12th to Feb 19th

This next set of pictures illustrate mid Feb in and around our garden which has been a little wet at times and warmer.

This first one is a small plant in our wild patch, flowering quite early and possibly looks like Lung wort, Borage family? -Feb 12

At the side of our new pond I planted some herbs for no particular reason. This one has had coloured
leaves for some time now this winter.Thymus puleyioides ? -Feb13

                                         



Recently noticed some miniature daffodils probably grown in a pot and then discarded near the green house. Now flowering and ideal for cutting for the house! - Feb 14th

The sun was shining and I found this Ladybird enjoying the warmth no doubt.  Severn Spot . Feb 15th

Moved a bit of old trellis lying on the corner of the lawn and found a couple of these caterpillars laying underneath. No idea what species.- Feb 16th

On the same piece of old rotting trellis I noticed this odd fungi. It looks like one of the Coral type  species, Ramariaceae? Feb 17th

 I almost trod on this next species of Fungus which had found its way through a small crack in the concrete floor of the greenhouse. I think it may be a Bay Cup, Peziza badia. - Feb18th

Lastly in the group is this Greater Celandine. Chelidonium majus. Growing in our front garden after I collected some wild seed from a waste patch of ground in the village. Its very vigorous and spreads very quickly. It has small yellow flowers which produce a lot of seed!  - Feb 19th

A photo a day Feb 1st to Feb 11th

Its about time I caught up  and showed some evidence of my progress. Its been the coldest February for a long time so plants and bugs have been having a hard time.  Hopefully some of my recent photos not only show the conditions but have a little interest.

Laurel shrubs in the garden are showing very healthy new buds despite the cold.Feb 1st.

Showed this shrub before I think but buds seem to have developed well recently and showing colour now. Feb 2nd.

Several degrees of frost make the snowdrops collapse onto the ground. Feb 3rd.

The whole of the small pond is now frozen over with some seed heads locked into the water. Feb 4th.

A change in the weather , rapid rise in air temperature and the snowdrops fully recover. How do they do that? Fen5th.

Despite the cold spell the white flowering Lonicera is still in full flower.  Feb 6th.

Taken during our Botany Group field trip to small wooded are nearby to practise identification skills for trees without leaf. This one just beginning to flower. Cherry. Feb 7th.

In the same wooded area in a nearby blackthorn hedge we found these Brown Hairstreak Butterfly eggs.  Just visible in fork of branch.Feb 8th.

Back home and finding plenty of Lichen on various trees in the garden. Some trees have a good covering and others very close by none at all. Both trees apparently healthy. I've borrowed a book"Understanding Lichens " by George Baron and a Field Studies Council Identification card covering Lichens and Air Pollution. I need to get some samples and use a hand magnifying lens or a microscope to make progress.  Feb 9th.

At last we had a slight covering of snow but it only lasted 24 hours or so. Feb 10.

Noticed a Thrush flying to the think Ivy at the top of an adjacent wall. Watching it I realised it was managing to reach the fruit of the Ivy plant and remove the berries. The photo shows one of the flower spikes which was covered in berries and now has only three left out of approximately 15 a few weeks ago. Feb 11.