SKYLARK SUE’S REFLECTIONS OF NATURE 

May 2013

May brings flocks of pretty lambs

Skipping by their fleecy dams

This May has brought a lot more than fleecy lambs – we’ve had torrential rain, thunder, hail, and even some sunshine.  I was beginning to despair that this complete spring would be a washout, and that we would lose all our breeding birds this year, but as usual, nature fought back and suddenly we’re awash with young birds.

Even so, the 1^st of May proved very warm and sunny, with pink buds showing on the apple trees. The blossom is late this year, but, as we see later in the month, has proved to be a stunning display giving gardeners high hopes of a bumper crop of fruit. Certainly, the blossom on both the crab apple trees and eating apple tree in the garden has been the best we have seen it for years; the apples’ delicate white blossom with a hint of pink contrasting with the bright pink and pure white of the crab apple trees. The bees have been very active amongst the blooms, as well as many other insects – though strangely, this year I have not yet seen a ladybird. The robins and blue tits were down on the feeders on this lovely day, while a particularly hungry wood pigeon spent at least fifteen minutes working his way from one feeder to the next, gorging on the various seeds,

The next day was just as warm, with plenty of bees around the garden.  A robin enjoyed a long cooling bath in one of the fountains, and then sat on a shrub to dry off. Then he went back for another dip. A pair of blue tits had obviously bonded and were flying around the garden together, and feeding from a fat-filled half-coconut. Heavy rain, hail, thunderstorms and sunshine were the order of the day on May 4^th, though this odd weather was partly compensated by a superb pink, red and orange sunset with lots of pretty rosy clouds, hopefully a promise of a better day tomorrow.  May 5^th didn’t let us down – it was good to see white butterflies around, and also a young robin in the garden which was a bit of a surprise as we didn’t think the ones we had seen around had a brood yet, going by their behaviour. We also had a brand new garden visitor – a female blackcap, which was exciting and very welcome. The blossom was out on the cherry trees, and in our small wildlife pond I noticed three male newts madly chasing a female. There are newt eggs on some of the plants.

May 6^th was yet another warm and sunny day. The apple blossom was now really beautiful, and when the blue tits and robins perch amongst the blooms it was a delightful sight, with the blues, yellows and reds contrasting with the pastel flowers. It was a butterfly day, too; in the garden we saw comma, holly blue, orange tip and small whites. Commas are one of the easiest of butterflies to identify, as well as being very attractive – they have an irregular curvy edge to their wings, so they stand out even when you can’t clearly see the colouring. When they come to rest, the white curved comma-like mark on the outside of the wing shows why this butterfly’s name, Comma,  is so apt.  A particualrly magnificent hoverfly - a Helophilus pendulus, which has vertical stripes on its back - landed on the garden table, sunning itself. There were two male blackbirds on the garage roof, one angrily posturing, presumably to assert that it was his territory. I think the blue tits are now sitting on eggs, as the male has begun calling from the apple tree with some food, which he presents to the female when she leaves the box. Then they both fly off for a few minutes, before she returns once more to the box. There was another blue tit around, too, investigating a box at the end of the garden by the thorny pyracantha, though it didn’t seem very impressed.

Holly blue

Helophilus pendulus hoverfly

Plenty of insects were around, including several beetles and an earwig that had set up home in an empty peanut shell. A beautiful hawthorn shield bug seemed to glow in the sun. There was a water boatman on the pond, and tonight we counted over thirty newts, carrying out a torchlight search. May 8^th was much chillier, with a strong wind, but luckily most of the apple blossom stayed put. There were chick noises coming from the nest box on May 9^th, and soon the parents were frantically going in and out of the box, feeding the young on small green caterpillars with the occasional sunflower heart or fat pellet. Usually, when they emerged from the box they would be carrying a faecal pellet.

Hawthorn shield bug

The next day I travelled to Preston, where I stayed for two nights. On the journey I noticed that the gorse was in full flower, and there were still plenty of cowslips. As we travelled northwards, it was interesting to see that daffodils were still in bloom, whereas in Essex they had shrivelled. Near Peterborough, I was pleased to see a red kite, such stunning birds with that chestnut gleam and their forked tails. I also noticed several kestrels hovering along the A1M and M11, a welcome sight as this species seems to be on the decline. The oilseed rape was brilliant yellow, there seems to be so much about this year – it’s a garish colour that doesn’t blend well with the British landscape. I much prefer to see fields of soft blue flax. At last, the bluebells are in flower, such iconic plants that whisk many of us instantly back to our childhood – in those days a ‘bluebelling’ trip was a must to anyone who lived near the countryside, even though the flowers didn’t last long in a jug of water. In these more enlightened times, we visit woods just to see – and smell – the bluebells instead. By the hotel were plenty of trees, with linnets and jays.

Back in Essex on May 13^th, I was pleased to hear greenfinches singing their rather ‘wheezy’ song nearby, and the following day my daughter thought that she saw some in the apple tree in the garden. It had turned very cold again.

Blue tits were stunning against the apple blossom and blue sky

May 16^th was warmer, and I watched a swallow swooping overhead against a glorious blue sky. The blossom was stunning against the blue as well. The bluetits were working hard collecting insects and caterpillars for their young in the nest box, and the starlings, blackbird, sparrows, robin and a squirrel all came down for breakfast. There was a white butterfly around, too.  On May 18^th I noticed a couple of swallows flying near a local shopping centre, but I haven’t seen any martins or swifts this year as yet.There was a humorous incident on May 21^st , when a woodpigeon and a squirrel were monopolising the feeders on the pole. A robin tried to land, but the pigeon pecked at him, so the robin flew off. It waited for a few moments then flew, like a bullet, straight at the pigeon who fell off and flew away at speed, also scaring the squirrel who scampered off, leaving the robin to feed in peace.

Hawthorn is now in fully in bloom – it has been late this year. Although I spotted a few early flowering bushes amidst the blackthorn several weeks ago, it is only over the last couple of weeks that it has really come into its own. Also known as ‘May’, at one time people were warned ‘Never cast a clout till May is out’. My mother used to call hawthorn ‘Bread and cheese’ – apparently when she was a child, she and her friends used to eat the young leaves as a delicacy.

Snow leopard

Red panda

I saw animals not native to Britain today when we visited Paradise Park in Broxbourne!  Amongst them were tigers, lions, camels, zebras, snow leopards, lemurs and red pandas. There was a young white lion cub that was trying to gnaw some meat but was really just mumbling at it – the strength wasn’t in its jaws as yet. The tapirs were interesting, strange looking creatures, with trunk-like noses, and I was able to stroke an armadillo which was a special moment for me. They are strange creatures too – they resemble clockwork toys when they move with that jerky gait. There was a mini farm there, too – which did contain some British creatures! Here were sheep and lambs, pigs, goats and ponies. One of the lambs was an ‘Ouessant lamb’ which is the world’s smallest breed of sheep (actually from a small island off Brittany.). There were also plenty of rabbits.

Mayfly larva

Two days later, on the 23^rd, not only was it very cold, it was windy and we had hail. Despite the weather, the valiant little bluetits were constantly to-ing and fro-ing the nest box. On May 26^th, my husband noticed a large flock of at least a hundred starlings and young feeding on a grass verge around 8.30 am. They were probing the ground for grubs. Bluetits were still feeding their youngsters, and a starling came into the garden with a youngster to feed.  A small sample of water taken from the wildlife pond on the lawn revealed, as well as various daphnia etc., a mayfly nymph flaunting its three long tail filaments. The pond contains many smooth newts, they seem to do well in our garden, breeding in both of the small wildlife ponds. They lay their eggs amongst the plants, the females carefully sticking each tiny white egg to a leaf.

Lackey moth caterpillars climb the crab apple

May 27^th was a day of invasions – firstly, we noticed at least a hundred Lackey moth caterpillars climbing the trunk of a crab apple tree. There had emerged from a large silky tent or cocoon that had been created around a garden ornament at the base of the tree. There were smaller cocoons on some of the leaves. Interestingly, some of the caterpillars seemed to be communicating by twitching and jerking their bodies. Later, they retreated to their silky hide.

It seems that the caterpillars are spending their nights in this silken tent, and also using it to shelter from any inclement weather. Presumably, as they grow they will eventually leave the safety of the commune and spread out over the garden to feed and to eventually pupate into adult moths. The Lackey moths aren't very spectacular, they are quite small and a rather drab brown/buff. It's a shame as the caterpillars are pretty, with bright blue faces!

Silken nest of Lackey moth caterpillars

Then down came the starlings, there were a couple of dozen or so, and their cries were loud! There were many young birds with the adults, and the adults were feeding them, although the youngsters looked perfectly capable of feeding on their own. Unlike the adults, these juvenile birds were light brown with creamy patches especially around the throat. The parents were dark, glossy, green, purple and black. Beautiful birds. The next day we drove to Bourne, Lincolnshire, and once again spotted a red kite near Peterborough.

Greylag geese and goslings

A quick trip to a rather damp Hatfield Forest on May 30^th didn’t show as many babies on the lake as I had I hoped. In fact, I only saw four goslings, which were accompanied by a proud pair of Greylag geese. I didn’t see any young Canada geese, grebes or mallards although there were quite a lot of adults. A common tern was swooping and diving over the lake, and a swallow was searching for insects. High above, a swift was doing the same.  A dunnock posed beautifully for a long time on a willow by the small the lake, while the jackdaws were still going in and out of their nest hole in the tree that I noted last month. On the approach to the forest we saw many chaffinches, their white wing bars catching our eyes as the birds flew up from the roads.

Jack-by-the-hedge

The buttercups were out – Hatfield Forest is noted for its buttercups which are a blaze of gold in late spring. Although the sun wasn’t shining, the sight was still impressive, they spread across the open grassland as far as the eye could see. They were beautiful. Along the verges and paths the Jack-by-the-hedge or wild garlic was coming into flower; a touch of the leaf will explain its name, as it gives out a pungent smell. This useful plant can be used in salads, both the leaves and the flowers. On the way back from the forest a fallow deer burst from a hedge, running across the road just feet away from the car, disappearing almost instantly through the hedge on the opposite site. Almost immediately, another deer rushed from the hedge, following the first. This second deer was much darker.

Finally, the last day of May proved sunny and mild. A torchlight scan of the garden that evening revealed newts a plenty in the ponds. There were lots of slugs and snails, including a large leopard slug and an earwig. A caterpillar was feeding on clematis leaves. This month has proved a strange one, much colder than we usually expect for this time of year, although we did have a few May-like days.