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In Bynea an under-sized (late?) Elephant hawk moth larva (Deilephila elpenor) was sprinting along the cycle path.

Makes a Change From a Moth!

The early morning in Loughor was punctuated by having an urban Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) gazing through my lounge window.

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Lots of Starling (Sternus vulgaris) roosting on telephone wires at Bynea. Also active ground beetles (Pterostichus nigrita), living dangerously as a Grass snake basked on the cycle path nearby.

Conkers to Conk Out?

It appears (http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2008/sep/27/1) that the Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) is doomed. A leaf miner from the continent has caused a bacterial infection that destroys the trees.

Seeing the Changes 143

At Oxwich there was an indian summer feel with the last grasshoppers being sought by the lizards in the dunes. There was also a ground beetle (Calosoma auropunctatum) active in the area.

Dorset Daze

Some of the more striking sightings on the Dorset field course included real Red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and a meeting with a bogus badger (to advertise 'Autumn Watch' coming soon to Brownsea). Also saw 'underground mutton' (Oryctolagus cuniculus) coming in to feed at Weymouth Sealife Park. Also lots of late Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) and Comma (Polygonia c-album) butterflies basking in the maze at Abbotsbury.

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At Golden Grove (Carmarthenshire) things seemed a bit confused in the late sunshine (our 'indian summer'?). Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum) and Lesser burdock (Arctium minus) were in flower. Chrysomela populi beetles were mating and a Large white (Pieris brassicae) was feeding from a bramble flower. Birch bracket (Piptoporus betulinus) fungus was much in evidence.

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Weather finally became a bit warmer and lots of sawfly larvae (Croesus septentrionalis) chomped away at Poplar leaves in Swansea. Also some interesting white flowers near the margins of Singleton Park.

Guillemots Turn Nasty

There is a report (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/17/endangeredspecies.wildlife) that hungry Guillemots nesting on the cliffs of the Isle of May (Scotland) are turning on the chicks of neighbours that have been left alone by their parents (this used to be rare but applied to 60% of chicks last year) and, in some cases, pushing them to their deaths off the cliffs. This seems to be triggered by the 'lonely' chicks wandering off and attempting to solicit food from the neighbours. Some 70% of mortalities resulted from conspecific attack last year. The scientists have suggested that this phenomenon is linked to the declining fish stocks in the region.

Birder's Bonus 31

The warm autumn days (very limited in number) at NWCW were something for the European robin (Erithacus rubecula) to sing about!

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In Loughor, the semi-feral Gower ponies were doing their usual trick of jay walking in the middle of the estuary. At the NWCW, there was lots of late Common wasp (Vespa vulgaris) and dragonfly activity (notably Aeshna cyanea and Sympetrum striolatum). Acorn of the Pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) were much in evidence.

Tree Peace, Man?

It is interesting to note that the Woodland Trust (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4748809.ece) is claiming that exposure to wood-craft and the ecology of woodlands helps some "disturbed and troublesome teenagers" (even those from urban settings) control their errant behaviour and achieve success in examinations and eventually in the job market. That is an unusual 'pitch' by an organisation seeking more finance to conserve and develop the UK's declining woodland habitats but anything that works (possibly by appealing to the human tendency to explore novel settings, physicality and some one-to -one 'tuition') might be worth developing. Their activities also benefit some animals and plants (perhaps the young folk draw general inferences about the effects of 'small' actions on the fates of particular organisms and come to appreciate better that all actions (including their own) have consequences or is that too 'romantic' with the effect being simply obtained by removing them from their peers?).

Lounge Lizards

One of this year's Zoology graduates, Kate Statham (pictured with a female Whiptail lizard), is now indulging her passion for lizards (she did a project on behaviour of the Leopard gecko) on the Island of St Lucia. Island reptiles show many interesting adaptations to their local circumstances and such animals actually have found it easier to reach some remote oceanic island localities than small mammals (they can switch down their metabolism or travel as eggs).

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The early mist in Loughor visualised all the Garden spider (Araneus diademata) webs. At the National Botanical Gardens Wales, the Autumn saffron (Colchicum autumnale) with its medical function was much in evidence. There was also a display of mighty vegetables (including carrots and leeks) and a bunch of insects were 'making hay' (especially on Ivy flowers- also the case in Bynea) in the late sunshine. The insects included the Honey bee (Apis mellifera), the Common wasp (Vespa vulgaris), the Yellow dungfly (Scatophagia stercoraria) and the fly Polietes lardaria. There were a whole bunch of hoverflies including Eristalis tenax, Helophilus pendulus and Melanostoma scalare. A male diving beetle (Acillus sulcatus) missed a small water body.

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In Swansea, the rain has ceased, momentarily? Pencilled cranesbill (Geranium versicolor), alien Canadian golden rod (Solidago canadensis), Red valerian (Centranthus ruber) and Pale toadflax (Linaria repens) were much in evidence. Sea holly (Eryngium maritimum) looked skeletal, Sea spurge (Euphorbia paralias) is rearing up again and Old man's beard (Clematis vitalba) is unfurlled. Burnet rose (Rosa pimpinellifolia) are hip and Sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) are on the wing. Not much insect life but an occassional Drone fly (Eristalis tenax) 'picked' at flowers whilst the oaks had galls. In Loughor, the Horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) has conkered.

Monarch of the ex-Glen?

The news that increased logging is threatening the Monarch Biosphere Reserve is disconcerting (http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/sep/12/wildlife.climatechange). Around a million Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) overwinter in a very small area of evergreen Mexican forest after an impressive migration from eastern Canada of around 4500 km. These insects die even when 'their' trees (they return to the precise trees that their direct ancestors left before migrating north) are left in place, if reducing the surrounding cover causes temperatures to drop too low. This development is disappointing given the legal protection that was put into place for this World Heritage Site's creation in 1986. A little local activity by 'logging mafias' can effectively drive a wide-spread and 'figure head' species to extinction! It looks as if ways of convincing locals of the benefits of these butterflies will have to be intensified. The photo is of a Canadian fritillary rather than a Monarch but loss of any butterfly species would be a real loss!

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In Bynea, lots of 'maternal' spiders have enclosed themselves in webby packets.

Pizza Topping Goes Down the Pan?

The recent report (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/sep/04/fishing.foodanddrink) that the Anchovy has been added to the Marine Conservation Society list of 'unsustainable fish' is disconcerting. Fishing for this flavoursome fish was discontinued in the Bay of Biscay in 2004 redirecting fishermen to Portuguese waters. Quite apart from reducing the choice of pizza toppings and leading to the collapse of Worcestershire sauce, the losses (due to overfishing) of this small fish will have major repercussions on other organisms such as piscivorous birds, predatory fish and seals. The Marine Conservation Society seems dismayed with the labelling of fish in the UK that they clearly feel does not facilitate 'ethical' choice.