Aug 11, 2010

Poplar Hawk-moth


Perhaps the largest moths in the UK are members of the 'Hawk-moth' family.

The most popular is known as the Poplar Hawk-moth.

The Poplar has a wing span of 100mm and is docile in nature, often seen during the day taking a rest. The one you see photographed was found in Beechdale.

Hawk-moths can be both day and night flying moths, they are known for their speedy flight and some have the ability to actually hover for example the Hummingbird Hawk-moth, (pictured below) which appears in the south of the country.



Hawk-moths are by no means dull in colour, in fact they appear to be some of the UK's most beautiful as shown in the picture below. This is known as an Elephant Hawk-moth, and was taken in Tamworth during the summer. Fuchsia pink and lime green in colour with a wing span of 50mm, they are far from being boring. Our skies are filled with some truly amazing little creatures!!











All photographs by L.Warren

Jun 4, 2010

Bloxwich giant spider's web?? Aaaaargh!





A scary sight, faces the residents of Goscote Lane, Blakenall. Perhaps the largest spiders web they have ever seen, has appeared on their doorstep.

Yes, this is what nightmares are made of, but things are not quite what they seem.





Look a little closer. What do you see?



Not the giant, hairy, bird eating tarantula you were expecting?

This huge web like structure, is the work of a small caterpillar belonging to the Spindle Ermine Moth. It will live and feed temporarily under this incredible construction, until it is ready to fly around July-August. In the mean time, we can be rest assured that we are not being attacked by 'man-eating' spiders. It's just a tiny caterpillar doing it's thing! Enjoy and be humbled by this marvelous local spectacle.

If you want to learn more go to butterfly-conservation.org

All pictures by L.Warren

Jan 11, 2010

Your Country's Birds Need You!!

As winter is upon us, I cannot stress enough the importance of feeding the birds in your garden, regularly.

They need to build up fat reserves to get them through these frosty nights. Once birds have found a food source they will continue to return to it. Flying in the cold takes up a huge amount of energy, if they reach their source and nothing is available they will have to start their search all over again, no food, no energy!

Please ensure that the food that you put out is easily available for various species to reach. Hang some in the tree, pot some on a tray on perhaps on a garden table, and remember many birds such as blackbirds and dunnocks are also ground feeding, so remember to scatter some on the ground.

If possible keep your bird bath topped up with fresh water everyday in order to enable them to bathe, despite the cold, bathing is still an important factor for the everyday life of birds in order to keep their feathers in tip top condition.

(Never add salt to bird baths to keep them from freezing).

As you are aware there are plenty of seeds/nut mixtures available on the high street, ideally black sunflower and nyjer seeds have a high oil content, but if you are unable to reach the shops try putting out kitchen scraps or left overs.
The list below, might give you an idea about the type of foods you can put out. These will provide various species with the nutrition required and help them survive this cold winter:

Fat (Not polyunsaturated)
Cheese-grated
Potatoes - roasted or baked, (ensure they are cold and opened up)
Raisins
Sultanas
Currants
Apples
Pears
Bruised fruit- not mouldy
Pastry
Bacon (unsalted)
Cooked rice(unsalted)

Bread- Although it is not harmful to birds, it has very little nutritional value as it does not contain the protein and fats needed to supply energy.

A word of caution-
Avoid mouldy/stale food and anything salted.

The comforting thought is, you will be assisting in the conservation of many of our favourite birds and you will be rewarded. How? When the weather takes a turn for the worst, new species will take the opportunity to visit your garden in their search for food.

So take a few minutes to sit with a cuppa, relax and watch your feeding station. A local birder in Bloxwich this week, was fortunate to have a visit from an elusive lesser spotted woodpecker in his garden, so keep your eyes peeled. You may be surprised!

Papillion
All photographs by L. Warren