The Wildlife (and Gardening for Wildlife) thread

[elsiegee40]

It seems that a number of us regularly post about wildlife in our gardens so, I have decided to start a thread for us discuss all things garden wildlife... birds, insects, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, plants, gardening for wildlife, ponds... camera nest boxes, trail cameras, bat detectors, new sightings, regulars and things others might be able to identify for you.

 

I’ll kick off with the bluetit invasion we had in our garden on Saturday. Easily two dozen of them. I have never seen so many

 

EDIT

I have merged in @Dos_Box’s Painted Lady thread as that was drifting

Edited July 31, 2019 by elsiegee40

[Dos_Box]

For the more observant (or nature orientated) of you, you may have noticed a large increase in the amount of painted lady butterflies this year.

Whilst not uncommon, the numbers this years are HUGE! I was out for a bike ride yesterday and saw dozens. I usually only see a few each summer.

Not complaining at all, and keep your eyes open, they really are very pretty - https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/18/millions-painted-lady-butterflies-set-arrive-uk-summer/

[FishCustard]

I misread the title as "Painted Lady Scammer" (probably because I've been reading a book about fraud) and wondered what fresh hell they'd come up with to bilk people...

[Dos_Box]

I misread the title as "Painted Lady Scammer" (probably because I've been reading a book about fraud) and wondered what fresh hell they'd come up with to bilk people...

 

They distract you with the fluttering.

[6Foot2]

Link 1: Big Butterfly Count

 

 

Link 2: Big Butterfly Count 2018 Results

[Andrew_C]

I saw one that was new to me at the w/e. Eventually identified it as a Mint moth.

And we've got Median wasps - much less fly-in-your-face-fk-you wasps than the stripy b@srd Vespa Vulgaris ordinary ones.

Edited July 31, 2019 by Andrew_C

[elsiegee40]

I saw one that was new to me at the w/e. Eventually identified it as a Mint moth.

And we've got Median wasps - much less fly-in-your-face-fk-you wasps than the stripy b@srd Vespa Vulgaris ordinary ones.

 

We have had mint moths in our garden for the first time this year too. Pretty little things.

 

They seem to be having a good year

[elsiegee40]

Ooh just had a Jersey Tiger Moth on the house wall. That’s a first here too.

Edited July 31, 2019 by elsiegee40

[Dos_Box]

Ooh just had a Jersey Tiger Moth on the house wall. That’s a first here too.

[ATTACH]54565[/ATTACH]

 

That is a very pretty moth!

[stevejp]

Ooh just had a Jersey Tiger Moth on the house wall. That’s a first here too.

[ATTACH]54565[/ATTACH]

 

Not seen one of those before.

[elsiegee40]

That is a very pretty moth!

 

It has bright red underwings. Simply stunning

[36Degrees]

I haven't taken any photos of our resident wildlife yet this year. I usually get several of the hedgehogs (5 last year including 2 young, 3 this year) plus try to get some of the sparrowhawk and the starling invasion \ mass bathing escapades!

[southhamster]

We have loads of young newts (newtpoles?) in our pond, far more than usual

[elsiegee40]

I’m a volunteer at a wildlife rescue and spend most of my time there feeding baby birds. Today’s cute moment was a baby pied wagtail sheltering under a baby blackbird.

 

Blackbirds, I have discovered, have extraordinary parental urges from a very young age. Even the babies feel the need to parent other babies regardless of species.

[elsiegee40]

A couple of pictures from our weekend in Dorset. We saw loads of Brown Hares

 

And were lucky to see Roe Deer (not sure the farmer would be so pleased about seeing them feasting on his wheat)

 

And also loads of Blackcaps. This male is being photobombed by a female Blackcap

[elsiegee40]

I just recommended this to the EduGod himself so I thought I would post it here.

 

The RHS has an excellent plant-finder search facility. As well as being able to specify where you want to plant something and how big you want it to grow, you can specify that you want “plants for pollinators”. I have used it extensively when trying to find things to plant in my garden

 

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/search-form

[Dos_Box]

The elephant hawkmoth caterpillars are back out in my garden. I think I have found the culprits who have been munching my sunflowers!

 

 

 

 

 

[elsiegee40]

Went out on the River Medway with Tonbridge River Trips this evening for a Bat Cruise. They had a naturalist on board and plenty of bat detectors.

 

Picked up 5 species: Pipistrelle, Soprano Pipistrelle, Noctule, Daubenton’s and Brown Long-Eared.

 

The Daubenton’s, when picked up with a torch, looked surprisingly like House Martins with flashes of white as they skimmed low over the water

 

[Techykev]

I seem to have several frogs living in my garden these days, (definitely frogs not toads even though there is no water nearby). During the recent heatwave I took to watering their known hiding places whilst out watering the plants. Mrs TK gave me some funny looks when I remarked that I was "just popping out to water the frogs dear"

[Dos_Box]

I seem to have several frogs living in my garden these days, (definitely frogs not toads even though there is no water nearby). During the recent heatwave I took to watering their known hiding places whilst out watering the plants. Mrs TK gave me some funny looks when I remarked that I was "just popping out to water the frogs dear"

 

My garden was full of adult frogs in the evenings once the rain arrived last week. They didn't seem to be doing anything but enjoying the damp!

[elsiegee40]

I seem to have several frogs living in my garden these days, (definitely frogs not toads even though there is no water nearby). During the recent heatwave I took to watering their known hiding places whilst out watering the plants. Mrs TK gave me some funny looks when I remarked that I was "just popping out to water the frogs dear"

 

It’s not just you. I water my toad house too [emoji23]

[6Foot2]

I spotted this little fella in a high traffic area of school (stairs up/down to Languages)

 

 

I picked him/her up and put him/her on a tree outside.

 

[elsiegee40]

I spotted this little fella in a high traffic area of school (stairs up/down to Languages)

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]54697[/ATTACH]

 

I picked him/her up and put him/her on a tree outside.

 

 

Just had it IDed by Kent Moth Group as I didn’t recognise it. A Straw Underwing apparently

[FishCustard]

Ah that'll be the same species as the one that nearly landed in my tea(!) this morning by the looks of it. Are there lots of them about at this time of year?

[elsiegee40]

Ah that'll be the same species as the one that nearly landed in my tea(!) this morning by the looks of it. Are there lots of them about at this time of year?

 

Google says they’re common in July and August in the UK