Monday 17 February 2014

Walking with(out) Butterflies

Spring was in the air today so we took time out to walk the route we take when doing the Butterfly Survey. It was soggy underfoot but nothing that a stout pair of walking boots or wellies couldn't cope with, and the sun had some degree of warmth in it too.

Part of the poplar plantation at the start of our survey area had been felled twelve months ago. Today it was already planted up with saplings, inter-spaced with the old tree stumps.

A clearing in the wood housed several bee-hives....

and there was a fair bit of activity from the inhabitants....

Perhaps this isn't surprising considering the tree pollen and the spring flowers already in bloom...

Poplars, snapped in two like match-sticks, and other trees at precarious angles served as a reminder of the recent strong winds

This strange 'hanging basket' caught our eye...
 Our best guess is that it is formed from an accumulation of debris from the tree, which has become lodged in the branches and subsequently self-sown seedlings have taken root there.... but that's just a guess!

The sight of a Brimstone Butterfly (apologies for the inflight picture!) made us look forward to starting the butterfly surveys once again in March/April time.

We only hope the tree (two above) decides what it's going to do before we visit again...... and that the butterflies keep still for us to photograph next time!


4 comments:

Tim said...

I was surprised by a Brimstone today, also...
I was watching the Blackthorn through the 'scope and one suddenly crossed my field of view....
quite a shock mid-February...
but very nice to see.

Then, crossing to the longére I heard a loud buzzing....
looked up and...
lo and behold, a large black Carpenter Bee was trundling about its business.

Yesterday a Common Wall Lizard was sunning itself on the south end wall of the barn...

The fallen tree isn't going anywhere unaided...
that is well snagged in the neighbouring one!!

Susan said...

I think your 'hanging basket' is a fungal infection known as Witch's Broom. They are sometimes used by squirrels to form the base of their drey.

Tim said...

That didn't occured to me Susan...
I've never seen Witches Broom on a conifer before...
well used to it on Birch and Sweet Chestnut...
but it certainly looks similar.

Tim said...

C&E:
Just found this blogpost:
http://www.growsonyou.com/bluespruce/blog/2314-witches-brooms-explained-a-personal-view
and the last but one pic shows an example similar to the one you saw...
and he thinks it is brown like that from a build up of leaf litter in the broom...
but look what he does with bits of them!!