Welcome to my Tree Following
post for January and early February 2016.
These tree posts form part of a wider project initiated by Lucy Corrander from the
Loose and Leafy blog and continued by Pat at
The Squirrelbasket. May I express my thanks to you both.
I am based in Suffolk, UK, where I have been keeping an eye on an
Acer negundo (aka a Box-leaf Maple). I am also continuing to watch my Silver birch,
B. pendula. Those of you who have read my previous posts will know that I love following the Silver Birch; but, for some slightly indefinable reason, I have not found the
Acer negundo a very rewarding tree to follow. I may exchange it for a small flowering cherry sapling that we were given four years ago. I will let you know my thoughts on the matter in a month's time!
You will find the other Tree Follower links by clicking the Mr Linky link
here ... so do take the chance to have a look at these new posts!
Once again, the main activity this last month concerns the birds who live around my home patch. Many of them showed up on cue - in, on, around or under the Silver Birch - during the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch. You will find my report
here.
Since my last TF post, I have noted
the following ...
- The feisty Robin (and another Robin)
- Blue tits, a large cluster
- Great tits, again a good number of these
- Long-tailed tits, always in a small group
- Starlings, every so often
- Blackbird, around the tree, rather than on it
- Magpies
- Wood pigeons, the usual suspects
- Carrion Crows, three noisy ones!
- Greater Spotted Woodpecker - a male and a female
- Bullfinch, male - seen once during its brief spell in our patch
- Grey Heron, seen overhead twice, going in opposite directions
- Sparrowhawk, which flew past the Silver Birch and on over the fence
- Goldfinches, a large charm
- Collared Doves, a pair
- Jay, a few days before the Birdwatch.
There has also been a
Grey Squirrel, who is perching precariously at the top of the Silver Birch as I type. A large
black and white cat has visited the base of the Silver Birch on occasions, leaping up at a Magpie who was hovering by the coconut feeders.
On the insect front, I have
one early moth to report, but it flew off before I was able to identify it or take its photograph. I also watched a queen Buff-tailed Bumblebee fly past the Silver Birch, and I gather from friends on Facebook that there have been other sightings of these bees during the past month.
And now for a few photos for this month ...
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo0r7DmQ51NOOGOqYJwZDmMs2mHeDckDhH7ugvKC236FgzjtnHJrRULBONocY1VePgWuBheXWyTbHw0Ot8FC7OB2nJnoaBRk7LZkatswEf4snl3nFmdJX6yBYs3x_Q8yhovS-u1VFXCut/s640/birchP1070921.jpg) |
Silver Birch - this morning |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qu5bMzo0cxZCNrxYVVZOYKsKslfQXPLrkuiwvT8ukeBeMYJILc7Hc0N1Or7GckuFwaWYWYskuEzxRXRoE42MaX83Ur0dD4yUIZzL2Hw3UKjTuhbRRYvNQk2mjXzWdkhJuBoVhsDS84BA/s640/birchP1070922.jpg) |
Slow signs of spring (Silver Birch) |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_i0AGdltf-IsZ42vfNM829K8u6uItK3gY51sPLf_1b9sIJsgYap12_YSYtVLSPlP7Y2p8yfcf6Z4oebyPf7e9gTiThfyXInlj6n5otKLVBqJAcTt18qUDNuy9i7R80zsqjjm-br8XSdLq/s640/AcerP1070924.jpg) |
Acer negundo, looking pretty wintry still |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBxgc94Wht4mRhgWF4BIe1i7-bdhvQcjhGqcPSVkRXyyodzQGqpULHWYa5uIN2ai0qOQ1PcBgzRRSctR0OpyjDYqud6oA55jXtnk51q-rMVpxFCga-ICGII_bdbBDxHZTDNfxJgNAYdCT/s400/woodpeckerP1070876.jpg) |
Great spotted Woodpecker, male |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3HGC6Z34DEIcAw5BtXqKW3JSP4st5ELraFzD9lPd-vqW941v-b7xIMU_CWuncfGg1yJJsHGUW7ojX12Cr3DDu2ua83IDFvozyj3xlLdQWdUs0xqdIqGEcLxocUp4430TvDsnS7Lzk0fmx/s400/woodpeckerP1070877.jpg) |
You can see his back-of-the-nape red band very clearly |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnliKK2neYNpJmBJUukDpl9RQwBY6HYV5fxyWmplHDLeI5Tg359Zh_BDuewr7ArdvIm25lYiwF1XNMuALTvmsJpz1HkgcgAe3sRqqY5TOsfrUyXo8UVLNowHY-EONTBCylVhnR7R0vrCvx/s640/squirrelP1070819.jpg) |
The Grey Squirrel managed to knock the lump of fat (with berries) to the ground ... |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_k6Hz8rN4Wl3aYXenQHd0POrVeeeaNJxmUa9dgu_WSejzzdBJA7Vz0VLC2WGLW2TPxeBZPkJ3yJNWLGGwdyaOkjsgHKjWttvPrDQcBgI53m9hDCocJdSJC5kuwioJKDl8W4jaR552EQDQ/s640/squirrelP1070822.jpg) |
... ate as much as it could, and managed with some difficulty to carry the remains over the fence. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv47l06fIJhF6l_NZc4ANbLotK1-z7Xqi3OKqi5sMGaOytbfvvytyFeqcZP23JqUMDjcVuzxArlRMxe6skwUHejDN1mSDv7It1tS5l8lrDxxTkZWbkaYYOi4KoinLhjMsFQu-9JWOg7xqk/s640/dunnockP1070887.jpg) |
One of the Dunnocks at the foot of the Silver Birch |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0qdzQXe3LedXASWBMJtUJk65xe20Jzp7k3nv1WDGNpYL-H4MRZ066h1Ci_4haqbDeDl40sUjh1IXs4AnzWgjq1XLqFQAYGMHghpzPbI0kTuUX0Eu8C2JfbuYZg9Hu__vmwlBmmDN8Rmap/s400/bluetitP1070896.jpg) |
Blue tits feeding in peace |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjt99FA7XDRj6tX0OKFewejZ0qbgLs-0rptHGyHLnnRO-d_C4Kpzsoj5mZ9frvohXrGvvAJFerBv0g7IRP5KlA9a_Kd_WBqZ-2UmUniLXdM-fz7pcEk6xC0qdC0DY7yh-AmG6AY1-v-2vp/s640/starlingP1070883.jpg) |
One of the Starlings |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWI4HwjulKL26HnOClkHVIO8lzxPWRgT_8eZxyYLYUq1WfWYK2AZx4HdJ3ctN29y5J1q8SONInTcpj8j2lA_W8dUdn_kS3HL6d9s8E2AwvHiR7UM5ty1Z8QLCpFOlpJ8lfVS-5cKK9WJ91/s400/magpieP1070893.jpg) |
Above and below: Magpie (before the cat leaped up) |
I mentioned in January that I would post my full TF species list once again this month. I shall probably continue to do this every other month or at intervals as it is becoming rather long! Here it is:
(Largely) Silver Birch Sighting Update
The few Acer negundo entries have been marked as such.
Avian sightings (on, in
and around the Silver Birch, seen at any time since I began the Tree
Following project over a year ago) are shown in pink.
I have marked the 'wild things' seen during this last month in
yellow.
To date, the only birds seen on the
Acer negundo are
TFb13 Goldfinch and
TFb19 Chaffinch.
- TFb1 Great Spotted Woodpecker (a male and female)
- TFb2 Great tit (several, often on feeder)
- TFb3 Long-tailed Tit (large family, including juveniles)
- TFb4 Blackbird
- TFb5 Song Thrush
- TFb6 Blue tit (several frequently on feeder)
- TFb7 Robin (the feisty Robin has put in frequent appearances)
- TFb8 Magpie
- TFb9 Wood Pigeon (up to ten perching around the feeder area)
- TFb10 Dunnock (two occasionally below the feeder)
- TFb11 Starling (one or two)
- TFb12 Carrion Crow
- TFb13 Goldfinch
- TFb14 Jay
- TFb15 Green Woodpecker
- TFb16 Wren
- TFb17 Bullfinch (a single visit from a male)
- TFb18 Sparrowhawk
- TFb19 Mallard
- TFb20 House Sparrow
- TFb21 Chaffinch
New bird species this month ...
- TFb22 Grey Heron (I have seen these in our home patch before, but apparently not since the start of my Tree Following observations. There is a stream in the local nature reserve at the back of our garden, so we see these birds occasionally).
- TFb23 Collared Dove (a pair)
Mammal sightings include ...
- TFm1 (?Wood) Mouse
- TFm2 Bat ... first 2015 garden sighting 7 May 2015 [Apr/May 2015]
- TFm3 Shrew
- TFm4 Grey Squirrel (high up on the Silver Birch) [Jan/Feb 2016]
- TFm5 Stoat
- TFm6 Hedgehog, a single sighting
No new mammals this month.
Insect sightings include ...
- TFi1 Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly [March 2014]
-
TFi2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee [March 2014] [Jan/Feb 2016]
-
TFi3 Brimstone Butterfly [April 2014]
-
TFi4 7-spot Ladybird [April 2014] [October 2014] [Apr/May 2015] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015]
- TFi5 Skipper Butterfly [July 2014]
- TFi6 Meadow Brown Butterfly [July 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015]
- TFi7 Large White Butterfly [July 2014]
- TFi8 14-spot Yellow Ladybirds [July 2014]
- TFi9 Small White Butterfly [May 2014] [Apr/May 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015 - caterpillars]
- TFi10 Orange tip Butterfly [May 2014]
- TFi11 Harlequin ladybird [May 2014] [October 2014] [Sept/Oct 2015 - on three on Acer negundo!]
- TFi12 Garden Chafer (Phyllopertha horticola) [June 2014]
- TFi13 Ruby-tail Wasp
[June 2014] [May/June 2015]
- TFi14 Blackfly [June 2014]
- TFi15 Marmalade Hoverfly [July 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015]
- TFi16 Shield bug [July 2014] [Apr/May 2015]
- TFi17 Migrant Hawker
dragonflies [July 2014]
- TFi18 Unidentified Damselfly [August 2014]
- TFi19 Comma butterfly [August 2014]
- TFi20 Red Admiral butterfly [August 2014] [October 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015]
- TFi21 Peacock butterfly [August 2014] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Nov/Dec 2015] - flew past window
- TFi22 Green bottle flies [August 2014] [May/June 2015]
- TFi23 Ants [August 2014] [Apr/May 2015] [May/June 2015] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015 Acer negundo]
- TFi24 Squashbug aka Dock Bug, Coreus marginatus [August 2014]
- TFi25 Birch Shieldbug (late instar?) [September 2014]
- TFi26 Lacewing [October 2014] [Sept/Oct 2015]
- TFi27 Cereal Leaf Beetle [Apr/May 2015]
- TFi28 Unidentified Moth [Nov/Dec 2014] [Feb/Mar 2015] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015]
[Jan/Feb 2016]
- TFi29 Rosemary Beetle [[Sept/Oct 2015]
- TFi30 Hawthorn Shieldbug [May/June 2015]
- TFi31 Forest Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes) [Sept/Oct 2015]
No new insects this month.
Arachnids
No new insects this month.
And finally ...
MY PREVIOUS TREE FOLLOWING POSTS