Tiger (Moth) Time

Scarlet Tiger moth, Anglesey Abbey, Cambs.

We have been to the water mill at Anglesey Abbey on many occasions. We have often watched swans, dragonflies and damselflies. This time our eyes were averted by a fluttery flash of red: a Scarlet Tiger moth in flight. I have never seen these magnificent insects in the east of England before, and my Cornish sightings have been few and far between. 

I loaded a photo on to iSpot, and one of the other contributors to the site suggested I contact the County Moth Recorder for Cambridgeshire. I have now had the ID confirmed (not that I was really in any doubt on this occasion), but I have also learned that this species appears to be moving east and that the predominant moth on a relatively nearby fen was in fact the Scarlet Tiger. What a magnificent creature to find in National Insect Week!

Scarlet Tiger

Small Eggar (Eriogaster lanestris) larva, Anglesey Abbey

Our next sighting was less showy, but interesting nonetheless. The moth larva in the photo above floored me somewhat in terms of an ID. As you can see, it was on a pathway with pebble-sized stones, quite close to the Visitors' Centre. The photo fails to show the conifers that towered above the path. 

I had imagined that the 'blanket-stitch' edging would aid identification considerably, but I drew a blank. Once again the folk on iSpot came to my rescue, suggesting an ID of Small Eggar, a 'Nationally Scarce' category B species. I see it usually turns up in the west but that there have been sightings in Norfolk. 

Water mill on the lode at Anglesey Abbey

 

Spring at Anglesey Abbey near Cambridge

We spent a couple of hours at Anglesey Abbey yesterday, immersing ourselves in the bursts of sunshine and the signs of spring. We saw two 7-spot Ladybirds emerging from their over-wintering state. These are the first ladybirds I have seen on the move since 2019. We also noticed quite a few bees, some of them bumblebees and some of them with orange pollen sacs. I am still waiting for my first butterfly...

What follow are some fairly random photos of the flowers and others sights we saw. Some of the plants and trees are undoubtedly cultivated and cared for; but an estate garden offers scope for a huge variety of wild species, too, due to the different habitats, in this case the silver birch stand, the snowdrop walk, the extensive grasslands where we sometimes encounter Green Woodpeckers, and the river where we watched a Kingfisher on our last visit. 

Blossom, bee and fresh leaves

The joy of spring colour

A scattering of species: Hellebore, Daffodil, Crocus and Snowdrop

My first 2020 ladybird sighting

Pollen and pollinator

My second 'emerging' Ladybird of 2020

Bumblebee with pollen sac

Contorted or Corkscrew Hazel (or Filbert?), with catkins

Cyclamen

Silver birch stand, looking stark, stately and somewhat otherwordly...

Who could resist these?

Small white Violets

A carpet of Snowdrops

A cultivated bulb

Aconite: these were almost over

There was a Periwinkle flower near the mill in the rusted inner band attached to a millwheel...

...and here is a close-up.

A time for reflections...

The mill lode

Looking back

Is this an early-flowering Cherry, perhaps?

Tranquillity

We saw several Robins; this one was looking here, there...

... and everywhere.

Anglesey Abbey

I always enjoy seeing a weathervane, particularly an unusual one like this gilded cast iron Viking longboat. I wonder what history lies behind it. If you like looking up to see weather vanes and windvanes, you might enjoy the chapter entitled 'Skylines' in Findings by Kathleen Jamie.

My thanks here to Ragged Robin for alerting me to the #LookUpForLent Twitter meme, which you will enjoy if you like gazing upwards at roof bosses, weather vanes and the like. 

Cyclamen: a sign of new life still to come

Anglesey Abbey with a Dusting of Snow

'Silent, and soft, and slow
   Descends the snow.'

Longfellow 

Anglesey Abbey, near Cambridge, is in the care of the National Trust. We met up with friends last Saturday, and enjoyed a walk through the gardens and grounds, which are renowned for their collection of Snowdrops. I think it was the first time I have ever actually seen those Snowdrops against a background of (admittedly thawing) snow. The stand of Silver Birch trees looks beautiful in every season.

As we walked along the lode by the mill, we caught sight of a flash of electric blue. This could only mean one thing: a Kingfisher, my first of the season, and sure enough we were granted a second look as the bird darted into the trees along the bank. It was too fast for our cameras, so here is 'one I prepared earlier', a Kingfisher photograph from 2016...

There was very little in the way of breeze despite temperatures hovering around 0 degrees centigrade. But there must have been a ripple to make these marbled reflections.

This scene brought back my 1960s childhood ... It is always a joy to see a bank of spring flowers.

And here's a close-up of one of the Snowdrop species.

We are always drawn to this Tibetan Cherry tree with its lustrous sheen. It reminds me of the one at Dryburgh Abbey in Scotland, last resting place of Sir Walter Scott.

More Aconites...

I decided to take an off-centre photo this time in the grove of Himalayan Silver Birch...

Snowdrops under what I think is a Corkscrew Hazel or Corylus avellana contorta... It's other name seems to be Harry Lauder's walking stick.

More Snowdrops...

There is not a lot that is wild about this clump of Dogwood twigs, but the clump blazed like a bonfire in the winter sunlight.

I think this may be my first insect picture on the blog for 2019. I have seen a few flies and queen bumbles about, but it was a joy to catch this bee at work.

Witch Hazel is always one of the first shrubs we see in flower...

More Aconites...

   

...and Snowdrops. 

Sunshine on snow...