Wild and Wonderful: Tree Following 2014

Showing posts with label Tree Following 2014. Show all posts

Thursday, 7 May 2015

Tree Following - April to May

Welcome to my Tree Following post for May. What a lot of transformations have taken place this month.

But before we take a look, I just want to add that these tree posts form part of a wider project run by Lucy Corrander from the Loose and Leafy blog. I am following a Silver Birch, B. pendula, in Suffolk, UK and what has up to now remained something of a mystery tree. You will find the other Tree Follower links on the Loose and Leafy blog ... so do take the chance to catch up with happenings in the arboreal world!

[1] My new tree for 2015

Words drafted on 1 May: this tree has changed quite significantly in the last few weeks, but I am still (slightly) unsure of its identification. It was suggested to me that it might be a kind of Prunus, but I was not totally convinced. It seems to have some Maple aspects, but I do not think it is totally maple-like either! Please let me know if you have further ideas.

Update of 5 May: my latest thought ... could it be an Ash-leaf Maple (Acer negundo - also known as Box Elder)? If so, these trees are called Junk Trees in Michigan because of their prevalence. Despite the name, these trees are not Elders: they belong to the Sapindaceae group. They are also known as Sugar Ash, Red River Maple and Black Ash.

The shoots are essentially green, but they have a rose-coloured waxy coating in the spring (see two photos down). The leaves are pinnate (good illustration; though remember, this tree is not an Elder!) in arrangement.

Close-up of new leaf growth, with leaf nodes opposite one another on the stem


Small tresses of double seed-keys

As above

My 'new' 2015 tree

Part of my initial fascination with the new tree (apart from wanting to identify it) was the fact that, unlike the Silver Birch, it did not seem to attract birds. So far I have only spotted a single feathered creature - a Chaffinch - on its boughs. Perhaps the leaf growth will encourage others. There is an insect on the other side of the Atlantic called the Western Boxelder Bug.

[2] Silver Birch

The tree has suddenly become a mass of green leaves, but I sense that spring is later at this stage than a year ago - in my home patch at least. This time last year the tiny Flowering Cherry near the Silver Birch was sporting pale pink flowers and the Ceanothus was distinctly blue. This year they are both still green at this point. However, the Silver Birch is striding towards summer, and I feel its fellow trees and shrubs will follow soon.

Intermittent spells of warm sunshine have brought with them some early insects in the area around the Silver Birch. The photo below shows a Hoverfly (perhaps Syrphus?).

The next photo depicts a Green Shieldbug ...

... and I think the next photo may be a Cereal Leaf Beetle.

Perhaps most exciting (to me) was the discovery of the Zebra Spider on the decking posts near the Silver Birch. I was keeping a careful look-out as I have occasionally seen Ruby-tailed wasps (see post for last June - and scroll down a bit) on these posts. I think it is still a bit soon for these 'metallic' insects. However, it was not long before I noticed signs of movement from what appeared at first to be striped ant-like insects. It was only when I blew up the photos that I realised that they were not insects but arachnids on account of their eight legs. You can read about these jumping spiders on the Suffolk Wildlife Trust site here.

Two spiders attacking prey?

Happy tree watching!

As ever, please feel free to comment or correct. I am very much feeling my way as I go. Meanwhile I will leave you with my latest list ...

Silver Birch Sighting Update

I have marked the 'wild things' seen during this last month in yellow.

Avian sightings (on, in and around the Silver Birch, seen at any time since I began Lucy's Tree Following project over a year ago) are shown in pink.

TFb1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
TFb2 Great tit (several, often on feeder)
TFb3 Long-tailed Tit
TFb4 Blackbird (I saw four at once, but no sign of the bald one)
TFb5 Song Thrush
TFb6 Blue tit (several frequently on feeder)
TFb7 Robin (frequent appearances)
TFb8 Magpie (about three frequently around below the feeder)
TFb9 Wood Pigeon (up to ten perching around the feeder area)
TFb10 Dunnock (two frequently below feeder)
TFb11 Starling (several on feeder, noisy!)
TFb12 Carrion Crow (one every so often, once with nesting material in bill)
TFb13 Goldfinch (a small charm on a couple of occasions)
TFb14 Jay
TFb15 Green Woodpecker
TFb16 Wren
TFb17 Bullfinch (a pair)
TFb18 Sparrowhawk
TFb19 Mallard (two pairs overhead - or was it the same pair twice?)

Mammal sightings include ...

TFm1 (?Wood) Mouse
TFm2 Bat ... STOP PRESS first 2015 garden sighting 7 May 2015 [Apr/May 2015]
TFm3 Shrew
TFm4 Grey Squirrel

On the insect front, sightings include ...

TFi1 Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly [March 2014]
TFi2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee [March 2014]
TFi3 Brimstone Butterfly [April 2014]
TFi4 7-spot Ladybird [April 2014] [October 2014] [Apr/May 2015]
TFi5 Skipper Butterfly [July 2014]
TFi6 Meadow Brown Butterfly [July 2014]
TFi7 Large White Butterfly [July 2014]
TFi8 14-spot Yellow Ladybirds [July 2014]
TFi9 Small White Butterfly [May 2014] [Apr/May 2015]
TFi10 Orange tip Butterfly [May 2014]
TFi11 Harlequin ladybird [May 2014]
TFi12 Garden Chafer (Phyllopertha horticola) [June 2014]
TFi13 Ruby-tail Wasp [June 2014]
TFi14 Blackfly [June 2014]
TFi15 Marmalade Hoverfly [July 2014]
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]
TFi21 Peacock butterfly [August 2014]
TFi22 Green bottle flies [August 2014]
TFi23 Ants [August 2014] [Apr/May 2015]
TFi24 Squashbug aka Dock Bug, Coreus marginatus [August 2014]
TFi25 Birch Shieldbug (late instar?) [September 2014]
TFi26 Lacewing [October 2014] (about fifteen)
TFi27 Harlequin Ladybird [October 2014]
TFi28 Moths (though not so many in December) [Nov/Dec 2014] [Feb/Mar 2015]
TFi29 Cereal Leaf Beetle [Apr/May 2015]

Arachnids

TFa1 Zebra Spider (about ten) [Apr/May 2015]

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Wednesday, 8 April 2015

Tree Following ~ March to April (plus new tree)


and 2015

This post marks a complete year of Tree Following for me. My Tree Following posts form part of a wider project run by Lucy Corrander from the Loose and Leafy blog. I am following a Silver Birch, B. pendula, in Suffolk, UK. You will find the other Tree Follower links on the Loose and Leafy blog ... so do take the chance to catch up with happenings in the arboreal world!

Welcome to my new - as yet unidentified - tree! I have had my eye on it through the winter, but was in two minds whether or not to 'follow' it as I felt reluctant to move on from my Silver Birch, especially since I am now in a position, twelve months on, to make some comparisons (or contrasts) with a year ago. However, I have decided for the moment to carry on with the two trees in an organic kind of way. I may drop one or the other, but will keep the Silver Birch as my main focus for the time being. Please leave a comment if you can ID the new tree!

As you can see, the leaves are beginning to grow on my new tree, and I hope that once they have developed a little more, it may be possible to identify the species.

You can see last year's seed heads hang from the end of long stalks. I look forward to discovering more as seasonal changes take place.

These, of course, are already happening. The daisy above was spotted ten days ago under my 'new tree'. There are other signs of spring, and those of you who watched BBC Springwatch at Easter will know that Chris Packham and the team are asking us to record first sightings of the following species for their Big Spring Watch survey:

Hot-air balloon glimpsed through the branches of the Downy Birch

Some of you will recall that while I have been following a Silver Birch, I have also been keeping the occasional eye on 'another' birch, a Downy Birch seen in the photo above. It lies in close proximity, and while there was barely any green when the photo was taken some ten days ago, the Downy Birch now has definite signs of verdant leaf growth.

Silver Birch

In contrast, the only green on the Silver Birch (above) is lichen on the trunk. I'm sure the leaves will follow soon.

There have been quite a few Blue tits on the Silver Birch (and as you can see, on the coconut feeders that dangle from its lower branches). The Silver Birch plays host to some 334 species of insect, and some of these small creatures prove choice pickings for the Blue tit, as you can see in the two top photos in the link here. Aphids, Ladybirds and Hoverflies are often drawn to the Silver Birch, and I shall be keeping an eye out for these as the days go by. There is even a Silver Birch Aphid (Euceraphis betulae). Silver Birch leaves attract a variety of moth caterpillars, many with rather lovely names such as the Angle-shades (adult here), the Buff tip (adult here), the Pebble hook-tip and the Kentish Glory. I shall be keeping an eye out for these.

There have been no new birds on the Silver Birch this month. However, a pair of Mallards flew over one day for the first time, presumably a sign that the mating season has arrived. The Starlings have been regular visitors to the coconuts and, sadly, the Woodpeckers have been noticeable by their absence!

It may have been too cloudy for us to notice anything much during the eclipse, but 24 March brought a huge rainbow (the precursor to April showers, perhaps), followed on 25 March by a very icy morning.

24 March 2015: Rainbow

25 March 2015: Frost patterns on the car

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Saturday, 7 March 2015

Tree Following ~ Silver Birch during February to March 2015


and 2015

This post is the twelfth in my Tree Following series, part of a wider project run by Lucy Corrander from the Loose and Leafy blog. I am following a Silver Birch, B. pendula, in Suffolk, UK. You will find the other Tree Follower links on the Loose and Leafy blog ... so do take the chance to catch up with happenings in the arboreal world!

I shall make a firm decision in the days ahead, but I shall probably decide to keep up with my Silver Birch for another year, as it may be interesting to compare and contrast some of my 2014 and 2015 observations. However, I have almost decided to add in a 'bonus tree' ... so watch this space.

Although Silver Birch trees have been in the news as a backdrop to the scene that has gone viral of the Green Woodpecker and the Weasel, I felt that there was surprisingly little to report, back here at the ranch this month. I had hoped for more signs of spring, and indeed they are there, but you still have to keep a sharp eye open for them. A shrub in our front garden is just beginning to come into leaf, and I shall be delighted when the Silver Birch shows signs of green growth.

Arrows showing (right) few signs of new growth and lower down (left), the branches almost in leaf (close-up below)

For the time-being I must content myself with the catkins that 'sprout' in pairs from the end of all but the highest bare branches and the tight 'leaf buds' that can be seen if you look carefully.

New growth on its way!

Goldfinch heading for the Silver Birch

***

Diary Entry

Thursday 5 March 2015
Time: 14.05
Weather: cool and bright

Just as I was feeling a tiny bit despondent about the lack of recent birdlife in my home patch, a strange noise made me prick up my ears. Something was afoot, and it sounded like a disturbance of some kind. I looked out the window as quickly as I could, only to see the distinctive body of a Sparrow Hawk, as it flew past the birch fronds at some speed and headed on towards the tall trees that line the local nature reserve beyond. As I type the danger has passed, but there is a distinct hush, and I imagine the small birds lying low in the undergrowth. I expect the will resume their spring songs in due course. I suspect the disturbing noise was caused by the Magpies in response to the arrival of the bird of prey.

Postscript: two of the first birds to be seen some thirty minutes later were the Bullfinches, adding their distinctive sparkle to the scene. The male's rosy colour shows up particularly well in the bare twigs.


I wasn't quick enough with the camera ...

so here's one I took earlier!

***

One or two of the local birds are turning their attention to the breeding season, and pairing up in preparation, though the lively Long-tailed Tits have been noticeable by their absence. I thought I would turn to poets and song-writers who have been drawn to the Silver Birch. I have a strong recollection of a happy day (c.1971) around the camp fire during our Brownie Revels, singing the Canadian folk song, 'Land of the Silver Birch, home of the beaver', as we munched our baked potatoes and toasted marshmallows. The song rings in my ears to this day, reminding me that our suburban tree would probably have been better suited to a more rugged existence in northern climes. Strangely in her poem, 'Child's Song in Spring', Edith Nesbit (of The Railway Children) described the Silver Birch as 'a dainty lady' in 'a satin gown'. I came across this rather lovely Silver Birch poem by James Nash for Valentine's Day.

Tree Following Sighting Update . . .

I have marked the 'wild things' seen during this last month in yellow.

Avian sightings (on, in and around the Silver Birch, seen at any time in the last 11 months) are in pink.

I saw a 7-spot Ladybird just outside my Tree Following range this month, so am looking forward to more invertebrate signs of the new season in the days ahead. I have also seen two Bumblebees, but neither were bear the Silver Birch. There have been a few moths, and each time I see one, I am conscious how shamefully little I know about these fly-by-nights.

TFb1 Great Spotted Woodpecker
TFb2 Great tit (several, often on feeder)
TFb3 Long-tailed Tit
TFb4 Blackbird (I saw four at once, but no sign of the bald one)
TFb5 Song Thrush
TFb6 Blue tit (several frequently on feeder)
TFb7 Robin (frequent appearances)
TFb8 Magpie (about three frequently around below the feeder)
TFb9 Wood Pigeon (up to ten perching around the feeder area)
TFb10 Dunnock (two frequently below feeder)
TFb11 Starling (several on feeder, noisy!)
TFb12 Carrion Crow
TFb13 Goldfinch
TFb14 Jay
TFb15 Green Woodpecker
TFb16 Wren
TFb17 Bullfinch (a pair)
TFb18 Sparrowhawk

Mammal sightings include ...

TFm1 (?Wood) Mouse
TFm2 Bats
TFm3 Shrew
TFm4 Grey Squirrel

On the insect front, sightings include ...

TFi1 Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly [March 2014]
TFi2 Buff-tailed Bumblebee [March 2014]
TFi3 Brimstone Butterfly [April 2014]
TFi4 7-spot Ladybird [April 2014] [October 2014]
TFi5 Skipper Butterfly [July 2014]
TFi6 Meadow Brown Butterfly [July 2014]
TFi7 Large White Butterfly [July 2014]
TFi8 14-spot Yellow Ladybirds [July 2014]
TFi9 Small White Butterfly [May 2014]
TFi10 Orange tip Butterfly [May 2014]
TFi11 Harlequin ladybird [May 2014]
TFi12 Garden Chafer (Phyllopertha horticola) [June 2014]
TFi13 Ruby-tail Wasp [June 2014]
TFi14 Blackfly [June 2014]
TFi15 Marmalade Hoverfly [July 2014]
TFi16 Shield bug [July 2014]
TFi17 Migrant Hawker dragonflies [July 2014]
TFi18 Unidentified Damselfly [August 2014]
TFi19 Comma butterfly [August 2014]
TFi20 Red Admiral butterfly [August 2014] [October 2014]
TFi21 Peacock butterfly [August 2014]
TFi22 Green bottle flies [August 2014]
TFi23 Ants [August 2014]
TFi24 Squashbug aka Dock Bug, Coreus marginatus [August 2014]
TFi25 Birch Shieldbug (late instar?) [September 2014]
TFi26 Lacewing [October 2014] (about fifteen)
TFi27 Harlequin Ladybird [October 2014]
TFi28 Moths (though not so many in December) [November/December 2014] [February/March 2015]

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Friday, 6 February 2015

Tree Following - February 2015


and 2015

This post is the tenth in my Tree Following series, part of a wider project run by Lucy Corrander from the Loose and Leafy blog. I am following a Silver Birch, B. pendula, in Suffolk, UK. You will find the other Tree Follower links on the Loose and Leafy blog ... so do take the chance to catch up with happenings in the arboreal world!

Above and below: my Silver Birch on 6 February 2015

A Couple of Diary Entries

Date: 23 January 2015
Time; 11.30
Weather Cold and bright, blue sky slight drifts of white cloud

I had just walked around the garden in search of Snowdrops (but there aren't any yet) when a large form caught my eye, gliding above the Silver Birch. It was a Buzzard, and the first I have seen over my home patch. Down below, a Robin was feeding among the twigs under the coconut feeders that hand from the tree. A Song Thrush hopped into the frame. The two birds were quite unperturbed by each other's company: they were centimetres apart and yet - apparently - quite uninterested in what the other bird was doing.

Buzzard (though we saw this one on Skye)

Date: 30 January 2015
Time: 12 noon
Weather Cold and bright, blue sky, white cloud and patchy snow on the ground from a heavy snow shower yesterday evening.

I was reading Claxton by Mark Cocker (highly recommended) as I sipped my coffee on a cold January morning. The Long-tailed tits flitted between the Silver Birch branches outside, catching my eye every so often with their airborne antics in a bid to secure a morsel of fat from the coconut feeders. There was a sudden swoop and the Great Spotted Woodpecker flew in. The bird did not stay long on the coconut, but in the few seconds in which I had to admirer this striking creature, I noticed that there was no sign of red on the head or the nape of the neck. This convinces me that the bird is a female, so I'm hoping we may have a resident brood of young woodpeckers come the Spring.

General Observations

We have had some pretty cold weather with showers of large snowflakes, but very little lying snow to date. The cold weather has certainly driven more birds to the coconut feeders on the Silver Birch. The sky has been very dark at times, and I apologise for the quality of the photos.

First there was ONE Long-tailed tit ...

... and then a few seconds later there were TWO ...

... then THREE ...

... then as the snow came down there were FOUR ...

... and soon there were FIVE (and a Blue tit?) ...

... yes, there was definitely a Blue tit ...

... not forgetting the feisty Robin, hopping around at the base of the Silver Birch.

Last month I mentioned the 'forked twig-ends' (in inverted commas, as you see). These have grown and swollen considerably, and there are no prizes for noticing that they are birch catkins. The pollen will be released into the atmosphere in April. I am waiting for new green leaves to unfurl.

Just beyond my home patch there were more signs of spring (I have included these nearby catkins for comparison) ...

... but in our neck of the woods it still felt as if winter had the upper hand.

Suddenly a new bird alighted in the branches of the Silver Birch ...

It looks a bit like a(nother) Robin here, but it was a Redwing.

That's about it for this month. Next time I will post my updated list of species in, on, under and around the Silver Birch. Who knows, by then we may have had some avian migrants passing through. I keep scanning the bird forum posts (and twitter, of course) to see if there have been any local Waxwing sightings. Apparently there was one in the vicinity, but not close enough ...

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