#30DaysWild, Day 3, Stag Beetle and Cockchafer for Dr Miriam Darlington's 'Encounter' meme

Dead Stag Beetle, 2015

I first encountered a dead Stag Beetle in the garden when I was 'following a tree' as part of Lucy Corrander's Tree Following meme in early July 2015. The tree in question was a Silver Birch just outside my window. 

Cockchafers, also known as May bugs, would occasionally fly around the branches at twilight in late spring, and I liked to keep an eye out for them. One even flew inside on a warm evening. As we returned it to the wild, I was able to have a close look at the rusty shade of its acorn-like elytra. Cockchafers are interesting to watch as they zoom and buzz about; but live Stag Beetles are, in my opinion, rather more spectacular. They become feathery silhouettes as dusk gives way to darkness. Once airborne, their unwieldy bodies take on the guise of otherworldly beings. 

Mark Twain, it seems, referred to Stag Beetles as Pinch Bugs. A few years ago a friend mentioned that she had seen her first 'Billywitch' of the season. I looked puzzled, and asked her what she meant. She proceeded to describe a Cockchafer, and I had to admit that the local term here in Suffolk was a perfect fit. I understand (source: Eastern Daily Press) that this dialect word was due to be included in an Oxford Dictionary in 2018.

Sadly Stag beetles are not as abundant as they used to be. They are now a protected species under Schedule 5 of the UK's Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the EU Habitats Directive of the Berne Convention. If you come across one, you are asked to log your sighting for the #greatstaghunt on the site of the People's Trust for Endangered Species. Maria Fremlin has written in some detail on these insects. Her pages include a list of names they are known by in different parts of the world and a brilliant poem by Lawrence Sail. 

Other Stag Beetle sites you might enjoy:

• A Stag Beetle Lectures on the Futility of Flight, a poem by Barbara Cumbers
• The Stag Beetle Lucanus Cervus (Coleoptera, Lucanidae) in Art and Mythology by Eva Sprecher-Uebersax, Rev. Écol. (Terre Vie), suppt. 10, 2008. 153 (pdf).

* * *

This post was written in response to the prompt 'encounter' on Dr Miriam Darlington's Facebook page for #30DaysWildCreativity.

Tree Following November to December 2015

Welcome to my Tree Following post for November and early December. 

The feisty Robin on my feeder

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 am following an Acer negundo (aka a Box-leaf Maple). I am also continuing to keep an eye on my Silver birch, B. pendula.

You will find the other Tree Follower links by clicking the Mr Linky link here ... so do take the chance to have a look!

First snow of winter ...

What a change there has been in the weather since my last post. The evenings have drawn in and the mornings are dark as well. Here in these eastern extremities we have had our first hint of snow. Others in the north-west of the UK have had devastating floods, and my heart goes out to them. 

It seems important to round up my Tree Following year, so this post will largely consist of a list (no surprises here!). I have particularly enjoyed using my trees as the focus for the ecosystems in my garden. It is not possible, of course, to link all sightings directly to the trees, but many other living things have definitely been living their lives around my arboreal neighbours in some way or another, often on account of sap, shade, root systems, seeds, leaves and perches.

The most active creature on the Silver Birch this morning is the Grey Squirrel, who is stocking up on berry-impregnated bird food. 

Acer negundo, December 2015

Both the Acer negundo and the Silver Birch are devoid of leaves as you can see. The Silver Birch is full of tight catkins, a reminder that we will soon be past the shortest day here in the UK.

Silver Birch, December 2015

The feisty Robin sings on in the Silver Birch, December 2015

(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 (highlight of the last month: a male and female together)
• 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
• TFb18  Sparrowhawk
• TFb19  Mallard
• TFb20  House Sparrow
• TFb21  Chaffinch

No new bird species this month.

Mammal sightings include ...

• TFm1 (?Wood) Mouse
• TFm2 Bat ... first 2015 garden sighting 7 May 2015 [Apr/May 2015]
• TFm3 Shrew
• TFm4 Grey Squirrel (this morning, enjoying the fat-and-berry food on the Silver Birch)
• TFm5 Stoat

 No new mammals this month.


Insect 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] [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 Moths [Nov/Dec 2014] [Feb/Mar 2015] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015]
• TFi29 Rosemary Beetle [Sept/Oct 2015]
• TFi30 Hawthorn Shieldbug [May/June 2015] 
• TFi31 Forest Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes) [Sept/Oct 2015] 

Arachnids

• TFa1 Zebra Spider (about ten) [Apr/May 2015] [May/June 2015]
• TFa2 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) [May/June 2015]
• One still to be identified!  

Great Spotted Woodpecker

And finally ...

MY PREVIOUS TREE FOLLOWING POSTS

• October to November 2015
• September to October 2015
• August to September 2015
• July to August 2015
• June to July 2015
• May to June 2015
• April to May 2015
• March to April 2015
• February to March 2015
• January to February 2015
• November to December 2014
• October to November 2014
• September to October 2014
• August to September 2014
• July to August 2014 
• June to July 2014
• May to June 2014 
• April to May 2014
• March to April 2014
• February to March 2014

Tree Following - October to November 2015

Welcome to my Tree Following post for October and early November.

These tree posts form part of a wider project initiated by Lucy Corrander from the Loose and Leafy blog. I am based in Suffolk, UK, where I am following an Acer negundo (aka a Box-leaf Maple). I am also continuing to keep an eye on my Silver birch, B. pendula.

You will find the other Tree Follower links by clicking the Mr Linky link on The Squirrel Basket blog, run by Pat English, here ... so do take the chance to have a look!

Perhaps I should begin with my Silver Birch. If we take a flashback to my early November post from a year ago, we can see that the tree still had plenty of green leaves. This year it still has leaves, though for every leaf on the tree there is at least one on the ground below. This year about 97% of the leaves are yellow. I wonder what accounts for this marked difference. I can only speculate: too much rain? too little rain? climate change? too much rain or drought (was there any drought this summer?) at a critical time?

Who knows ... and if you do, please leave a comment!

Silver Birch ... hardly a tint of green left in sight

My Acer negundo has four (green) leaves left. The seed-keys hang from branches that look very bare.

The birds have been very quiet this month. I don't know whether there are better pickings in a neighbouring garden or sufficient berries and grubs in the nearby Nature Reserve, but the only regulars to the coconut feeders on my Silver Birch have been the faithful Blue tits and Great tits. There have been pigeons hanging around, but I wonder what has happened to the feisty Robin, the Long-tailed tits (I miss their chitter-chatter) and the Blackbirds.

On a more positive note, the Jay reappeared, strutting along under the Silver Birch one day, and past the window. I am assuming this is the same bird who has put in occasional appearances, usually to bury or dig up an acorn.

I'm not sure what the Jay has in its mouth here ... Not quite acorn-shaped?

The highlight of this last Tree Following month was a new 'first' for me. The Wren, a semi-regular who hovers in the trellis at the back of the garden, flew over to the wooden feeder that hangs by the coconuts. It flew inside the feeder through one of the holes to find the fat-ball, and after a little while flew out from a different one. It took me by surprise and I was unable to take a photograph, so here is one from an earlier visit to the garden.

Wren near the Silver Birch

Insects have been few on the ground, though there have been sightings of the occasional Ladybirds (largely Harlequins trying to come inside for the winter) and Lacewings. The spiders' webs were superb, particularly on 1 November, but they were draped over the bushes of Box rather than on the trees.

As I write, a storm is on the way, which will doubtless shift some of the remaining leaves. The initial squalls have arrived and I hope that leaves will be the only things to be 'shifted'!  

I will keep my sighting lists for the next Tree Following update (they are becoming rather long and a little unwieldy!). I will leave you instead with the links to my earlier Tree Following posts. Enjoy your arboreal encounters as we race on (here in the UK) through the short days towards December.

STOP PRESS: Within an hour of posting this, the feisty Robin was back on the coconuts after an absence of some weeks! Perhaps s/he is stocking up before the storm.

MY PREVIOUS TREE FOLLOWING POSTS
 

• September to October 2015
• August to September 2015
• July to August 2015
• June to July 2015
• May to June 2015
• April to May 2015
• March to April 2015
• February to March 2015
• January to February 2015
• December 2014 to January 2015
• November to December 2014
• October to November 2014
• September to October 2014
• August to September 2014
• July to August 2014 
• June to July 2014
• May to June 2014 
• April to May 2014
• March to April 2014
• February to March 2014

Tree Following - September to October 2015

Welcome to my Tree Following post for September and early October.

These tree posts form part of a wider project run by Lucy Corrander from the Loose and Leafy blog. I am based in Suffolk, UK, where I am following an Acer negundo (aka a Box-leaf Maple). I am also continuing to keep an eye on my Silver birch, B. pendula.

You will find the other Tree Follower links on the Loose and Leafy blog ... so do take the chance to have a look!

I predicted last month that there would be more seasonal changes occurring this time around, and this has indeed been the case, but most of the changes have only happened in recent days.

[1] The Silver Birch

There are brown leaves on the ground below my Silver birch, but this is what the tree looked like on 16 September ...

Silver birch

To my surprise this is what the Swedish birch, mere metres away from the Silver birch, looked like on the same date. How strange! 

Swedish birch (B. pendula 'Darlecarlica' )

I have no idea why the two trees should be turning at such different rates. The Swedish birch reminds me of a Klimt painting, though perhaps the shades are more gold than copper.

As you will note from my updated list at the end of this post, there have been few birds to report. The usual suspects, namely the Long-tailed tits, Blue tits, Great tits, Robins, Magpies and Pigeons have been around. I have heard the yaffle of the Woodpecker, but have not seen the bird. I see from last year's October post that we had visits from a Jay and from both the Green and Great spotted woodpeckers. 

We introduced a new fat feeder, impregnated with berries, in the hope that it might attract some different species. It has only proved popular with the regular Blue tits and Long-tailed tits to date.

You can see the Long-tailed tit tucking in from the top ...

... while the Blue tit preferred to perch on the cylinder feeder ...

... and stretch up.

I mentioned toadstools last month, and we have had more of these. I have a hunch that some are growing along the line of the tree roots.

Query: Purple Brittlegill

(Russula atropurpurea)

 I am inexperienced when it comes to identifying fungi: do let me know if you recognise them! 



The last four weeks have been good for spiders. Please look away now (or scroll down a bit) if you do not like these creatures!

The spiders above and below had both been successful in trapping their food. The one below not only has a parcel of prey but also has a fly (possibly three) in the top left corner of the web.

Shades of Frodo and Shelob?

The photo below shows a large web on a sunny morning ... The intricate design is extraordinary. I wonder if two webs are ever the same! There is a fascinating article here about spiders plucking their webs guitar-style!

The bug in the photo below was new to me, and appears to be the Forest Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes), an insect associated with habitats of Oak, Elder and fruit trees. I have no idea why it was in the vicinity of the Silver Birch as we do not have the listed trees in our garden. If you click the link, you will need to scroll down just a little.

Pentatoma rufipes, I think

There have been a number of moths and Lacewing on the window most evenings. In terms of flowers, the Dandelions have gone to seed and are looking rather beautiful.

 [1] The Acer negundo 

It would be wrong to say that I was tiring of the Acer negundo last month, but I was beginning to be a bit frustrated and disappointed that there were so few signs of life on or around the tree. 

Patience has paid off, and today there were two Ladybirds and an ant!

Unfortunately this is a Harlequin ladybird. I shall report it to the UK Ladybird Survey. I suspect the brown on the leaves is due to Acer Leaf Scorch. 

When the Ladybird saw my camera coming, it turned tail, allowing me a different view. 

Harlequin Ladybird (Harmonia axyridis succinea)

I was delighted to find a native 7-spot Ladybird.

The photo above shows the patterned bark ... and the ant!

* * *

At the start of this post I showed a photo of the Silver birch taken about two weeks ago. This photo was taken today, and you can see that the leaves are beginning to turn yellow.  

The base of the Silver birch is draped in the crimson and amber hues of Russian vine: autumn has arrived!

 * * *

Postscript

I mentioned last month that I would update my species list of living things found in, on or around my trees ...

(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 Lucy's 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 
• 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 (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
• TFb12 Carrion Crow 
• TFb13 Goldfinch (a small charm)
• TFb14 Jay
• TFb15  Green Woodpecker
• TFb16  Wren 
• TFb17  Bullfinch (a pair)
• TFb18  Sparrowhawk
• TFb19  Mallard
• TFb20  House Sparrow
• TFb19  Chaffinch

No new bird species this month.

Mammal sightings include ...

• TFm1 (?Wood) Mouse
• TFm2 Bat ... first 2015 garden sighting 7 May 2015 [Apr/May 2015]
• TFm3 Shrew
• TFm4 Grey Squirrel
• TFm5 Stoat

 No new mammals this month.


Insect 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] [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]
• 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 Moths [Nov/Dec 2014] [Feb/Mar 2015] [Jul/Aug 2015] [Sept/Oct 2015]
• TFi29 Rosemary Beetle [Sept/Oct 2015]
• TFi30 Hawthorn Shieldbug [May/June 2015] 
• TFi31 Forest Shieldbug (Pentatoma rufipes) [Sept/Oct 2015] 

Arachnids

• TFa1 Zebra Spider (about ten) [Apr/May 2015] [May/June 2015]
• TFa2 Garden Spider (Araneus diadematus) [May/June 2015]
• One still to be identified!  

And finally ...

MY PREVIOUS TREE FOLLOWING POSTS

• August to September 2015
• July to August 2015
• June to July 2015
• May to June 2015
• April to May 2015
• March to April 2015
• February to March 2015
• January to February 2015
• November to December 2014
• October to November 2014
• September to October 2014
• August to September 2014
• July to August 2014 
• June to July 2014
• May to June 2014 
• April to May 2014
• March to April 2014
• February to March 2014