Bumblebee magnet

Giant Viper's-bugloss (Echium pininana)

Among the plants flowering in the garden at the moment are a trio of Giant Viper's-bugloss (Echium pininana). I say "at the moment", but in reality, they've all been blooming for well over a month now, slowly thrusting upwards as row upon row upon row of blossoms open. The tallest plant now stretches nearly 14 feet (more than 4 metres) skywards! The thousands of individual flowers attract hordes of bumblebees. Hoverflies find them equally irresistible. The plant is a biennial, sprouting up about 3 feet (a metre) in the first year with lots of hairy lance-shaped leaves, and developing its prodigious flower spike the second. It will die at the end of the summer, but hopefully by then it will have produced masses of seed which we can plant elsewhere in the garden, and share with other gardening friends. It's toxic to horses, so definitely one you don't want to plant near pastures. Apparently, it doesn't do human digestive tracts much good either, causing stomach upset if eaten. These drought-tolerant giants are native to the Canary Islands. They're not really hardy (it's recommended that they be protected from frost) so it's pretty amazing that all three survived our heavy snows and weeks of sub-freezing temperatures this past winter, considering we did nothing to help them along.

Surprise migrant

Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii)

A mid-afternoon walk around the property last Wednesday turned up an unexpected visitor – a Red-veined Darter (Sympetrum fonscolombii), which is a migrant to the UK. There have been a fair number reported in the county over the past few weeks, but ours is the first one in our corner of Norfolk. When I entered our record in the national database, it told me it was "outside the known range" of the species! That's a bit hyperbolic if we're honest, considering there are records in both directions from us along the coast. This is a young male, which hasn't completely coloured up yet; as a full adult, he'll be bright scarlet. But he's already showing his distinctive red wing veins and black-outlined red pterostigma (those bright patches of colour near the tips of his wings), and the blue lower half of his huge eye is distinctive. Normally, this species is found in southern Europe and northern Africa. In the UK, it most often shows up in southwestern England, but has been recorded as far north as Scotland. Though it breeds in Britain nearly annually, no permanent population has yet been established. It's a strong migrant, and has been found well out to sea. The Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe says that in invasion years, Red-veined Darters can be quite common in northern Europe, and that such invasion years are becoming more frequent. We certainly seem to be in the throes of one this year.

White clover

White Clover (Trifolium repens)

The paths through the garden are currently awash in White Clover (Trifolium repens) blooms. These probably rank among the best-known flowers in the Northern Hemisphere; even people who know little about wildlife are often familiar with them. Bumblebees absolutely love them, crawling from one flower to the next, working their way all around one head before moving on to the next. We can't bring ourselves to mow the paths while they're attracting so much "passing trade"! (See below.) In the UK, it is pretty much ubiquitous in grassland areas (including lawns), though it doesn't grow well in shade or among taller grasses. Because it's tolerant of trampling, heavy grazing, drought, and frequent mowing, it's often added to informal lawn mixes and pastures. Native throughout Europe and east to central Asia, this low-growing perennial has been introduced to North America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and is widely grown as a forage crop elsewhere. It is said to be the temperate zone's most imporant forage legume. Like most legumes, it contains nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which allow it to pull nitrogen from the atmosphere; when the plant dies, its stored nitrogen is released into the soil, thus helping to enrich it. Humans have used the plant as "emergency rations" for centuries. In India, it is used to treat intestinal worms. And, of course, carefully scanning the many sprawling patches stretched across the garden paths may yield a "lucky" four-leafed clover!

Flowers slowly go pinkish or creamy as they age.

Fake hornet

 Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria)

I finally connected with Britain's biggest hoverfly – the Hornet Mimic Hoverfly (Volucella zonaria) – on one of our flowering shrubs this week. Mike saw several in the garden last year, but I managed to miss every single one of them. It clocks in at a chunky 15.5 - 25 mm (up to an inch) long, which is pretty big for a hoverfly. It looks (and sounds) remarkably like the European Hornet, which helps it to avoid being eaten; most predators won't mess with prey that might sting. The hoverfly, however, has no sting. It spends its adulthood sipping nectar from a variety of flowers, while its larvae live inside wasp, hornet, and bumblebee nests, eating waste and debris. Hornet Mimic Hoverflies first arrived along the south coast of England in the late 1930s. By the 1940s, a population had become established, primarily around London. Since 1995, its range has expanded greatly as climate change warms the UK, and it is now regular across the southern and southeastern England, with scattered records as far north as Scotland. Adults fly from May until November (though primarily in July and August) so we have plenty of time to see others.

Tail of the cat

Smaller Cat's-tail (Phleum bertolonii)

Many of the grasses in our pocket meadow are currently flowering (to the dismay of those who suffer from hayfever, I'm sure) or getting ready to flower, including a little stand of Smaller Cat's-tail (Phleum bertolonii) along the edge of one of the paths. This perennial grass is typically found in more mature grasslands, such as old pastures, downs, and old meadows, though it can also be found along roadsides and in waste places. It occurs throughout much of the UK, though not in the far north and only patchily in Northern Ireland. Its tight cylindrical flower heads, which are seen from June through July, are distinctive. These resemble the flower heads of Timothy (Phleum pratense) but are smaller, maxing out at 6 cm (about 2-1/4 inches). Most of ours measure considerably less. The flower spikes rise from a tuft of pale grey-green leaves, which are hairless and flat. The larvae of several small species of moth, including the Red-brindled Dwarf (Elachista rufocinerea), which we haven't yet recorded in the garden, feed on its leaves. It's a bit more "well-behaved" than some of the bigger, more aggressive grass species with which it shares the meadow, so here's hoping it maintains – or maybe even expands – its toehold!

Thistle weevil

Thistle-head Weevil (Rhinocyllus conicus)

While poking around in the garden recently, I came across a speckled beetle I didn't recognise – actually two beetles, busily making little beetles. I took pictures from every possible angle and retired to our in-home library to try to figure out what they were. A bit of research showed them to be Thistle-head Weevils (Rhinocyllus conicus), a distinctive short "nosed" species that specialises on various species of thistle. Their overall colour is brownish-black, with a regular pattern of pale speckles across their elytra (the hard cases that cover their wings). As you can tell from the ant in the background, they're pretty small, measuring at most 7mm (about 1/4 of an inch). Native to southern and central Europe, northern Africa and western Asia, they've spread significantly northwards in recent decades, including into the UK. Initially found only in southern coastal areas, they've further expanded their range, and are now locally common throughout much of England and Wales. They were introduced into North America, in a misguided attempt to control introduced thistles; while they did indeed feed on those introductions, they also attacked native thistle species and have become a serious invasive pest. They feed on leaves, primarily those near the flower heads, chewing a series of round holes. After mating, the female lays up to 200 eggs onto the bracts of flower buds. These hatch about 10 days later, with the emerging larvae developing for some six weeks before pupating. After a further week, the new adults emerge; most of these will overwinter. Given the number of thistles we have in the garden, I expect we'll be seeing a fair few of these weevils in the coming years.

Toad in the hole (or not)

Common Toad (Bufo bufo)

The UK is rather depauperate in the amphibian department, with only seven native species and a double handful of introductions and established escapees. We've recorded three of the native species in the garden, and don't realistically expect any others – though a surprise Great Crested Newt (Triturus cristatus) is an outside possibility. I've already profiled the Smooth Newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) and Common Frog (Rana temporaria). The Common Toad (Bufo bufo) is the last of the trio, and it's well-represented in numbers here. I stumbled (almost literally) across this sizable individual yesterday as it crossed one of the paths in front of me. Though it's the same general size and shape as the Common Frog, its warty skin and the bulging parotoid glands on the back of its head help to identify it. It also lacks the frog's distinctive longitudinal skin ridges and dark face patches. Given its size and fairly warm brown colouring, this may be a female; males tend to be smaller and a bit greyer. The parotoid glands and the toad's skin contain a toxin – bufotoxin – that tastes nasty enough to deter most predators. Their tadpoles contain the same toxin, which helps to protect them from the fish that happily gobble down (unprotected) frog tadpoles.

Common Toads are (appropriately enough, given their name) common and widespread across most of the UK, though missing from offshore islands. They're primarily nocturnal, doing most of their hunting after dark. Like all amphibians, they breed in the water, laying eggs in long, jellied strings which are attached to aquatic plants. Adults spend the rest of the year in grassland, gardens, woodland and hedgerows, munching on various invertebrates. Snails and slugs are among their favorite foods, which makes them popular with gardeners. They hibernate during the year's coldest months, either in holes underground or under stones or log piles, venturing back out into the world on the first warm evening of the year. They may emerge as early as mid-February, and can be seen as late as October. Given that their average lifespan is 4 years, and that we're a long way from the busy roads that kill hundreds of thousands of them in the UK each year, we'll hopefully be seeing some of our regulars for many months yet.

  

Headstands

Azure Bluet (Coenagrion puella)

Right now, the new pond is serving as the garden's biggest pickup bar. There was a frenzy of activity a few days ago, with more than a dozen pairs of Azure Bluets (Coenagrion puella) sprinkled across the pond, egg-laying on the surface vegetation. At least a dozen other males restlessly patrolled the water's edge, waiting for passing females. Once he'd found a female, the male clamped onto her head using claspers located at the end of his abdomen. He continued to hold on – in effect standing on the female's head – while his sperm packet was transferred over to the female, while the eggs were fertilised, and while the female carefully positioned each egg on the underside of leaves and algal mats in the pond. Only when she was done egg-laying did he finally let her go.

The Azure Bluet is one of the most common damselflies over much of Europe, east to central Asia. In the UK, it's widespread throughout England, Wales and lowland Scotland. It generally prefers small, still ponds like ours, though it's also found along the edges of larger water bodies and small streams. Though the male is quite similar to several other species (including the Common Bluet) it can be distinguished by the black, square-bottomed "U" on its first abdominal segment and by the thin black "thorn" that extends into the blue on the side of its thorax. Azure Bluets fly primarily from May through July, though some are seen as early as April and others as late as September. Judging by the number of eggs laid, the pond will soon be swarming with damselfly larvae, which will feast on the Daphnia population and be feasted on by the Smooth Newts and various diving beetle and dragonfly larvae. It's one big jungle in there!

Pair in tandem

Ribwort

Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

Out in the pocket meadow and along the edges of the driveway, the Ribwort Plantains (Plantago lanceolata) are in full bloom. To me, it always looks like the central spikes are wearing frilly little ballerina tutus. The flowerheads sit atop long, thin stems which can be half a meter (20" or so) tall, though most – particularly in regularly mowed areas – are considerably shorter. These rise from a rosette of strongly ribbed, spear-shaped leaves, which are quite distinctive once you've learned what they look like. It's a common perennial plant in grassland  and meadows (including lawns and pastures), along field edges, on dunes, riverbanks, roadsides, tracks, and various other disturbed "waste places", on all but the most highly acidic soils. It blooms from April through August, and each flowerhead can produce upwards of 200 seeds, which remain in the heads. These provide an important food source for seed-eating birds in the winter. The plant also serves as the host for the larvae of several small species of moths, some of which we've recorded for the garden. Native to Eurasia, it's widespread right across the British Isles, and has been widely introduced (intentionally or otherwise) to much of the temperate world. As befits a widespread native, it has long been used for herbal teas and herbal remedies in Europe, used to staunch bleeding and to treat various digestive and skin disorders. Parts of the plant can also be used to make brown and gold dyes. I look forward to watching the local Eurasian Goldfinches and European Greenfinches riding the seedheads to the ground in order to nibble their contents later in the year.

Bluetail

Common Bluetail (Ischnura elegans)

Our new pond is certainly attracting lots of attention these days! When I checked it yesterday afternoon, I found a quartet of visiting odonates, including our regular male Broad-bodied Chaser, a couple of Large Red Damsels, three Azure Bluets, and this Common Bluetail (Ischnura elegans), which is a new one for the garden. This is one of Europe's most widespread and well-known damselflies, found right across the continent (and the British Isles), except for much of the Iberian Peninsula and northern Scandinavia. Elsewhere, its range stretches across Asia to Japan. The dark body with its sky blue "tail light" (as the Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain and Europe calls it) is distinctive among the UK's damselflies. Only the Scarce Blue-tailed Damsel shares this pattern, but its blue spot is one segment further down its abdomen. This is probably an immature male; though his eye spots and "tail light" are bright blue, the stripes on his thorax are still quite green. (You'll need to click on the picture to enlarge it enough to see that.) Females come in a variety of colours. They can be very like the males (though with a lilac-coloured rather than green thorax when they're immature), as well as brownish, pinkish or dull green. Like other damsels, they're regularly found around water. Common Bluetails, however, prefer standing water; they're regular at garden ponds and can tolerate polluted and nutrient-rich water sources. They fly from late April through late September, with a single generation per year. Hopefully, we'll be seeing them for a while now.

Slow

Dark-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis)

While weeding one of the flowerbeds yesterday, Mike spotted this little mollusc curled up in its house among the mosses. It's a Dark-lipped Snail (Cepaea nemoralis), one of the most widespread and best-known snails in western Europe. That dark lip around the opening in its shell gives it one of its common names. I say "one" because it has a remarkable number of common names: Grove Snail, Banded Snail, Brown-lipped Snail and Lemon Snail among them. Some of that variety comes from the polymorphism the snail exhibits. It comes in a wide array of colours, from very pale yellow through orange and pink to very dark brown, and can be patterned with bands (like this one) and/or one to five stripes that follow the shell's spiral. Scientists think the variety of colours is the result of several intersecting selection pressures. The snails are found in a wide range of habits from woodland and gardens (where darker snails are common) to dunes and grassland (where paler ones are). Some birds (particularly Song Thrushes), mammals, and even some other invertebrates will happily gobble up any snail they find, so looking like the surroundings – and not like every other snail, so that predators can't form a consistent search image – can help a snail to avoid being eaten. These little molluscs are plant eaters, but prefer dead and decaying material, particularly that of nettles and buttercups, so are seldom a problem in the garden. They'll certainly find plenty to eat here! They grow to a reasonably large size, reaching up to 25 mm (about an inch) across. Though reasonably common across most of the UK, they don't quite reach northern Scotland.

Fat dragonflies

Male Broad-bodied Chaser (Libellula depressa)

Our new pond has attracted a new couple – at least two Broad-bodied Chasers (Libellula depressa) that this week have spent long minutes perched on dead sticks that Mike positioned along the pond's edges. This is a distinctively "fat" dragonfly, easily identifiable by its short, broad abdomen. The male is blue while the female is golden-brown. Both have a row of yellow spots along the sides of the abdomen, and both have dark triangular marks at the base of their wings. According to the British Dragonfly Society, this species may be the first to colonize new ponds. It's typically found around ponds and small lakes, patrolling over the water's edge in swift flights and returning again and again to the same low perch (in our garden, that's the base of one of the sticks Mike put in). This is a common species in southern and central England and southern Wales. Elsewhere, it's one of the commonest dragonflies from Europe right across to central Asia. It flies from mostly from May through July, though it can be seen as early as April (in warmer years) and as late as September. We're hoping the female will decide to lay her eggs here, though the pond may not have enough vegetation yet to entice her to do so. If she likes the look of things, she'll hover over the pond, dipping her abdomen repeatedly into the water and dropping her eggs onto vegetation below the surface. There would certainly be plenty of pond life in there for her larvae to eat!

Female

Another longhorn

Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella)

A week ago, I'd never heard of a long-horn moth. Saturday, I found the second species for the garden! This male Green Long-horn (Adela reaumurella) has even more outrageous antennae than the Meadow Long-horn did; it's like the Texas Longhorn of moths. Add the fact that those antennae are white and waving madly, and you have some pretty extreme eye-catchers. Like its cousin, this little moth is a day-flyer. It's a bit bigger at 7-9mm (up to 1/3 of an inch), and its antennae are a whopping three times its body length. (The female's are slightly shorter.) Its wings are a dark, metallic green, sometimes with a flash of gold near the leading edge. The body and legs are black, and very, very fuzzy. This male was dancing over the leaves of our New Zealand Broadleaf (Griselinia littoralis), chasing everything that passed (none of which were the appropriate females). Luckily, he's got another few weeks to look for some – their flight period is from April through June. It appears to be a bit of good luck that I spotted him; they're normally found in woodland, heathland, marshes, bogs and scrub. Courting Green Long-horns are typically attracted to oaks and hazels, neither of which we have in the garden. However, it's a common species across England and Wales, and I guess the local hedgerows might count as scrub. It's local in Scotland and a few scattered parts of Ireland. The larval food plant is unknown. Another new one for the list!