Members Update 22nd August 2021

Dear All,

First off for this update are Jean and Roger Hoyle who sent the following message with some superb photos:

“Mike,  We haven't seen much wildlife here in Camberley recently but I have attached a couple of photos from Devon. I think the bird is a Wheatear but am happy to be told it's something else, as it was not very close. We saw many on Dartmoor and they kept standing on a rock and then flying to another one when we got near. Our bird book says that's a characteristic of a Wheatear so hope I'm right. We saw the butterfly which, we think is a 'Wall', in a Devon churchyard. The parish have left the area around the gravestones as a wild area so it was full of insects.        

The 'Ringlet' and Red Admiral are Roger's photos. They were both seen in a Devon meadow. Roger also spotted a 'Jersey tiger moth' on a neighbour's wall. It's only found in Devon and Jersey. No photo though.     Kind regards,  Jean”

Jean, for what it’s worth, - I agree with your ID’s, - also interesting that Roger saw that Tiger Moth and Chris managed to photograph it last week!!

                               Wall Brown by Jean                                                                                                                                                                             Wheatear by Jean        

                      

                                                   Ringlet by Roger                                                                                                                               Red Admiral by Roger    

                                                                         

 Next a great photo from Mike Reed from his well established garden pond in Lightwater, - a Southern Hawker I believe Mike, I think I can see at least another five exuviae in the reeds! So lucky, - for the very first time we have had none in our ponds this year.

“Hi Mike,   Pretty common I guess however it does show the case from which it evolved I think.”

 

 My camera club friend Alan Meeks and wife Sheila had an unexpected visitor during the week:

 “Mike, - Attached a couple of photos taken less than 30 minutes ago.

The Fox had previously startled Sheila when she saw it in the hall while we were having dinner. It had walked in through the conservatory and the lounge into the hall and strolled back when Sheila reacted. Seemed quite at ease in the garden shortly after! Looks in good condition to my untrained eye.”

        

 Ken Crick next with a lovely photo of the Elephant Hawkmoth caterpillar, plus another he took whilst he with wife Pauline and I were walking over Warren Hill on Tuesday, we saw this immaculately symmetrical Wood Ant nest, - I was persuaded to pose to provide scale.

    

Besides Alan and his fox, we also had an unexpected visitor to our house last week, - we were sitting watching the TV just before 9.00 pm when something flew across in front of the screen, we had the light dimmed and though it was large moth, it was actually a Bat and kept flying up and down the length of the lounge. We eventually managed to persuade it to exit via the back door! This is the first bat we have seen for a very long time. We have no real idea how it got in but caused a few minutes of excitement.

 A few close-ups from me, taken in the garden, Jenny finds them and I try to photograph them!

 ‘Daddy Long Legs’ (Harvest Spider ?) with a Cricket together in a rose flower.                 Garden Spider                                                                             Crab Spider

                                                                                     
                                                                                                        Green Shield Bug nymph I believe on Water Mint flower                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

 That’s it for this time, I hope I have not missed anybody out, please let me know if I have. 

…………………………..Well, it was the end until about 1.pm today ,- I had this email ready to send but took a walk up the garden and met with a great surprise…

Yesterday I found a dead Wood Pigeon in the garden, it had been decapitated! We presumed it had been killed and left by a fox so I set my trail camera up last night to wait for the fox to return, but t didn’t. The pigeon had been nibbled at but nothing showed on camera. My surprise this afternoon was to see a hedgehog with its head buried in the carcass, if it was aware I was there it didn’t show it, even after Jenny joined me. I dashed in and collected my camera and was able to be at ground level and took the following photos. It finished eating and strolled past me at eye level about 2ft away! A memorable moment! It continued walking until it reached some cover of the ground ivy at the bottom of the garden. 

Our usual reminder to take a look at our web site, Graeme takes a lot of time in putting it all together and it has its own dedicated page on the website.

https://www.camberleynaturalhistorysociety.org.uk/

Regards to all,

Mike and Jenny