Large Spider Stop Press!!

We found this huge spider last night in our bathroom. Really large, I think it's a Huntsman spider ( Palystes castaneus?)




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Location:Torrington Rd,,United Kingdom

Family Outing to Kings Wood 18.09.11 (part 1)

This morning (18.09.11) we as a family went to Kings Wood near Ashford for a walk in the woods.  It was a perfect combination of exercise and seeing what kind of wild life we could see.  We were all on the look out for new things and my wife and I found it invigorating to walk slowly looking for things, we didn't seem to notice that we weren't moving as quickly as we should ;-).

When we first arrived in the sheltered area of the wood, where hardly any strong sunlight penetrated at all, the first things we noticed were some small, black, shiney beetles.  They moved very slowly and looked very similar to the Scarab beetles you see in Egypt.

Black Beetle

We also saw a large selection of delightful Garden Spiders Araneus diadematus of all different colours.

Garden Spider 1 (of lots!)

Garden Spider 2 (the sequel)

We also saw a few of the spindly legged nearly spider creatures Harvestmen Order Oiliones, this one is climbing (rather rapidly) up a tree and is just about in focus.

Harvestmen (Harvestman?)

There were so many huge ants nests, they were humming with activity and the Wood Ants Formica rufa were rushing around, working really hard.  We spent some minutes just watching them and listening to them.  The nests themselves were made from wood, leaves, twigs and pine needles.

One of the many Ant Hills

And another one.

Also seen were lots of different types of fungi, pictures of these will follow.

A blast from the past

We're round my Mum's at the moment and have found some of my old books. Wow, it certainly takes me back.

Here's a photo:



A selection of my old books, probably 30 years old.

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How many wild things...

Just wondering how many different species of wild life there are on our gardens. How many could we find in a week if we looked hard enough: plants, insects, birds and animals.

We've seen evidence of wild rabbits (droppings) and foxes (a couple of dead rabbits), there are always birds and insects.

It does make you think.

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Mushroom in the garden

PLEASE NOTE THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY MADE ON 6TH SEPTEMBER 2011

I made a minor editing change. Not sure why it has now appeared on this date.  Apologies!

Out in the garden I spotted this strange fungi (strange to me, because I've never been into mushrooms and toadstools). I had a look and I think it's a Blackish-Purple Russula Russula atropurpurea we have a Beech tree in the garden and this mushroom seems to be common with Oak and Beech trees.





Top view.





Side view.

Industrial Estate Nature

I had to take my car for an MOT today and so went to our local garage on an industrial park. It was a nice day so I decided to go out and have a look around to see what I could see.

It was quite amazing that it about 15 minutes of ambling around just how much was around.

Apart from the usual Dandelions Taraxacum officinale, Daisies Bellis perennis, Hawthorns Crategus monogyna, and (what I recognise almost instantly like an old friend) Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea, I also saw Wild Pear Pyrus communis.  There were some areas which seemed to be cultivated too, and were several plants in these beds, one of which looked as though it might be Sea-Buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides, some rosehips, and a number of shrubs with white berries.  Now these ones with white berries were in the area where there was an actual bedding area.  So these may well be cultivated plants rather than wild ones.

Wild Pear

Rosehip

Sea-Buckthorn

Unknown (to me at least) plant with white fruit

I did feel a bit foolish looking around an industrial estate looking at plants and taking photos, but it takes all sorts and I am trying to be an Amateur Naturalist....

A Windy Walk

Although it was wet and very windy today, I indulged in a walk into town, deciding to not rush around (as I would normally) but the amble along and take in some of the Natural world around me.  It was a delight.  Seeing Hawthorns Crataegus monogyna, Wych Elm Ulmus glabra, English Elm Ulmus procera (with the round green papery seeds with the acutal seed in the middle), along with my old friend the Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea, also saw the Groundsell Senecio vulgaris in several places, most noticably in one of the many car parks.

When looking up I spotted several immature  Herring Gull Larus argentatus with their brown plummage, the ubiquitous Magpie Pica pica, a few Rooks Corvus frugilegus, Starlings Sturnus vulgaris, House Sparrows Passer domesticus, and several female Chaffinches Fringilla coelebs.

It is really quite astounding how many different species of plant, tree, and bird you can see in a relative short walk.  Perhaps it is something we should all do once in a while. :-)

Fun in the Sun

We had a fun morning yesterday and we saw lots of different insects: Honey Bees Apis mellifera, Common Wasps Vespula vulgaris ("Be careful of those" said my daught to my son, "they sting.") Hover Flies Syrphus ribesli (which both of my children think are wasps such is the success of their mimicry!) Flesh Flies Sarcophaga carnaria, Red Admirals Vanessa atalanta (which seem bigger than I remember as a child?!), and the odd Small White Artogeia rapae.  All of these were flying happily around the Ivy flowers.

Ivy with Honey Bee

Ivy with Flesh Fly

Ivy with (in there somewhere ;-) ) Red Admiral

My daughter was very pleased to find an Earwig Forficula auricularia hiding under a rock.

With regard to the botanical specimens we saw (getting all fancy now!!) we saw some beautiful Hawthorns with very red and plump berries, various Thistles which I still have to positively identify and other Creeping Thistles Cirsium arvense, of course the Ivy with the little yellowy green budding flowers, some really pretty looking Smooth Sow-Thistle Sonchus oleraceus with vibrant flowers and pointy leaves.  I took some samples of the Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea and Field Fleawort Senecio integrifolius and was able to positively identify both of them.

My daughter managed to find, and was really proud of herself some fungi of a pale honey colour with fairly deep gills.  These were in direct sunlight, and seemed to be either Common Yellow Russula Russula ochroleuca or Bright Yellow Russula Russula claroflava.

Hawthorn

A Thistle (?)

Smooth Sow-Thistle

Russula Fungus (side view)

Russula Fungus (alternate view)

Another Nature Trail (Part 2)

My wife has seen a giant puffball Calvatia gigantea! It was hiding under some undergrowth in a very shady part of the garden.  It was approximately 20 to 25 cm wide and a vibrant white colour.

Giant Puffball

We also saw a Rose Russula Russula rosea that was a lovely deep pink colour however it doesn't show up well in the photos.

Rose Russula (top)

Rose Russula (side)

There was also a very well hidden fungus deep within some undergrowth that was very dense, a light brown colouring with slight depressions over it.  (It wasn't until afterwards that my wife pointed out the fly resting of the top of it.)  This seems that it might be a Bay Bolete Boletus badius.

Bay Bolete

We also spotted something similar to a Herb-Robert Geranium robertianum this was quite purple rather than pink/purple.  It was quite small and close to the ground, but the buds were the correct size and shape.

Herb-Robert (a bit blurry - sorry)

It was a fascinating evening seeing things that we don't normally notice, and enjoying the fun of finding things that are ordinary, but truly wonderful.  Nature and children can make children of us all.

Another Nature Trail (Part 1)

Yesterday's foray down our lane after school was such a success, that we did another one, much to the delight of my children.  They both seem to be taking a real interest in it, which is marvellous.  This time I took my camera and managed to take a few photos, actively encourage by my daughter who spotted some flowers and expressed that I take a picture of them.  ("That's a nice looking one, Dad, take that.")

Most of the Blackberries or Bramble Rubus fruiticosus agg seem to be shrivelled up now, but we did see some that were still big and luscious.

Blackberries

We saw some delightfully red berries from Lords-and-Ladies Arum maculatum

Lords-and-Ladies berries (and ivy surrounding)

Some what I believe might be Field Fleawort (along with a bee who was struggling in the wind - hence the slightly blurred photograph)

Field Fleawort (?) and bee

There were quite a large number of thistles of all different types, or rather to my untrained eye they seemed as though they might be different! but one particular one was very pretty and seems as though it might be a Creeping Thistle Cirsium arvense.  Maybe we need to obtain some other field guides as the one I have is a little bit limited.

Creeping Thistle (?)

As we came back towards home I found another of the plants which I am in two minds about.  Either it is Hogweed Heracleum sphondylium or Upright Hedge-Parsley Torilla japonica which seem very similar.  I'm tending towards the Upright Hedge-Parsley I think.

Hogweed or Upright Hedge-Parsley or something else

At least there was something else we did know, our dear old friend the every reliable Rowan Sorbus aucuparia, with some lovely coloured berries, and a fantastic specimen.

Rowan

It was at this point that my darling wife came up to us with some news that she'd found something really quite amazing, and she wanted us to see it.  We were very excited and followed her with a spring in our steps...

But more of that later...  watch this space ;-)

Nature Trail

After we picked my daughter up from school, and before our tea, I asked my three year old son and six year old daughter if we should go on a quick 'Nature Trail' to the end of the lane.  "YES!!" They both yelled with delight, and I knew I was on to a winner.

We ran down the lane, dodging the stinging nettles and brambles poking out from the hedge, until we reached the end of the lane.  We managed to spot several ladybirds Propylea 14-punctata (?), chiefly black with red spots.  ("Those," said my daughter sagely, "are poisonous.  You know that because they're black with red spots.  The normal ones are red with black spots.")  The ladybirds were on a large Sycamore tree, whose leaves had large black dots on them, and a couple of leaves had, what appeared to the naked eye, to have small insect eggs on them.

Also identified were Common Ragwort Senecio jacobaea, something resembling Field Fleawort Senecio integrifolius, ("Look at these beautiful flowers," said my son, proving that even the ordinary can be wonderful.) Upright Hedge-Parsley Torilis japonica, Perenial Sow-Thistle Sonchus arvensis.

We had a lovely time looking at some plants as well as trying to find some of the many insects that bobbed their heads up, before they dived for cover.

I would have taken pictures but was having too much fun with my kids.

PS My son managed to find another stick to add to his, already large, stick collection. ;-)

A Photo of our hops

Just a quick post with a photo of the hops growing in the hedge at the bottom of our lane.




The hops at the bottom of the lane

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Walnut Tree in Perry Court Farm Shop

It's amazing what you find when you really start looking.  Since deciding that I really should take more interest in nature and the natural world around us, I've found some wonderful things, and have really begun to genuinely look around me as I make my way in my everyday life.

A case in point is finally seeing what was in front of me for the first time.  I was at Perry Court Farm Shop near where we live, and I wondered what the tree was next to the shop.  So I went and investigated, only to find that it is a Walnut tree Junglans regia. With its little green rugby ball shaped fruit and long green tapering leaves.

It's amazing what you can find around you.

Walnut Tree found at Perry Court Farm Shop.

Hops at the end of our lane

Well last night as I walked down our lane, which is next to a field we saw some hops growing in a hedge. Mixed in with brambles, nettles, and elderberries were the flakey green spheres that I recognised as hops. We cut a few and are drying them out for the beautiful aroma.

Welcome

Well, this is the first post of my new blog.  A few details first... I'm a 40-something dad with two young children, one 6 and the other 3.  I've been interested in the natural world and birds, insects, animals for some years (since I was a child), and with my children becoming more interested in nature themselves, I thought I might try and learn more too.

So this is going to be a web record of some of the 'discoveries' and fun that I have (as an adult) and that we have as a family when we explore nature.