A Year in the Valley

A Year in the Valley

Discovering the flora and fauna in a small square of Portmellon Valley

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  • Unarmed Stick-insect (Acanthoxyla inermis)

    Unarmed Stick-insect (Acanthoxyla inermis)

    Today is one of those grey, miserable, wet winter’s days.  It’s mild-ish at 11°C (on the shed roof) but feels colder inside.  Outside, the Egret pair have been flying around all morning – and yesterday I spotted the two herons flying back up the valley.  Fingers crossed both pairs nest nearby – it’s looking more hopeful. 

    Whilst I haven’t spotted anything new for a few days, it was on Saturday that we were strolling home from posting a letter.  Our local post-box comes with a sea view, so we’d lingered down at the cove getting a bit of fresh air.  As we reached our front garden, we saw this stick-insect on our garden wall.  Under my blog rules, I can’t count it as it isn’t in the watermeadow.  However, I had to post the picture, as I was so excited to see it.  We kept Indian stick-insects when the children were at primary school and there was a year when “everyone” was keeping them as pets.  It was fun, apart from trying to clean out their jar without them escaping.

    In Cornwall, stick-insects roam free.  The two main types are the Prickly Stick-insect (Acanthoxyla geisovii) and the Unarmed Stick-insect (Acanthoxyla inermis).  This is the first ‘wild’ stick-insect I have seen since we moved to Cornwall 4½ years ago.  I wondered where it had come from, as there is no likely plants nearby to my knowledge.

    I found out that they eat bramble.  Mr C had been pulling up bramble from behind the house.  Could it have been dislodged from there?  The article I was reading encouraged me to report my sighting to Malcolm Lee of the Phasmid Study Group.  (Phasmid is the order of insects which includes species that resemble leaves and sticks.)  My sighting was noted and he kindly sent me lots of information about Naturalised stick-insects.

    To start with the only reason I had spotted it was because it stood out so strikingly against the white background.  Living on a plant, they are well-camouflaged looking like twigs.  They travel very little and few live long enough to survive the winter.  This one was identified as juvenile Unarmed Stick-insect.  They usually lay eggs in the autumn, which simply drop to the ground below the plant and hatch the following spring.  The tiny nymphs (first instar) are leaf green with a brown stripe down their back.  They climb up into the nearest plant hoping it will be their food-plant.  It most likely will be – and there they will stay – never moving further than a few dozen meters in their life.

    To find out which plant it had come from, Malcolm gave me clear instructions as to when to look for the hatchlings, so from late-March to mid-April I will be looking for a spell of dry weather to go out with a torch at dusk, as that I when I am most likely to see numbers of the tiny insects feeding.  We don’t have many plants in our front garden, so it is most likely to be from our roses or from a neighbour’s plants, as it turns out that they can eat a variety of plants including roses, bramble, raspberry, even conifers.

    The roses were ordered from a well-known garden company and that’s another clue as the most common way for stick-insects to spread in the UK is as eggs in plant pot soil from nursery and garden centre plants.  The first naturalised Unarmed Stick-insect recorded in the south-west was in Truro in 1979, but then it was discovered that Treseder’s nursery 100 metres away had, in fact, been home to them since the 1920’s, which just goes to show how compact their geographical range is left to their own devices.

    Daisy D

    31 January 2024
    Insects
    Stick-insect, Unarmed Stick-insect
  • Big Garden Birdwatch 2024

    Big Garden Birdwatch 2024

    So, not a sighting today, but more of a summary.  As usual when we do the Big Garden Birdwatch, the birds were mostly taking the day off.  We scored a total of 20 birds in an hour.  We thought that was a rubbish score, really, given the number of birds that we commonly spot during the day.  The rules of this Birdwatch are that you count the highest number that you see at any one time (in case you count the same bird twice) and you don’t count birds flying over the garden, which today included five woodpigeons, a kestrel, a heron, two carrion crows and a jay. 

    The birds that landed in our garden (top garden and watermeadow combined) were: 

    Wood Pigeon x 1 – sitting on the fence in the watermeadow.

    Dunnock x 2 – hopping around under the bird feeder and shrubs.

    Little Egrets x 2 – having been fended off next door’s lake by the mallards and moorhens, they flew over the fence to pause and reconsider their plans briefly before carrying on up the valley.  It’s been a joy to see this pair every day for the last week or so and we hope they are going to choose to nest in the valley.

    Robin x 1 – there were two of them yesterday having a bundle on our patio, possibly rivals, as they are known to be fiercely territorial.

    Sparrowhawk x 1 – this was a stroke of luck!  The sparrowhawk came to perch on our fence for a while.  The kestrel was flying around, but not stopping.

    Wren x 1 – over the other side of the garden under the shrubs.

    Blackbird x 1 – over by the fruit cage.

    House Sparrows x 6, Blue Tits x 2, Great Tits x 3 – these were flying between the bird feeder, surrounding trees and the willows and sea buckthorn in the watermeadow. 

    N.B. The rules of ‘A Year in the Valley’, my rules, include birds flying over the watermeadow, as they are taking advantage of the valley’s natural corridor, which includes our patch – and it’s not a count of population, but of diversity of species.

    Daisy D

    28 January 2024
    Birds
    Blackbird, Blue Tit, Carrion Crow, Dunnock, Great Tit, Grey Heron, House Sparrow, Jay, Kestrel, Little Egret, Robin, Sparrowhawk, Wood Pigeon, Wren
  • Chiff-chaff or Willow Warbler?

    Chiff-chaff or Willow Warbler?

    That’s the leading question.  Apparently we ‘re not supposed to see either of them until March or April.  However, as previously mentioned, we’ve already heard the chiff-chaff’s song and a “wheep-wheep” call which could be either depending on whether the “wheep” is one syllable (chiff-chaff) or two as in “whee-eep” (willow warbler).  I will have to listen more closely next time I hear it.

    The main difference between the two in looks is that the chiff-chaff has black legs, and the willow warbler has paler legs.  The willow warbler is yellower generally, with a white belly and more prominent yellow stripe over its eye.  It also has longer primary feathers on its wings, as it has to fly further.  The chiff-chaff has stubbier wings.  Finally, the chiff-chaff constantly flicks its tail, whereas the willow warbler only flicks it occasionally.

    Originally spotted on the bank of the watermeadow, it is now frequenting the top garden flying from the tree next to the bird feeder to next door’s roof and balcony railing and up the valley to some trees the other side of next door’s garden, where there was another waiting. So, we have a pair, which is exciting.

    I’m going to go with willow warbler, as it has dark pinky legs.  Its eye stripe is bright, and its belly is white.  There is a yellow tinge to its breast and the wings look long.  I think the only way to confirm will be to actually see a chiff-chaff and compare the two.  So I’ll keep my eyes open.

    Showing pink-ish legs

    Daisy D

    26 January 2024
    Birds
    Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler
  • Mistle Thrush

    Mistle Thrush

    Friday was a good day with herons and sunshine.  I also managed to get a photo of a mistle thrush.  It came to land on our shed roof and at first I thought it was the female blackbird, but then I saw spots!    I noticed it again this morning on next door’s lawn which gave me a chance to see it hopping around.

    There are two main types of thrush, given that it’s unlikely that the winter migrants – the fieldfare and redwing – would be spotted this far south. 

    That leaves us with the Song Thrush and Mistle Thrush.  This is why I think it’s a mistle thrush:

    1. I originally assumed it was a blackbird, which is around the size of a mistle thrush.  The song thrush is slightly smaller.
    2. The c-shaped markings on the side of its neck are more pronounced on a mistle thrush, together with a slightly pale cheek patch.
    3. The spots on its breast are rounder and more club-shaped than the angular arrow-head spots on a song thrush.
    4. The spots are also more random on a mistle thrush and tend to join up at the flanks to form dark patches.  On the song thrush they are arranged in roughly vertical lines.
    5. The mistle thrush has a more upright stance than the lower crouching song thrush.  When it was standing on the sloping shed roof, it was more difficult to tell.  But on the next door’s lawn, I could see that it was tall and lean-looking.
    6. Also, in flight the mistle thrush has white underwings and tail edging, whereas the song thrush has a slightly orange tint under its wings (not like the red flash of the redwing though) and a shorter dark tail.  Here’s an edited version of the above photograph, which is a bit clearer:

    In the garden today, I’m still watching the plants in the mud to see if they flower or grow a bit more so that I can properly identify them.  So far, they are not doing anything much.  The cyclamen-type plant is still not flowering and is getting buried under mulchy grass.  I noticed bees flying around today, both large fluffy ones and smaller ones (not close enough to identify).

    Out of the kitchen window, I saw a large bird of prey flying up over the house; the kestrel perching on the power line; magpies and crows over on the hillside; and seagulls flying up the valley in groups and singly.  The valley is a busy corridor for birds, especially gulls and it appears that they are using it all day long, not just at the morning and evening rush hours. I saw a great thrashing and splashing in the stream and got quite excited, but it was only Mr Mallard, who had to rest on the bank for half an hour afterwards.

    Daisy D

    24 January 2024
    Birds
    Mistle Thrush
  • Grey Heron

    Grey Heron

    Today we are bracing ourselves for the latest named storm, Isha – it’s windy, though not gale force as yet, grey and damp underfoot. 

    On Friday it was still cold and calm, with clear blue sky, and I stood on the decking camera at the ready to catch any of the small birds I haven’t yet managed to photograph.  Just as I was about to give up hope, Mr C cried “Heron!”.  A black dot on its way out to sea by the time I had my camera focused.  The usual story!  However, not only did the heron turn to fly up over the houses veering round to fly down to the coast again, but from out of nowhere another heron joined it and both then flew back up the valley over the watermeadow. 

    That wasn’t the end of the episode, though, as one of the herons returned about twenty minutes later and stood for a long while next door no doubt hoping to spear some lunch.  I haven’t done any stream- or pond-dipping yet, but in the past we have seen little shrimpy things, tiny fish, and newts.  Nothing major.  In the winter when ponds are frozen over, herons will eat small waterbirds, chicks, frogs, or water voles, so perhaps this heron was hoping to see something in the grass.

    The adult grey heron usually has a black crown and white nape and neck with black splashes on its breast and black feathers on its grey wings.  This one doesn’t have a black crown, so may be a juvenile, though some adults do have a grey crown.  To confirm the age of this heron, we’d have to see if its nape was white or grey. 

    Flying back up the valley.

    Daisy D

    21 January 2024
    Birds
    Grey Heron
  • A puddle of mud – Filamentous Algae

    A puddle of mud – Filamentous Algae

    Little Venice is drying out and the other day I managed to get a bit closer to see what was going on.  I was surprised to see little plants sprouting out of the mud and rugs of green slime draped over the path. 

    I looked up green algae, as that’s what it looked like, and found out that filamentous algae, or pond slime, is algae that looks like thin green threads.  It supports many microscopic animals and provides food for other small animals.  The slime floats on the surface of the water and then when the water is dried out, it dies and forms a white crust.  I have seen this happening as puddles dry out. 

    Small plants are sprouting up out of the mud as the flooding dries out.

    Daisy D

    19 January 2024
    Aquatic and other plants
    Filamentous Algae
  • Common Pheasant

    Common Pheasant

    It continues to be very ‘birdy’ with great tits, blue tits, clusters of long-tailed tits, sparrows, dunnock, wren, and robins visiting the bird feeder and the trees and bushes in the top garden. 

    There has been an elusive greenfinch, we think, and/or a chiffchaff and/or a willow warbler.  All of those have shades of green in their plumage.  The greenfinch has been up close to the house, so we are reasonably sure of that one, but there has been possibly another green-tinged bird hopping about at the top of the bank. There was another that I haven’t seen clearly calling ‘tsp-tsp’ and flying between the alders and other trees in the valley.  Yesterday, I managed to go down the steps and walk along Hard Knot Pass, which is strewn with cut grass, so not muddy.  I was able to get some good pictures of Little Venice drying out and narrowly missed the ‘tsp-tsp’ bird, who was perched on a stout pruned willow trunk.  It would have been a great shot, but before I got the camera focused he was off! We know there is a chiff-chaff out there because we’ve heard it.  We’ve also heard a willow warbler’s ‘wheeeep, wheeeep’.  The ‘pink-pink’ bird might actually be something completely different – it’s probably not a song, but more likely an alarm or contact call. 

    So, just when I thought I had nothing for the blog, a male pheasant visited.  We have been regularly visited by common pheasants, male and female, but over the winter there is shooting on the hill opposite, and they tend to fly off over the valley to the hills behind us.  We can often hear the males squawking.  The females visit later in the year often in groups.  The pheasants will eat bird seed scattered or left out for them.  They also eat berries and insects.  The female common pheasant is mottled brown with a much shorter tail.

    Daisy D

    17 January 2024
    Birds
    Pheasant
  • Pied Wagtail

    Pied Wagtail

    With the current spell of settled weather, comes the sunshine and colder temperatures.  The dry spell has encouraged the watermeadow to start drying out and the flood level is going down.  The paths are still very muddy and Little Venice remains splashy, so I have yet to venture down there.  The birds are increasingly in evidence fluttering around, having turf wars (especially the house sparrows) and generally tuning up for spring.  They are starting to look resplendent as their plumage seems to sharpen and brighten ready for dating and mating.

    Although we most often see the Pied Wagtail hopping on roof tiles or tarmac, Mr C spotted this one flying up the garden from the watermeadow.  It turns out that Pied Wagtails live in a variety of habitats, not just urban settings, but farmland, wetland, grassland, and coastal areas.  They mainly eat insects but will eat seeds and bird table food in the winter, which is probably what this one had his eye on.

    Daisy D

    14 January 2024
    Birds
    Pied Wagtail
  • Winter Gnats

    Winter Gnats

    Last Friday the sun was out for a while and there were clouds of midges in the air.  It’s a bit generic, as you can’t see any detail, but when I searched under various terms – “midges”, “mosquitoes”, “gnats”, “clouds of small flies” etc.  I found out that Winter Gnats are a thing.  They are actually in the crane fly family (Trichoceridae) and come out to dance late on winter’s days.  The males are dancing in the sunshine to attract the females.

    They prefer environments rich in decaying matter like compost.  Well, as you will see from the picture the valley is strewn with dead grass at the moment and as the floods recede there is much mud and slimy vegetation being exposed.

    There are several species in this family, and they are different to the crane flies I spotted in the summer in that they have additional eyes called ocelli which are sensitive to light helping them to see in the dim light of winter.  They also have only one pair of wings.  The hind wings are reduced to a pair of small pins which act as a gyroscope for balance and acrobatic flight. 

    Daisy D

    12 January 2024
    Insects
    Winter Gnats
  • Jackdaws

    Jackdaws

    I was in the garden scanning the trees and the grasses for birds – and other wildlife, when I heard the unmistakable “gull-gull” cry and saw this ‘clattering’ of jackdaws.  They were flying down the valley towards the sea and then back and forth across the valley at the coast, as though they were larking around, having a bit of fun.  A jackdaw up close has quite a big head, grey and sheeny with a black face and the grey fading to black down its body.  It also has white eyes. 

    Jackdaws are quite sociable and roost in trees in large groups.  They can be heard to chatter loudly at dusk in summer evenings, though not in our valley.  There are obviously some around, but I think they actually roost further up the valley or on the hilltops.  Being corvids, they are clever, and well-known for stealing eggs and baby birds and breaking into bird-feeders.  They also eat insects, carrion, and fruit.

    Daisy D

    10 January 2024
    Birds
    Jackdaw
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