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8/May/25 - Week 17 of 52
Goddamn I'm late to this!
Didn't realise how behind I was, but I've got some good stuff coming. The sun is well and truly out, I've spent half of May out with my local field nats, and I'm so excited for/dreading sharing some stuff from last week once I get around to it, because it's gonna be a looooong entry!
Outside of that, I've also been working through a bit of a small, month-long bioblitz with an online group (One which I'm currently the favourite to win might I add!), so expect quite a few more plants as well as other things I wouldn't otherwise record often across may.
Also, new (yank) pope, so lets pick something a little biblical and relevant to america in here. Loved Ms. Hill at the met gala, so as fitting as ever that I choose this...
(p.s., half of the fonts completely broke while writing this, and i have no intention to fix it, so just pretend it isn't there. Also it actually fixed a load of other formatting issues, so there's pros to it?)
Notable Observations
Total Observations: 87
Most numerous species: Nomad bees (3 observations)
Individual Interesting Observations
Black Medick (Medicago lupulina)
Friday (Apr 25th)
Rather nice little flowers! Though for a flower literally named 'medick', it doesn't have as many medicinal uses as I would have guessed.
Broom (Cytisus scoparius)
Saturday (Apr 26th)
The best and worst thing for me: Foraging. These beautiful petals are actually edible is reasonable amounts, save for a slight alkaloid content. The only similar flower is Gorse, which also has similarly edible petals, both being peas. However, my body and mind both reject this concept, and despite their nice salad-y taste (I could recommend using them as occasional garnishes to a salad actually, so long as you don't do it regularly, again because of those alkaloids!!!), I will absolutely begin to think that I have just poisoned myself somehow and that I'm going to shit myself to death within the next hour. Not sure if its some sort of trauma from the snowberry incident, but safe to say, I didn't shit myself to death :)
Dolerus sp. Sawfly
Saturday (Apr 26th)
Many of these out at the mo! Quite interesting little creatures, like the long lost relatives to wasps. Underrated Hymenopterans for sure!
Root Maggot Fly (Family Anthomyiidae)
Saturday (Apr 26th)
Boring fly, nice portrait! I'm not a photographer per se, but every now and then I do get something a little artsy.
Orange-Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
Saturday (April 26th)
!!! Possibly the closest I've ever gotten to a butterfly! This resting Orange-Tip let me get some stunning single frames of its wings and face, never been able to photograph their scales so close before. Buzzing :D
Bluebell Rust (Uromyces hyacinthi)
Saturday (April 26th)
As of late I've been recording quite a few rust fungi, just like this one. As the name suggests, it's quite common on bluebell leaves, making these quite nice circular patterns. I recorded this one during a water test event which I was taking part in, and I'm happy to announce that the results were all clear in my local brook!
Common Shiny Woodlouse (Oniscus asellus)
Sunday (April 27th)
Mid-Molt!
Green Hairstreak (Callophrys rubi)Sunday (Apr 27th)
Finally spotted this species! Looked for it the week before to no avail, but now it's come up on my local bilberry patch.
Common Snout-Hoverfly (Rhingia campestris)
Sunday (Apr 27th)
Such a snout. Also. the way the sun goes through that orange on the abdomen is lush
Copper Click Beetle (Ctenicera cuprea)
Sunday (Apr 27th)
Finishing off, a beautiful little friend with amazing mascara. Out on the lawn, not much there for them other than grass mown to half a nanometer off the floor!
Breakdown
Goal Progress
All Spp. (430/1000) ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱
Bird Spp. (55/100) ▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱▱
Did you guys do your homework? One week extension if you didn't. Go get some nerd stuff from me out in nature, and report back. Five species of isopod if you can, remember! To to see all my observations for this week logged on iNaturalist, click here.
To see all of my observations for the year to date, click here.
What did you see this week? Let me know in the comments!
Comments
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Erah Mar
Such a fun week, and such fun friends!
I *do* have something fun to report this week! The common sparrows that live in my back yard have decided that I am a safe enough place that they made a nest in my large aeonium, and have at least three little eggs. <3 I guess there was a reason I let my yard turn into a jungle over winter. I can't use my standard garden bed this year, but it's worth it to keep her stress levels down.
I also discovered that I have carpenter bees that are probably living in the side of the shed, but they love the wisteria that's blooming. A bunch of sweet males were hanging out as I was cleaning the yard last week end. They weren't pleased I was clearing under the tree, but true to form, they just hovered and gave me the occasional dive-bomb.