Noticing Nature Blog

We are lucky to have a breeding population of Small Blue butterflies within the 3K circle around Staple. This colony is on the KWT roadside nature reserve at Lower Rowling and the adjacent chalk quarry. The sole food plant for Small Blue caterpillars is Kidney Vetch (Anthyllis vulneraria) and consequently the butterfly is only likely to be found in locations where this plant is present. Small Blue butterfly

Common Broomrape I stumbled upon this Common Broomrape (Orobanche minor) plant in the Miller Woodland Trust site in Chalkpit Lane today. It was the only one I could see and I haven't found it here before. It's a parasitic plant and relies on stealing nutrients from a host plant rather than manufacturing its own food through photosynthesis. Hence no green colour and no leaves. The host of this species is often clover and there was plenty of that around.

Walking towards Crixhall Court on the field margin footpath after the rain today, I became aware of a regular crunching underfoot. On inspection, the cause was identified as an abundance, of mostly, Kentish Snails (Monacha cantiana). There were thousands in the grass, feeding and mating. The species was introduced by the Romans apparently, but is now widespread in southern England in particular. Kentish Snails

Creeping Thistle Rust Not in-your-face nature, but nature nonetheless! The reddish-brown spots of a rust fungus called Creeping Thistle Rust (Puccinia punctiformis), funnily enough on Creeping Thistles at Summerfield.

Fabulous flowers of Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) are currently adorning the hedgerows. Guelder Rose

There are lots of these webs in the hedgerow bordering the footpath towards Crixhall Court. They seem to be exclusively on the stems and leaves of the Spindle shrub (Euonymus europaeus) . They contain the caterpillars of the Spindle Ermine Moth (Yponomeuta cagnagella) that is feeding on the leaves. Spindle Ermine Moth caterpillars