holly berries

After seeing these berries on a lovely wintery snowy walk in December I got to wondering why it is that some holly bushes seem to be covered in berries and other seem to have few or none. On a bit of a research it seems that in the main trees or bushes are either male or female (except for one variety which is a self fertile female variety). Amusingly it seems that if you want a definate male or female holly sapling you need to go for the variagated varieties of which “Golden King” is a female plant and “Silver Queen” is a male plant! Now whoever thought of those names really does need shooting!

ergot

I was excited and a bit worried to find this fungi on a trip to the New Forest in October. We were looking in Denny Woods hoping to find some interesting edible mushrooms and as I stood absent-mindedly picking the seeds from a grass I looked down to see funny black twiggy bits in my hand... looking down at the grass I realised that this was Ergot fungus - something that I had seen in Roger Phillips book but never in real life. I was a bit worried being pregnant and knowing how potent it was and was very glad to be able to wash my hands when I got back to the house!!

Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) grows on rye and related plants, and produces alkaloids that can cause ergotism in humans and other mammals, that consuming grains contaminated with the fruiting structure. The common name for ergotism is "St. Anthony's Fire". Ergotism symptoms include vasoconstriction of blood vessels, sometimes leading to gangrene and loss of limbs as well as hallucinations,convulsions, and even death. Other symptoms include strong uterine contractions, nausea, seizures, and unconsciousness. Since the Middle Ages, controlled doses of ergot were used to induce abortions and to stop maternal bleeding after childbirth and ergot extract has been used in pharmaceutical preparations, including ergometrine, used to induce uterine contractions and to control bleeding after childbirth.

Rusty Tussock Moth - Orgyia antiqua

Whilst out harvesting Rupert and Katie found this fantastic caterpillar on the raspberry canes at the bottom of our garden, this species seems to feed on all sorts of trees including plum trees which overhang our raspberry canes. It is a common caterpillar, and is a pest in some places, but we were excited to find it as not only is the caterpillar quite extrodinary, but when we looked it up it is one of those species where there is striking dimorphism. The orange-brown male flies mostly during the day, but the female is flightless, spending her brief life attached to her cocoon.

butterfly invasion - painted lady migration May09

On the 25th May we sat in Mum's garden in Dibden Purlieu, Hampshire watching simply hundreds of painted lady butterflies coming over the hedge flying North. We got lots of photos as they stopped to refuel in the flowerbeds. On having a bit of a hunt online we found that these butterflies, which use thistles as their food plant for their caterpillars, were coming in what could be the biggest influx of butterflies into this country in decades. According Natural England millions have flown into Britain from the deserts of north Africa. Up to 18,000 were spotted sailing on the breeze across Scolt Head Island on the north Norfolk coast: 50 arriving every minute. Apparently come September, the painted ladies will be off again: the British-born generation begin an epic reverse trip, drawn by a mysterious calling to the hot, distant land of their mothers and fathers.

leucistic blackbird

We saw this fabulous leucistic blackbird with white patches in May 2009 at the park on Noads Way in Dibden Purlieu near the New Forest. I had a bit of a read up on it:

Leucism is a general term for the phenotype resulting from defects in pigment cell differentiation and/or migration during development. This results in either the entire surface or patches of body surface having a lack of cells capable of making pigment. This blackbird has localized hypopigmentation or partial leucism which is known as a "pied" or "piebald" effect.

green tiger beetles

The first time I saw these fabulous green beetles was in the Brecon Beacons in July 2006, we saw one again in the New Forest in April 2009 and managed to get a photo this time. The Green Tiger Beetle, Cicindela campestris is the most common tiger beetle in Britain and it catches invertebrate prey in small pits it digs in the ground. It is found in moorland and heathland.