Video footage can be seen through the website: www.liddells.co.uk
1st August
The heather on the Crag is starting to come into flower and offers late summer forage for many insects although Clare has never seen a honey bee taking advantage of the on-site nectar. Clare and John are still hoping for some dry, warm days when the grass can be cut, however the rain persists.
3rd August
There haven’t been many hares on the Blog of late, mainly because they mostly just run past the cameras, so to make up for their absence, here is a two-for-one offer.
5th - 20th August: the rut - these dates are not precise, however they do give an idea of the period involved. John has been watching out for signs of the rut for a while; the trail cameras have provided some evidence. (* denotes footage below, PW = Pit Wood, SCR = Scrub). John thinks the height of the rut this year was on the 13th, thereafter the activity declined, the bucks’ movements are less intense and the kids start to reappear. The footage demonstrates that over a short period of time there have been three bucks, one doe with one kid and one doe with two kids (probably the remaining two of original triplets) sharing the same territory.
5th PW 05.21, 05.49, 07.19, 08.31, 11.08, 11.11, 13.20, 14.51 and 17.53 (big buck, the younger buck at this point seems to have got the message from the older one and left)
6th PW 01.11 (buck), 06.20 (buck), 07.03 (buck), 10.15 (doe), 10.16 (buck), 10.18* (a buck chasing a doe, however John spotted that this is a different and younger buck. The antlers are shorter and the tip of one looks as though it might be broken. The coronet at the base and the pearls are pronounced. It could be one that was around last year drawn back by the prospect of mating), 10.39 (big buck), 13.31 (doe)
7th PW 6.02, 11.55, 14.52, 16.54, 20.48 and 22.41 (big buck)
7th SCR 05.10, 10.44, 14.00, 17.35, 17.36 and 23.49 (big buck)
8th PW 00.15 (big buck), 06.35 (doe), 08.27 (big buck), 08.28* (big buck driving a doe), 11.39 (big buck), 11.54 (doe), 12.07 (doe), 14.15 (big buck), 22.22 (big buck)
9th PW 05.38 (doe), 05.52 (doe), 12.30 (big buck), 23.27 (doe), 23.51 (big buck)
10th PW 08.35 (doe)
11th PW 11.48 (doe), 12.54 (big buck), 12.58 (big buck
12th PW 18.55* (two bucks)
13th PW 04.26 (big buck), SCR 05.45 (‘broken antler’ buck), PW 09.02* (‘murder’ buck has returned and is seen chasing off a kid, another deer maybe the doe in the background), PW 09.18 (two deer, one definitely a buck), PW 09.24 (big buck), SCR 10.37 (buck ? broken antler), PW 12.01, 13.08, 16.06 (broken antler), 19.38, 19.44 (doe) 19.55 (broken antler buck and doe)
14th SCR 06.18 (deer ? sex), PW 06.42, 06.46 (doe), 07.05* (‘murder’ buck driving doe), 07.21 (broken antler), 08.24 (2 kids), 08.25 (doe),08.46, 08.55 (broken antler buck), 16.29 (doe) 19.05* (doe and kid; this shows the rain on hayfield cutting day)
15th SCR 04.54 (doe), 06.19* (doe and two kids), PW 07.58 (deer ? sex), 09.35 (doe), 09.36 (doe), 09.39 (doe and kid)
16th PW 05.57 (doe)
17th SCR (doe + two kids), PW 18.08 (doe and kid); 23.30 (doe)
18th PW 06.05 (big buck), 07.14 (doe), 17.29 (big buck)
19th PW 17.54* (big buck), 19.10 (big buck)
20th PW 16.05* (kid - possibly a buck), 16.07* (second kid), SCR 19.59 (doe), 20.00 (kid).
Meanwhile:
6th August
There is a tiny bit of footage, too brief to include, from the Scrub (the camera’s batteries were failing) showing the kid with the doe. The kid hasn’t been seen for a while on either camera. The remaining battery life allowed for a glimpse of a stoat.
An insect feeding on Ragwort caught Clare’s eye. It is an Eriothrix rufomaculatus, described in Wikipedia’s somewhat disparaging tone as ‘a rather common fly,’ which inhabits hedges, grasslands, fields, meadows. Surprisingly for a common insect, it only has a Latin name.
John’s car offered a perch for this Willow Beauty moth Peribatodes rhomboidaria. Apparently ‘the adults can be found by day at rest on tree trunks’. And Land Rovers.
Chris arrived with his log-splitter which made short work of the timber John had brought up to the shed. Clare went into stacking mode.
A hen pheasant shepherds her two chicks in the Pit Wood.
8th August
Clare is pleased to see insects taking advantage of the last of the flowering plants on the Meadow. In the foreground, on Knapweed, is a Buff-tailed bumblebee. (The bee in the background may be the same however the focus is not good enough to be sure.)
9th August
A hare has a change of mind in the Pit Wood and footage from the Scrub reveals the reason for the Blackbird’s alarm calls.
11th - 12th August
Walking around after stacking logs, Clare noticed a Yellow-sided sawfly Tenthredo notha, and acorns developing on one of the Oak trees. Tim reported that he had seen Purple Hairstreak butterflies at the top of an Ash next to the Oak where they were seen last year.
Although in two different video clips, footage shows the kid still with the doe. It would seem that this kid is a buck. Footage in daylight shows that it has pretty much lost its spots.
13th August
John and Clare had planned a barbecue to celebrate looking after Liddells for 10 years. Fortunately the rain held off and it was all good fun. The barbecue John built worked splendidly as did the barbecuer. Mathilda, Hal, Beth and Juno had brought thoughtfully chosen gifts and their continuing support. Clare had devised a Nature Charades game which induced much hilarity. The day ended with an unplanned bit of log rolling. Mathilda and Clare saw Common Darters on the Big Pond. The Shepherd’s Hut is proving to be a magnet for moths, usually Large Yellow Underwings Noctus pronuba, however on Saturday there was also a Dark Arches moth Apamea monoglypha. There were several butterflies on the thistles on the Hayfield and Clare was appropriately proud of her photograph of a Peacock. The Village Show is not far off; maybe Clare will challenge John for a photography prize this year. Clare and John had a walk around after the others had left and found (what Clare thinks is, but didn’t want to get too close to and disturb), a Southern Hawker perched on a willow whip. Clare and John decided they might just take a well-earned break and do non-Liddells things for a week. This proved wise as the weather continued to be wet and it would have been too disheartening to keep seeing the hay not being made.
The cake was made (not by John or Clare) using honey from Clare’s bees, foraged blackberries and edible flowers
You might notice that only three people are putting in any effort. There are two supervisors
14th August
Tom had been unable to cut the Hayfield and Meadow on Sunday so came this morning instead. It was drizzling but not too bad, however the rain developed with the day and turned into probably the wettest day of the summer thus far. Heigh ho, or rather hay no.
15th August
Better weather and the hay showed signs of drying out. All digits are crossed for the weather to hold until the hay is baled. Clare has begun her annual attempt to learn more about fungi. She also rescued a Hawthorn fly from the roadside pond.
Rufus milkcap
Rufus milkcap showing gills
Sulphur tuft
Meadow waxcap
and gills
Imperilled Hawthorn fly
Drier Hawthorn fly - no CPR required
17th August
An example from the Scrub of how different species can be indifferent to each other; although at first the doe appears to notice the hare and the hare to pause when it confronts the doe, both animals carry on with whatever they are busy doing.
22nd August
The hay is still on the ground - it keeps getting nearly dry and then the rain starts again. All very dispiriting, however today two families visited with young children and they lifted spirits with their enthusiasm. Both families enjoyed pond-dipping and found baby newts, water spiders, water boatmen and lots more besides. Sharp ears detected a Common Field Grasshopper and sharp eyes a Harelquin ladybird. Jane noticed Purple Brittlegill fungus. The afternoon group asked for a story in the story-telling circle and Clare began a dramatised version of Goldilocks. At the point where Goldilocks tries Baby Bear’s chair and breaks it, Clare sat on one of the benches and it broke! Her commitment to the theatrical arts is second to none. No one was hurt during the performance.
The Guelder rose plants in the Orchard are looking very autumnal.
She sat in the small chair. “This chair is just right,” she sighed. Just as Goldilocks settled down into the chair to rest, it broke into pieces!
One of the does is showing clear signs of beginning to lose her summer coat.
One of the kids looks as if it might be a buck and the other a doe, however it is still too soon to be absolutely sure.
23rd August
Barry was able to get up to Liddells and bale the hay at last. Sixteen and a half bales this year. The meadow has to wait a bit longer for Tom to be free with his square baler.
Proof of baling
26th August
John decided to start picking rowan berries for this year’s rowan berry jelly. Back at home he called Clare over to see a Hawthorn Shieldbug on the kitchen table that had probably hitched a ride with the rowan berries. The photo is included in the Blog as the bug came from Liddells.
29th August
Just when the rut seemed to be over, the new buck on the block chases a doe through the Scrub.
30th August
Tom has rowed up the hay on the Meadow ready for baling. With good luck and the proverbial following wind, there may be bales by the end of the month.
Leaving Liddells today, Clare noticed how many plants are making their way through the rubble roadway. She identified Ivy-leaved Toadflax, Dwarf Spurge, Fat Hen, Groundsel, Greater Plantain, Rosebay Willowherb, Mousear, Marsh Thistle, Forget-me-not, Creeping Thistle and Creeping Buttercup - it will soon be a green road.
Row, row, row your hay
Two more moths perched for long enough for Clare to take quick photographs. The first is a Pale Straw Pearl, which Clare thinks sounds like a colour in the Whites section of a paint chart. It is a frequently seen tiny white moth, barely over two centimetres in length. The second is medium sized - a Shaded broad-bar. Clare found another fungus new to her. It is a Blushing Bracket fungus Daedaleopsis confragosa; Clare wondered how Daedalus had become involved in the name and thought the smaller piece resembled a moth. Honeysuckle is still in flower - always good to see forage for pollinators late in the season.
Pale Straw Pearl moth
Shaded Broad-bar moth
Blushing bracket fungus
31st August
Squeaking, or rather chirruping into the Blog at the last minute, a Common Green Grasshopper appeared almost exactly where the Common Field Grasshopper had been seen a few days ago. Hard to get a photo, however you can see that it is green.
STOP PRESS! The meadow hay was baled this afternoon. Phew!