My First Cuckoo of the Year

Yes, I did hear my first Cuckoo of the year yesterday morning whilst I was sitting in the garden. 

However, the 'cuckoo' that I am referring to is my first Cuckoo Wasp of the year.

 When you take a close look at these tiny wasps, it is clear to see why they are also known as Jewel Wasps as they sport a sparkling blue, green and pink livery. I delight in watching them patrolling my house wall every year. 

They are parasitic wasps that specialise in laying their eggs in the nest holes of solitary wasp and bee species.

Ruby-tailed Wasp (Chrysis ignita) 

After removing the old crazy-paving outside my back door a couple of years ago to redesign the area, I decided to allow a newly created flower bed to re-wild itself. The intention is to selectively weed out the vigorous 'monster' weeds and allow the more delicate wild flowers to thrive. Garlic mustard is a food plant for Large, Small and Green-veined Whites as well as the Orange-tip and it is flourishing. I am eager to see what other butterfly foodplants might appear during the course of the summer.

A couple of days ago, a female Large White stopped off at the scrub meadow to lay her eggs under a garlic mustard leaf.

Large White (Pieris brassicae) (ovipositing female)

The resulting batch of ova.

A few more moths from the moth-trap this week.

Mullein (Shargacucullia verbasci)

Angle Shades (Phlogophora meticulosa) 

Frosted Green (Polyploca ridens)

More Views from the Terrace

Judging by the numbers of Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) that have been flying through the garden over the last week, they seem to be having a good year. Over the Easter weekend I noticed a Holly Blue fluttering back and forth along our holly hedge and it had the look of a female looking for suitable egg laying sites. I grabbed my camera and watched her at close quarters for 20 minutes or so.

It was indeed a female laying eggs on the holly flower buds. Females of the spring brood mainly lay their eggs on holly buds but females of the summer brood tend to lay their eggs on ivy buds. I have also occasionally seen them use alder buckthorn and spindle as a food plant.

I managed to get the following images. 

Holly Blue (Celastrina argiolus) (ovipositing female)

The ovum is a pale blue mini urchin and is laid at the base of a holly flower bud.

The Dark-edged Beefly is fairly common in our garden and I noticed this mating pair. 

Dark-edged Beefly (Bombylius major) (mating)

A greater variety of species are now starting to turn up at the moth-trap.

Brindled Beauty (Lycia hirtaria) (male)

Brindled Pug (Eupithecia abbreviata)

Brimstone Moth (Opisthograptis luteolata)

Swallow Prominent (Pheosia tremula)

View from the Terrace

My garden shed had been suffering from the ravages of time for a few years and finally, during the gales of late winter, it succumbed and had to be dismantled. Apart from a couple of bikes and folding chairs, most of what it contained was junk and so I decided that we didn't really need to replace it. After some rearranging of potted plants, the shed base was quickly converted into my new, rather grandly named sun terrace.

As the coronavirus lock-down has become the new norm, I have taken to spending time sitting on 'the terrace' with my binoculars and copious cups of tea to watch for insects in the garden.

Since last weekend, I have seen several of our spring emerging species pass through. Small Whites and Holly Blues have been numerous and I have seen one each of Large White and Speckled Wood.

Only a Small White stopped for a photograph.

Small White (Pieris rapae) (female)

I have also been watching the Mason Bees patrolling my south-facing house wall. Half-a-dozen continually checked every hole and crevice in the brickwork but never seemed to make any decision as to which ones they liked. If they land, it is only for a brief second or two before they are off again but later in the day they are partial to basking on some drying bay leaves that I have got hanging on the wall.

 I think that the white hairs on their faces identify them as Red Mason Bees.

Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis)

And a few more moths from the moth-trap during the last week.

Streamer (Anticlea derivata)

Early Grey (Xylocampa areola)

Chestnut (Conistra vaccinii)