Nature Notes: Andy’s Thorley garden and allotment teeming with wildlife
Several months ago, I invited folk to contact me if they would like a Nature Notes article based on the wildlife in their garden. Andy White, from Thorley, responded, saying that I was welcome to visit his garden and allotment.
I was really impressed with his garden, which was laid out with wild flower beds along with certain cultivars of wild flowers and a pond that was teeming with wildlife.
Upon arrival, I checked the contents of Andy’s moth trap that he had left out all night. More than 30 moths were still present and among the regular common species was a stunning light emerald and an impressive poplar hawkmoth. Several micromoths were also present: Yponomeuta evonymella, aka bird-cherry ermine, and the very common Celypha lacunana.
My attention was then drawn to the flowerbeds, with greater knapweed, meadowsweet, lady’s bed-straw, honeysuckle and cranesbill in abundance. These are all superb species for insects and it wasn’t long before I was busy identifying and photographing many species of bees, hoverflies and bugs.
The most prevalent was Apis melifera, the western honeybee, whilst nearby was the larger Bombus terrestris, the buff-tailed bumblebee. These were interested in the knapweed and globe thistles. Also upon the knapweed was Lygocoris pabulinus, the common green capsid bug.
Insects are in considerably lower numbers than usual. This is certainly a testament to the poor weather this summer and the earlier very wet spring. I suspect many insects that were pupating in leaf litter will have failed to emerge due to being drowned whilst others have not been triggered to emerge yet due to the low temperatures. A hot, sunny spell should see a marked increase in their numbers, particularly butterflies and moths.
Normally at this time of year I record over 100 moths of around 50 species in my garden moth trap a night. So far this year my best is 77 moths of 44 species on the night of June 28. The only butterfly in Andy’s garden was a solitary small tortoiseshell. The in-flower buddleia was totally devoid of butterflies, very unusual for July.
Upon checking the magnificent honeysuckle, I encountered another bug species, Closterotomus trivialis, a capsid bug. Several hoverflies caught my attention, the most prevalent being Episyrphus balteatus, the marmalade hoverfly. This small yet colourful insect will be in every garden at present, hovering over flowers before landing to feed. The colour pattern of this species is dictated by external temperatures whilst it is pupating, with warmer weather adding more orange than yellow on the abdomen. It will be interesting to see what colourations will be on those yet to emerge later this summer.
A harlequin ladybird, an invasive species, sat at the end of a flowerhead where another hoverfly species was noted – Volucella pellucens, the great pied hoverfly, the largest hover in the UK. Again, this will be present in good numbers in many gardens where there are nectar offering plants. It is often misidentified as a bee species but is easy to identify with its black and white abdomen and large dark markings on the wings.
I made my way to the small, shallow pond. Andy netted some larger species from the water. In the tub I came across the nymph of the southern hawker dragonfly as well as newtlets, almost certainly those of the common newt, also known as the smooth newt. These will have hatched this summer and all showed their external gills for living underwater, their lungs yet to form for life out of the water.
On the surface were many Gerris lacustris, the common pondskater. Living upon the surface tension of the water, these amazingly skilled insects sense when a fly lands on the water and row themselves rapidy to the fly to feed upon it. The slightest rainfall has them all scurrying to bankside vegetation as the rainfall can break the surface tension. Very well adapted insects to their specific habitat.
Clutching to the plants overhanging the pond were several common blue damselflies. Andy read out an impressive list of 12 species of odonata (damselflies and dragonflies) that he has witnessed in the garden. Just a small, shallow pond can attract plenty of species. Every garden should have one.
I moved to Andy’s front garden, where bell flowers and wild marjoram had been planted. Here, a splendid hoverfly, Meredon equestris, the large narcissus fly. These flies lay their eggs on the bulbs of narcissus and daffodils and are considered to be a pest species where bulbs are grown for sale, such as in Lincolnshire and the Isles of Scilly. Another bumblebee mimic.
A black bee with grey hair was also present, a Megachile species, one of the leaf cutter bees and very tricky to identify to species in the field.
Having checked the front garden, we headed off to Andy’s allotment. This was very well attended to and full of flowering plants, vegetables and fruit.
We checked to see if we could find any common lizards, but the lack of sunshine meant they were not to be seen where they normally sun themselves.
However, a surprise find was a purple hairstreak butterfly that landed, all too briefly, near us before heading off over the fence and a missed photo opportunity. This is a butterfly that associates with oaks. A row of 100-year-old-plus oaks was nearby, so I reckon a check on these trees will give the allotment holders more chances to glimpse this species. Often, they come down from their usual haunt in the canopy after mid-afternoon rain in July and August.
Andy had placed a bee hotel on the side of his shed. Here, several Heriades truncorum, one of the resin bees, also known as the large headed resin bee. These were popping in and out of the hollow bamboo where they will lay eggs and store small piles of pollen next to the egg for the larva to feed upon when it hatches.
This species was once thought to be a rarity and presumed to have first appeared in the UK in Victorian times, probably imported in wood brought over from the continent. It is slowly expanding its range from an area between the Solent and the Thames, so this was a good find for East Hertfordshire.
Also utilising the bee hotel was a colony of hornets. These passive creatures, much maligned by many, are superb to have on an allotment as they will take many pest insects for food. We only had to wait for a few minutes before one came to the nest carrying a fly species. The intricate paper nest was just visible through the hole in the box. Great to see.
There is a lot of confusion at present about the Asian hornet, an invasive species that can wipe out bee hives. I regularly receive photos of our native European hornet with the question: is this an Asian hornet? The national media have been in a frenzy about the Asian species and stoked up alarm, so much so that many of our own hornets are probably being killed unnecessarily in a case of mistaken identity. The Asian hornet is mainly dark with yellow legs. Our European hornet resembles a large wasp and shows brown legs.
We moved to the compost heap, covered in old carpet. As these were removed, both red and black ants were visible, guarding their eggs. Nearby, a large slowworm posed for a photo next to one of the black ants, Formica fusca, showing a white band across the abdomen. As I knelt down to take photos, red ants climbed onto my leg and started nipping, injecting their acid into my thigh.
The carpet was put back to help the wildlife within. Around 12 slowworms were present, all disappearing rapidly into holes they had previously dug. Good to see such a successful colony.
It was a wonderful conclusion to a most enjoyable few hours. It just goes to show, with a little care and planning, a small urban garden can become a haven for wildlife.
Even a small, one-metre square patch of wildflowers and nettles in a garden can aid insects which, over the last 40 years, have declined by 80% according to a survey by the University of Sussex. If we all gave a little time to putting these plants in our garden the insects would most certainly benefit.
My grateful thanks to Andy for permitting me access to his garden and allotment. This report documents just a few of the species seen – certainly a wonderful wildlife garden.
If other readers would like me to check their garden, please email paul.winspear@stortfordindie.co.uk with your details and I shall arrange a convenient time to visit.
All photos by Jono Forgham