Another Honey Lover

This morning one of the more interesting moths in my moth trap was this male Bee Moth.

Male Bee Moth (Galleria mellonella)

The Bee Moth (Galleria mellonella) lays its eggs in beehives, and the larvae are considered pests. They do damage by injuring combs and honey. The moth Galleria mellonella belongs to the subfamily Galleriinae of the family Pyralidae, in which the females characteristically lay their eggs in beehives. The adult female moths have brownish front wings with wing-spans of about 1 in. (2.5 cm). Eggs are laid in masses in the crevices of the hive. The newly hatched larvae tunnel into the combs, they also puncture the wax caps of honey cells causing honey leakage and making the punctured comb honey unmarketable. Normally, the moths attack only abandoned beehives, or active ones in which the bee colony has been weakened, e.g., as a result of disease or starvation.

Fete Full Return

Any one in the Village will have noticed the signs for the "St Margaret's Scouts and Guides VILLAGE FETE '

It is a few years since the last last Village Fete so it was good to see the initiate of the Scouts and Guides in starting it up again. Although the weather wasn't as summery as it has been in the last week it was sunny and the rain stayed away.

When I got there I resisted the urge to sit in the fire-engine, it a pity that I didn't have any grandchildren with me, that would have been a good excuse.

As usual I made a bee line for the coconut shy. I just can't resist having a go a winning a coconut and I normally do. On this occasion I didn't, but I have a good excuse. I did hit two, but the wooden balls that they were using were definitely not as heavy as in the "old days" and it couldn't possibly be due to my waning throwing powers could it?

The bicycle parade was in full swing, and there were some very innovatively Dressed Bikes. The winner in the younger category was this striking pirate ship, all though I'm not sure if it would have floated on the village pond!

I had a particular affinity for the winner in the older category, the Unicorn. I spent my working life at the pharmaceutical company "The Wellcome Foundation" and our logo was the Unicorn.

When I got back to the WI stand near the entrance the children's game of throwing "sticky" things at a target was still going, but the adult drinks tombola was completely sold out, either bad planning on my part or the WI just had recognised the thirst that a Fete brings to the villages adults and had under-estimated their potential.

Boy like to throw thing and no one is to young to start playing basketball. Did it or didn't it?
Over all there seemed to be a good turnout and everyone seemed to be having fun, so well done to the organisers.

Teenage mum?

The female Badger seems to have settled into a routine and arrives between 12.30 and 1 a.m most nights.

She is really small, much smaller than the female who visited frequently last year. Female Badgers can mate in their first autumn. As they have delayed implantation the young would be born around her first birthday. She is definitely beginning to look rather tired and worn out. I guess being a young mum and producing milk to feed her cubs is pretty hard work. On spring watch they talked about feeding the Badgers dog food. She doesn't seem very interested in this, the peanuts get the first attention. I hope that she will bring the young to see us when she's ready, they are normally pretty amusing, charging around and pushing each other about.

A mothing mother.

The Wrens that are nesting in the ivy next to the lounge window made a discovery this morning that means that I will have to alter my method of emptying my moth traps.

I normally let the moths go, once identified into some small bushes next to the conservatory where I do my identifications. Some do stray onto the patio near to the Wrens nest, before flying off. Today this opportunity looked too good for the Wrens to pass up and they, or at least one of them, used these easy pickings to give the kids a tasty breakfast snack.

The majority of moth today were Heart and Darts with a sprinkling of other common species such as Treble Lines and Shuttle-shaped Darts, and a few others, but nothing unusual.

Here the Wren holds it up so that I can identify the moth as a Heart and Dart. They have quite chunky bodies, so I'm sure that they will be satisfying for the chicks.

It was soon back again, and this time looked around for another easy meal.

The unlucky moth this time was a Treble-lines, about the same size as a Heart and Dart and equally chunky. I hope that having got the take the Wren doesn't work out how to get into the moth trap, before I get out to empty it, and do the job for me. I've heard of it happening before, with various species, and once last year I found a Robin in one of my traps. It had got in my could find its way out.

Dr Who was here!

Adisham is an ancient village dating back to the seventh century. Now-a-days it is some what overshadowed by the small town of Aylesham that was built in the 1920s to provide home for the miners in the Kent coalfield that had been open in the early 20th century. More recently the village featured on Dr Who, when it was the scene of a martian invasion.

When you enter the village it is surprising to find this large church situated on a small hill above the triangular village green.

Christ Church, Canterbury was granted a church in Adisham in AD 616. The present building dates mainly from the 13th century. One thing that probably explains the size of the Church is that the monks of Christ Church once had a Priory here in Adisham but along with so many of these establishments, they disappeared at the time of the dissolution of the monasteries.

The Church is unusual in Kent because of its crossing tower with the pinnacle roof and cruciform design. The Church became this design in the 14th Century when transepts were added to the Norman Church.

The tower was originally castellated but was shortened and restored with its present roof as the result of repairs required in the mid-1800's.

I obtained information about the Church, from the excellent Kent resources and British History on Line as well as James Anthony Syms "Kent Country Churches - continued".

Spots and Pyramids

A glorious day and I took a walk along the cliffs to the Lighthouse and then along the old tramway below the NT White Cliffs Car park

Quite near the Lighthouse I found this rather small Common Spotted Orchid, small but still a welcome sight.

Down at the old Tramway the grass was full of these beauties, varying in colour from almost white to a deeper pink or purple.

There were quite a few Blue Butterflies around, including this Adonis Blue. It is not as well marked as some are but at least it did stop for a quick photo, unlike other that seemed to be in perpetual motion.

I also saw the first Meadow Brown that I've seen this year. I seemed to want to play hide and seek in amongst the grasses and never rested with its wings open.

There were still some Painted Ladies around, but far fewer than there had been a week ago. Several of those that I saw were getting very worn. It will be a while before the next generation from the huge immigration, is on the wing. These butterflies will be pristine but unfortunately the Painted Lady is unable to survive through our winters, so the large numbers this year doesn't necessarily mean a good number next year.

Near the top of the path, back up to the car park I found the first Pyramidal Orchids that I have seen this year. I suspect that the very sheltered site has brought these on a little earlier than those that flower in more exposed areas along the top of the cliffs.

Rabbit, snack and one?

When I was driving with Mike on Saturday we had two encounters with Rabbits as prey species. On the way to Stonehenge a Buzzard flew in front of the car carrying a small Rabbit and later at Thursley NNR a Fox crossed our path also carrying a small bunny. I both these cases I suspect that the adult was carrying a meal to present to its young.

Despite the fact that they seen very much part of our countryside, Rabbits are not native to Britain. They were introduced to Britain by the Romans who kept them in fenced off warrens and used them for meat and fur. They seem to be very common at the moment and as I came through West Langdon late this afternoon I noticed one field with a couple of dozen grazing. It seems that many have been able to overcome the affects of myxomatosis and now the disease only kills about half of the rabbits that are infected.

When the disease first reached Britain, in 1952, it reduced the rabbit population by about 95%. I wonder if the rise in Rabbit numbers has had a direct affect on the number of Buzzards. This one uncommon bird of prey in South-Eastern England has become increasingly common in the last decade and it seems pretty certain that it is destined to become as common as Kestrels or Sparrowhawks. I'm not sure what proportion of a Buzzards diet Rabbits make up, but it is certainly quite high and I suspect in times of high Rabbit population, as it seems to be now, they become a real cause of the upward trend of Buzzard population. Of course the law, protecting our birds of prey has also helped, but I can't help thinking that this would have done much less without the never ending food supply that a mammal that can breed four months after being born supplies.