Bow Bridge, Waterstock. (River Thame)
First buttercup field. (does anyone know if they just happen, or do they get sown?)
Young and old?
Spot the bee.
The field by the pub at at Shabbington
Rycote: Saint Michael’s chapel was built in 1449 by Richard Quatremayne, a close aide to Richard, Duke of York, and later, to Edward IV. It was to serve as a private chapel for Ryecote Palace, now sadly destroyed.. Grade I listed building
Rycote Chapel Greyhounds Date: 2018-19
Material: Lavoux a Grain, French Limestone.
“The wall butresses are unusual in that they pierce the line of the eaves, whilst those on the corner at the east end, set diagonally, are furnished with heraldic greyhounds. It seems these were added by Lord Williams around the time of his ennoblement. Much worn, restorations were commissioned from me (Tim Crawley) by Bernard and Sarah Taylor, current owners of Rycote, and I added gilded bronze standards with flags featuring Williams’ heraldry. The original beasts were moved to the interior of the church and are now installed either side of the altar.”
At the end, near Tiddington, buttercups with a tinge of red grass seed heads.
Now, the bug and other creatures.
Butterfly conservations says:
“At this time of year we often receive reports of ghostly silken webbing covering sections of hedgerows and, on occasions, individual trees. Although it can look rather sinister, don’t be alarmed. The most likely culprit is a harmless caterpillar.”
The caterpillars we saw today in several places could have been one of about four different types of Ermine Moth, namely Orchard Ermine, Apple Ermine (most likely), Spindle Ermine or Willow Ermine
Because they are so hard to tell apart it is recommended that they are (in Latin) Yponomeuta agg.
They are the same as the ones we saw near Hayley two weeks ago, but the RHS cautions
“these caterpillars should not be confused with the webbing caused by box tree caterpillar, or the brown tail moth …”
each of which we have also seen this month.
We though these were eggs, but up close they are something else. What, I have no idea.
We saw these, teasels, beside the Thame.
One with lots of aphids
But another, so beautiful, with this, most likely a mayfly. Drake mackerel mayfly Ephemera vulgata OR Common mayfly, also known as the ‘green drake mayfly’, Ephemera Danica
Lovely
And another beauty, possibly a furrow orb spider (Larinioides cornutus) but I’m open to other suggestions.
Further on, on the old railway line, the garden chafer or garden foliage beetle (Phyllopertha horticola)
Not sure about the insect: maybe a Macrolophus is a genus of plant bugs in the family Miridae. There are at least 20 described species in Macrolophus. But we though the leaf was an elm. Plantnet suggests a Wych Elm Ulmus glabra.
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