I had Foxhill Farm to myself today. I walked there as briskly as I was able, thus genuinely taking exercise.
My target was rather different today. About eighteen months ago Matt and his staff constructed a large pond in the south-west corner of the farm. A smallish pond had existed there already but this new pond could almost be referred to as a lake (where is the dividing line?). Furthermore the whole structure, covering I would estimate, 500 square metres, has been lined with proper sheeting. It must have cost and arm and a leg!
Anyway, that was my destination. I wasn't expecting much as the pond/lake will take years to achieve anything like maturity. Perhaps frog or toads would have found it?
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The lake is about 50 metres long and 12 metres wide. Foxhill Farm, Badby.
12 April, 2020
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In the end there was little to be seen but I may return in a month or two with appropriate kit for pond dipping. The most interesting feature was a small group of logs on the bank. They were in an advanced stage of decay and I carefully turned over one or two in the hope of revealing interesting organisms.
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Decaying logs demanded investigation. Foxhill Farm, Badby.
12 April, 2020
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Conditions were very dry and as I moved the logs they partially disintegrated in a shower of dusty fragments. Two specimens of Dorcus parallelipipidus were revealed. This species is known as the Lesser Stag beetle and, pleasing though it was, it was not really a surprise as I had found a couple of larvae in wood nearby in 2019 which I had suspected was this beetle.
Garlic Mustard, Alliaria petiolata, belongs to the Cabbage Family, Brassicaceae. The family was once known as the Cruciferae, which basically means 'cross-bearing'. The four petals form a cross and cabbages, wallflowers, horseradish, honesty and so on all have this simple structure.
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| Lesser Stag Beetles were present. |
Scruffy though they were, I didn't want to disturb them by attempting to clean them up, so I took picture or two then gently replaced the log. Were they a male and a female? I forgot to check.
Walking on a little my eye was caught by a rather large scarab-type beetle struggling in the web of a walnut orb-weaver spider. I decided to do my Good Samaritan bit and gently disentangle it. This I did, and placed it on a gate post for a photograph - it promptly flew away! I was devastated. Honestly, some beetles!
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| Lifted from the internet - Onthophagus coenobita. |
I am 90% certain that it was Onthophagus coenobita - right size, right shape, right colour - and I took the same species nearby a couple of years ago.
In the hedgerows garlic mustard was in flower and was attracting both male and female orange tip butterflies. I must check these plants in a few weeks time for their bright blue-green caterpillars.
In the hedgerows garlic mustard was in flower and was attracting both male and female orange tip butterflies. I must check these plants in a few weeks time for their bright blue-green caterpillars.
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The cruciform flowers of garlic mustard, aka hedge garlic.
Foxhill Farm, 12 April, 2020
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This common hedgerow plant was once known as Sauce Alone because, like horseradish, it was used as a condiment to enhance fish dishes.
In his Flora of Northamptonshire George Claridge Druce describes the habitat of Hedge Garlic as septal. The word is now obsolete but he used it to describe plants of hedgebanks and hedgerows and had clearly gone back to the Latin saeptum, meaning a fence or enclosure. Another useful bit of knowledge should the word crop up in a pub quiz!
In his Flora of Northamptonshire George Claridge Druce describes the habitat of Hedge Garlic as septal. The word is now obsolete but he used it to describe plants of hedgebanks and hedgerows and had clearly gone back to the Latin saeptum, meaning a fence or enclosure. Another useful bit of knowledge should the word crop up in a pub quiz!
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