In Stefen Hill Pocket Park there are only, as far as I know, three oak trees and two of those are Turkey Oaks, Quercus cerris. Nevertheless I did pay close attention to the one Pedunculate oak, Quercus robur, on my visit earlier today.
A pale, rather globular swelling at the leaf base was the work of a wasp, Andricus curvator. Although I was pleased to see it I had recorded it last year from, I suspect, the same tree.
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A true gall, caused by Andricus curvator, a cynipid wasp.
Stefen Hill Pocket Park. 14 May, 2020
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A quite different species was responsible for a gall-like blister mine on the same tree. This was caused by a moth, Dyseriocrania subpurpurella. It has been given the 'common name' of Purple Blister Moth although, as I have said before, it is unlikely that lepidopterists actually use this name. Pleasingly, this was a new record for the park. This blister is not a true gall as it did not involve the production of any new material or thickening of the plant tissues.
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A blister mine, the work of the Purple Blister Moth.
14 May, 2020
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Yellow is currently the colour most obvious in the pocket park. I have already mentioned the Yellow Flags in the pond so will say no more about them.
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| Yellow Flags, Iris pseudacorus. Stefen Hill Pocket Park. 14 May, 2020 |
Another yellow flower doing well at the moment is Wood Avens, Geum urbanum. Close up the flowers of this member of the rose family are quite attractive but this can be a pestilential weed, hated by gardeners, allotment holders and the like.
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The rather small flowers of Wood Avens
Stefen Hill Pocket Park. 14 May, 2020
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It has bristly fruits which cling to animal fur, trousers and woollen spats (although the latter are now sadly rare). By this means they are spread hither and thither. The roots of this plant were once to used to give a clove-like flavour to ale.
Buttercups are coming to their peak with Meadow Buttercup, Ranunculus acris, to the fore. Although there are several ways of distinguishing this species from Creeping Buttercup, Ranunculus repens, the leaves are generally sufficient for recognition.
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| The hooked bristles of the Wood Avens fruit. |
Buttercups are coming to their peak with Meadow Buttercup, Ranunculus acris, to the fore. Although there are several ways of distinguishing this species from Creeping Buttercup, Ranunculus repens, the leaves are generally sufficient for recognition.
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The Meadow Buttercup is common in Stefen Hill Pocket Park.
14 May, 2020
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Those of Meadow Buttercup are finely divided and generally distinctive, even if the flowers are not present.
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The leaves of the Meadow Buttercup are distinctive.
Stefen Hill Pocket Park. 14 May, 2020
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On the other hand the leaves of Creeping Buttercup are softly hairy and divided into three more obvious lobes, frequently with pale markings.
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Although faint in this picture, the leaves of Creeping Buttercup frequently
carry pale markings. Stefen Hill Pocket Park. 14 May, 2020
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The Bulbous Buttercup, Ranunculus bulbosus, is very common and is likely to be present in the pocket park, but I have not yet noted it.
All buttercups in Britain are poisonous due to presence of an alkaloid, ranunculin. The name Ranunculus acris reminds us that the plants have an acrid, burning taste, so they are unlikely to be eaten by humans. However, buttercups can be abundant in pastures so consumption by livestock may be unavoidable. Fortunately the drying process involved in hay-making renders the poisons more or less harmless.
Celandines are common in the pocket park. They were once called Ranunculus ficaria but are now separated and referred to as Ficaria verna.
The word ranunculus means 'little frog' and I have yet to hear a satisfactory explanation as to why it is applied to these colourful and unappreciated plants.
Finally, I swept up a caterpillar from long grass. Butterflies and moths aren't my thing but I eventually identified it.
Finally, I swept up a caterpillar from long grass. Butterflies and moths aren't my thing but I eventually identified it.
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The Timothy Tortrix is a very widespread moth, found as far east as China.
Stefen Hill Pocket Park. 14 May, 2020
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It was a Timothy Tortrix, Zelotherses paleana. It feeds on grasses including Timothy Grass, but is found on other plants too. New for the pocket park.
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